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Binge Killer
A female bounty hunter tracks a maniacal killer to a town in rural Pennsylvania.
A town with its own dark secret…Counsel Fungo is a unique woman. An experienced bounty hunter, she’s very good at her job. You don’t have to ask. She’ll tell you. Officially, her two canine companions are her therapy dogs. Unofficially, she considers them to be her partners. Counsel has suffered intense loss and was once the victim of a horrible crime. But now these experiences drive her unquenchable thirst for justice. And she’ll do anything to stop criminals from preying on the vulnerable.
Randall Burton is a serial killer and a rapist. Diagnosed with a terminal disease, he has jumped bail and intends to go out in a blaze of glory. He heads to sleepy Rancor, Pennsylvania, named one of the “Safest Towns in America,” for one last, depraved, hurrah. A quiet town tucked away in the Poconos, its citizens are mostly widowers, bowlers, and bingo players. Mostly.
There’s a reason no one in Rancor has reported a major crime in the past 50 years. And neither Counsel nor the killer are quite ready for what this town has in store...
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2019
37 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bauer
10 books17 followers“The thing I write will be the thing I write.”
Chris wouldn’t trade his northeast Philly upbringing of street sports played on blacktop and concrete, fistfights, brick and stone row houses, and twelve years of well-intentioned Catholic school discipline for a Philadelphia minute (think New York minute but more fickle and less forgiving). Chris has had some lengthy stops as an adult in Michigan and Connecticut, and he thinks Pittsburgh is a great city even though some of his fictional characters do not. He still does most of his own stunts, and he once passed for Chip Douglas of My Three Sons TV fame on a Wildwood, NJ boardwalk. He's a member of International Thriller Writers, and his work has been recognized by the National Writers Association, the Writers Room of Bucks County (PA), and the Maryland Writers Association. He likes the pie more than the turkey.
You can find Chris online at www.ChrisBauerAuthor.com.
Also writes as C.G. Bauer
Chris wouldn’t trade his northeast Philly upbringing of street sports played on blacktop and concrete, fistfights, brick and stone row houses, and twelve years of well-intentioned Catholic school discipline for a Philadelphia minute (think New York minute but more fickle and less forgiving). Chris has had some lengthy stops as an adult in Michigan and Connecticut, and he thinks Pittsburgh is a great city even though some of his fictional characters do not. He still does most of his own stunts, and he once passed for Chip Douglas of My Three Sons TV fame on a Wildwood, NJ boardwalk. He's a member of International Thriller Writers, and his work has been recognized by the National Writers Association, the Writers Room of Bucks County (PA), and the Maryland Writers Association. He likes the pie more than the turkey.
You can find Chris online at www.ChrisBauerAuthor.com.
Also writes as C.G. Bauer
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 15, 2020
A tightly written thriller. No wasted verbiage, but mot miserly, just right.
Lots of well developed characters and an interesting backdrop make for a very good read.
Some bits were a little too much, but just a little.
Lots of well developed characters and an interesting backdrop make for a very good read.
Some bits were a little too much, but just a little.
November 16, 2019
I only needed to read the four-page flashback chapter that opens this novel to know that I wanted to keep going and devour this fascinating story. But, I read it slowly over the course of several days in order to both savor the contents as well as appreciate the skillful writing.
A deadly 1960's bank robbery in a small coal-mining town (I love the name - Rancor) in northeastern Pennsylvania changes the complexity of a close-knit community forever. As the novel moves forward into the present day, Bauer introduces one intriguing and delightful character after another, none more fully realized than the Tourettes-afflicted female bounty hunter and her prey - - a senior serial killer and rapist of constantly changing identities who's engaged in one last bloody and brutal binge with Rancor (voted safest small town in America) as his crime scene of choice.
Binge Killer contains enough suspense, dark humor, and romance to offset the more graphic scenes of murder and mayhem. Bauer doesn't spare the details, but does know when to put the brakes on by only hinting at some of the more vicious rapes (especially younger victims).
What caught my interest even more than the main characters was the town of Rancor and its' secrets. There's a compelling camaraderie and provincialism in Rancor that has a darker side when it comes to law enforcement and the apprehension and sentencing of alleged criminals. Whew. Quite a read. Check it out.
A deadly 1960's bank robbery in a small coal-mining town (I love the name - Rancor) in northeastern Pennsylvania changes the complexity of a close-knit community forever. As the novel moves forward into the present day, Bauer introduces one intriguing and delightful character after another, none more fully realized than the Tourettes-afflicted female bounty hunter and her prey - - a senior serial killer and rapist of constantly changing identities who's engaged in one last bloody and brutal binge with Rancor (voted safest small town in America) as his crime scene of choice.
Binge Killer contains enough suspense, dark humor, and romance to offset the more graphic scenes of murder and mayhem. Bauer doesn't spare the details, but does know when to put the brakes on by only hinting at some of the more vicious rapes (especially younger victims).
