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Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne #6
The Killing Room
Hear the footsteps, feel the screams. The chilling new Byrne and Balzano thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller.
Nothing will ever be the same again... In the heart of Philadelphia's badlands, Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano are called out to a particularly chilling crime scene. Once the pillar of the neighbourhood, an abandoned church has become a killing room. At first it looks like a random act of violence. But then a second body is found, and a third. Each crime scene more disturbing than the last, each murder more brutal. And it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that a cold, calculating and terrifyingly precise mind is at work. With very few leads, and a mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead, Byrne and Balzano are faced with challenges they could never have imagined as they race against time to hunt down their killer, before it's too late...
Nothing will ever be the same again... In the heart of Philadelphia's badlands, Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano are called out to a particularly chilling crime scene. Once the pillar of the neighbourhood, an abandoned church has become a killing room. At first it looks like a random act of violence. But then a second body is found, and a third. Each crime scene more disturbing than the last, each murder more brutal. And it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that a cold, calculating and terrifyingly precise mind is at work. With very few leads, and a mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead, Byrne and Balzano are faced with challenges they could never have imagined as they race against time to hunt down their killer, before it's too late...
434 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2012
97 people are currently reading
1238 people want to read
About the author
Richard Montanari
25 books885 followersRichard Montanari is the Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rosary Girls, The Killing Room, The Stolen Ones and the upcoming thriller, The Doll Maker.
Series:
* Jack Paris
* Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne
Series:
* Jack Paris
* Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
July 20, 2025
After reading raving reviews like "Scary good! You will leave the lights on long after reading this book" - Lisa Gardiner
And
"Relentlessly suspenseful.....hooks you instantly" - Tess Gerritsen
I was excited! Here comes a super creepy twists and turns serial killer with a religious twist type of book! The storyline had SO much promise, bodies turning up murdered in unusual ways I old abandoned churches, but that's the best bits, seriously.
The rest of the book is a lot of police procedural boring carry on mixed in with ever so slow and boring sub plots. Neither detectives Kevin Byrne or Jessica Balanzo did a thing for me as strong protagonists, I found both very two dimensional flat.
The flicking back in time to create a slightly creepy back story was ok but I put this book down enough times to know it wasn't holding me and it sure wasn't scary or kept me up all night reading. With too many better crime writers out there I won't be delving into any of Montanari's books again.
2 stars.
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And
"Relentlessly suspenseful.....hooks you instantly" - Tess Gerritsen
I was excited! Here comes a super creepy twists and turns serial killer with a religious twist type of book! The storyline had SO much promise, bodies turning up murdered in unusual ways I old abandoned churches, but that's the best bits, seriously.
The rest of the book is a lot of police procedural boring carry on mixed in with ever so slow and boring sub plots. Neither detectives Kevin Byrne or Jessica Balanzo did a thing for me as strong protagonists, I found both very two dimensional flat.
The flicking back in time to create a slightly creepy back story was ok but I put this book down enough times to know it wasn't holding me and it sure wasn't scary or kept me up all night reading. With too many better crime writers out there I won't be delving into any of Montanari's books again.
2 stars.
Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
May 19, 2018
I found the ending a bit confusing. I had to read a few pages over and over and I’m not sure that was just because i was tired. It had been years since I read a Montanari novel and found I still enjoyed the writing style. Maybe the religious topic put me off somewhat too. I’d still read more in this series.
November 21, 2020
Bis 90 % war es super. Aber dann hatte ich stellenweise das Gefühl ein anderes Buch zu lesen. Ich konnte der Handlung überhaupt nicht mehr folgen und irgendwie waren mir die Sprünge zu extrem. Schade. Aus der Reihe bisher der schwächste Titel
December 15, 2015
Another in the Balzano/Byrne detective series. Yes another grizzly serial killer is on the loose on the streets of Philadelphia, but with these two hunting them down, they won't be killing long. Cliche, but these books are well written and never boring.
September 13, 2020
Solid entry in the Byrne/Balzano series finds our detectives hunting a killer using old, abandoned churches as murder scenes. The procedural aspect is strong as usual and the resolution is worthy of the story that preceded it. Not sure how I missed this one when it was first released in 2012 as I've read all the other entries. Glad I caught up. Long been one of my favorite series out there.
April 25, 2017
So I had never heard of this author or this series of books and I just happened to pick it up cheaply in a bookshop on a holiday whilst perusing.
