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Killzone
Five years ago, Eddie Whitt’s daughter Sarah became the victim of a serial killer known as Killjoy, and Whitt vowed to hunt him down—no matter what the cost. But the police have given up. And Killjoy has stopped killing…and in some bizarre act of repentance has begun kidnapping abused infants and leaving them with the parents of his original victims.
The only clues to Killjoy’s identity lie in a trail of taunting letters. And even as they lead Whitt to a deadly cult—and closer to his prey—he begins to suspect that, like his wife, he’s losing his grip on Sarah’s dollhouse is filled with eerie activity, as if her murder never occurred. As dark forces rise around him, Whitt must choose—between believing that evil can repent…and stepping into a trap set by a killer who may know the only way to save Whitt’s soul.
The only clues to Killjoy’s identity lie in a trail of taunting letters. And even as they lead Whitt to a deadly cult—and closer to his prey—he begins to suspect that, like his wife, he’s losing his grip on Sarah’s dollhouse is filled with eerie activity, as if her murder never occurred. As dark forces rise around him, Whitt must choose—between believing that evil can repent…and stepping into a trap set by a killer who may know the only way to save Whitt’s soul.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
11 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Tom Piccirilli
186 books387 followersThomas Piccirilli (May 27, 1965 – July 11, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer.
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 7, 2012
Before beginning my review, let me share something: I have BOOK RAGE. Similar to road rage, but not as violent, book rage makes me feel emotions with great intensity. You see, for me, when book rage takes hold, I have a very difficult time separating myself from the story or character that has enraptured me so. Sometimes this is not so bad, maybe I’m really into a thriller or suspense story and I am having fun chasing the Bad Guy or figuring out the mystery. But sometimes, as in the reading of THE DEAD LETTERS, book rage makes me experience emotions I would rather keep hidden from all, including myself.
Let me explain.
THE DEAD LETTERS is a pretty intense story. It is about Whit’s obsession of tracking down the serial killer that murdered his daughter. But the story is not just about revenge. The story is also about fatherhood, and all the joys and pains associated with fatherhood. Still, even with revenge and fatherhood, the story is missing a third of what it’s about: madness.
Revenge.
Fatherhood.
Madness.
You see, Killjoy, the serial killer, is no longer a serial killer. He wants to atone for his sins of killing children by kidnapping children of broken homes and bringing these children to the parents of the children he murdered. One can easily see how temping it would be to take these children and run away, start a new life, pretend nothing ever happened. But Whit has a bigger plan. He wants justice. He wants justice for his daughter; he wants justice for his wife, who happens to be in the insane asylum since the murder of her daughter; and he wants justice for himself, for what he had taken away from him. Whit won’t allow himself to accept the kidnapped children, and he won’t allow others to accept them as well.
For most of the book I had these charged feelings, sharing what I can only guess Whit was feeling. But then I had a nightmare. I have two children. Twins. They are three years old. Killjoy kills three year olds. In that nightmare, I awoke to find Killjoy in my living room; he had already killed my children. You can imagine the devastation I felt. Even upon waking, I had this weight upon my heart and mind. Book rage was taking over. Before long, I had completely surrendered myself to feeling what Whit was feeling and experiencing.
I tried to take breaks between readings; the book was never far from my mind. But then the really disturbing aspects of book rage began to take place. I started thinking about what type of monster I would become if someone murdered my children. I imagined the rage I would feel. I imagined the hate that would be multiplying in my body until I had the killer in my hands. I imagined the different ways I would enact my revenge, seek my satisfaction. I won’t share with you these plans, but I began to understand the madness part of this book a whole lot better.
In the end I can’t really say I recommend this novel. It is terrifically written by an artist that knows his craft. The plotting is deft, exhilarating. The characters are believable, three-dimensional. So why can’t I recommend this book? You have to be emotionally ready. And I can’t say that I was emotionally ready to read THE DEAD LETTERS.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (with cautions)
SIDE NOTE: TOM PICCIRILLI REMINDS ME A LOT OF EARLY J.G. BALLARD. IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MR. PICCIRILLI’S NOVELS MOVE FROM THE GENRE SHELF TO THE ONE LABELED LITERATURE.
Let me explain.
