Just Killing Time

by Derek Van Arman

In search of a serial killer who has remained uncaught for thirty years, Dr. John F. Scott finds his manhunt complicated by a series of Florida killings that may or may not be related

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

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

In fact, he is Derek V. Goodwin, a free-lance writer who lives in Phoenix.
b.1951

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair to middling serial killer novel about VICAP trying to catch one using 1992 technology, and the serial killer tries to trap his next victim.

Not bad for this sort of thing, but didn't really stick with me at all.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh, this book pissed me off.

I can't tell if it's good or not, because on one hand there's a lot of good points to this book, but on the other, there are so many things off...

It feels like the author tried to put too much in one book (heck it's 1k pages long...), or too many details. Or both. I always wanted to put it down because it was circling around the point of the story without really touching it. Therefore, it felt incredibly long. I reached the end somehow... eventually, and I was so relieved about that, it made me feel guilty.

The characters development was odd too. Somehow, you get many details about the earlier life of some of them, but then again, it feels like you didn't get any insight in their life. As I kept going, I always felt that I only had a superficial image of them, that I didn't know anything about them. It may comes from the fact that there are a lot of characters, so you end up forgetting which details are about this or that character. Not only did the character lack depth, most of them weren't even slightly interesting...

I was also disappointed that we didn't get more about the psychology of serial killers, or killers im general. Before starting it, I really thought thr length of the book was coming from more details about how their brains work. And even as I was reading, I kept thinking it would because there are two main arcs which aren't really related to each other (okay, spoiler alert: they actually are but even if they weren't, it wouldn't change much to the story so who cares if there's a link?), so here I was thinking we get two stories because the (serial) killers have similar minds that would be described. It appears not, unfortunately. So no psychological details.

Ah well. Despite all that negativity, the story's still interesting. The POV change helps making the story surprise you when you least expect it. However, the end is the typical "happy ending" thing in which the bad guys die, and the princess/kid is saved because of too many coincidences. I mean, come on...

Also, one last thing. I don't know if it comes from the translation (I read a French translation) or if it's from the original style, but the writing style was... heavy(?). I always had to read some paragraphs again because I kept losing track of sentences. (And that's a pain in the ass.)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, it's hard to rate this book. The story is good, and I learned all kinds of fascinating things about the psychology of serial killers, as well as some interesting US history. The characters, while somewhat... sparse, were people I wanted to know more about, although their motivations and histories were a bit trite. All the makings of a good book, right? Except that the writing (and editing) is execrable. There were multiple times when I couldn't work out what a sentence meant, despite knowing all the words in it, and multiple times when a sentence meant the opposite of what the author was obviously trying to say. Grammar was often wrong, words were used in inappropriate contexts, and you could tell that the author didn't have a firm grasp on the meanings of a lot of words. I slogged through the writing because I wanted to know the end of the story, and I found the psychology fascinating, but it was an irritating read. ( )

[John Bensing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary and I agree. This is our favorite serial killer book.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I agree with some reviewers who said this was hard to rate. I was going to go with three stars, but there were a few twists that caught me off guard to the point I decided to bump it up. There was a lot going on here, but my main issue was the length. This just felt like it could have been 400 pages and a better story rather than 500 pages with some meaningless scenes and dry facts. But as I said, the suspense was some of the best I've ever read.

If this sounds like the type of novel you'd enjoy, then you probably will. However, if you're on the fence about it, particularly if you don't like longer books, this may not be for you. I overall enjoyed it, but instead of good it really could have been great.

[Celia Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just checked on Amazon and was thrilled to see that Mr. Van Arman has two other books, because for quite some time this was his only book.

Derek Van Arman has a firm grip on what is emotionally disturbing. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the scariest, most "on the edge of your seat," "lock all windows and doors" book I have ever read.

Of all things, I read this on my honeymoon... it was so good I stayed up one entire night. It was my new husband who recommended it, so he was understanding!

There are passages in the book when the dialogue between Zak Dorani, the serial killer, and someone he meets, are so logical and understandable, that you forget that Mr. Van Arman has taken you deeply inside the psyche of a serial killer.

Jack Scott, the agent in charge of the Federal Agency tracking down Zak Dorani, is close on Dorani's heels, adding to the suspense. Just how much damage can Dorani inflict before Jack Scott get's one step ahead.

Hands down one of the most brilliantly crafted novels I have ever read. This book is really suitable for those who enjoyed Silence of the Lambs and similarly psychologically menacing tales.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best EVER serial murder/thriller books.

[Quoilire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il est une très grosse déception.

Si le début de ce roman est intéressant en abordant la psychologie des tueurs en série, d'aborder un aspect théorique et professionnel tel qu'abordé par le FBI. De plus,  l'histoire débute bien avec un meurtrier qui connaît ses victimes sur le bout des doigts et sait passer ses forfaits inaperçus.

Mais une fois dépassé les cent premières pages, on s'embête à lire ce livre (et j'emploie une formule polie). S'ensuivent de nombreuses, très nombreuses répétitions, des descriptions des éléments de la vie courante sans aucun intérêt, et une flopée de personnages dans laquelle on se noie. Qui plus est, un des gros défauts de Derek Van Arman est de ne pas explicitement indiqué de quel personnage il parle , le lecteur flotte alors pendant quelques instants dans l'incertitude à chercher de qui il s'agit.

L'histoire s'enlise dans une enquête dans une enquête poussive sans grande originalité.... et arrivé à mi-livre, je cède en le refermant définitivement.

Au final, si le travail des enquêteurs du FBI est plus fidèle à la réalité dans ce livre, on préfère les romans qui prennent des libertés sur cette véracité.
https://quoilire.wordpress.com/2020/0...

[Angie crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. It was long and repetitive in a few spots. I skipped pages here and there of stuff not necessary to the story. I liked the end. Decent enough to keep reading but not something I'd reread.

[Amy Hutto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more than I ever wanted to know about serial killers in this book. It is fiction, but the story is gripping from finish to end. You will cheer on the unlikely heros, a boy and his 3 legged dog.

[Eric Roethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been years since I read this. However, I remember it was quite good, quite disturbing, and I didn't sleep well while reading.

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’est un livre assez long de 955 pages.
J’ai été très interressée par la série Mindhunter racontant l’aventure de deux agents interviewants des tueurs en série célèbre pour comprendre leur mode d’opération. « Il » est le livre qui inspiré la série.
Cependant le livre est tout autre. Ce sont des brides de différents points de vues partagés entre tueur récréatif et agents. Plusieurs histoires sont au rendez vous, toutes sont liés.
Je n’avais pas ce schéma en tête. J’aurais préférée lire les interviews de criminels célèbre, mais cela m’a tout de même plu. On est tenu en haleine.
Les chapitres sont court, ce qui est un bon point vue la longueur du récit.
J’ai un peu zappé vers la fin, certaines affaires n’ont pas piqué ma curiosité et j’ai trouvé le suspens vraiment trop long.
Ce n’est pas le genre de livre dont j’ai l’habitude de lire, mais c’était un bon bouquin.

[Berk Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in this book is presaged at one time or another. It starts slowly but gives the reader clues as to where it will go right away. This book should be read slowly, taking time to mentally note the details given by the author. Every detail has some piece of importance in the later pages. The story is excellent, constructed around a minimum number of characters whose lives are woven together in both the present and the past. The ending is explosive. The investigation is pure and filled with the problems that cops face regularly when dealing with serial killers. (Read some true crime stories). It is one of the most well written murder mysteries I have ever read and I have read it four times. Each time I read it more information I missed surfaces, more story telling comes to the fore. I wish this author had written ten books. I would keep them all as my primary fiction library.

[Janessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggle between 2 and 3 stars but settle on 2 because this book really just hasn’t aged well. I loved the intro with the boy and his dog but things kind of went downhill from there. An editor really needed to cut down on some of the descriptions, like commenting on a woman’s golden hair flowing like a waterfall down her back moments before she’s murdered.

I found some really interesting tidbits buried in the bloated sentences and I did like getting into the main investigator’s head while he fought to get ahead of the killers, but it was a chore to finish.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for my pop sugar challenge for the prompt A book you meant to read in 2018.
This one took me a few years to read just because I would lose it, then find it. i liked the story, but not too crazy about all the sideline stories. Sometimes it got a bit confusing, but overall kept me reading.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have been a good book had the author focused on the storyline and left out the plethora of unimportant details and provided more details on the characters. Ended up skimming entire sections of the book. Extremely disappointed.

[Kik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dérangeant, mais on y retourne...

[Blandine D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser. L'intrigue est bonne mais il y a parfois trop de longueurs et ça m'a perdu.

[Justine Sicard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Frank Consalvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was grim and compelling. Had some interesting insights into serial killers as well.

[Sophie Mertens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un peu de mal à me mettre dedans ... Et puis, le puzzle se crée et impossible, de ne pas le terminer.

[Sidney Dopilka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be the best book ive read so far!

[Lee-Anne Veage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. My first foray into serial killer mindset in the US. I couldn't put it down. A great read to start out in this genre.

[VonDoom · Rating 2 out of 5]

scratched a serial killer itch with a mid 80s novel, what can I say?

[Farhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 600 odd pages, it is a hefty read by any standards, particularly so for a novel about serial killers. The fact that the author keeps the reader interested throughout the length of the book is no mean feat in itself.

This book is about a serial killer without any human emotions who is termed a 'devoid' by the team of detectives hunting it. Maybe the novel stood out more when it was published back in 1993 when the genre wasn't as crowded as it is today. Still, it makes for good reading and the author has thrown in a lot of asides concerning weapons and civil war history. A little more efficient editing would have made the book more taut and less sprawling.

[Lisa H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was a little uneven, but overall this was a really compelling book. I had to wonder if this guy (who is a journalist by trade, if I remember right? been a few years since I read this) had been involved, at least peripherally, in at least one actual case. It read at times like true crime rather than a novel. And I suspect that his character of "Jack Scott" may have been based on John Douglas, the guy who created the FBI's behavioral analysis unit (or whatever the FBI really calls it.)

[grundoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came for the setting (my hometown), with little expectation even in that regard, and was pleasantly surprised to find a character-rich well done tale of dual serial killer investigations. And even so, the setting remained the real star – the book opens literally right across the street from where I worked in high school, and not only remains in familiar territory throughout, but delves well into the sordid and relatively unknown history of Tobytown (a black community now twice displaced in the name of greed and racism).

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because I think ? guess ? that the story is probably really good.
I mean, the content kept me going for as long as I did... But only the content.
Because the writing is GOD AWFUL.
Keeping in mind that I read this in French so it might just be the translation that is terrible.

But I couldn't get through it. I really wished it had been good, I wanted it to be good, and it was just too horrible for me to keep going.

So, hum. Pass.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a fascinating novel. An insider's view of the hunt for serial killers, the cancer of contemporary life. The strain it puts on the men and women who do it and the damage it does to them (and their families) balanced against the service they do in protecting us from the predators they hunt.

[Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a chilling look into the mind of a serial killer.