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Redheads
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer's DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer's DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
308 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
9 people are currently reading
1085 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moore
9 books377 followersJonathan Moore is an Edgar Award and Hammett Prize nominated author of six novels.
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathanmoorefiction.
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathanmoorefiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 14, 2016
Redheads is a really well written and interesting novel from the author Jonathan Moore. I started reading this book with very little idea of what it was about, it took me on a journey unexpected in so many ways.
If you like a book to have plenty of thrilling action with a twist of the bizarre and the unknown, this is one you may indeed really love. Not your average thriller, mentioned to be part thriller/part horror, I disagree slightly, the horror element is not really there. Disturbing thriller with a crime feel to it, yes.
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
The killer preys on redheads, I am a natural redhead and was keen to find out the reason why he preys only on redheads, I had to wait until the end of the book to find out. Then it made a lot of sense. Thank God I now colour my hair, so this killer will never find me. Lucky eh?
It's quite graphic in parts this novel, the kill scenes are not pretty, this killer likes to rip apart, dismember, disembowel and eat parts of the victims. Hannibal Lector move over, you have a competitor.
Chris is hot on the tail determined to find this killer who brutally stole his wife from him, along the way he connects with two others who have equal desire to hunt down this killer and bring him down, for their own personal reasons.
When a cutting edge laboratory is engaged to analyse DNA from the killer and the results were revealed I knew this book was going to go to a whole other level. It was not going to be an ordinary crime thriller, and indeed it was not.
From hacking into FBI databases, accessing secret data, hunting the killer across countries this book is thrilling and really keeps you wondering what the final outcome will be, you get really hungry for the big reveal that you know must be coming. There are some super tense moments in this book along the way.
My one criticism is I did feel the book lagged a bit in places, almost too much information at times which detracts from the plot, the pace and the atmosphere of the book overall. It's a very minor criticism. For as a debut novel nominated for the Bram Stoker award, it's very bloody good.
The lead up to the ending was fantastic, the reveals were well worth waiting for. Will answers finally be totally revealed? Is it all over, is this killer's reign of terror complete? I wish that there had been a longer, more drawn out ending with more of the atmospheric and chilling scenes it presents, it would have really have made this book awesome.
Some of the redheads fight back...
I really loved the ending.
I received a copy of this book from the author Jonathan Moore in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
If you like a book to have plenty of thrilling action with a twist of the bizarre and the unknown, this is one you may indeed really love. Not your average thriller, mentioned to be part thriller/part horror, I disagree slightly, the horror element is not really there. Disturbing thriller with a crime feel to it, yes.
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
The killer preys on redheads, I am a natural redhead and was keen to find out the reason why he preys only on redheads, I had to wait until the end of the book to find out. Then it made a lot of sense. Thank God I now colour my hair, so this killer will never find me. Lucky eh?
It's quite graphic in parts this novel, the kill scenes are not pretty, this killer likes to rip apart, dismember, disembowel and eat parts of the victims. Hannibal Lector move over, you have a competitor.
There was a deep cast iron frying pan on the stove. The pan and stovetop were splattered in grease. A fork lay on the countertop. It's tines were filmed in oil and flecked with blood. Next, he put the light into the frying pan. Left-over scraps of meat had blackened to crisps as the pan had cooled. He had no doubt that these were all that remained of Allison's breasts.Yup...and there is more where that came from.
Chris is hot on the tail determined to find this killer who brutally stole his wife from him, along the way he connects with two others who have equal desire to hunt down this killer and bring him down, for their own personal reasons.
When a cutting edge laboratory is engaged to analyse DNA from the killer and the results were revealed I knew this book was going to go to a whole other level. It was not going to be an ordinary crime thriller, and indeed it was not.
From hacking into FBI databases, accessing secret data, hunting the killer across countries this book is thrilling and really keeps you wondering what the final outcome will be, you get really hungry for the big reveal that you know must be coming. There are some super tense moments in this book along the way.
My one criticism is I did feel the book lagged a bit in places, almost too much information at times which detracts from the plot, the pace and the atmosphere of the book overall. It's a very minor criticism. For as a debut novel nominated for the Bram Stoker award, it's very bloody good.
The lead up to the ending was fantastic, the reveals were well worth waiting for. Will answers finally be totally revealed? Is it all over, is this killer's reign of terror complete? I wish that there had been a longer, more drawn out ending with more of the atmospheric and chilling scenes it presents, it would have really have made this book awesome.
Some of the redheads fight back...
You fucking animal, she thought. Here's a trick right out of fucking Wild Kingdom. I look like a redhead, but I've got a stinger.This one was a 4 star read for me, if it had not lost it's tension and taut atmosphere with too much relational interaction and information it at times it would have easily been a 5 star read. Well worth a look.
I really loved the ending.
I received a copy of this book from the author Jonathan Moore in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
January 23, 2017
Their goal was simple: to kill an animal.
For a debut novel, this was extremely smart and well thought out. Engaging characters with lots of action and blood that didn't get lost in the story or overpower it either. 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended! Looking forward to reading more from this author.
For a debut novel, this was extremely smart and well thought out. Engaging characters with lots of action and blood that didn't get lost in the story or overpower it either. 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended! Looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 5, 2014
What might have been a pretty good book was ruined by an unnecessary and frankly rather gross romance. I felt like there was a reader being pandered to, and that reader wasn't me.
