FBI profiler Ulysses Grove is sure he’s this close to trapping a serial killer … but the killer is planning a gruesome surprise that will come far too close to home…
THE IMAGE OF MURDER
The Mississippi Ripper likes to work in pairs—of victims. For every dead body laid to waste, a second one faces it, a grotesque mirror image of terror and torment. Special Agent Ulysses Grove thinks he knows the method to the killer’s madness. But grasping the twisted logic behind the brutal slayings propels him onto a path of danger—to him and to everything he holds dear.
Pushed to the limit, Grove’s only hope is to dig deep into his own past. But this is one serial killer with powerful resources—and Grove's worst fears are already one step ahead of him…
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“M. Night Shyamalan, meet Harlan Coben.” - David Ellis
Praise for Twisted
“Scarily real and really scary—everything a great thriller should be.” - Lee Child
Praise for Frozen
“A thrilling, beautifully paced skyrocket of a novel.” - Peter Straub
“A relentless chiller that leaves you guessing and gasping again and again.” - David Morrell
“An author of impressive range, depth, and audacity.” - Chicago Tribune
The national best-selling author of ten acclaimed books – both fiction and non-fiction -- Jay Bonansinga has been called “one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers” by the Chicago Tribune.
Jay is the holder of a master's degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife and two sons. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program.
wow, now that was intense! Unlike the previous book, shattered pulls you in right off the bat, and the action/pacing never lets up. Very cool plot twist that I didn't see coming really added a lot to this, and the end really has you wanting more, the best book so far of the series!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I didn't realize this was book 3 in a series. It was very fast-paced, serial killer book. However, some things bothered me with this book. I'm not sure how I feel with FBI profilers and the supernatural blending in these types of books. It works well if written well such as John Connolly's Charlie Parker books. But I don't feel it works here. I found it hard to really connect with any of my characters. They felt like carboard cutouts. Not people I can get attached to. Also, in one scene the author describes the baby in the book as being 6 months old, then later the baby is a year old, but no time has gone by but a few weeks. Also, no clear explanations as to why the killer is what he is. Too many unexplained loose-ends.
This book needs less emphasis on the race of the main character. Every chapter made a reference to his race, sometimes several times on the same page. While I applaud the use of a strong, successful black main character I felt like it was the entire focus of the book. I'm not sure I liked the author referring to the character's baby and mother both as being "nappy headed", but that's just me. The book itself was pretty good. There seemed to be an equal amount of suspense, fear, and surprise. I didn't think there would be anything to really "reveal" since we knew who the killer was from the beginning, but I was wrong. Over all, It was a pretty good read.
I liked this book, it whizzed by pretty quickly, but I'm not sure I want read any more books about an investigator who solves cases just by having a psychic experience. It seems a bit of a lazy way to me, just to say "all of a sudden Grove had a vision, and he knew who the killer was". That's over simplifying things a bit, but it was that sort of thing, Also,I prefer a whodunnit, with the killer revealed at the end, not on page 20 or so.
The perfect book for fans of continuity errors; there are too many of them to count. Also, the psychiatrist is blatantly unprofessional and unbelievable. The story idea is good. The execution is poor, though and the editor clearly phoned this one in.
A good read, decent character development and a good plot, nice twist. Also good psychology didn't overdo it but it was there to make the characters seem a little insightful and self aware.
If you are a James Patterson fan, this is a good book for you. It reminded me a lot of James Patterson because of the story plot, and the writing. I am a James Patterson fan, so I loved it :)
Slow at the beginning but really picked up about halfway through. Good finish to the book. Will definitely read one (or more) of the other books with the same characters.