The Mask Maker

by Ken Ulano

Christmastime….an Aston Martin drives into the Appalachians with a hostage in the trunk. Days later, mutilated remains are found, and sometime in between those happenings a woman ends up in bed with a man she believes is her husband, only to realize he’s a stranger with an identical face.

Albert Johnson is a prodigy raised in abuse and isolation, living at his childhood home in rural Maryland. At sixteen he’s forced to find employment, eventually ending up at a cleaning company with clients that include top research facilities. When he stumbles upon cutting edge advance face transplant research, he devises a plan to finally be with Jill, the woman he loves. Though it’s his tragic upbringing that fuels his spiraling psychoses, it’s his obsession with her that unleashes a monster whose actions occur in a vortex of unimaginable coincidences. Albert is not only in the crosshairs of the police and the gang initially under investigation for the homicide he committed, but also in the sights of a CIA agent.

Can the police stop Albert? Will the gang take him out? Or will he slip away with Jill, looking like anybody else in a sea of faces?

Genres: Adult, Thriller

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2015

About the author

I wrote the book while considering the question of whether man is born evil or good, and exploring the types of people who commit evil deeds on a different level of inhumanity than run-of-the-mill criminals. The story grew out of a character I envisioned growing up in an environment where he experienced mostly cruel and immoral behavior by his father and had no other persons in his life other than his also abused mother, and she, only until he was eleven.

On a personal note, I am married and have two children. I now reside in Arizona after having spent years living in New York and working at two well respected accounting firms before accepting a Controller's position at a boutique investment bank and working in the industry over the next several years.

Reviews

[Charissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty well written and I liked how the author created multiple stories within this one book that then eventually all came together. At one point I felt that there was one of the stories that took a backseat but after finishing the book, I think each scene was built out at the right time. This is my second "horror" type book that I have read here recently and even though this was a page turner most of the times, I am not sure stories that "could" be real or portray real life evil in our world is something that I want to read. I think I will stick to more unrealistic horror.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good debut novel.
The plot has a lot of elements and characters that come together. The main bad guy (evil genius) is really terrible, and he does very gruesome things. I like that we can see into his history, so that we know what led him to become that way -- but a person is always responsible for their actions as an adult, so matter what their crappy childhood was like.
The science aspect of this was a little iffy. The premise of a face transplant done on oneself is kind of unbelievable. First, the pain would be intense and he can't be sedated for it or else he wouldn't be able to do the surgery. And the skill needed for such an operation is something that an actual surgeon would need years of practice to accomplish. (Just think of all the muscles that would have to be attached correctly, for one.) This guy is portrayed as a genius, but no one is that skilled. Also, I wasn't sure if the new face was a mask that was added on temporarily or if it was actually attached as a replacement. I'm not sure that this was specified.
Sometimes the dialogue between the characters, especially the two main detectives, felt too formal. It sometimes seemed they were too polite. Not sure how to explain better.

The descriptions of the locations were excellent and felt real.
There is a satisfactory ending, but there's some ambiguity, so there may be a follow-up.
Overall, a good debut.

Received a free copy of this book from GoodReads.com for review.

[Dr. Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I don't even know how to start this review. The Mask Maker is a book full of twists and turns, none that I could predict. Everything caught me totally by surprise. It took me a while to get into this book, but once it started getting fast paced, I could not put it down. It also took me a while to see how everything was connected. The only complaint I have is that I wish the characters were a bit more developed. And I wish there was more of an explanation as to how the actual face transplants worked. Other than that, I would recommend this book in a heartbeat! If Ken Ulano writes any more books, I will definitely pick them up.

[Audrey Beerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I read "The Mask Maker" - really great book! I've always loved TV shows like "Criminal Minds" but haven't ever encountered a fiction book in that same psychological crime thriller genre that I really got into - until now. The pace of this book was on point; definitely a lot of suspense, but also plenty of rich descriptions and carefully set up moods. That may have been my favorite part - I could totally picture each scene! I loved the characters, as individuals and also in their relationships with each other (including some connections which were surprising!). I read this book on my Kindle on the train and almost missed my stop because I was so engrossed in one part of the story (involving rogue CIA agents!). Have already recommended it to my husband and mother.

[Gina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert is a young man raised in an abusive household. He begins to murder and mutilate others in a quest to perfect his mask making technique. He devises a plan to kill his obsession Jill's, husband and to take his place. Can the police catch him in time and end his reign of terror before more lives are lost. I loved the book The Mask Maker. There were a few parts that made me squeamish but I had to finish because it was so good. I guarantee it will be hard to put down.
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Burma Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.
This was a fast-paced novel. I really didn't feel the characters were very well developed, I had a hard time feeling anything for them. I did like it, I just found it kind of far-fetched. If you like an action packed book to read just for fun, you will probably like this book.

[Deborah Harrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This book is well written, it had lots of twists and turns. Anyone who likes thrillers should read it. It does have some sexual content. I was pleasantly surprised it's Ken Ulanos first novel.

[wendyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very good

It kept my attention from the beginning. And kept your attention not knowing what happen next. Face transplant was a new twist. Loved it