Not the most exciting of introductions I grant you but and it is a big BUT what a treat. I really really liked this. Really close to scoring it 5* and the best book I have read this year. The most exciting part is this is the 6th book in the series and you have probably worked out already I'll be going right back to the beginning to start these off.
The story itself goes along at a good pace, loads of twists and turns along the way leading to a good ending that I must admit I was no where near to working out.
The lead characters (Balzano and Byrne) are 2 police detectives in Philadelphia. Its gritty, gruesome in parts, dark and most importantly the main characters are not just likeable but also very believable.
So whilst I go to the back catalogue, do yourself a favour and add this to your must read collection. You wont be disappointed.
Not the most exciting of introductions I grant you but and it is a big BUT what a treat. I really really liked this. Really close to scoring it 5* and the best book I have read this year. The most exciting part is this is the 6th book in the series and you have probably worked out already I'll be going right back to the beginning to start these off.
The story itself goes along at a good pace, loads of twists and turns along the way leading to a good ending that I must admit I was no where near to working out.
The lead characters (Balzano and Byrne) are 2 police detectives in Philadelphia. Its gritty, gruesome in parts, dark and most importantly the main characters are not just likeable but also very believable.
So whilst I go to the back catalogue, do yourself a favour and add this to your must read collection. You wont be disappointed.
July 29, 2024
Cat and mouse with serial killers is just my bread and buttaaaah.
May 23, 2020
Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano must track a serial killer who is staging their crime scenes in abandoned churches in Philadelphia. The book's blurb on the back gives away the details of most of the killings! Meanwhile, Kevin has joined a program to act a "big brother" type to underprivileged boy Gabriel Hightower.
I have always been a long fan of the serial killer thriller, really getting into the genre when I started reading Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter. However, as time has worn on, many of them stopped becoming serial killer thrillers, and instead dry, boring police procedurals. Particularly the British ones! They were all the same! However, American offerings seemed to avoid the usual Britsh tropes: characters only existing to discover a dead body, a lead detective with a haunted past, a subordinate or a boss trying to undermine, and a pesky journalist seeking either fame or obsessively trying to crucify the lead detective in the media.
Unfortunately, The Killing Room decided to go with the pesky journalist subplot BIG TIME. A lot of plot space is wasted on Shane Adams, who is following Kevin Byrne around, and attempts to shame him on the news. And, ultimately, this plot doesn't go anywhere. By the end of the book, I couldn't figure out what Shane was doing in the story. He does not serve any purpose! HE DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE!
I hate the pesky journalist trope. Hate it, hate it, hate it. When it kept cropping up here, I abandoned the book for several days at a time. I was just NOT interested. And persisting with it didn't even pay off. Shane served no purpose to the plot at all.
This is 2.5 rounded up to 3. It's a credit to the book that it still reads well, and the plot is constructed very cleverly. Aside from bloody Shane Adams, several subplots tie into the main action in surprising and suspenseful ways. The killer has an interesting backstory (although the religious mania angle is getting a bit old, and had already been explored in The Rosary Girls, the first book in this series.) Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are smart, likeable protagonists that don't come with the ridiculous backstories that British crime novel protagonists seem to.
If only all of that stupid pesky journalist subplot rubbish had been excised from this, The Killing Room could have been an above average, memorable serial killer thriller.
I have always been a long fan of the serial killer thriller, really getting into the genre when I started reading Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter. However, as time has worn on, many of them stopped becoming serial killer thrillers, and instead dry, boring police procedurals. Particularly the British ones! They were all the same! However, American offerings seemed to avoid the usual Britsh tropes: characters only existing to discover a dead body, a lead detective with a haunted past, a subordinate or a boss trying to undermine, and a pesky journalist seeking either fame or obsessively trying to crucify the lead detective in the media.
Unfortunately, The Killing Room decided to go with the pesky journalist subplot BIG TIME. A lot of plot space is wasted on Shane Adams, who is following Kevin Byrne around, and attempts to shame him on the news. And, ultimately, this plot doesn't go anywhere. By the end of the book, I couldn't figure out what Shane was doing in the story. He does not serve any purpose! HE DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE!
I hate the pesky journalist trope. Hate it, hate it, hate it. When it kept cropping up here, I abandoned the book for several days at a time. I was just NOT interested. And persisting with it didn't even pay off. Shane served no purpose to the plot at all.