March 16, 2014
Redheads is the debut novel by Jonathan Moore and has already been nominated for Superior Achievement in a First Novel by the Bram Stoker Horror Writers Awards.
Chris Wilcox is tracking a particularly insane killer, a killer who thrives on the fear of his victims, a cannibalistic murderer who tortures, mutilates and consumes parts of each of his targets, a killer who leaves no trace and is seemingly as adept at hiding his tracks as he is in taking lives.
His targets are female’s with Red hair, generally in ports to allow for easy escape and Chris’s wife was one of his victims but Chris now has a bead on him. He discovered this killer likes to revisit the crime scene and this leads to a DNA sample with unbelievable results.
Chris picks up help during his investigation, including Julissa, the twin sister of another victim, yes a redhead and Westfield an ex-serviceman, whose wife was also taken but they might just be up against something over and above what they can possibly handle.
It’s not till around half way into the book that we see through the eyes of the killer, what he’s actually capable of and he’s certainly a chilling adversary, with some terrifying talents that have aided his rampage for many years. This is where the book really picks up, not to say it was slow before but when we see exactly what our protagonists are up against its macabre but definitely fascinating.
I won’t give any more away but this is a very well written thriller/horror that deserves its nomination and I will be looking out for more work from this author.
A 4.5 Rating, Recommended.
Chris Wilcox is tracking a particularly insane killer, a killer who thrives on the fear of his victims, a cannibalistic murderer who tortures, mutilates and consumes parts of each of his targets, a killer who leaves no trace and is seemingly as adept at hiding his tracks as he is in taking lives.
His targets are female’s with Red hair, generally in ports to allow for easy escape and Chris’s wife was one of his victims but Chris now has a bead on him. He discovered this killer likes to revisit the crime scene and this leads to a DNA sample with unbelievable results.
Chris picks up help during his investigation, including Julissa, the twin sister of another victim, yes a redhead and Westfield an ex-serviceman, whose wife was also taken but they might just be up against something over and above what they can possibly handle.
It’s not till around half way into the book that we see through the eyes of the killer, what he’s actually capable of and he’s certainly a chilling adversary, with some terrifying talents that have aided his rampage for many years. This is where the book really picks up, not to say it was slow before but when we see exactly what our protagonists are up against its macabre but definitely fascinating.
I won’t give any more away but this is a very well written thriller/horror that deserves its nomination and I will be looking out for more work from this author.
A 4.5 Rating, Recommended.
December 29, 2025
2.7 ⭐️
An engagingly creepy horror thriller with an X Files feel to it, this is Moore's first novel and it shows.
His later works, such Night Market and Blood Relations, are more polished. Still, I enjoyed this tale of a cannibalistic killer who stalks redheads, well enough. It kept me invested right to the final page.
I wouldn't call it a mystery, as the killer's nature is evident early on but - you just have to know what happens. Can any author do better than that?
It's certainly not perfect- the instalove romance between the two main characters is cringe worthy ( and kind of corny, in its obviousness). The plot does not bear up well under scrutiny; luckily Moore moves too fast to worry about that while you are reading it. The whole book's a trigger warning- graphic dismemberment; gore, guts, rape and torture with no redeeming cultural content to speak of. Just one extremely guilty pleasure.
An engagingly creepy horror thriller with an X Files feel to it, this is Moore's first novel and it shows.
His later works, such Night Market and Blood Relations, are more polished. Still, I enjoyed this tale of a cannibalistic killer who stalks redheads, well enough. It kept me invested right to the final page.
I wouldn't call it a mystery, as the killer's nature is evident early on but - you just have to know what happens. Can any author do better than that?
It's certainly not perfect- the instalove romance between the two main characters is cringe worthy ( and kind of corny, in its obviousness). The plot does not bear up well under scrutiny; luckily Moore moves too fast to worry about that while you are reading it. The whole book's a trigger warning- graphic dismemberment; gore, guts, rape and torture with no redeeming cultural content to speak of. Just one extremely guilty pleasure.
November 20, 2015
A brilliant, horror thriller that reads like the best of Dean Koontz. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. Fast paced and very well written. The story is gruesome in parts and not for the feint of heart. I loved the characters and how the mystery unfolded. The ending paid off well and answered all my questions. Moore is a talented writer destined to be a big-name star. I'll be reading the rest of his books. I highly recommend reading REDHEADS!
September 23, 2016
Eek, I can't believe I just read a horror story. I didn't know. I just didn't know. And by the time I realised I was too invested in the story to stop. Apparently this was a debut novel so I'm pretty impressed.
Actually it wasn't so much "horror". Although there were certainly some pretty gross scenes, they were mainly just plain horrible.
Chris Wilcox has spent the last six years since his wife's brutal murder tracking her killer. His victims span the globe. Chris is at the scene of the latest killing when he comes across Aaron Westfield who is also tracking the monster who killed his wife - 36 years ago. Then Chris is ambushed by Julissa, the sister of the latest victim. Once these three realise they have the same goal, they pool resources and work together.
This killer eats parts of his victims (I told you it was horrible). But Chris has realised he sometimes returns to the scene after forensics and the police have finished with it and has another feed of body parts he has stashed in the freezer. At the latest scene, he finds a used fork and sends it to a private lab to run a DNA sequence on any alive found. The results, however, are shocking. The killer is not quite human. So what is he/it? It is at this point I wondered whether I should continue but I'm glad I did.
