The Memory Killer

Carson Ryder #11

by Jack Kerley

Detective Carson Ryder faces a cunning and inventive adversary in this terrifying thriller from the bestselling author of Her Last Scream.


Young men in Miami are being abducted and tortured after their drinks are spiked with a cocktail of drugs that leaves them unable to recall their ordeal. Despite this, Detective Carson Ryder knows the predator’s name, height, age, colouring … everything. It’s impossible for the perpetrator to avoid detection. Yet he does.


When Carson seeks answers from his brother, a wanted criminal intimate with twisted minds, Jeremy’s odd behaviour sparks even more questions. With each abduction, the violence becomes more horrific, and it’s only a short time until torture turns to murder.


But how do you catch an invisible man?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

AKA J.A. Kerley

John Albert Kerley is an American author. He spent 20 years in a successful advertising career before writing his first book, The Hundredth Man.

He currently lives in Newport, Kentucky, and is married with two children. He enjoys the outdoors, particularly fishing.

He is the author of the acclaimed Alabama-set series of Carson Ryder novels

Reviews

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason for stepping back from so many Blog Tours were books like these! I am a big Carson Ryder fan and I discovered it had been 3 years since I read one in this series and I was now 3 books behind so I got back in the saddle with book 11, determined to be caught up this year! Carson has moved areas and is now based in Miami Keys and works alongside Ziggy his colleague. I remembered quickly how much I liked Ziggy and how well he and Ryder go together, although he is certainly not as good as Harry (Carson's old partner).

This latest installment sees young gay men in Miami being adbucted and tortured and it's far from pretty. Jack Kerly has an incrediibly descriptive manner and this book's descriptions of these men had my skin literally crawling. The story had me guessing at who the killer was which I alwasy love and I was so thrilled to see a little more of Carson's personal life taking a turn for the better. It was fabulous to get back into this series and I realised that I had left it far too long. The other element of this story which has always made it that little bit more special is the addition of Carson's brother Jeremy and yes, he is back (Thank GOD!).

I absolutely loved getting back in touch with Carson and Ziggy and the rest of the characters in this series. This is a great series of books and I just know that reading this one has put me back on track and I will soon be back to read book 12 in the series named The Apostle.

[Carolyn M L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Carson Ryder yet.

[Beaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, as ever gutted that I didn’t start from book 1 but book 11 is a bit too far even for me! X

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book, have read all Carson Ryder series, and this one did not disappoint. Well written as always, great characters, brilliant storyline. Th story grips you right from the start and never loses pace. I miss the old characters like Harry, but also love the new ones, Ziggy, Roy and Morningstar. Great to see Jeremy and his changing relationship with Carson, cant wait to see where this will go, now that he is no longer a wanted man. An excellent series and would highly recommend. Bring on the next one.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was worried after the last book took Carson to Miami but this book makes everything clear! Brilliant storyline and a mystery that I did not guess until almost the very end when you are supposed to get it!

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carson Ryder is once again on the hunt for a serial offender, although this one is a brutal rapist rather than killer, who drugs his victims with a creepy cocktail of natural toxins. As usual Carson has a new woman and Jeremy, his mad brother, moves to Florida to torment him so there is familiarity and novelty. The plot is extremely detailed in its twists and turns (I don't want to say more in case I give it away) but somehow it seems to lack something. I think it might be a sense of urgency and stress as it all seems a little laid back. I also think there is less humour in The Memory Killer than some of the other books. This is not a bad book and a first time reader will enjoy the intricacies of the plot but it's not the best in the series.

[Caroline Mc glue · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always J.A Kerley delivers a mind blowing book. With so many twists and turns that keeps you guessing right till the end. While reading you feel the connection with the main character ( Detective Carson Ryder) and he takes you on the journey through the workings of a mind of a killer. I love reading his books, and would highly recommend them to anyone. Now on to his next book and I can't wait to read what he has in store.