THE DEAD LETTERS is a pretty intense story. It is about Whit’s obsession of tracking down the serial killer that murdered his daughter. But the story is not just about revenge. The story is also about fatherhood, and all the joys and pains associated with fatherhood. Still, even with revenge and fatherhood, the story is missing a third of what it’s about: madness.
Revenge.
Fatherhood.
Madness.
You see, Killjoy, the serial killer, is no longer a serial killer. He wants to atone for his sins of killing children by kidnapping children of broken homes and bringing these children to the parents of the children he murdered. One can easily see how temping it would be to take these children and run away, start a new life, pretend nothing ever happened. But Whit has a bigger plan. He wants justice. He wants justice for his daughter; he wants justice for his wife, who happens to be in the insane asylum since the murder of her daughter; and he wants justice for himself, for what he had taken away from him. Whit won’t allow himself to accept the kidnapped children, and he won’t allow others to accept them as well.
For most of the book I had these charged feelings, sharing what I can only guess Whit was feeling. But then I had a nightmare. I have two children. Twins. They are three years old. Killjoy kills three year olds. In that nightmare, I awoke to find Killjoy in my living room; he had already killed my children. You can imagine the devastation I felt. Even upon waking, I had this weight upon my heart and mind. Book rage was taking over. Before long, I had completely surrendered myself to feeling what Whit was feeling and experiencing.
I tried to take breaks between readings; the book was never far from my mind. But then the really disturbing aspects of book rage began to take place. I started thinking about what type of monster I would become if someone murdered my children. I imagined the rage I would feel. I imagined the hate that would be multiplying in my body until I had the killer in my hands. I imagined the different ways I would enact my revenge, seek my satisfaction. I won’t share with you these plans, but I began to understand the madness part of this book a whole lot better.
In the end I can’t really say I recommend this novel. It is terrifically written by an artist that knows his craft. The plotting is deft, exhilarating. The characters are believable, three-dimensional. So why can’t I recommend this book? You have to be emotionally ready. And I can’t say that I was emotionally ready to read THE DEAD LETTERS.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (with cautions)
SIDE NOTE: TOM PICCIRILLI REMINDS ME A LOT OF EARLY J.G. BALLARD. IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MR. PICCIRILLI’S NOVELS MOVE FROM THE GENRE SHELF TO THE ONE LABELED LITERATURE.
February 1, 2014
Terrific thriller from Piccirilli about a father's obsession with catching a serial killer who murdered his daughter and then tries to make up for his crime. The main character Whitt is well-developed and the supporting cast, including Whitt's mentally ill wife, are nicely drawn as well. The mystery of the killer's identity keeps you intrigued throughout and the revelation is surprising and satisfying, as is the ultimate ending and fate of Whitt. The only drawback is a bit too much humor thrown in at inappropriate times which served to inadvertently take a needed edge off of some tense scenes. Otherwise, this is a wonderful tale that Piccirilli fans should love. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2010
Good story plot Of redemption and missing children my first from this author.Before staring the novel I thought this was going to be a horror novel ,due to being awarded the Bram Stroker award,but the story was more in genre of psychological thriller.
October 1, 2008
What is the quote…? Ah yes, ”An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind”. And that is exactly what happens to Eddie Whitt. And that, in a really sick, sordid way, is why I loved him. In most movies and books you read, the parent becomes a vigilante with the powers and knowledge even the most skilled agents or soldiers don’t possess. Eddie Whitt plays out exactly how one would in reality; he doesn’t know it all, doesn’t always have those clever one-liners, and rarely has a plan. And that three-dimensional, creative, but honest-to-the-point-of-brutal development is why I loved these characters. Piccirilli delivers a cast that is real, characters that could be anyone – a neighbor, a family member, maybe even a spouse. Even swallowed in their own insanity, their own cruelty, it’s no more shocking than what you see played out every day on the news. This, readers, is life.
And like life, the scenery is constantly changing, morphing, darkening. Though light barely exists in the beginning, what little shine there is slowly dwindles, leaving you surrounded and stirring in your panic. You feel the characters' pain, you smell the madness wafting off of them in constant currents, and the paranoia that began to settle in the first chapter slowly colonizes until it’s made you it’s home.
What has been in your house so many times it has its own shelf is this storyline. Though not new, it still manages to capture you. Now, maybe it’s the desire to explore, to understand. Maybe it’s to temporarily wear the hat of the victim and act out what you would be hoping to be your actions. Or maybe it’s simply that the plot may be an oldie, but a goodie. Whatever your reasoning, I guarantee you will be mesmerized.