This is 2.5 rounded up to 3. It's a credit to the book that it still reads well, and the plot is constructed very cleverly. Aside from bloody Shane Adams, several subplots tie into the main action in surprising and suspenseful ways. The killer has an interesting backstory (although the religious mania angle is getting a bit old, and had already been explored in The Rosary Girls, the first book in this series.) Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are smart, likeable protagonists that don't come with the ridiculous backstories that British crime novel protagonists seem to.
If only all of that stupid pesky journalist subplot rubbish had been excised from this, The Killing Room could have been an above average, memorable serial killer thriller.
February 25, 2018
What a page turner. I read the first two books of Montanari some years ago and came back with this one. Incredible suspense. You can't put down the book and follow every step Byrne and Balzano take to get the murderer here. What a plot with twists you don't expect. I won't tell you here who's the murderer. Read in and find out. I'm extremely enthusiastic about this page turner and have to read the next Montanari book rightaway. You definitely get addicted by his books!
May 23, 2017
An ex-cop man is found, wrapped in barb wire, kept alive for ten days then left to be discovered hanging in a church. Then another man is found frozen in ice and another that had been forced to swallow stones. The only clue Balzano and Byrne have to go on is: 7 Churches One God. It’s going to be a race against time to link everything together, keep a nosy reporter out of their way, and stop the serial killer.
This is my second book from Richard Montanari and I have to say that I liked it. The murders and killer are dark and switching between him and Balzano and Byrnes kept the tension of the story high. I like when you are in the head of the killer, it’s a great way to see how well an author can crate damaged and deranged.
Balzano and Byrnes have been together for a while and you get this feeling as they proceed with the investigation. They work well together and have many beautiful areas of Philadelphia to explore to stop this killer. I admit that some of the story seemed to take a little bit to get rolling and lag in the police procedure but for the most part it was really good.
I enjoyed The Killing Room. I would be willing to go back to The Rosary Girls and start this series from the beginning.
I received The Killing Room from Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
This is my second book from Richard Montanari and I have to say that I liked it. The murders and killer are dark and switching between him and Balzano and Byrnes kept the tension of the story high. I like when you are in the head of the killer, it’s a great way to see how well an author can crate damaged and deranged.
Balzano and Byrnes have been together for a while and you get this feeling as they proceed with the investigation. They work well together and have many beautiful areas of Philadelphia to explore to stop this killer. I admit that some of the story seemed to take a little bit to get rolling and lag in the police procedure but for the most part it was really good.
I enjoyed The Killing Room. I would be willing to go back to The Rosary Girls and start this series from the beginning.
I received The Killing Room from Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
April 21, 2019
It's a couple of years or so since I read the previous book in this series so I was looking forward to catching up with Balzano & Byrne. Disappointingly though this didn't grip me as much as usual as I found the writing a bit slipshod & at times found it confusing keeping track of everyone. (The ending had me flummoxed 'til I realised I'd completely confused two characters - duh!)
While I loved the idea of the storyline, I found the execution of it a bit messy & consequently found I was skimming a lot of the passages....which only adds to the confusion.
Not a bad read but just lacking in whatever the other books in the series had. Though to be fair, I felt the same with the last book I read so maybe its me.....
While I loved the idea of the storyline, I found the execution of it a bit messy & consequently found I was skimming a lot of the passages....which only adds to the confusion.
Not a bad read but just lacking in whatever the other books in the series had. Though to be fair, I felt the same with the last book I read so maybe its me.....
March 8, 2020
Well written but ultimately the ending is the kind of thing you can see coming from the beginning. It’s still however engaging if you can deal with that caveat.
The ending was a little confusing also. Had to search online to make sure I had understood it all!
The ending was a little confusing also. Had to search online to make sure I had understood it all!
August 22, 2018
hmm, something missing in this series, but i do get pulled in here and there - enough to try another one anyway.
February 12, 2024
Very interesting read, love the characters..
August 19, 2013
Started August 15th, 2013.
Slow going. Read a few reviews before (none with spoilers) and am not sure, what to expect.
Now I am 39% into the book according to the Kindle count. And thinking: too far to abandon it, not far enough to expect the end soon.
As an Atheist, the religious theme together with a serial killer and the devil (?) could have been an interesting change for once.