[Mélodie Gagné · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pas aimé. Personnages pas attachants, j'ai pas eu l'impression que l'enquêteur savait vraiment ce qu'il faisait... Je ne sais pas si c'est le style de l'auteur que je ne connaissait pas, mais ça m'a pas donné le goût de relire quelque chose de lui.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story is quite darkly twisted with gay men being tortured, raped and leading to death. After reading this, I'm more interested in the background story though - mainly Carson's brother. I might move on to the next one just to find out more.

[Louise Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t realise this was book number 11 in series but plot and characters still made sense. A good read, different plot line than a lot of the books out there at the minute which kept it interesting and had some decent twists.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how good this series is, don't remember why I stopped reading them years ago. But am very happy to pick up where I left off.

[Heidi de Goede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I missed Carson and Jeremy!

[Kurt Naert-Segaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow....mijn eerste boek van Kerley, maar zeker niet mijn laatste. Spannend tot op het einde.

[Judit Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to quit mid book.
That's the review

[Beata Dobrogoszcz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleven book in Carson Ryder series but second since the detective moved to Miami, Florida. This one is about “young men in Miami who are being abducted and tortured after their drinks are spiked with a cocktail of drugs that leaves them unable to recall their ordeal”. Absolute macabre. Gripping. Brilliant in showing how psychopaths minds can be twisted. Highly recommended. Looking to reading the next one The Apostle.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Kerley is as confusing and as a Datura induced hallucination.

One book, great love it! Next book, shocking couldnt finish.. Next, sort of okay... Next bordering on terrible...

The Memory Killer was certainly better than 'The Death Box' - which I had to stop reading - but it was lacking the certain pazazz and constant exhilaration of 'Her Last Scream'. I just felt that the abductor was 'identified' very early on in the novel, and so every chapter just saw Carson visiting people and reconfirming that it was indeed the person they suspected.

"We drove to insert place name here and spoke to insert name of a character we will never hear from again and had a conversation that 9 times out of 10 we won't cover with dialogue, and that confirmed our suspicions insert congratulatory whooping, but reservations about the fact we still can't find him, boo us

There was so much time just spent with them eating, or discussing the clothes that people were wearing or how they looked, which is lovely but when there is no progression to off-set the more perfunctory comments, then it becomes a very bland read.

The abductions and killings were gruesome, and the reasonings behind the killings was quite well developed, and actually the main progression in the whole novel was the vindictiveness of the killer, I just wished that the police-work and leads and red-herrings had been closer and just more.

I did love that the whole Jeremy/Carson thing had been resolved a bit, because the dubious goings-on of Jeremy were getting a tad repetitive. There was progression, but at the same time Kerley has left it open for more development which is interesting but hopefully it doesn't just stagnate again.

Oh, one last mini gripe, does Carson have to screw a woman in every book?! Lord I hope he sticks with this one because seeing him start a proper relationship and become a bit more settled will be more interesting than this shopping around

I thought that this was an overall okay read, but I just wanted to see a bit more.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourite crime writers happens to be J.A Kerley, so of course when his new Carson Ryder book was released. I knew I just had to read it and I knew that I would love it also, as I have yet to find one of his books which I didn't love. It's hard to believe that we are up to #11 in the Carson Ryder series. Carson has left his previous job and his best friend and partner on the force and moved away to Key West, where he had hoped to live a semi-quiet life but it seems that two things always follow Carson know matter where he tries to disappear too - out of the box murders that no-one else can solve and of course his brother Jeremy Ridgecliff who in his own right is a serial killer . In the Memory Killer , someone is out there targeting the gay community and then giving them something to have the nightmare of their life and if that wasn't enough - he is removing something that is of importance to the victims, the worst thing for Carson though is that this killer is so good , that none of the victims when they come to it can identify or even give Carson something to go on in order to catch him. If this wasn't enough on Carson's plate , it seems he has bigger problems as his psycho brother Jeremy has gone off the grid and Carson can't get hold of him and when this happens - it normally means trouble. What has Jeremy got planned and up his sleeve and what will it mean for Carson Ryder ? Also Carson gets a blast from the past with the newcomer to the force.
Another fabulous book by J.A Kerley and if you love your mysteries and murder , then Carson Ryder is the guy for you.

