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Composite
Freddy Luccio was once a well respected artist in Hollywood. Whether it be for storyboards, posters, character designs, or logos, studios would often call on Freddy. But before long, his luck changed. Lost, broke, and with nowhere else to go, he has no choice but to move back to his home town of Everett Falls, New York, to live with his aunt. Now in his late 20s, he is depressed, lonely and by all accounts, a failure. But he just may be the only person who can stop a brutal murderer.
He gets a job at a small pharmacy, falls in love with a meek and timid co-worker named Charlotte, and tries to figure out his future. Thanks to his new favorite crime documentary-series, "Forensic Justice," he develops a budding interest in forensic art. With nothing to lose, he takes his portfolio to the local police station and volunteers his services as a sketch artist. But in a small town with very little crime, the last thing Freddy expects is to become unwittingly entangled in the hunt for a serial killer.
The press is calling him "The Basher." He targets young women and bludgeons them with a short club. When one victim manages to survive, she describes the man's face to Freddy, and he draws a composite sketch. The police go to work, developing their pool of suspects, but Freddy has someone else in mind. Does he see something the police don't? They won't listen to his crazy theories, and with no evidence, there's nothing they can do.
The killer strikes again and again, and now he is stalking Charlotte. Freddy's obsession will take him in search of a true monster, and plunge him into an unimaginable nightmare. But will he be able to save the woman he loves before it's too late?"
He gets a job at a small pharmacy, falls in love with a meek and timid co-worker named Charlotte, and tries to figure out his future. Thanks to his new favorite crime documentary-series, "Forensic Justice," he develops a budding interest in forensic art. With nothing to lose, he takes his portfolio to the local police station and volunteers his services as a sketch artist. But in a small town with very little crime, the last thing Freddy expects is to become unwittingly entangled in the hunt for a serial killer.
The press is calling him "The Basher." He targets young women and bludgeons them with a short club. When one victim manages to survive, she describes the man's face to Freddy, and he draws a composite sketch. The police go to work, developing their pool of suspects, but Freddy has someone else in mind. Does he see something the police don't? They won't listen to his crazy theories, and with no evidence, there's nothing they can do.
The killer strikes again and again, and now he is stalking Charlotte. Freddy's obsession will take him in search of a true monster, and plunge him into an unimaginable nightmare. But will he be able to save the woman he loves before it's too late?"
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Published January 24, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 12, 2022
Harkens back to '70s cat-and-mouse detective films with a serial killer that would give Frank Zito from MANIAC or Buffalo Bill a run for their money. Give it a read!
October 30, 2022
"Composite" by Jesse D'Angelo. I was sent my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Freddy Luccio, a once well respected Hollywood artist, has found himself back in his hometown of Everett Falls, New York. Living with his Aunt Penny while working at the local small town pharmacy isn't where he envisioned himself but he's determined to make the best of it.
It's not until Freddy develops an interest in forensics that he chooses to take control of his once successful career and offer his services to the local police doing free composite sketches. It's this choice that will put him directly in the path of the man the press have dubbed "The Butcher".
Before I began my horror journey I read a LOT of thrillers. So you'd think I'd have seen this ending a million miles away, but I didn't. I was absolutely shocked! This story was well written, nicely paced, and had just the right amount of evil and gore. There's a scene towards the end of this book that takes place in a basement. I have still not recovered from this scene. It's not what I was expecting at all and it really made me inwardly cringe. That scene alone provided me with the perfect amount of shock factor given the premise of this story. I think this is much darker than previous works I've read by D'Angelo and as I write this I'm aware he's writing his next novel. This time he's trying his hand at the extreme and after reading Composite I have no doubt he's going to take us for a real ride in #dyingsheep.
Freddy Luccio, a once well respected Hollywood artist, has found himself back in his hometown of Everett Falls, New York. Living with his Aunt Penny while working at the local small town pharmacy isn't where he envisioned himself but he's determined to make the best of it.
It's not until Freddy develops an interest in forensics that he chooses to take control of his once successful career and offer his services to the local police doing free composite sketches. It's this choice that will put him directly in the path of the man the press have dubbed "The Butcher".
