Red Angel

Criminally Insane #2

by Andrew Harper (Pseudonym), Douglas Clegg

You see him every day. But you don't know who he is...on the inside.

Among the neighborhoods full of lovely palm trees and clear blue swimming pools of California, a new killer is hunting. Pursued by rookie cop Jane Laymon and psychologist Trey Campbell, this murderer's pathology may be linked to inmate Michael Scoleri -- AKA Abraxas -- at the Darden State Hospital for Criminal Justice. Do they communicate with their minds?

The young man in the straitjacket doesn't want the Red Angel to be caught. But his skin holds the name of an upcoming victim. And up on Moon Lake, in the San Bernardino mountains, a terrifying killer plans to descend into the valley to find his next victim.

Genres: Horror, Thriller

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2003

About the author

Pseudonym for Douglas Clegg

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you know how many emails I get a week by people asking what my problem is? Far too many. To answer just a few of them let me simply say this: No, there is no stick there; Yes, my mother did hug me enough, No and You should be ashamed for even asking! Anywho, rather than spew yet another diatribe of "Dear Lord End My Pain", I have decided to turn my anguish into a much beloved past time- a drinking game!

Take one sip every time...:
Someone exclaims any one of: "No!"; "Oh my God!".
Trey flashes back to his previous encounter with Agnes “The Surgeon” Hatcher.
The story manages to convey an eerie atmosphere.
You find a misspelled word.
The pace becomes inert.
The word madman appears. (*Warning* you may get intoxicated from this action alone)
The setting is either at the hospital or at the police station.

Take two sips every time...:
A new character appears and then is never heard from again.
Something way too convenient occurs to help them investigate the case.
The narrator repeats himself.
The hospital is described in even more detail than your last check-up.
A child dies.
You can predict the next chapter. (*Warning* this happens in every chapter)
You yawn, doze off, rest your eyes, or catch flies.

Down the bottle every time …:
You feel a headache coming on because of the book's similarity to Harris’s Silence of the Lamb.
You feel like screaming, “Vanna, for the love of all that is holy, give them a CLUE!”

*And for all you tolerant drinkers out there who haven’t had enough, I Dare you to drink every time the villain is identified as It.

-As posted on Horror-Web

[Chana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't have a problem with this book in particular, I have a problem with the genre. I picked this book out of a bookbox, and it is not bad for it's type. It is well thought out, well-plotted and organized. It never gets boring or bogged down in explanations. The problem with it is that it is gross. I think that the author intended some worthy points here in regards to types of people and how they react to abusive situations, but I was too grossed out to want to make a study of it.

[William M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Angel, the second book by Andrew Harper / Douglas Clegg in the Darden State series is an improvement over the first, Bad Karma. I find that Clegg's strengths lie in his research and hospital atmosphere. As soon as he writes about police procedure, I feel like it's one cliche after another. My only other complaint is his random descriptions of scenery with detailed background on hills, mountains, and weather patterns. Stick with the story, Doug. That being said, I was very excited to put the pieces of the puzzle together as the story progressed. It had some nice grim detail as well. With this improvement over his last book, I'm definitely making another trip back to Darden State. If you're looking for stunning serial killer books, check out Kevin O'Brien's work... especially "Make Them Cry" and "Left For Dead".

[Jenny Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbing

This one took the awhile to finish. It was very disturbing but I think the first in the series was better.

[Kanda Trask · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read but it did not nearly grab my attention like Bad Karma...hoping Night Cage is better

[David B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone is murdering children and leaving the bodies to be found. Still recovering from the traumatic events of the previous book, psychiatric technician Trey Campbell returns to his job working with the criminally insane at Darden State Hospital in a new unit for the particularly dangerous, just as the young son of the unit’s director goes among the missing. Knowledge of the killer’s pattern makes Trey and director Elise Conroy aware that they only have hours to rescue young Lucas, which makes it more palatable when they take some big risks that would have been more difficult to accept otherwise. Meanwhile, a dedicated detective trying to prove herself to her colleagues also closes in on the killer, leading to a suspenseful climax. This book is a big improvement over the previous one. Douglas Clegg still has an odd penchant for extremely short sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. However, the plotting is tight and there is not nearly as much extraneous detail as the first book in the series. The modus operandi of the killer is gruesome and genuinely clever.

https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot....

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for serial killers, horror and the psychologically twisted? Look no further than the Douglass Clegg series entitled 'criminally insane '. You will get
Chills wondering how this plot will turn out!

[Mrs A. J. Turbfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a particularly nice story,confusing and difficult to get into. Not a good ending either

As everything is left hanging and the baddie still on the run. Not overly fond of this style of writing. Doubt I will read more.

[Annette Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different serial killer, same other support staff. Still good (and sick).

[Barbara Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Angel

Enjoyed this second book in the criminally insane series. Great story line. Getting ready to order book three😀 I expect to enjoy it as much as the other two.

[Lisa Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Criminally Insane Series

I have read the first two books in this series so far and they were fabulous, can't wait to start the next book

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read - although it does give people with mental illness a bad name.
It is disturbing and "dark" - with a twist of psychic abilities

[Allaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved book one...couldn’t put it down but book two was a bit harder to read. I think for me it was a bit confusing with what I think of as two plots.
I really do enjoy your books...this one ok.

[Joanne Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Another great read from Douglas. His ability to write a thrilling horror is amazing. After reading the 1st and 2nd book, I'm now looking forward to the 3rd

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot for Red Angel isn’t a new one, but I don’t see it as the hack job some seem to for Silence of the Lambs. I see where a killer in a mental hospital is linked to a killer on the outside, but that’s where the similarities in. The motivation for saving the victim is different, the hunters are different, the backstory different.

The plot is fast winded, although it takes a bit of time to get past repetition and pick up. In the middle evolves a genuinely confusing mystery that keeps you reading until the ending slaps you in the face. Although the story itself could stand a little bit of fine tuning, it’s still interesting and addictive. One thing that keeps it so is the strong characterization and concentration on the creepy atmosphere and setting.

Trey Campbell as the psychiatrist is the main ringleader, tortured over a recent attack on his family by an escaped inmate. I loved this guy in Night Cage but didn’t find him as appealing here. Harper seemed to ‘harp’ a bit too much on Campbell’s reluctance to return to work, and his yearning to. (The whole love/hate relationship thing) After awhile it just got old and seemed like Campbell was whining. Also, it is warned in the book that Trey is worried about getting “too” into a killers mind, that all staff members are…this is repeated throughout the book, and Night Cage, so that it gets slightly old.

Jim, a larger character in the sequel, is still here but not shown as much (pity, I like him) We see more of the cop in the sequel, Jane ­ she’s a likeable character who seems genuine enough, but many of her scenes seemed unnecessary. The villains are effectively creepy and I found no fault with them.

The pacing was strong and sturdy, not letting me down, although some of the repetition hurt it slightly. A lot of care was taken to describe the setting of the hospital and all the security regulations; this hurt the pacing a bit as after awhile it wasn’t as needed.

Clegg, errr....Harper goes a little overboard at the beginning with choppiness but it kept me reading. He kept it short and sweet, as he does at times, which works for the most part, but he laid it on a little thick here. The middle stops this sin, though, and becomes easier reading. Overall, as always, his writing style is done in an enjoyable manner that keeps me one enthusiastic, pleased reader.

Red Angel turned out to be a good book that made my literary life a little happier.. It wasn’t as good as Night Cage, though; the plot wasn’t as compelling and addictive, and the characters were more interesting in the latter novel. This one is a decent thriller, and while it didn’t have as much suspense, it held genuine emotion and I appreciate that. Fans of Harper should enjoy this one. There wasn't that much suspense here, but it held a lot of spirit and strength, making my literary life a little bit happier. The plot packed punch, didn't run out of steam, kept going like the little engine that could.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I read by Andrew Harper (better known as Douglas Clegg) in his criminally insane series. Our star is Trey Campbell, and he is a Psych Tech working at a hospital for the criminally insane in Southern California. There is serial killer killing young children who seems to have a connection to one of the worst inmates/patients at the hospital. The story is fast paced and very suspenseful with some extremely bizarre and chilling lunatics that will give you nightmares. The characters are all quite nicely developed.

[Jenny Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series, and it was very good. Clegg is a good horror writer, and this series about the hospital for mental criminals has been a creepy and fun read. The characters are well described and very relateable, and the setting is perfect for this kind of horror story. I enjoyed it a lot.

[John Bruni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care much for it. I'm tired of serial killer stories, no matter how strange or otherworldly they can be. This one had some good surreal moments, but for the most part, it didn't get into my head.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but very disturbing book. Even more disturbing is that this is a sequel.

[Carla (There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was excellent, but the Kindle edition has several typos.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read if you love mystery and suspence...could not put it down