The Executioner by Chris Carter

Author: Chris Carter

Title: The Executioner

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Published: 2010

Pages: 496

Genre: Crime/ Thriller 

 

     Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked body of a priest. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood. At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims? Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

     Whilst looking for the next book to read I figured it might just be time to go back to my first love. That of detective crime fiction. I enjoy getting down in the dirt and grim and peeking over the shoulder of our heroes as they try and outsmart some diabolic serial killer. I want to see blood splashed across pages and a city on edge. Now whilst there are a fair few books in this genre sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. It was The Executioner that grabbed my attention this time. Now I have read works by Chris Carter before but in my inevitable style, it was always out of order. So this time excluding the gap it's been since I last picked up one of his books I have gone from the sixth to the second in this series. But what can you do sometimes that's just how life goes. And whilst these books are more blockbuster than documentary they sure do give me some great enjoyment

     So we are back in the pocket of Detective Robert Hunter. A man who blends together a few of my favorite tropes of this genre. Yes, he is dogged and determined, always a good character trait in a detective. Is he a broken man, well here no he has a little bit of the swagger about him. He is not afraid to use his charm to get what he's after. And you know that when he enters a room he is perfectly capable of holding people's attention. He also has an equally hardworking partner in Garcia. A man who might not have as much experience as our hero he is sure willing to play catchup. They both play off each other well and it's good to see how Carter uses their strengths and weaknesses to tell his tail and give us a compelling storyline. He has also given us another brilliant antagonist. Our killer is both truly devious in his methodology and someone who can seamlessly blend into the normal world.  I greatly appreciate how the author is capable of creating these villains that dig their way under your skin and crawl up the back of your neck. They are after all someone you would definitely not want haveing the sights set on you.

      When it comes to this book fear is the name of the game. A concept which in and of itself would seem a fairly easy choice to go for. But all our fears are different, what might send me running from the room might just be a slight inconvenience to you. Here though I think Carter has made some solid choices, even if on the surface they might not seem so bad when they are ramped up to murderous levels they will probably make us squirm a little whilst reading them.  The kills at times almost feel pulled from a horror movie. This author after all is not afraid to shy away from the gruesome details in an effort to skirt that line between thriller and horror. But what I enjoy about Carter is that he doesn't get all bound up in this. We still get a great game of cat and mouse. The chase after all is what brings us into such books. We want a puzzle to pull apart and if possible be the detective to the outcome. It is I suppose that need to feel a little smug that we were smarter. 

     When it comes to the work of this author I know exactly what I'm going to get. He is one of those staples of the crime world that give us comfort in knowing that we don't have to think am I going to enjoy this book. I know he delivers time and again. And when I want my big silver screen killers and a desperate chase to stop him before his next victim falls these are the books I can reach for. He delivers some joyous if not gruesome entertainment and sometimes that is all we need.