Before I began my horror journey I read a LOT of thrillers. So you'd think I'd have seen this ending a million miles away, but I didn't. I was absolutely shocked! This story was well written, nicely paced, and had just the right amount of evil and gore. There's a scene towards the end of this book that takes place in a basement. I have still not recovered from this scene. It's not what I was expecting at all and it really made me inwardly cringe. That scene alone provided me with the perfect amount of shock factor given the premise of this story. I think this is much darker than previous works I've read by D'Angelo and as I write this I'm aware he's writing his next novel. This time he's trying his hand at the extreme and after reading Composite I have no doubt he's going to take us for a real ride in #dyingsheep.
January 18, 2023
I received this book, from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Getting through this book was both quick and exhilarating. Let’s get that out of the way. Next, I want to say Jesse does not hold back with the brutality of this book and makes the killer someone to be scared of. From the descriptions of unending searches to the crimes committed this book is just right or even at the top of the genre in my opinion for Thrillers / Crime fiction. Too many in the genre use so many similar techniques but this one is in a league of its own and wonderfully mixes in horror elements, which I love. I will admit the last quarter I got a tad lost with some minor details, but overall this book is a lot of fun and shouldn’t be overlooked. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Thanks Jesse! For the awesome book!
Getting through this book was both quick and exhilarating. Let’s get that out of the way. Next, I want to say Jesse does not hold back with the brutality of this book and makes the killer someone to be scared of. From the descriptions of unending searches to the crimes committed this book is just right or even at the top of the genre in my opinion for Thrillers / Crime fiction. Too many in the genre use so many similar techniques but this one is in a league of its own and wonderfully mixes in horror elements, which I love. I will admit the last quarter I got a tad lost with some minor details, but overall this book is a lot of fun and shouldn’t be overlooked. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Thanks Jesse! For the awesome book!
October 5, 2022
“Oh, you ain’t in California no more, boy.”
This one utterance set the perfect stage for this nightmarish thriller.
If I had to guess, I’d say that the main character is (at least partially) based on our dear author himself, but only he can tell us for sure …
That being said, this non-traditional hero’s ascent from a pampered Hollywood artist to a boy next-door hometown hero, was carefully fleshed out through his evolving obsession with finding the killer that was terrorizing his community. “It had found a space in his skull, and it lived there now, a deadbeat tenant, an insistent, unshakable nuisance. It was a thought laced with fear, with mystery, deriving pleasure from taunting Freddy and holding his mind hostage.”
As I’ve come to love from Jesse D’Angelo, the characters inner monologues were expertly crafted to slowly reveal their true selves down to the very marrow of their bones. I have to admit, I felt the a chill down to the very marrow of my own bones when I read, “Gonna make you mine, little girl. No mistakes this time.” … “Oh my God, little Katie, I need you so bad…”.
What comes next, well … let’s just say my heart rose in hope and then plummeted into the bottom of my stomach, as my jaw dropped in horrific surprise.
As fast as the snow fell during that “vicious, cutting cold” New York winter, this story is a grueling whirlwind of obsession, love, murder and the ties that bind them all together. All culminating into a fantastic little twist that I honestly didn’t see coming. Once you pick this one up, you’ll be hard pressed to put it down. It will keep whispering to you, “You and me tonight, baby. You and me.”.
This one utterance set the perfect stage for this nightmarish thriller.
If I had to guess, I’d say that the main character is (at least partially) based on our dear author himself, but only he can tell us for sure …
That being said, this non-traditional hero’s ascent from a pampered Hollywood artist to a boy next-door hometown hero, was carefully fleshed out through his evolving obsession with finding the killer that was terrorizing his community. “It had found a space in his skull, and it lived there now, a deadbeat tenant, an insistent, unshakable nuisance. It was a thought laced with fear, with mystery, deriving pleasure from taunting Freddy and holding his mind hostage.”