Soon the group realises that they, the hunters, are also being tracked and hunted. And so begins a cat and mouse chase around the globe that can only end in one way - death! It was pretty full on and fast paced. Do not read if you have a weak stomach.
Actually it wasn't so much "horror". Although there were certainly some pretty gross scenes, they were mainly just plain horrible.
Chris Wilcox has spent the last six years since his wife's brutal murder tracking her killer. His victims span the globe. Chris is at the scene of the latest killing when he comes across Aaron Westfield who is also tracking the monster who killed his wife - 36 years ago. Then Chris is ambushed by Julissa, the sister of the latest victim. Once these three realise they have the same goal, they pool resources and work together.
This killer eats parts of his victims (I told you it was horrible). But Chris has realised he sometimes returns to the scene after forensics and the police have finished with it and has another feed of body parts he has stashed in the freezer. At the latest scene, he finds a used fork and sends it to a private lab to run a DNA sequence on any alive found. The results, however, are shocking. The killer is not quite human. So what is he/it? It is at this point I wondered whether I should continue but I'm glad I did.
Soon the group realises that they, the hunters, are also being tracked and hunted. And so begins a cat and mouse chase around the globe that can only end in one way - death! It was pretty full on and fast paced. Do not read if you have a weak stomach.
August 2, 2016
Very suspenseful and I got really invested in the characters up against enormous odds. Quite a villain, too. This is my 2nd Jonathan Moore book. He is someone to keep an eye on!
October 11, 2017
This book simultaneously destroyed my peace of mind & was so poorly written I wanted to tear my hair out. The thought of a killer who eats women's faces while raping them was so disturbing & gross it ruined many a night after my bedside light went out, but the story itself borders on tedious with cardboard characters, an extremely implausible romance, and a killer who was almost laughably cliched. I'm happy to be able to move on to something that doesn't involve torture and cannibalism uneasily entwined with boredom. Sorry, Jonathan Moore, but you did become a way better writer after this so that's a relief.
June 3, 2020
Redheads by Jonathan Moore
Published by Samhain Publishing
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
Some guys have a thing for redheads. My thing started when I first saw Jessica Rabbit and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact she isn’t real. The killer in Jonathan Moore’s Redheads really has a thing for those of a ginger persuasion; some would say an unhealthy appetite. What you find within these pages is one of the most grotesque villains I’ve ever come across in horror literature; so much so that they remain nameless throughout.
Chris Wilcox lost his wife in the most tragic of circumstances and has spent the years since tracking down her twisted killer. Whilst gathering evidence, Chris finds himself forming a team to complete his revenge. What follows is an adventure that ticks all the boxes for a modern blockbuster. ‘Redheads’ is witty, heartfelt, gripping ride that grabs you by the balls (or ladybits) from page one and continues to squeeze until the final pulse-pounding showdown. We’ve all seen what Dan Brown did with ‘The Davinci Code’; the story rolls from scene to scene and barely pauses for breath aside from taking in clues to guide us to the next scene. ‘Redheads’ follows a similar formula, but manages to be about a thousand times more entertaining, whilst piling on enough gore and terror for even the sickest of horror fans. The bloodshed never feels gratuitous, but almost feels necessary to drive the story forward.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Redheads. The main characters are lovable, flawed and brave, whilst the villains are suitably evil. One sequence involving the tracking of a hacker through the streets of San Francisco utilising Wi-Fi struck me dumb with its blatant intelligence. Moore is imaginative with his action sequences, painting the numerous shootouts as if he were directing a high-end thriller and his dedication to research shows as page to page, the action jumps from state to state, country to country with flawless neighbourhood knowledge and a grasp for the locale.
Action-check.
Horror-check.
Obligatory Romance-check.
Highly original, but strangely familiar, ‘Redheads’ would be a welcome addition to any horror fan’s collection. Especially as it’s been nominated for a Bram Stoker award as well.
5/5
www.snakebitehorror.co.uk
Published by Samhain Publishing
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
Some guys have a thing for redheads. My thing started when I first saw Jessica Rabbit and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact she isn’t real. The killer in Jonathan Moore’s Redheads really has a thing for those of a ginger persuasion; some would say an unhealthy appetite. What you find within these pages is one of the most grotesque villains I’ve ever come across in horror literature; so much so that they remain nameless throughout.
Chris Wilcox lost his wife in the most tragic of circumstances and has spent the years since tracking down her twisted killer. Whilst gathering evidence, Chris finds himself forming a team to complete his revenge. What follows is an adventure that ticks all the boxes for a modern blockbuster. ‘Redheads’ is witty, heartfelt, gripping ride that grabs you by the balls (or ladybits) from page one and continues to squeeze until the final pulse-pounding showdown. We’ve all seen what Dan Brown did with ‘The Davinci Code’; the story rolls from scene to scene and barely pauses for breath aside from taking in clues to guide us to the next scene. ‘Redheads’ follows a similar formula, but manages to be about a thousand times more entertaining, whilst piling on enough gore and terror for even the sickest of horror fans. The bloodshed never feels gratuitous, but almost feels necessary to drive the story forward.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Redheads. The main characters are lovable, flawed and brave, whilst the villains are suitably evil. One sequence involving the tracking of a hacker through the streets of San Francisco utilising Wi-Fi struck me dumb with its blatant intelligence. Moore is imaginative with his action sequences, painting the numerous shootouts as if he were directing a high-end thriller and his dedication to research shows as page to page, the action jumps from state to state, country to country with flawless neighbourhood knowledge and a grasp for the locale.