-As posted on Horror-Web.com
And like life, the scenery is constantly changing, morphing, darkening. Though light barely exists in the beginning, what little shine there is slowly dwindles, leaving you surrounded and stirring in your panic. You feel the characters' pain, you smell the madness wafting off of them in constant currents, and the paranoia that began to settle in the first chapter slowly colonizes until it’s made you it’s home.
What has been in your house so many times it has its own shelf is this storyline. Though not new, it still manages to capture you. Now, maybe it’s the desire to explore, to understand. Maybe it’s to temporarily wear the hat of the victim and act out what you would be hoping to be your actions. Or maybe it’s simply that the plot may be an oldie, but a goodie. Whatever your reasoning, I guarantee you will be mesmerized.
-As posted on Horror-Web.com
June 28, 2011
4 AND 1/2 STARS
Tom Piccirilli has been on quite a role over the last few years and he deserves all the accolades he's been getting. The quality of his writing is stellar - both original and deeply moving. I had some minor problems with a drawn-out fight sequence towards the end, but other than that, I very much enjoyed this thriller/mystery.
Although this is still in the genre family of horror, I would love to see him delve into straight horror one of these days. While he doesn't write with a typical, conventional style, this is where he separates himself from the average published novelist. His words have deeper meanings than what is just on the surface, and it's always a pleasure to begin to figure them out. This book is a dark, rich, and disturbingly psychological ride - one you won't forget for a long time.
Tom Piccirilli has been on quite a role over the last few years and he deserves all the accolades he's been getting. The quality of his writing is stellar - both original and deeply moving. I had some minor problems with a drawn-out fight sequence towards the end, but other than that, I very much enjoyed this thriller/mystery.
Although this is still in the genre family of horror, I would love to see him delve into straight horror one of these days. While he doesn't write with a typical, conventional style, this is where he separates himself from the average published novelist. His words have deeper meanings than what is just on the surface, and it's always a pleasure to begin to figure them out. This book is a dark, rich, and disturbingly psychological ride - one you won't forget for a long time.
February 19, 2007
Whew - this is a compelling horror novel. I couldn't put it down. The author writes in the "literary" horror genre - not the blood 'n guts - shock 'em 'til you drop style, but a more subtle, thematic, and lyrical type of horror.
Eddie Whitt is on a mission to find his daughter's killer. Five years ago, his little girl was the first victim of a serial child murderer. Since then, his one true obsession has been to find the man who obliterated his life and kill him. Killjoy, the murderer, has stopped smothering children and is now kidnapping abused infants and delivering them into the arms of the parents whose children he murdered years before.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre.
Eddie Whitt is on a mission to find his daughter's killer. Five years ago, his little girl was the first victim of a serial child murderer. Since then, his one true obsession has been to find the man who obliterated his life and kill him. Killjoy, the murderer, has stopped smothering children and is now kidnapping abused infants and delivering them into the arms of the parents whose children he murdered years before.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre.
December 2, 2019
I’m sad that I’m only now discovering Piccirilli, now that he has passed and only has a limited body of work. His writing style is very unique and sucks you in. I can certainly relate to a man hunting for his daughter’s killer, while losing his grip on his sanity...and his humanity. It’s beautiful, chilling and visceral. The only issue I have is that the last few chapters seemed very rushed. But the ending itself was satisfying. I look forward to reading more of his books.
August 14, 2019
Whomever stumbles unsuspectingly onto this book... I tell you now to prepare yourself. Steel your emotions. Close off the inner studios of your mind. Keep this story at arm's length, lest you lose yourself to its madness.
May 7, 2013
What moved this from 3 to 4 stars IMO was the ending. I did not see it coming.
August 7, 2014
At times the story was a little hard to believe but overall interesting.
April 13, 2016
Review pending
January 11, 2019
Mr. Piccirilli was one of the most underrated writers of his time. Amongst his peers he was extremely well respected. Nobody can deny the influence he's had on the horror and crime genres. You might be surprised to learn that he won the Bram Stoker award 4 times. But it is a shame that this would come as a surprise to anybody since Piccirilli deserved so much more attention from the mainstream. His influence is undeniable. It is said that Koontz and King wrote fan letters to him.