But the writing style is dull and the main characters (the supposed good ones, being police), while deep and real, not my kind of people. If they where killed at 50% in the book, I would like it better - fat chance of that happening, but here's hoping. Places and the city of Philadelphia are interesting, not NYC, SF, LA, Wasington DC for a change. But the main story-line drags along slow and meandering and broken with another story of the past which is a preamble to the killings, explaining them or the motives, I think. But even more dull than the story in the present. If and when I finish this (hopefully soon to read something more killing and entertaining) it will probably be my last ever book by this writer - unless a twist or something really unexpected happens, like picking up pace on the second half.
Nearly abandoning... yet still forcing myself to read further.
So far 2 Stars for the good description of a City I will never know.
OK, so now I have finished it, some of the different stories where nicely woven together and more or less solved.
For the ending 3 stars, but with a caveat: not recommended, too long and too much backstory for too many characters which was not very entertaining and added nothing for me to the main-story.
A few nice mysteries, one twist I did not see coming (when they open a closet to discover ...) and one that was too obvious: since first entering the story, I suspected one would-be victim and was right. Way too obvious. The whole case lacks a certain pace and drags along.
Would rather give 2.5, but that is not possible, so 3 stars it is. Unless you have a reason, like living in Philadelphia or liking religious crime, stay away from it. There are better books.
For instance: The Rosary Murders filmed with Donald Sutherland.
Slow going. Read a few reviews before (none with spoilers) and am not sure, what to expect.
Now I am 39% into the book according to the Kindle count. And thinking: too far to abandon it, not far enough to expect the end soon.
As an Atheist, the religious theme together with a serial killer and the devil (?) could have been an interesting change for once.
But the writing style is dull and the main characters (the supposed good ones, being police), while deep and real, not my kind of people. If they where killed at 50% in the book, I would like it better - fat chance of that happening, but here's hoping. Places and the city of Philadelphia are interesting, not NYC, SF, LA, Wasington DC for a change. But the main story-line drags along slow and meandering and broken with another story of the past which is a preamble to the killings, explaining them or the motives, I think. But even more dull than the story in the present. If and when I finish this (hopefully soon to read something more killing and entertaining) it will probably be my last ever book by this writer - unless a twist or something really unexpected happens, like picking up pace on the second half.
Nearly abandoning... yet still forcing myself to read further.
So far 2 Stars for the good description of a City I will never know.
OK, so now I have finished it, some of the different stories where nicely woven together and more or less solved.
For the ending 3 stars, but with a caveat: not recommended, too long and too much backstory for too many characters which was not very entertaining and added nothing for me to the main-story.
A few nice mysteries, one twist I did not see coming (when they open a closet to discover ...) and one that was too obvious: since first entering the story, I suspected one would-be victim and was right. Way too obvious. The whole case lacks a certain pace and drags along.
Would rather give 2.5, but that is not possible, so 3 stars it is. Unless you have a reason, like living in Philadelphia or liking religious crime, stay away from it. There are better books.
For instance: The Rosary Murders filmed with Donald Sutherland.
June 21, 2012
This really did start very well, and it gripped me right from the start. The writing is clear and descriptive and I did feel there was a supernatural mystery forming, but somewhere along the way it lost that pace and ultimately the resolution and conclusion somehow shed the foreboding supernatural tones.
There were several elements that were a major part of the resolution that should have been explored in more detail. I might be being a little unfair here, as some of these things may have been explored in earlier books in this series, and as a result I might have missed some of the prior history that other readers will already understand. Unfortunately, I bought this unaware that it was part of a series and I’m sure several elements reference history in previous books.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but ultimately it became fairly standard crime fare towards the end and I started to feel a little disappointed. Still, I’d recommend that fans of the genre should give it a go as it’s a decent story, even if there are too many instances of the word ‘gotten’ for my liking.
There were several elements that were a major part of the resolution that should have been explored in more detail. I might be being a little unfair here, as some of these things may have been explored in earlier books in this series, and as a result I might have missed some of the prior history that other readers will already understand. Unfortunately, I bought this unaware that it was part of a series and I’m sure several elements reference history in previous books.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but ultimately it became fairly standard crime fare towards the end and I started to feel a little disappointed. Still, I’d recommend that fans of the genre should give it a go as it’s a decent story, even if there are too many instances of the word ‘gotten’ for my liking.
January 30, 2018
This is the third book that I've read by Richard Montanari and I think it's going to be the last. I couldn't get into the story at all and some of the characters in the book seem to serve no purpose at all. Looking at you, Shane Adams! The author devoted several chapters on the backstory of said character but in the end he got killed by the murderer for no reason.
Could be just me but I didn't get the plot at all. Woman goes on an elaborately planned killing spree just to get a prisoner out? And why would the victims follow the woman to their deaths willingly? How did Byrne know Gabriel was Marcus' son? The author tried to cram in all the actions and explanations in the last 50 pages or so and they just seem so convenient.
And I don't recall Byrne having psychic powers or sixth sense or whatever you may call it in the two books that I read before. Made the story so hard to believe.
Could be just me but I didn't get the plot at all. Woman goes on an elaborately planned killing spree just to get a prisoner out? And why would the victims follow the woman to their deaths willingly? How did Byrne know Gabriel was Marcus' son? The author tried to cram in all the actions and explanations in the last 50 pages or so and they just seem so convenient.
And I don't recall Byrne having psychic powers or sixth sense or whatever you may call it in the two books that I read before. Made the story so hard to believe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2012
Another gripping thriller in this series featuring Detectives Kevin Byrne & Jessica Balzano. It has a strong religious theme, as did the first in the series.
I was slightly perplexed by the final few pages of the novel set 30 years in the future. I wasn't sure if this meant that Montanari had decided to wind up the series or was just offering his readers a glimpse far ahead leaving us wondering what had taken place in between. only time will tell.
I was slightly perplexed by the final few pages of the novel set 30 years in the future. I wasn't sure if this meant that Montanari had decided to wind up the series or was just offering his readers a glimpse far ahead leaving us wondering what had taken place in between. only time will tell.
June 24, 2012
I love the Byrne/Balzano series. The Killing Room was pretty dark and disturbing. What puzzled me was the ending when Gabriel Hightower met up with Maria Caruso instead of his Philly Brothers mentor Kevin Byrne some thirty years later. Made me curious to want to know what had happened to him.
June 18, 2013
A slow start but developed into quite a good book.
I did not find it a page turner but I will find time to read more of his work.
I did not find it a page turner but I will find time to read more of his work.
May 20, 2017
I enjoyed reading this novel. It is a good combination of detective work and character thought and information.
This mystery has a definite religious bent to it. Someone seems to be arranging murders that represent the seven churches in Revelation. I liked that aspect of the plot. I learned about how the Catholic Church closes up church buildings and what happens to them afterward. The plot itself is complex. The motivation for the murders is kept hidden until the end. That kept the plot going and kept me guessing who the actual murderer was.
I found a couple of aspects of the novel that puzzled me. Balzano is married with two children. Her husband is also a policeman. I want to know how she juggles two children with her many hours of police work. There is mention of taking the children to school and daycare, but what happens when she is called out at night or has a long surveillance shift? That missing aspect of her life made her character seem flat to me. The other issue is with Byrne. He did one action that seemed fuel for dismissal yet came through unscathed. And at the end, he did some things that I just didn't understand. Again, actions that I would think would lead to dismissal. That made his character seem larger than life and a bit unrealistic.
I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good mystery with a complex plot and plenty of character involvement. Some of the murders are a bit gruesome so beware.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
This mystery has a definite religious bent to it. Someone seems to be arranging murders that represent the seven churches in Revelation. I liked that aspect of the plot. I learned about how the Catholic Church closes up church buildings and what happens to them afterward. The plot itself is complex. The motivation for the murders is kept hidden until the end. That kept the plot going and kept me guessing who the actual murderer was.
I found a couple of aspects of the novel that puzzled me. Balzano is married with two children. Her husband is also a policeman. I want to know how she juggles two children with her many hours of police work. There is mention of taking the children to school and daycare, but what happens when she is called out at night or has a long surveillance shift? That missing aspect of her life made her character seem flat to me. The other issue is with Byrne. He did one action that seemed fuel for dismissal yet came through unscathed. And at the end, he did some things that I just didn't understand. Again, actions that I would think would lead to dismissal. That made his character seem larger than life and a bit unrealistic.
I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good mystery with a complex plot and plenty of character involvement. Some of the murders are a bit gruesome so beware.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
January 3, 2019
I've read a few novels in this series before and I do like the characters of Jess and Byrne, however I felt that this novel was a little too Jess/Byrne-centric. The plot progressed really slowly, only to have an ending that came super left of field because it was based on character histories of which we had no knowledge. Much of the book detailed Byrne's inner musings or Jess' workouts etc and while they built on the characters for the series, it meant that the plot of this book suffered poor pacing. By the midway point I was actually quite bored.
The plot needed more leads and red herrings instead of just a series of murders studded with pages about Jess and Byrne. The threads of the conclusion needed to start revealing themselves earlier to have kept my interest. I like to try and work out crime novels as I go, thinking it's Doris the gardner but oh no, because of the kippers I now think it's George the tiger groomer. Or whatever. In this book, my participation was zero because there was nothing to work out, it was all revealed and concluded right at the end making the earlier 400 pages a bit of a pointless journey.
The plot needed more leads and red herrings instead of just a series of murders studded with pages about Jess and Byrne. The threads of the conclusion needed to start revealing themselves earlier to have kept my interest. I like to try and work out crime novels as I go, thinking it's Doris the gardner but oh no, because of the kippers I now think it's George the tiger groomer. Or whatever. In this book, my participation was zero because there was nothing to work out, it was all revealed and concluded right at the end making the earlier 400 pages a bit of a pointless journey.
July 10, 2018
More insight into Kevin Byrne.
It was interesting to hear what makes Detective Kevin Byrne tick. He has been a man of mystery in this series. One finds character development delightful. We know quite a bit about Detective Jessica Balzano which also was very good writing.
The story line of this novel extremely well thought out. The use of the Book of Revelation, the epistles to the churches, was genius. When one first heard Revelation being used one feared another treatment to Beast searching. It was a suprise that character was not mentioned. Refreshing relief. The villan was another creepy and tragic person. One can sypathize with a villan without excusing the behavior. Not everyone with a bad childhood ends up a serial killer. We would really be in a fix if they did.
Well done Richard Montanari. Wonderful performance Scott Brick.
It was interesting to hear what makes Detective Kevin Byrne tick. He has been a man of mystery in this series. One finds character development delightful. We know quite a bit about Detective Jessica Balzano which also was very good writing.
The story line of this novel extremely well thought out. The use of the Book of Revelation, the epistles to the churches, was genius. When one first heard Revelation being used one feared another treatment to Beast searching. It was a suprise that character was not mentioned. Refreshing relief. The villan was another creepy and tragic person. One can sypathize with a villan without excusing the behavior. Not everyone with a bad childhood ends up a serial killer. We would really be in a fix if they did.
Well done Richard Montanari. Wonderful performance Scott Brick.
August 6, 2018
I found this book fascinating and engaging to read. I was intrigued from the very beginning due to the creepy, unusual nature of the first murder (and increasingly so, those that followed). I must admit there are some parts that still remain unresolved for me - like the black dogs, I still don't quite understand them. I also started realising rather early in the book how Ruby may be involved in the murders - I didn't realise to what extent everything would be intertwined, but I found that I already knew she would be involved because of the religious connection. However there were some nice unexpected twists at the end which I found made up for that. My first Richard Montanari book, I really enjoyed Jessica & Kevin Byrne's characters as well and would love to read more of his books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2020
I feel like the plot was promising but got bogged down in a lot of ‘procedural’ details and tried to be a bit too clever for its own good with all the interweaving plot involving Marcus, Gabriel, DeRon and Shane.
Speaking of Shane, he gets an entire backstory- presumably as a red herring so we’re not sure who the murderer is for awhile- only then to be killed off for no good reason? His entire bit could have been edited out and not affected the plot much. The footage still could have leaked onto the news somehow.
The ending was also quite confusing and I’m still not entirely sure how Byrne or the priest fitted in?
Speaking of Shane, he gets an entire backstory- presumably as a red herring so we’re not sure who the murderer is for awhile- only then to be killed off for no good reason? His entire bit could have been edited out and not affected the plot much. The footage still could have leaked onto the news somehow.
The ending was also quite confusing and I’m still not entirely sure how Byrne or the priest fitted in?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2019
In my honest opinion, this police procedural was meant to go somewhere special and be a fantastic book, but somehow it just didn't get there. I think it was too wrapped up around a catholic/religious type killer (which I am not opposed to) but the story was too convoluted and ran all around the point and never got there in the end... or if it did, it wasn't impressive for taking up so much time chasing it. It made me want to take a shower after reading it though, some parts were thoroughly disgusting.