As I’ve come to love from Jesse D’Angelo, the characters inner monologues were expertly crafted to slowly reveal their true selves down to the very marrow of their bones. I have to admit, I felt the a chill down to the very marrow of my own bones when I read, “Gonna make you mine, little girl. No mistakes this time.” … “Oh my God, little Katie, I need you so bad…”.
What comes next, well … let’s just say my heart rose in hope and then plummeted into the bottom of my stomach, as my jaw dropped in horrific surprise.
As fast as the snow fell during that “vicious, cutting cold” New York winter, this story is a grueling whirlwind of obsession, love, murder and the ties that bind them all together. All culminating into a fantastic little twist that I honestly didn’t see coming. Once you pick this one up, you’ll be hard pressed to put it down. It will keep whispering to you, “You and me tonight, baby. You and me.”.
September 26, 2022
This was my first read by this author. I was lucky enough to win a print copy from him in a group we're both in on Facebook.
It was fantastic! I cannot think of a single thing he left out or did "wrong". He put in just enough to let the reader know the antagonist's intentions without making it gorey or over the top.
The plot was well thought out with no holes left open or questions at the end. The characters were extremely relatable & easy to like. Which, of course, made it all the more difficult for the reader to wonder if and/or when something might happen to one of them. (There also wasn't a bunch of time wasted on secondary characters, which I appreciate.)
There was a minor twist here & a minor twist there. The big twist? Didn't see it coming until there was a slight allusion to it & even then I wasn't sure EXACTLY what it would be. When it was unvieled I was happily surprised & really enjoyed how the author unraveled it all. Again, well thought out with enough detail to hook you without going too far.
I've already looked into the rest of his work & have added them to my TBR wishlist. They all sound exciting & different from this/each other.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller with an interesting twist and, well, who knows how it turns out? You'll have to read it to find out...
It was fantastic! I cannot think of a single thing he left out or did "wrong". He put in just enough to let the reader know the antagonist's intentions without making it gorey or over the top.
The plot was well thought out with no holes left open or questions at the end. The characters were extremely relatable & easy to like. Which, of course, made it all the more difficult for the reader to wonder if and/or when something might happen to one of them. (There also wasn't a bunch of time wasted on secondary characters, which I appreciate.)
There was a minor twist here & a minor twist there. The big twist? Didn't see it coming until there was a slight allusion to it & even then I wasn't sure EXACTLY what it would be. When it was unvieled I was happily surprised & really enjoyed how the author unraveled it all. Again, well thought out with enough detail to hook you without going too far.
I've already looked into the rest of his work & have added them to my TBR wishlist. They all sound exciting & different from this/each other.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller with an interesting twist and, well, who knows how it turns out? You'll have to read it to find out...
October 10, 2022
Had me hooked from the start
The first chapter does such an excellent job of introducing the characters of Penny and Freddy. Maybe it's because I'm also from an Italian family from New York, but I could absolutely hear the accent and attitude of Aunt Penny. These characters felt like people I know. This makes it all the more crushing when bad things start happening. And while this is far from being the most disturbing or violent book I've read, it doesn't pull any punches. The murders are brutal and detailed, so if you're squeamish, this may not be for you. The high level of detail definitely adds to the gritty, real life crime scene sort of vibe of the novel. My only criticism is that I would have liked to actually have the composite sketches somewhere in the book. I wanted more artwork. However, I have heard some of Jesse D'Angelo's other books have more art in them, so I guess I'll have to go snag copies of them now.
The first chapter does such an excellent job of introducing the characters of Penny and Freddy. Maybe it's because I'm also from an Italian family from New York, but I could absolutely hear the accent and attitude of Aunt Penny. These characters felt like people I know. This makes it all the more crushing when bad things start happening. And while this is far from being the most disturbing or violent book I've read, it doesn't pull any punches. The murders are brutal and detailed, so if you're squeamish, this may not be for you. The high level of detail definitely adds to the gritty, real life crime scene sort of vibe of the novel. My only criticism is that I would have liked to actually have the composite sketches somewhere in the book. I wanted more artwork. However, I have heard some of Jesse D'Angelo's other books have more art in them, so I guess I'll have to go snag copies of them now.