I never understood why he didn't break into the mainstream. He had everything to succeed. His writing was so sharp. His plots are excellent and build tension extremely well. Dare I even say his thrillers are unmatched? The first book that I have read by him was The Cold Spot - a perfect thriller. Back then it reminded me of the movie Drive for some reason.
Drive is a movie that does not waste your time with stupid dialogue. When the characters talk, they have something to say. It was the same in Piccirilli's The Cold Spot. Both the movie and the book appealed to the little boy I used to be as well. They were just so badass. But despite being excellent on the surface they both had depth to them. You can watch Drive casually and it's going to be awesome. But you can also focus and notice all the little details that make your heart jump with sadness or joy and lose yourself in the story. This is a rare quality that's hard to find.
And this generally applies to the books by Piccirilli. His books are excellent on the surface because they are exciting. They can entertain you. But you can also focus on them and you will find depths of emotions way deeper than you could expect from a thriller. I got the impression that Piccirilli went to incredibly dark places emotionally in order to give his books something special. Many of his characters go through so much pain, both mentally and physically. It is not unusual for them to suffer so much that they start to question their own humanity. (shoutout to No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai)
In this story a father loses his daughter to a serial killer. His grief is nearly tangible. It destroys his marriage, his social life and himself. His only aim is to find and to punish his daughter's killer. Throughout the book it is pointed out multiple times how he starts to mirror the behavioural patterns of the serial killer. What's more is that the villain is a complex character himself, capable of remorse and change. This is not common in your usual thrillers, a rare and underappreciated quality. It's hard to imagine how tough it must have been for Piccirilli to flesh these dark characters out the way that he did. Maybe one day larger audiences will realise what they have been missing for all these years.
From deadendfollies.com:
INTERVIEWER: "What would you say to a young soul who wants to write for a living?"
TOM PICCIRILLI: "I would tell him that it's a harder job than he could ever fathom. It takes you to places inside yourself you might not ever be able to get back from. It hurts, digging that deep."
I never understood why he didn't break into the mainstream. He had everything to succeed. His writing was so sharp. His plots are excellent and build tension extremely well. Dare I even say his thrillers are unmatched? The first book that I have read by him was The Cold Spot - a perfect thriller. Back then it reminded me of the movie Drive for some reason.
Drive is a movie that does not waste your time with stupid dialogue. When the characters talk, they have something to say. It was the same in Piccirilli's The Cold Spot. Both the movie and the book appealed to the little boy I used to be as well. They were just so badass. But despite being excellent on the surface they both had depth to them. You can watch Drive casually and it's going to be awesome. But you can also focus and notice all the little details that make your heart jump with sadness or joy and lose yourself in the story. This is a rare quality that's hard to find.
And this generally applies to the books by Piccirilli. His books are excellent on the surface because they are exciting. They can entertain you. But you can also focus on them and you will find depths of emotions way deeper than you could expect from a thriller. I got the impression that Piccirilli went to incredibly dark places emotionally in order to give his books something special. Many of his characters go through so much pain, both mentally and physically. It is not unusual for them to suffer so much that they start to question their own humanity. (shoutout to No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai)
In this story a father loses his daughter to a serial killer. His grief is nearly tangible. It destroys his marriage, his social life and himself. His only aim is to find and to punish his daughter's killer. Throughout the book it is pointed out multiple times how he starts to mirror the behavioural patterns of the serial killer. What's more is that the villain is a complex character himself, capable of remorse and change. This is not common in your usual thrillers, a rare and underappreciated quality. It's hard to imagine how tough it must have been for Piccirilli to flesh these dark characters out the way that he did. Maybe one day larger audiences will realise what they have been missing for all these years.
From deadendfollies.com:
INTERVIEWER: "What would you say to a young soul who wants to write for a living?"
TOM PICCIRILLI: "I would tell him that it's a harder job than he could ever fathom. It takes you to places inside yourself you might not ever be able to get back from. It hurts, digging that deep."
January 20, 2021
Je suis mitigée à propos de ce roman, assez inégal. Certaines parties du récit sont plus intéressantes que d’autres. Le tout reste prenant, surtout la relation entre le tueur en série et le père de sa première victime, qui est notre personnage principal. A la fois loufoque, sombre et parfois même drôle, ce roman nous fait passer par beaucoup d’émotions, je le recommande pour les amateurs de thriller policier.