November 22, 2022
This is my second Montanari book. I am glad I read The Doll Maker first. I really enjoyed it. This book was ok - entertaining to a point. Even the narration by Scott Brick couldn't carry me through all the religious mumbo jumbo. I actually dozed off several times during this and had to rewind. I'll keep listening because I love Brick and I think the author is good too. My brain just tends to go numb with boredom when religion enters to heavily. This just was not for me.
October 22, 2016
Time taken to read - on and off for 5 days
Pages - 358
Publisher - Sphere
Blurb from Goodreads
Hear the footsteps, feel the screams. The chilling new Byrne and Balzano thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller. Product Description Nothing will ever be the same again... In the heart of Philadelphia's badlands, Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano are called out to a particularly chilling crime scene. Once the pillar of the neighbourhood, an abandoned church has become a killing room. At first it looks like a random act of violence. But then a second body is found, and a third. Each crime scene more disturbing than the last, each murder more brutal. And it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that a cold, calculating and terrifyingly precise mind is at work. With very few leads, and a mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead, Byrne and Balzano are faced with challenges they could never have imagined as they race against time to hunt down their killer, before it's too late...
My Review
An ex police officer found in an abandoned chapel, kept alive and wrapped in barb wire for ten days but why? Only one day later, another victim, another chapel just as disturbing, when a third is found the police know they need to move fast, but what drives this killer and what links the victims. Clearly a religious aspect and footage shows a victim voluntarily heading to the location they die, what can have a hold over these people and why are the chapels important?
The chapters go between the police investigation and a glimpse to the killer, written in italics and interactions with the victims. This makes for very freaky reading, is there a spirtual element in the killings? Is the killer a mere mortal? The slayings are brutal and the scenes are not for the faint hearted. The book is quite heavy on police procedure which seems a bit drawn out in places and didn't capture my attention quite as much as other parts of the book. The supernatural tones really draw the reader in and were very creepy however the finale and wrap up raised some questions and made me question the plausibility of it all. A good read if you just suspend reality for a while, gruesome too with in depth police procedures and aspects of the investigation, 3/5 for me this time.
Pages - 358
Publisher - Sphere
Blurb from Goodreads
Hear the footsteps, feel the screams. The chilling new Byrne and Balzano thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller. Product Description Nothing will ever be the same again... In the heart of Philadelphia's badlands, Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano are called out to a particularly chilling crime scene. Once the pillar of the neighbourhood, an abandoned church has become a killing room. At first it looks like a random act of violence. But then a second body is found, and a third. Each crime scene more disturbing than the last, each murder more brutal. And it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that a cold, calculating and terrifyingly precise mind is at work. With very few leads, and a mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead, Byrne and Balzano are faced with challenges they could never have imagined as they race against time to hunt down their killer, before it's too late...
My Review
An ex police officer found in an abandoned chapel, kept alive and wrapped in barb wire for ten days but why? Only one day later, another victim, another chapel just as disturbing, when a third is found the police know they need to move fast, but what drives this killer and what links the victims. Clearly a religious aspect and footage shows a victim voluntarily heading to the location they die, what can have a hold over these people and why are the chapels important?
The chapters go between the police investigation and a glimpse to the killer, written in italics and interactions with the victims. This makes for very freaky reading, is there a spirtual element in the killings? Is the killer a mere mortal? The slayings are brutal and the scenes are not for the faint hearted. The book is quite heavy on police procedure which seems a bit drawn out in places and didn't capture my attention quite as much as other parts of the book. The supernatural tones really draw the reader in and were very creepy however the finale and wrap up raised some questions and made me question the plausibility of it all. A good read if you just suspend reality for a while, gruesome too with in depth police procedures and aspects of the investigation, 3/5 for me this time.
July 14, 2018
It wasn’t great or wasn’t bad. I started this when I was only getting back into reading it took me almost a year to finish this book haha but towards the end I did enjoy it to be fair I was I intrigued to see how it would end.
The characters were likeable and I liked the past story it was interesting. I would recommend this book to people.
The characters were likeable and I liked the past story it was interesting. I would recommend this book to people.
February 4, 2025
2.5
That was average. Not the worst book that I've read but not the best either.
There was nothing interesting or very intriguing about this book. It was distracting for a little while but it was far from the best thriller I've ever read.
It wasn't memorable and I don't think I'll remember this story after some .
That was average. Not the worst book that I've read but not the best either.
There was nothing interesting or very intriguing about this book. It was distracting for a little while but it was far from the best thriller I've ever read.
It wasn't memorable and I don't think I'll remember this story after some .
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