A serial killer who will stop at nothing…
The Killer
His most valuable possession has been stolen.
Now he must retrieve it, at any cost.
The Girl
Angela Wood wanted to teach the man a lesson. It was a bag, just like any other.
But when she opens it, the worst nightmare of her life begins.
The Detective
A journal ends up on Robert Hunter’s desk. It soon becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose.
And if Hunter can’t stop him in time, more people will die.
Starting with Angela.
If you have read it
You must die
It's such a pleasure to be taking part in the blogathon for Chris Carter's Robert Hunter series. This month it's the turn of Written in Blood, the eleventh book in the series. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me and Simon & Schuster for my digital copy of the novel.
After the terrifying events in the previous Robert Hunter book, Hunting Evil, Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia should be due a break from chasing down twisted serial killers. However, with Christmas on the horizon, they instead receive a phone call from forensics agent Dr Susan Slater; she explains that she has received a hand-delivered journal and thinks they need to come and have a look at it. Much to their horror, they quickly realise another prolific serial killer is at large in LA.
It has already been revealed that the journal had been in the possession of a man whose arrogant behaviour led to a young woman, Angela Wood deciding she should teach him a lesson. Angela is a fascinating character – she is a criminal with a firm moral code and a tragic past. Her impulsive actions here have terrifying consequences but for a time, she refuses to accept the seriousness of the situation. She is undoubtedly flawed but undeniably likeable, especially when she allows herself to be more vulnerable.
Hunter and Garcia are seasoned detectives with an impressive record for capturing serial killers but with just the journal and some photographs as evidence, they face a daunting challenge to discover who the man who kills after hearing voices compelling him to murder, really is. Hunter's intrinsic understanding of human psychology gradually begins to open up potential routes of inquiry to follow but it's the killer himself who really drives this investigation.
The impetus behind him turning to murder is examined in some details and drives home what Chris Carter does so well in this series. The writing is dark and gritty, of course, but it's also steeped with an empathetic understanding of how despair, rejection and resentment can contaminate a person. There is never any doubt here that the murderer's actions are terrifying and truly heinous but the exploration into why they feel driven to undertake such evil deeds is what makes Written in Blood such a riveting, heartbreaking read.
It's not just the killer's motivations considered by Chris Carter though; Hunter's long-standing insomnia and cynicism following his own tragedies and years of bitter experience, Garcia's increasing despair at the state of the world and Angela's guilt-driven grief add further layers of interest to this heartfelt thriller, which, despite its often sombre themes, still manages to balance the darkness found within its pages with the promise of hope.
Written in Blood is a chilling, breathtakingly tense thriller but it is also an authentically emotive, thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.
Written in Blood is published by Simon & Schuster, purchasing links can be found here.
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