Many years ago, John Costello survived a horrific attack by the serial killer known as the "Hammer of God". Fast forward to present day New York, and John is working as a researcher for a newspaper. Ray Irving is a New York cop, a bit of a loner, who has suffered the loss of a loved one. He is called out to a murder scene. This sets the stage for a tale of two men, not dissimilar, more in common than not, and their hunt for a killer some think don't exist. Mr Ellory's novels are a joy to read - the depth of character and the emotive scene setting never fail to immerse you in the scenario's he creates and it is no different here. Obviously well researched, references to "real life" serial killers are embedded in the story and give it an authenticity all of its own. Some reviewers seem perturbed by the ultimate resolution - the "reveal" if you like. It depends - if you are looking for the "shock" factor the "Oh I NEVER thought that was it" type ending then to be fair, yes you may be disappointed. Or not. Whilst there are plenty of twists and puzzles along the way, for me, it ultimately mattered not who the killer was, or even his/her motivation - this book was a definite character piece. It was about John Costello and how he has created a persona for himself to cope with the trauma he suffered. It was about Ray Irving and what drives him to chase the darker side of humanity. It also speaks to serial killing and the very real investigative problems this type of crime can bring. It will make you pause for thought. I loved it. I am normally a huge RJ Ellory fan. I absolutely loved A Quiet Belief in Angels, and have read it 3 times, so I had great hopes for this book.It started off interestingly enough, and had the usual characters that one would expect in a detective novel, world weary and lonely middle aged cop, sassy lady who comes to his rescue after a shaky beginning to their relationship, odd ball boffin type, etc etc etc. Plenty of well researched CSI type of stuff there too.We were well and truly cheated in the end though as Ellory seemed to run out of steam. It was as if he was late for his publisher's deadline and thought 'oh, sod it, I'll get this book finished tonight', and introduced a previously unmentioned character, about whom we knew nothing whatsoever, to pin the murders on, thereby cheating the readers of a satisfactory conclusion, and frankly treating them with scorn. This, coupled with his behaviour regarding assuming alter egos to review both his own and other's novels has made me less of a fan. Naughty boy.
Do You like book Een Mooie Dag Om Te Sterven (2011)?
Not his best, I suspect, but it was good enough to make me read another.
—jane
Fun read. Well-written. Scary serial procedural.
—Soysauc3
