(Reviewed by Don Jung)
I started reading A Killing Game during a long flight to New Zealand. The problem was that upon arrival, I didn’t want to go out and see the sights. I just had to stay in my hotel room and finish the book. And I admit that it was well worth it.
This is a murder mystery with plenty of unusual twists and turns. Curtis Westcott is a young Boston police detective who gets assigned to a seemingly random murder case. As he investigates the circumstances, he begins to sense that this is the makings of a serial killer.
Four prominent young women have been murdered in different parts of the country and in each scene the killer gives clues as to his next victim will be. In each case our police hero gets there just a little too late.
The murder scene has unusual clues that takes the reader by surprise and slowly the details unravel of what this is all about. Curtis must think out of the box as the alleged killer has provided evidence that this is simply more to it than meets the eye.
The story transforms into a bi-coastal journey as he tries to determine what the motive is
behind all these murders. Curtis leaves Boston to catch these clues and the chase gets you caught up in a fast- paced ride to Napa, Los Angeles and other locations. Along the way more characters try to help solve the puzzle and yet the reader wants to find that one more hint on how to capture the killer.
The author uses a good descriptive narrative on the difficulties of being a police detective as he tries to balance a normal life. One problem can lead to another misstep so he has to be thorough on how he can figure out what is correct. The writing gets you caught up in a whirlwind of what could happen next.
This spell-binding story then leads to the disappearance of a billionaire’s daughter. The
father is fed up with the police; he puts out a million-dollar reward for the return of his daughter. This leads to all sorts of malcontents. Chaos ensues, and our police detective has to seek out all the false leads before finding the one clue that can lead to a rescue.
This style of writing contributes to the intrigue. The chapters are short and perplexing.
You see seemingly wild goose chases turn into something relevant, but it takes you a while
to catch on with all the killer’s shenanigans.
For any murder mystery to keep me that captivated, says a lot. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