Action-check.
Horror-check.
Obligatory Romance-check.
Highly original, but strangely familiar, ‘Redheads’ would be a welcome addition to any horror fan’s collection. Especially as it’s been nominated for a Bram Stoker award as well.
5/5
www.snakebitehorror.co.uk
April 21, 2014
I have to admit, this is one heck of a debut novel. There are a few weak spots here and there, but overall this was an incredibly strong offering and I can see why it was nominated for a Stoker Award.
What I think I admired most about this was that the opening for this was incredibly strong, and you can't help but find yourself get sucked into the book's pacing. There's something a little fun about joining the main character as he sneaks into the apartment of a dead woman, looking for evidence that he knows will be there that the cops wouldn't know to look for. It gives us a sense of immediate camaraderie, which is helpful later on in the novel when the book begins to jump perspectives. The characters here are decently done, but it's the mystery here that really got me. Why exactly is this creature hunting redheads? And what is it? How old is it? Trying to figure those things out were pretty fun while the book was in top form.
However the book isn't perfect. There were a few off notes here and there, such as the fairly obligatory romance between Chris and Julissa, his love interest. You want it to happen, but when it does happen it feels a little forced at times. It's just that Chris spends so much time thinking about his murdered wife (his whole reason for doing what he's doing) that when he switches gears and begins to show an interest for Julissa, it's too abrupt to feel like the romance it's trying to be. If anything, it felt more like Chris was trying to find a replacement Cheryl in Julissa and I kept waiting for her to say something about this, but it never came about. As a result I just couldn't find their romance very convincing, despite me really wanting it to be a little more genuine. The ending is a little rushed, which detracted slightly from all of the chasing and hunting that led up to it. It's good, but it sort of is a little "blink and it's done". I do have to say that the reason for hunting redheads is fairly interesting, though, and I wish it could have been explored just a teensy bit more.
All in all though, I was pretty pleased with this. It has its faults, but it's an incredible first novel and I expect that we'll likely see the faults in this book get evened out in Moore's future offerings. He can only learn from any missteps in Redheads, and he's a fairly promising author to watch.
What I think I admired most about this was that the opening for this was incredibly strong, and you can't help but find yourself get sucked into the book's pacing. There's something a little fun about joining the main character as he sneaks into the apartment of a dead woman, looking for evidence that he knows will be there that the cops wouldn't know to look for. It gives us a sense of immediate camaraderie, which is helpful later on in the novel when the book begins to jump perspectives. The characters here are decently done, but it's the mystery here that really got me. Why exactly is this creature hunting redheads? And what is it? How old is it? Trying to figure those things out were pretty fun while the book was in top form.
However the book isn't perfect. There were a few off notes here and there, such as the fairly obligatory romance between Chris and Julissa, his love interest. You want it to happen, but when it does happen it feels a little forced at times. It's just that Chris spends so much time thinking about his murdered wife (his whole reason for doing what he's doing) that when he switches gears and begins to show an interest for Julissa, it's too abrupt to feel like the romance it's trying to be. If anything, it felt more like Chris was trying to find a replacement Cheryl in Julissa and I kept waiting for her to say something about this, but it never came about. As a result I just couldn't find their romance very convincing, despite me really wanting it to be a little more genuine. The ending is a little rushed, which detracted slightly from all of the chasing and hunting that led up to it. It's good, but it sort of is a little "blink and it's done". I do have to say that the reason for hunting redheads is fairly interesting, though, and I wish it could have been explored just a teensy bit more.
All in all though, I was pretty pleased with this. It has its faults, but it's an incredible first novel and I expect that we'll likely see the faults in this book get evened out in Moore's future offerings. He can only learn from any missteps in Redheads, and he's a fairly promising author to watch.
April 2, 2014
«What are you? Chris thought.
The answer rushed into his mind like a flood of dirty water.
Hungry.»
Candidata a los premios Bram Stoker en la categoría de mejor debut literario, entusiastas blurbs de Jack Ketchum, comparaciones con Crichton, Lincoln & Child o Tom Clancy, espectacular media de opiniones tanto aquí como en Amazon... Las expectativas las carga el diablo, no obstante, y sobre las mías cayó una vez más un jarro de agua fría tirando a helada al comenzar a leer este thriller con tintes sobrenaturales que no me atrapó hasta que caí en la cuenta de que está muy bien escrito, por una parte, y de que bajo su trama de peli de sobremesa acecha una original puesta al día del mito de Drácula, peripecias navales y ghules sin voluntad incluidos.
Truculenta a ratos, saboteada en parte por un innecesario pero quizá inevitable romance metido con calzador, detenta la virtud de tomarse en serio a sí misma en su intento por descollar entre tanto techno-thriller CSI-esco que comba las estanterías de la sección de misterio de cualquier librería. Si la hubiera leído dentro de un par de meses me habría sabido mejor: como lectura de verano resulta perfecta.
The answer rushed into his mind like a flood of dirty water.
Hungry.»
Candidata a los premios Bram Stoker en la categoría de mejor debut literario, entusiastas blurbs de Jack Ketchum, comparaciones con Crichton, Lincoln & Child o Tom Clancy, espectacular media de opiniones tanto aquí como en Amazon... Las expectativas las carga el diablo, no obstante, y sobre las mías cayó una vez más un jarro de agua fría tirando a helada al comenzar a leer este thriller con tintes sobrenaturales que no me atrapó hasta que caí en la cuenta de que está muy bien escrito, por una parte, y de que bajo su trama de peli de sobremesa acecha una original puesta al día del mito de Drácula, peripecias navales y ghules sin voluntad incluidos.
Truculenta a ratos, saboteada en parte por un innecesario pero quizá inevitable romance metido con calzador, detenta la virtud de tomarse en serio a sí misma en su intento por descollar entre tanto techno-thriller CSI-esco que comba las estanterías de la sección de misterio de cualquier librería. Si la hubiera leído dentro de un par de meses me habría sabido mejor: como lectura de verano resulta perfecta.
October 30, 2013
Redheads is a meticulously plotted, savage debut from a new voice you'll be reading much more of in years to come. Jonathan S. Moore has created an unforgettable villain who would give the likes of Dexter or the CSI team sleepless nights. And if your hair is of a reddish hue you will definitely want to keep the lights on while reading this one!
March 9, 2015
If I had read any of the spoilers or a teaser of what this book was about, I would not have read it. Thankfully, I went in blind. Amazing job.
February 20, 2023
Redheads is a mash up of a modern monster horror tale and a cat and mouse globe spanning chase. However there is too much nitty gritty of amatuer slueths working to find the monster and also stay one step ahead of the law. There's always a fine line when tech stuff gets described that is either interesting or boring and skippable. The monster was an active threat and its origin was a shade enough mysterious that it wasn't quite a vampire but essentially it was. Early on in the book I had the notion it would turn out to be some sort of wereshark but sadly, that wasn't to be the case. A lot of stuff is crammed into this but could have done better with some trimming.
January 21, 2019
I don't usually like horror but I've read all of Jonathan Moore's other books so i hunted this one down. Had to keep my eyes peeled for a used copy and couldn't find it anywhere! I like this book more than 95% of horror that I've read. And i like it better than Close Reach, Moore's other horror novel. It definitely reads like the debut novel of an author whom i now love. Gory, sexual horror is not usually something i can stand to read, so this book is an accomplishment.
April 14, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. This book is, frankly, something of a mess--maybe because of its status as the author's first novel. It starts as a serial killer murder mystery before eventually morphing into straight horror. It's got an unnecessary, tacked-on feeling romance. It's got a somewhat disappointing climax (after all the build up). And yet, it's pretty well-written and fairly fast-moving as well. I might give this author another try.
August 26, 2019
I love the way this author finishes his books, and the ending to this one was no exception.
Throughout the book the author switches between view points, providing various perspectives of major and minor characters.
The storyline is dark but well researched, with chilling detail that will have you turning the page before your reach the last line.
Throughout the book the author switches between view points, providing various perspectives of major and minor characters.
The storyline is dark but well researched, with chilling detail that will have you turning the page before your reach the last line.
September 3, 2023
Well this was a surprise and a testament to not reading the blurbs of novels 😂. I had devoured one of Moore’a other novels a few years ago, “the poison artist”, and when I came across this serial killer thriller it felt like a solid bet. Needless to say this is not the book I expected to read but god it was great. Perfect page turner!
August 21, 2023
Started off ok, but became a little more implausible and a little confusing as time went on. Some of the computer stuff (actually all of it) was way above my Windows 95 knowledge. Not quite my type of book. Pretty gory and disturbing in places
July 5, 2020
i felt like this book focused on a lot of technical details which were overall unnecessary to the story line. the ending was very sudden and overall anticlimactic
April 15, 2022
Basically a murder mystery that evolves into a Stephen King novel. A tad confusing but still readable.
November 5, 2013
Redheads, a debut thriller novel by Jonathan Moore out today (Nov. 5), is going to send shock waves through everyone’s end of the year horror and thriller reading, while continuing to make waves well into 2014. Moore will quickly set himself apart from the masses and delve head first into being a well-known suspense author.
Following a pattern of mainstream writers like James Rollins, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, David Morrell, the technical writing know-how of the late great authors Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, and the CSI prowess of Patricia Cornwell, Moore brings a wealth of detailed information both as far as forensics, criminal activity and behaviors, the NSA, and technological surveillance. Though I sometimes can get bombarded with too much technical detail that makes me “tune out,” with Moore’s writing I didn’t. He threw in enough paragraphs of emotional turmoil, decisions, romance, and mystery that it all just propelled me forward through the pages with lightening speed. I must say that Samhain Publishing should have looked into splitting up the paragraghs a tad more though….
As the book opened, I began to imagine what must be one of the most awful serial killers, reminiscent of Jeffrey Dahmer (thinking eating body parts and storing in the freezer) or Hannibal. Actually, more scary than Hannibal. The protagonist, Chris Wilcox, is pursuing this evil killer due to the fact that his wife, Cheryl, was tortured, murdered, and eaten in the most vile way. Yes, I might have wanted to throw up and never eat from my freezer again! And since the murderer only kills women with red hair, I have made a note to myself to make sure my auburn highlights that appear time and again in my dark brown hair, NEVER appear again. And thankfully, I have dark pigment.
Moore sets the scene of the book quickly, drawing in the reader and giving us a glimpse into evil. Except then, we can’t look back. As a reader, I wasn’t going to put the book down till I knew what abominable force could do such acts. As I read, I was educated on DNA and sequencing and though, again, sometimes this can be boring for me, Moore actually wrote it in a way that wasn’t pretentious, but actually educated me and made me want to understand! Moore is one smart cookie and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is actually an undercover FBI agent, part-time NSA agent, and then moonlights as a genetic engineer. The main point here is that he seems authentic and it worked within the book. There were never loose ends that weren’t tied up or explained, so that my thought process never got ahead of the book.
His character development let us glimpse into their emotions and feel their pain for their lost loved ones, both for Chris losing Cheryl, and for the woman who becomes his side kick in their revenge hunting, who lost her sister. I found myself pulling for them and rejoicing in their blossoming affection for each other admist the drama. His secondary characters have some great strength as well.
When we find out, as readers, that the villain is actually a creature that could be viewed as human, but is really ancient in origin, the book really gets interesting. I loved the mystery and the ebb and flow of his suspenseful scenes. Toward the middle he really slowed it down so that he could create some momentum to grab us again with action and horror. The end of the novel will be nothing like the start. I truly wish I could give away the gothic creepiness we find at the end of the book, but all I can say is it’s modern meets ancient. Just remember, other countries in the world are extremely old compared to the United States and we never know what lurks in the dark recesses of archaic times (especially when they have access to modern transportation and technology)!
Which reminds me, I am looking forward to much, much more from the dark recesses of Jonathan Moore’s mind. I bet he’s got some great story lines of murder and mayhem mixed-up with malicious monstrous intent! Moore’s creepy crime thriller, with some suspenseful twists and turns leading to the horrible, should be on your must read list next! Grab a stiff drink, your snuggie and socks, and tuck in tight with Redheads–it will a book you won’t soon forget! Especially if you have a nice head of red hair…..
Following a pattern of mainstream writers like James Rollins, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, David Morrell, the technical writing know-how of the late great authors Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, and the CSI prowess of Patricia Cornwell, Moore brings a wealth of detailed information both as far as forensics, criminal activity and behaviors, the NSA, and technological surveillance. Though I sometimes can get bombarded with too much technical detail that makes me “tune out,” with Moore’s writing I didn’t. He threw in enough paragraphs of emotional turmoil, decisions, romance, and mystery that it all just propelled me forward through the pages with lightening speed. I must say that Samhain Publishing should have looked into splitting up the paragraghs a tad more though….
As the book opened, I began to imagine what must be one of the most awful serial killers, reminiscent of Jeffrey Dahmer (thinking eating body parts and storing in the freezer) or Hannibal. Actually, more scary than Hannibal. The protagonist, Chris Wilcox, is pursuing this evil killer due to the fact that his wife, Cheryl, was tortured, murdered, and eaten in the most vile way. Yes, I might have wanted to throw up and never eat from my freezer again! And since the murderer only kills women with red hair, I have made a note to myself to make sure my auburn highlights that appear time and again in my dark brown hair, NEVER appear again. And thankfully, I have dark pigment.
Moore sets the scene of the book quickly, drawing in the reader and giving us a glimpse into evil. Except then, we can’t look back. As a reader, I wasn’t going to put the book down till I knew what abominable force could do such acts. As I read, I was educated on DNA and sequencing and though, again, sometimes this can be boring for me, Moore actually wrote it in a way that wasn’t pretentious, but actually educated me and made me want to understand! Moore is one smart cookie and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is actually an undercover FBI agent, part-time NSA agent, and then moonlights as a genetic engineer. The main point here is that he seems authentic and it worked within the book. There were never loose ends that weren’t tied up or explained, so that my thought process never got ahead of the book.
His character development let us glimpse into their emotions and feel their pain for their lost loved ones, both for Chris losing Cheryl, and for the woman who becomes his side kick in their revenge hunting, who lost her sister. I found myself pulling for them and rejoicing in their blossoming affection for each other admist the drama. His secondary characters have some great strength as well.
When we find out, as readers, that the villain is actually a creature that could be viewed as human, but is really ancient in origin, the book really gets interesting. I loved the mystery and the ebb and flow of his suspenseful scenes. Toward the middle he really slowed it down so that he could create some momentum to grab us again with action and horror. The end of the novel will be nothing like the start. I truly wish I could give away the gothic creepiness we find at the end of the book, but all I can say is it’s modern meets ancient. Just remember, other countries in the world are extremely old compared to the United States and we never know what lurks in the dark recesses of archaic times (especially when they have access to modern transportation and technology)!
Which reminds me, I am looking forward to much, much more from the dark recesses of Jonathan Moore’s mind. I bet he’s got some great story lines of murder and mayhem mixed-up with malicious monstrous intent! Moore’s creepy crime thriller, with some suspenseful twists and turns leading to the horrible, should be on your must read list next! Grab a stiff drink, your snuggie and socks, and tuck in tight with Redheads–it will a book you won’t soon forget! Especially if you have a nice head of red hair…..
November 29, 2014
Rob’s Critical Book Review: “Redheads,” by Jonathan Moore
Though I’m sure to upset some authors and publishers who, understandably, want five-star reviews, I’ve my own definition of the five-star system.
*One Star: A crime against God and man.
*Two Stars: Poor, or otherwise not ready for publication.
*Three Stars: A solid work worth the money/read.
*Four Stars: A superior, award-worthy achievement.
*Five Stars: A standard setter, a work to stand the test of time, a work to be studied and read again and again….
A thriller? A procedural? A horror novel? Just pure page-turning fun–from the dark side!
Fishing through Amazon’s nearly endless supply of books, I came across this recommendation and took the plunge. And why wouldn’t I? Look at the cover, and the title.
Totally eye-catching.
Even authors need their downtime.
(Big props to cover designer Angela Waters.)
The next thing that grabbed was a plug on Amazon by author phenom Jack Ketchum:
“This is accomplished and exciting work, which at times seems to channel the best of Michael Crichton in its attention to believable, telling detail. Moore’s a major new talent, I promise you.”
Then the book arrived and was about to be put in my ever-growing to-be-read pile, and act that would’ve relegated the reading experience to some months in the future. So what happened? I decided to thumb through the front-matter and came across an expanded plug by Ketchum that said (in part):
“The first hundred pages or so of this damn book kept me up until three in the morning, and then it just…got better. …”
Yeah, right, Jack.
Like readers have never heard something like that before.
Thus the decision was made to start that night, at bedtime, to read a few pages, you know, just to prove that blurbs are just flavored praise.
Damned if Mr. Ketchum hadn’t called it.
I finished “Redheads” in three sittings, with that first night taking me through to page 120 (and then stopping only because of dire need of rest).
Here’s the book’s description:
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
My score for this book?
Three Stars … meaning a solid work worth the money and the read.
But it’s tempting to give it four.
Very.
Of a truth, this novel was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award.
Should it have won?
I don’t have that answer, but I do understand the nomination, and anyone that picks up this bullet-fast book and gives it a try is going to be hard-pressed to be disappointed.
I, for one, believe that Moore did everything right for this particular tale, the prose, the pacing, the delightful way he kept “the bad guy” in the shadows for so darn long.
Moore, for “Redheads,” I applaud you.
And for Jack Ketchum: Sir, apologies for doubting your words.
Though I’m sure to upset some authors and publishers who, understandably, want five-star reviews, I’ve my own definition of the five-star system.
*One Star: A crime against God and man.
*Two Stars: Poor, or otherwise not ready for publication.
*Three Stars: A solid work worth the money/read.
*Four Stars: A superior, award-worthy achievement.
*Five Stars: A standard setter, a work to stand the test of time, a work to be studied and read again and again….
A thriller? A procedural? A horror novel? Just pure page-turning fun–from the dark side!
Fishing through Amazon’s nearly endless supply of books, I came across this recommendation and took the plunge. And why wouldn’t I? Look at the cover, and the title.
Totally eye-catching.
Even authors need their downtime.
(Big props to cover designer Angela Waters.)
The next thing that grabbed was a plug on Amazon by author phenom Jack Ketchum:
“This is accomplished and exciting work, which at times seems to channel the best of Michael Crichton in its attention to believable, telling detail. Moore’s a major new talent, I promise you.”
Then the book arrived and was about to be put in my ever-growing to-be-read pile, and act that would’ve relegated the reading experience to some months in the future. So what happened? I decided to thumb through the front-matter and came across an expanded plug by Ketchum that said (in part):
“The first hundred pages or so of this damn book kept me up until three in the morning, and then it just…got better. …”
Yeah, right, Jack.
Like readers have never heard something like that before.
Thus the decision was made to start that night, at bedtime, to read a few pages, you know, just to prove that blurbs are just flavored praise.
Damned if Mr. Ketchum hadn’t called it.
I finished “Redheads” in three sittings, with that first night taking me through to page 120 (and then stopping only because of dire need of rest).
Here’s the book’s description:
A killer far worse than insane.
Chris Wilcox has been searching for years, so he knows a few things about his wife’s killer. Cheryl Wilcox wasn’t the first. All the victims were redheads. All eaten alive and left within a mile of the ocean. The trail of death crosses the globe and spans decades.
The cold trail catches fire when Chris and two other survivors find a trace of the killer’s DNA. By hiring a cutting-edge lab to sequence it, they make a terrifying discovery. The killer is far more dangerous than they ever guessed. And now they’re being hunted by their own prey.
My score for this book?
Three Stars … meaning a solid work worth the money and the read.
But it’s tempting to give it four.
Very.
Of a truth, this novel was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award.
Should it have won?
I don’t have that answer, but I do understand the nomination, and anyone that picks up this bullet-fast book and gives it a try is going to be hard-pressed to be disappointed.
I, for one, believe that Moore did everything right for this particular tale, the prose, the pacing, the delightful way he kept “the bad guy” in the shadows for so darn long.
Moore, for “Redheads,” I applaud you.
And for Jack Ketchum: Sir, apologies for doubting your words.
June 15, 2015
I shouldn't have read this book.
That is to say, it's not something I'd normally go for, and it wasn't recommended to me. In fact, I'd never even heard of it. It was pure chance; a fluke. Fate? If you believe in it.
Here I am; directed from a friend to a YouTuber, from YouTube to goodreads.com. And then exploring the site, I stumble across the goodreads giveaways. Redheads? Hmm, sounds interesting. Click. Close. Forget. The next thing I know, my signed copy is on route from Hawaii. (Thank you Jonathan Moore!)
It may be that I should never have read this book, but I'm glad I did! It was gripping from the offset, cringingly gory, and it masterfully manipulated my emotions throughout; giving me hope then snatching it away when I least expected it. I have never lost a loved one to a serial killing monster, (thank God!) but still I could empathise with the main characters who had. I cannot condone revenge missions, but I desperately wanted our characters to succeed, and was kept guessing right til the end whether or not they would.
The further in I read, the more surreal it became; and the more chilling. There were a couple of occasions I had to look up and remind myself I was safe under my covers and Moore's monster couldn't escape the pages to get me. If you can't stand gore; stay well away, because Moore is brutal in his exacting detail. If you're after a good read however, I can recommended Redheads as thoroughly enjoyable, well planned and fast-paced, but you might want to leave the lights on.