February 12, 2018
I rarely stumble into such deep disappointing books, since I use to chose them after reading a great deal of reviews, but this time, it is what it is, boring as hell.
Skip it.
Skip it.
June 25, 2022
I won't deny the author had some literary background and talent, but ... SO DARK. Such unlikeable characters. I really need a palate-cleanser after this one.
September 1, 2025
excellente découverte, je ne connaissais pas l'auteur mais j'ai adoré. juste une étoile en moins car la fin était bâclée
January 2, 2012
While I don't remember what first turned me on to reading Piccirilli, it's super easy to figure out why I keep reading him. His writing is strong, his characters well-defined and his stories engaging. Every book by him I finish cements his position as one of my favorite authors.
The Dead Letters follows Eddie Whitt as he refuses to let go of his daughter's death at the hands of a serial killer named Killjoy. Even when Killjoy changes his m.o. and starts delivering kidnapped babies from abusive homes to the parents of his murdered victims, Whitt won't let go. His life for the five years since his daughter was killed has been a pattern focused on finding and killing Killjoy. Something that makes him irrational enough to hurt himself in the process; his frustrations cause him to do things to calm down that had me cringe.
As readers, we experience that same frustration and desperation. We become involved with the weird cult family that has clues necessary for finding Killjoy. We hurt as Whitt's grief and pain bleeds off the pages. The book is something you will not want to put down. I'm not sure what else to say except go read it. Piccirilli is not someone to miss and this is novel is pure Piccirilli.
The Dead Letters follows Eddie Whitt as he refuses to let go of his daughter's death at the hands of a serial killer named Killjoy. Even when Killjoy changes his m.o. and starts delivering kidnapped babies from abusive homes to the parents of his murdered victims, Whitt won't let go. His life for the five years since his daughter was killed has been a pattern focused on finding and killing Killjoy. Something that makes him irrational enough to hurt himself in the process; his frustrations cause him to do things to calm down that had me cringe.
As readers, we experience that same frustration and desperation. We become involved with the weird cult family that has clues necessary for finding Killjoy. We hurt as Whitt's grief and pain bleeds off the pages. The book is something you will not want to put down. I'm not sure what else to say except go read it. Piccirilli is not someone to miss and this is novel is pure Piccirilli.
September 13, 2014
I was dissapointed by this book, mostly cuz I had really high expectations of the author. I read "A choir of ill children" a couple of months back and it blew my mind! There was such dark, black&white, sincity kind of a feeling over it and when I picked up this book I was expecting something similar, but I did not get it :(
Its hard to explain - A father chasing the man who murdered his child, slowly loosing his sanity topped of with wierd letters and mad rantings of a cult should provide you with it, but I dont know. Maybe it was the 3rd person wiew, making it too big of a bubble to keep the creepiness in?
However, I really like the language Tom uses. The dollhouse conversations and Killjoys letters were the best parts of the book. Brilliant!
I will give Tom another chance, I really should have picked another book from the beginning since I dont particularly like crime, but hindsights 20/20 :P
Its hard to explain - A father chasing the man who murdered his child, slowly loosing his sanity topped of with wierd letters and mad rantings of a cult should provide you with it, but I dont know. Maybe it was the 3rd person wiew, making it too big of a bubble to keep the creepiness in?
However, I really like the language Tom uses. The dollhouse conversations and Killjoys letters were the best parts of the book. Brilliant!
I will give Tom another chance, I really should have picked another book from the beginning since I dont particularly like crime, but hindsights 20/20 :P
April 22, 2015
Tom Piccirilli has written many classics across all genres, but this may be my favorite. It has great characters, gut wrenching emotion, dark humor, and a compelling mystery. If you haven't read Mr. Piccirilli you really need to correct that mistake.
August 7, 2010
The first 100 pages or so were kinda slow but I stayed up until 3:30 AM finishing this book! Awesome!
May 5, 2016
More like 4 1/2 stars. This is only about my 4th Piccirilli novel, but he is becoming one of my favorites. Great story, i can't wait to get to my next book by him. Amazing
September 1, 2015
A thriller with a very interesting premise. Unfortunately, the premise never really paid off for me. Maybe I was looking for something different than what the author intended.
December 9, 2015
Tom Piccirilli writes very interesting stories and writes them well. This story is about a man who is, basically, being stalked by his daughter's killer. He's playing along so he can get the killer.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews