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F.X. Shepherd #1
Hack
Journalism.
Narcissism.
Cannibalism.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world at the infamous tabloid the New York Mail , where brand new pet columnist F.X. Shepherd accidentally finds himself on the trail of The Hacker, a serial killer targeting unpleasant celebrities in inventive—and sometimes decorative—ways. And it’s only his second day on the job. Luckily Shepherd has hidden talents, not to mention a hidden agenda. But as bodies and suspects accumulate, he finds himself running afoul of cutthroat office politics, the NYPD, and Ginny Mac, an attractive but ruthless reporter for a competing newspaper. And when Shepherd himself is contacted by The Hacker, he realizes he may be next on the killer’s list...
Narcissism.
Cannibalism.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world at the infamous tabloid the New York Mail , where brand new pet columnist F.X. Shepherd accidentally finds himself on the trail of The Hacker, a serial killer targeting unpleasant celebrities in inventive—and sometimes decorative—ways. And it’s only his second day on the job. Luckily Shepherd has hidden talents, not to mention a hidden agenda. But as bodies and suspects accumulate, he finds himself running afoul of cutthroat office politics, the NYPD, and Ginny Mac, an attractive but ruthless reporter for a competing newspaper. And when Shepherd himself is contacted by The Hacker, he realizes he may be next on the killer’s list...
328 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2013
13 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Kieran Crowley
14 books43 followersKIERAN CROWLEY is a New York Times bestselling crime author and investigative reporter who has received communication from an actual serial killer and deciphered his secret code. Crowley has covered hundreds of trials and thousands of murders and recovered evidence missed by police at numerous crime scenes, some of which helped bring killers to Justice. He lives in New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 15, 2019
Probably 4.5 stars. A fun read. Recommended.
April 16, 2022
This Book is like Popcorn..... It's good but you know it isn't good for you.
I guess you would call this a suspense novel. Main character is F.X. Shepard, a Pet Columnist thrown to the wolves of a Murder Mystery by Mistake. This is pure Bubblegum, Tastes delicious, but runs out of flavor really fast.
It's a quick read, I demolished it in under 24 hours. Definitely a page turner. a relief to read after spending weeks reading, The Count of Monte Cristo. It's books like these that people must be reading when I see they've read 50 books this year.
I Envision this as a male fantasy style story where all the Women you meet in the plot want to bone the antagonist and everyone he meets just gives him information cause he asked politely. This book is to detective stories as a romance novel with Fabio on the cover is to True Love stories.
All in all a fun read that you don't have to invest a lot of time in. a pallet cleanser between heavier, more philosophical fare.
I guess you would call this a suspense novel. Main character is F.X. Shepard, a Pet Columnist thrown to the wolves of a Murder Mystery by Mistake. This is pure Bubblegum, Tastes delicious, but runs out of flavor really fast.
It's a quick read, I demolished it in under 24 hours. Definitely a page turner. a relief to read after spending weeks reading, The Count of Monte Cristo. It's books like these that people must be reading when I see they've read 50 books this year.
I Envision this as a male fantasy style story where all the Women you meet in the plot want to bone the antagonist and everyone he meets just gives him information cause he asked politely. This book is to detective stories as a romance novel with Fabio on the cover is to True Love stories.
All in all a fun read that you don't have to invest a lot of time in. a pallet cleanser between heavier, more philosophical fare.
March 25, 2016
It reads like a mash-up of P J O'Rourke & Dashiell Hammett. I enjoyed it, but felt that I had come across the main character's twist a few too many times before for it to be a big surprise (it has shades of Hong Kong Phooey about it). The action sequences are well handled & I liked the FX Shepherd character, though his magnetic attraction to women, who all but swoon on meeting him, was a little overplayed & repetitive (and even a tiny bit sexist). I'll certainly read the next one, but wait for it to arrive at the library.
January 18, 2022
This was one rollicking ride. Somehow manages to be consistently over-the-top and right on target in its skewering of tabloid news. The main character is in the mold of the super-competent macho hero who dominates every situation--whether in back alleys, boardrooms, or bedrooms--but he's got enough goofball charm that I give him a pass. Plus, he loves dogs. I'm not sure the plot actually makes sense, but if you like your murders bloody, your characters glib, and your satire served up by the ladle, this is the book for you.
November 5, 2013
I'm reading this to interview and promote this book
Here's the resulting interview:
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2007...
Here's the resulting interview:
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2007...
January 12, 2019
A little overly descriptive in parts but quite funny and a nice read
August 21, 2016
Awesome story! Loved the voice of the storyteller - smart, witty, cynical - and the story he stumbles into. Not 100% sure about the ending... but it mostly works and doesn't detract too much from the rest of the hugely engaging story. Really enjoyed this super easy read :D
December 27, 2015
Don't let the title mislead you.