December 3, 2022
This was my first foray into the mind of Jesse D'Angelo, and I can honestly say I will absolutely be reading more from him.
Composite was a blast to read, full of fucked up murders and lots of tension. I enjoyed most of the characters and loved the absolute over-the-top corniness of the main romance.
One thing stood out for me that really bothered me, but I won’t give spoilers on that. I’m almost certain it with bug other readers, but for me, it took the book down from 5 to 4 stars.
Solid book, can’t wait to read more from him!
Composite was a blast to read, full of fucked up murders and lots of tension. I enjoyed most of the characters and loved the absolute over-the-top corniness of the main romance.
One thing stood out for me that really bothered me, but I won’t give spoilers on that. I’m almost certain it with bug other readers, but for me, it took the book down from 5 to 4 stars.
Solid book, can’t wait to read more from him!
February 14, 2023
Classic Serial Killer Crime Fiction with a Twist
This is my first book from D'Angelo and I loved every second.
At times reminiscent of Lawrence Block or early John Sandford, the plot is slick and lean and the tone pops with New York flavor. Underneath it all is a hard edge of violence, suspense, and uncompromising brutality.
Will definitely be picking up his other stuff.
This is my first book from D'Angelo and I loved every second.
At times reminiscent of Lawrence Block or early John Sandford, the plot is slick and lean and the tone pops with New York flavor. Underneath it all is a hard edge of violence, suspense, and uncompromising brutality.
Will definitely be picking up his other stuff.
November 11, 2022
Great thriller. The story is very intense all the way through. The Basher is a messed up psychopath. Freddy is a great MC. I really enjoyed this author's writing style. Filled with twists and gore.
Read
November 15, 2022Another winner. Very well thought out and written. Different from previous books and in my opinion much better.
January 28, 2023
Composite was a quick, enjoyable thriller. The police procedural elements took this novel to a higher level compared to others in the mainstream market.
Freddy Luccio, a former illustrator for Hollywood, returns home to his old stomping grounds of Everett Falls, NY. He finds work in a grocery store and begins to fall for his co-worker, Charlotte. Things are not as hunky-dory as they seem because in the background of our main narrative, there are a series of brutal assaults and murders being committed on young, attractive women. The killer, dubbed "The Basher," attracts the attention of the police and even Freddy, who has volunteered to lend his artistic services as a forensic artist to help track down this maniac before it's too late.
Our protagonist is very much human and that plays as a strength here. Too often, we are subjected to a tall, dark and handsome leading man who ties the mystery up in a nice package with a bow. Freddy is an average man of an average height. He is quite a likeable main character. His relationships toward the other characters in the novel are believable and do not feel forced.
This was definitely an unconventional thriller with a conventional protagonist...and that makes this one quite enjoyable.
Freddy Luccio, a former illustrator for Hollywood, returns home to his old stomping grounds of Everett Falls, NY. He finds work in a grocery store and begins to fall for his co-worker, Charlotte. Things are not as hunky-dory as they seem because in the background of our main narrative, there are a series of brutal assaults and murders being committed on young, attractive women. The killer, dubbed "The Basher," attracts the attention of the police and even Freddy, who has volunteered to lend his artistic services as a forensic artist to help track down this maniac before it's too late.
Our protagonist is very much human and that plays as a strength here. Too often, we are subjected to a tall, dark and handsome leading man who ties the mystery up in a nice package with a bow. Freddy is an average man of an average height. He is quite a likeable main character. His relationships toward the other characters in the novel are believable and do not feel forced.
This was definitely an unconventional thriller with a conventional protagonist...and that makes this one quite enjoyable.
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January 4, 2023To anyone who didn't like this book and left it a 3-star or below review,
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please don't just leave a rating, leave a review as well! Reviews and critiques are very useful. They help me grow and improve, and see what readers want and don't want. So please feel free to talk smack and explain why you think this book sucks! I assure you, I can take it!
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please don't just leave a rating, leave a review as well! Reviews and critiques are very useful. They help me grow and improve, and see what readers want and don't want. So please feel free to talk smack and explain why you think this book sucks! I assure you, I can take it!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews