Synopsis: After the mutilated remains of a mob foot soldier are discovered, Detective Ray Hanley thinks he has a simple case of revenge killing between the Irish and Italian mafias of Boston. However, when another gruesome body surfaces he realizes that this may be the work of a psychopathic serial killer who tortures and displays his victims all in the name of art. As Ray juggles family drama, mafia retaliation, and police corruption the clues become increasingly clear and lead him down the path of the killer. He will soon be submerged into the sick and twisted world of the killer and have to pay a hefty price both personally and professionally to bring the killer to light. Will his sacrifices be enough to ensure that justice is served?
My review: This is a captivating thriller, packed with violence and gore, which will have the reader glued to it's pages until the end. Cavignano takes us on a whirlwind chase following Detective Ray Henley in his search for a demented serial killer who uses his victims as a form of art. The witty banter, and good cop/ bad cop charades draw the reader into Hanley's world and suddenly in the next chapter they are in the den of the killer and reading about his visions for his future victims. The descriptions of the killers "artistic process" in creating each of his displays allow the reader a glimpse inside of his psychotic mind. Anyone who is a fan of Silence of the Lambs will succumb to the fascinating tale spun in this book.
Cavignano has a knack for creating well defined and multi-layered characters that are not just black and white like we see in many novels. In other words we are sometimes cross with the good guy for his actions, and likewise we sometimes sympathize with the bad guys. This is a characteristic that makes this novel both believable and fascinating. The Artist, a mentally deranged murderer, has a past that has driven him over the edge. And we get a really enticing view into his mind as he describes his plans of the murder of his victims. The switch from one chapter laying out the evidence and following Detective Hanley to the next being with the killer and describing his actions keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. With all of this, the rivalry between neighboring crime families is just icing on the cake.
The ending is both shocking and unpredictable and well worth the wait. There were no significant delays in the pacing to slow down the development of the story. The infusion of carnage is spread out through the book rather than being in one crescendo of a bloodbath towards the end, as we see so often in other crime stories. This technique keeps us engaged and wanting more. Once we read the first scene with the killer, who is transforming the body of someone who wronged him into his sick version of art, we are hooked. This is the first book in the Ray Hanley crime thriller series so we expect to see more of the detective in the future.
My Rating: 4 stars
About the Book:
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Author: Derik Cavignano Author's Website
Published Date: September 20, 2019
Publisher: Self Published