Interesting, but a little slow.
Interesting, but a little slow.
March 5, 2016
Funny start, sort of gruesome ending. Not bad. Original set up hilarious: pet advice columnist arrives at murder scene accidentally. DPL book.
June 5, 2017
*** Possible Spoilers ***
I thought this was a great book. Fast and exciting, the plot moved forward at a fine pace. Normally I'm not keen on mysteries but over the years the genre has opened up to include plenty of crime fiction in addition to Whodunits and now I find myself reading them with increasing frequency. The hero is working as a pet columnist for a newspaper and, due to having a name similar to one of their top reporters who happens to be on vacation, gets sent in error to cover a celebrity murder. As much by luck as good reporting he get a sensational item and finds himself pursuing both the story and the murder to its final conclusion.
Although not a whodunit per se, this is more of a how-was-this-done followed by a why-was-this-done and only late in the story do we get around to identifying the culprit.
The plot was exciting. The characters were interesting and once started it was difficult to put down. Plus the author has a wry sense of humor that I quite enjoyed. In addition, this is one author who chooses not to stint on the murders. By the time the book ends it is starting to become difficult to keep track of the deceased there are so many of them.
If you like a fast-paced mystery novel - more thriller than whodunit - then I think I can definitely recommend this one.
I thought this was a great book. Fast and exciting, the plot moved forward at a fine pace. Normally I'm not keen on mysteries but over the years the genre has opened up to include plenty of crime fiction in addition to Whodunits and now I find myself reading them with increasing frequency. The hero is working as a pet columnist for a newspaper and, due to having a name similar to one of their top reporters who happens to be on vacation, gets sent in error to cover a celebrity murder. As much by luck as good reporting he get a sensational item and finds himself pursuing both the story and the murder to its final conclusion.
Although not a whodunit per se, this is more of a how-was-this-done followed by a why-was-this-done and only late in the story do we get around to identifying the culprit.
The plot was exciting. The characters were interesting and once started it was difficult to put down. Plus the author has a wry sense of humor that I quite enjoyed. In addition, this is one author who chooses not to stint on the murders. By the time the book ends it is starting to become difficult to keep track of the deceased there are so many of them.
If you like a fast-paced mystery novel - more thriller than whodunit - then I think I can definitely recommend this one.
March 3, 2021
It was a good read, although far-fetched. The main character was good, but it was a little unbelievable that all the women were attracted to him. And the women were all gorgeous. The way they, and some scenes, were described was a little too frat boyish. Would a detective really say "her boobs are out" of a victim? I did like the quick dialogue, not overly wordy. Still good.
May 1, 2021
I like this quirky character, and the lighthearted tone of the story. I discovered this book by accident but I think this author is worth digging for. Not a cozy mystery by any means, but also not bogged down in a lot of meanness. The author manages to create vivid images without losing sight of the story, and without being too predictable!
April 9, 2020
It was good. I thougth someone was de killer but at the end, I was wrong haha, didn't even think about the other...
Skippy is my fav haha, so cutie♡
And I'm sure I would enjoy it more in Spanish, was a bit heavy for me, but oh well! ♡
Skippy is my fav haha, so cutie♡
And I'm sure I would enjoy it more in Spanish, was a bit heavy for me, but oh well! ♡
July 7, 2022
This book would make a better movie.. it reminds me of Deadpool humor, quick one liners but it makes it a little hard to follow. It was all over the place. The chapters are short which made it easier to read but I read it just so I could be done with it.
July 1, 2017
highly enjoyable. combo of thriller and lots of often dark humor.
July 10, 2017
Very solid writing, good one-liners, silly situations, and a mystery. An enjoyable read.
October 10, 2019
Pet columnist ends up investigating a serial murderer.
March 30, 2021
An immersive and entertaining if not particularly high-brow read. Definitely contains some themes that were too dark for me at the time.
September 4, 2018
Very good read, felt very engaged with the character and found myself struggling to put the book down until I finished. Rather Strange end but all in all a good read.
November 6, 2016
Having read Shoot, the second book I immediately bought this. Just a fab book, high speed capers, and yes the plot may not be logical, and a tad twisty, but it was just so much fun! The story of a true hero - who is and isn't that heroic. However he is always loyal to his dog.
April 19, 2017
One of the funniest books I've read in ages. A fantastic, dark, hilarious tale that held my interest and wouldn't let go. Going to find Crowley's other books right now!
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March 2, 2019Enjoyable read. A little predictable. Nice style and three author actually has command of the English language (or at least a good editor). Hope he keeps at it, but I'm not running out to find the next one.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews