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boleary30's review
4.0
Great start to a series,very creepy, morgue worker trying to solve beheading cases
bibliobethreads's review
3.0
This is the first book in the carson ryder series and I found it a good start. Quick and easy to read with just the right amount of action and intrigue. Unfortunately, the killer did not come as a surprise to me which was a shame!
imzadirose's review
3.0
I wanted to like this series. This is the first book and was too slow for too much of it then there were parts I didn't like. Haven't decided if I'll try the next yet.
arathi's review
3.0
good book, Carson Ryder's brother sounds so creepy....creepier than the killer in this book itself..
definitely didnt like Squill...he was very irritating in every possible way!
will surely read all the other books by this author..hope there is no more Squill in the other books!!
definitely didnt like Squill...he was very irritating in every possible way!
will surely read all the other books by this author..hope there is no more Squill in the other books!!
julie_sapienza's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
thrifty_librarian's review
2.0
The hook to this book is incredible. I read the first few pages and knew I needed to read the rest. The crimes are interesting at first. Unfortunately, the book as a whole is not good. The writing, especially the dialogue, is overdone. The insane brother is unnecessary and annoying. Most of the plot is taken up by the protagonist melodramatically caring for his alcoholic ladyfriend, rather than doing any actual sleuthing.
Thriller isn't my favorite genre, so maybe those who have a soft spot for thrillers will enjoy this more than I did. I've definitely read thrillers worse than this one, I would chose this over a lot of Patterson's books, for example. And I think Kerley has promise, given that this was his first novel. Some thoughtful editing would've gone a long way to tone down the excessive drama and help Kerley's ideas shine.
Thriller isn't my favorite genre, so maybe those who have a soft spot for thrillers will enjoy this more than I did. I've definitely read thrillers worse than this one, I would chose this over a lot of Patterson's books, for example. And I think Kerley has promise, given that this was his first novel. Some thoughtful editing would've gone a long way to tone down the excessive drama and help Kerley's ideas shine.
gawronma's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Excellent. This book introduced readers to two of the most interesting character in the mystery genre. Carson Ryder and his series killer brother Jeremy are a duo worth reading about.
literaryfeline's review
3.0
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2014/06/from-archives-bit-of-action-in.html
margenotbutter's review
2.0
I didn't enjoy this as much as some other Kerley books (as I have read them out of order). I think it is clear that it is a debut novel as it is a bit scattered. The murder plot was overlooked by the inclusion of Carson/Jeremy backstory, and the side plots of Ava and Squill. I found the Ava story added nothing to the book and the Squill plot was repetitive and boring. It was interesting finding out about the Carson/Jeremy backstory though, and parts of the murder plot were clever. I am glad I didn't read this first as I think it would have put me off some of his other books.