[Saoirse Milotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sick and twisted psychopath is terrorising the gay community of Miami. His victims are found, after several days of torture, rape, and abuse, hallucinating from a cocktail of plant extracts and unable to recall anything of their ordeal. Despite the victims' memory loss, the police unit in charge of the case, lead by Detective Carson Ryder, have discovered the perpetrator's name, age, height, weight and even what he looks like…but they still cannot find him.

As the attacks become more frequent and increasingly more violent, Ryder knows it will not be long before their search turns into a hunt for a murderer. Forced to enlist the help of another psychopath, Ryder turns to his brother for help, unsure if he will survive the encounter.

This is the 11th book in the Carson Ryder series, and it does not disappoint. The tension builds with every plot twist and the characters' confusion and frustration pulsate off the page. The relationship between Carson and his brother is an interesting take on the detective genre, as the defender of the law is also breaking it to protect his highly volatile and dangerous sibling. A gripping detective novel sure to be enjoyed by fans of James Patterson, Lee Child or Michael Connelly.

[Nikul Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've rounded up the review; it was more of a 3.5 out of five. Once again an interesting premise of a storly line built around tried and tested ideas. I like the way Jack Kerley introduces the readers to the murderer from the get go but the identity is unclear until the very end. And when you think you've worked out who he is boom comes the twist and just like the police you were looking in the wrong direction. And Jeremy surfaced in the book again and love how Ryder interacts with his demented psychopathic brother and how they both try and get into each other's heads. Slightly disappointed with the lack of gore but Kerley does a fine job of keeping the reader interested. The character of Gershwin as a supporting character was very good but slightly missed the calming influence of Harry Nautilus.

[Brittany Wouters · Rating 1 out of 5]

A gripping plot, but...there was something in the writing which seemed a bit off. Up until page 40, when the protagonist is identified as male...I'd rather thought the good detective was female. The mannerisms, the writing, the speech and thoughts indicated a professional woman with family troubles and a violently strange case. Changing the gender in this scenario alters nothing- but I am surprised at myself. It begs the question that if writing is a gendered construct...why did I think Carson was male? Food for thought.
5 out of 5 for plot, characterization and description. 0 out of 5 for Carson's freaking creepy brother, and Carson's 'coral linen jacket', which he paired with a blue Henley shirt.

[Lindsay Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILERS: probably one of my top 3 books in the series, i liked how i really really didn't see coming who the "bad guy" actually was! usually these types of books you get an inkling for who it may be but i didn't even have that this time. I loved how the characters have seemed to grow in this book to especially Jeremy but you're left wondering if he really has changed and grown as a person or is this just another trick another game from the cunning Jeremy? I can't wait to read the Apostle and see what Jeremy is going to do i'm left wondering for Ava's Safety is she just a pawn in a bigger game to him?! who knows!!!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up as a quick trashy read, and it was to some extent...hasn't realised it was about number ten in a series, so there were lots of references to the past that were a bit niggly...but fast paced, interesting story, didn't guess who it was until just before the reveal...not bad going. Might look up the other nine!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone is kidnapping young gay men and drugging them with a bizarre cocktail in order to rape and torture them before leaving them in public with no memories as to what happened to them. This was another great action packed and fast moving thriller from Kerley. I'm a little in love with Carson Ryder so it's always a pleasure to spend some time in his company.

[Barbara Baglee]

Brilliant

Another 5 star rendition from Jack Kerley. Even after so many books There is still much to learn about Carson Ryder and his brother, Jeremy. The case is intriguing and baffling until the new psychologist, ( and old friend) inadvertently provides a clue.

[Paris Abell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series

[Paul Penney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst Carson Ryder book yet. Starts off interesting but gets gradually more boring, and then gets worse from there. It's time for this series to end...it just did for me.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love the Carson Ryder series.

[Tom Hicks]

Another excellent book in the Carson series. The story line with his brother keeps getting more interesting all the time.

[Andrea Masson · Rating 4 out of 5]

superb thriller

[Tracy]

Very good.