That is to say, it's not something I'd normally go for, and it wasn't recommended to me. In fact, I'd never even heard of it. It was pure chance; a fluke. Fate? If you believe in it.
Here I am; directed from a friend to a YouTuber, from YouTube to goodreads.com. And then exploring the site, I stumble across the goodreads giveaways. Redheads? Hmm, sounds interesting. Click. Close. Forget. The next thing I know, my signed copy is on route from Hawaii. (Thank you Jonathan Moore!)
It may be that I should never have read this book, but I'm glad I did! It was gripping from the offset, cringingly gory, and it masterfully manipulated my emotions throughout; giving me hope then snatching it away when I least expected it. I have never lost a loved one to a serial killing monster, (thank God!) but still I could empathise with the main characters who had. I cannot condone revenge missions, but I desperately wanted our characters to succeed, and was kept guessing right til the end whether or not they would.
The further in I read, the more surreal it became; and the more chilling. There were a couple of occasions I had to look up and remind myself I was safe under my covers and Moore's monster couldn't escape the pages to get me. If you can't stand gore; stay well away, because Moore is brutal in his exacting detail. If you're after a good read however, I can recommended Redheads as thoroughly enjoyable, well planned and fast-paced, but you might want to leave the lights on.
October 18, 2013
REDHEADS is an action-packed thriller/horror novel that starts off with a gruesome murder and doesn't let up. You follow a few people that are connected to the murders in some way, who meet, join forces, and will do anything to find the villain in order to prevent anymore killings, and for revenge. They become separated, and one of them is tortured and murdered, another one is captured and tortured, but barely escapes with his life and has a bad infection. On the run, the two main characters find out more about what they're up against and the stakes increase when the killer finds out who they are and tracks them down.
The characters in this story are believable and likable, the science and all the research were well thought out. And if even if it wasn't, you'd never know the difference. This author is very convincing, a tough skill to hone, but this author does a great job on his debut novel. If you're a fan of Michael Crichton or Dan Brown or both, this is the book for you. It was hard to put down and I look forward to more by this author.
The characters in this story are believable and likable, the science and all the research were well thought out. And if even if it wasn't, you'd never know the difference. This author is very convincing, a tough skill to hone, but this author does a great job on his debut novel. If you're a fan of Michael Crichton or Dan Brown or both, this is the book for you. It was hard to put down and I look forward to more by this author.
September 17, 2014
Being a redhead, it was the title of this book that caught my eye. The entire time I was reading it I was trying to piece together the reasons that redheads were being targeted and killed in such a way. I almost wanted to flip to the end of the book so that I could satisfy my curiosity immediately, but the story was much too intriguing and I wanted to have all of the details before finally reaching the conclusion. I really like the direction the author took for the reasoning. As much as I love fantasy, I also love science and this took a more scientific approach to the reason behind the killings. The end was just a tad anticlimactic for me since I wanted the killer to suffer much, much more, but in reality; the ending was probably perfectly succinct. A great read, and I am so happy I picked up this book at a horror convention... I can't wait to read more from this author!
November 10, 2014
3.5-4 stars
This was a bit outside of what I usually read; it was a faced paced thriller with a disturbing edge (I think it's classified as Horror). Although I'm unfamiliar with that genre I wouldn't exactly call it horror. It was creepy, and had horrifying aspects but it also had that edge of disbelief that tugged at me, perhaps more than I liked. However, the premise of a cannibalistic serial killer targeting only redheads and the way he tortured and mutilated them pulled me in, but then it was the involvement, intelligence and team work of the characters that moved the book along. I found the whole process of how they identified and tracked the killer to be very fascinating.
This was a bit outside of what I usually read; it was a faced paced thriller with a disturbing edge (I think it's classified as Horror). Although I'm unfamiliar with that genre I wouldn't exactly call it horror. It was creepy, and had horrifying aspects but it also had that edge of disbelief that tugged at me, perhaps more than I liked. However, the premise of a cannibalistic serial killer targeting only redheads and the way he tortured and mutilated them pulled me in, but then it was the involvement, intelligence and team work of the characters that moved the book along. I found the whole process of how they identified and tracked the killer to be very fascinating.
September 20, 2015
I received this book from Goodreads last year and due to, well, life, I'm just getting around to reading it now. Had I known how great it would be, I'd certainly have made time to read it sooner. This book has everything I LOVE in a book: fast pace, likeable characters with depth (you really care about them),a monster, mystery, murder, mayhem, and a bit of cannibalism...or is it? Even better for me, my copy is signed by the author, thus making it a treasured possession that I will likely read again.
December 13, 2014
I won this book from Goodreads.
This is accurately advertised as a book of horror, mystery, and CSI. This is not a genre that usually interests me, but this book is very good. The serial killer in this particular story is not the usual villain, he is unique in his ferocity and DNA . To avoid any spoilers, I'm going to do no more that recommend this to fans of the high stress fiction of mysteries and horrendous killers.
This is accurately advertised as a book of horror, mystery, and CSI. This is not a genre that usually interests me, but this book is very good. The serial killer in this particular story is not the usual villain, he is unique in his ferocity and DNA . To avoid any spoilers, I'm going to do no more that recommend this to fans of the high stress fiction of mysteries and horrendous killers.
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