What caught my interest even more than the main characters was the town of Rancor and its' secrets. There's a compelling camaraderie and provincialism in Rancor that has a darker side when it comes to law enforcement and the apprehension and sentencing of alleged criminals. Whew. Quite a read. Check it out.
December 27, 2019
I do love a revenge book and this had it all. I’m giving 5 stars for overall plot and vicious revenge but I will say the writing was a bit lacking at times. But the payoff was fantastic.
December 8, 2019
Gory and unexpected. If you don't like violence, not for you. But if a surprising heroine is your speed, this will keep you reading.
October 9, 2019
Some characters show up at just the right time. Counsel Fungo, bounty hunter and retired state trooper, is just that character in “Binge Killer,” author Chris Bauer’s latest thriller. Bauer has given this reader a new hero in Counsel Fungo. So, move over boys, because there’s a new sheriff in town.
Bauer’s writing is crisp, at times bordering on lyrical, and shows no reservations. Which is good, because “Binge Killer” touches on topics not for the faint of heart. From Counsel’s struggle with Tourette’s Syndrome, through graphically depicted murders and rape scenes, this is a no-holds-barred ride. Bauer delves into the minds of the criminal element and law enforcement alike, giving the reader plenty to consider as we look out on the happenings in our own world. Indeed, Bauer’s writing finds a place to inhabit in the darkest, forgotten corners of the human mind.
“Binge Killer” is rounded out with memorable characters, witty and telling dialogue, and enough humor on the dark side to make the reader crack a smile even when all hell seems to be breaking loose. Because that’s exactly what happens as Bauer puts the reader in a position to question the fine line between right and wrong, justice and injustice.
This is the perfect binge read guaranteed to keep the blood pumping. Bauer has a winner here in Counsel Fungo, and I for one hope to see her and her canine deputies return.
Bauer’s writing is crisp, at times bordering on lyrical, and shows no reservations. Which is good, because “Binge Killer” touches on topics not for the faint of heart. From Counsel’s struggle with Tourette’s Syndrome, through graphically depicted murders and rape scenes, this is a no-holds-barred ride. Bauer delves into the minds of the criminal element and law enforcement alike, giving the reader plenty to consider as we look out on the happenings in our own world. Indeed, Bauer’s writing finds a place to inhabit in the darkest, forgotten corners of the human mind.
“Binge Killer” is rounded out with memorable characters, witty and telling dialogue, and enough humor on the dark side to make the reader crack a smile even when all hell seems to be breaking loose. Because that’s exactly what happens as Bauer puts the reader in a position to question the fine line between right and wrong, justice and injustice.
This is the perfect binge read guaranteed to keep the blood pumping. Bauer has a winner here in Counsel Fungo, and I for one hope to see her and her canine deputies return.
October 27, 2019
Binge Killer by Chris Bauer will keep you on the edge of your seat. Counsel Fungo is a retired Pennsylvania state trooper and bounty hunter tracking down a fugitive child molester and murderer. Counsel has two deputized dogs that she works with to apprehend fugitives. She also has Tourette's which causes her to rattle off obscenities at inappropriate times!
I found this book to be a real page turner. The characters and plot are well developed. I also enjoyed the ride through Eastern Pennsylvania roads and town. This book will have you at the first page. I received an advance reader copy and I always review every book that I read. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Stephen King or just a fan of stories with a twist.
I found this book to be a real page turner. The characters and plot are well developed. I also enjoyed the ride through Eastern Pennsylvania roads and town. This book will have you at the first page. I received an advance reader copy and I always review every book that I read. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Stephen King or just a fan of stories with a twist.
December 19, 2020
I enjoyed this one a lot. Great, well-developed characters (not just the main ones), lots of action, and it made me laugh. Yeah, there's some "language" and yes, the villain is preoccupied with his elephantine genitalia, and I can understand people being put off by that, but I found it more comical than crude.
Also, it was nice to see a main character with Tourette's, especially where it is a) realistic and b) not her defining characteristic.
It was a very entertaining, moderately whimsical and strangely uplifting read.
Also, it was nice to see a main character with Tourette's, especially where it is a) realistic and b) not her defining characteristic.
It was a very entertaining, moderately whimsical and strangely uplifting read.
October 16, 2019
It takes a good writer to interest me in a book that’s “not my genre” but this one did it! I give it five stars for originality and non-stop action. The characters are one-of-a-kind quirky and the writing is excellent. Be forewarned, there’s a lot of gory stuff in this novel, but it’s definitely the most well-written gore I've ever read.
And best of all, this is a book where the women are in charge. You go Counsel Fungo!
And best of all, this is a book where the women are in charge. You go Counsel Fungo!
October 1, 2019
For me the first couple chapters were hard for me to get into. Too much going back and forth. I was ready to quit reading it. But I continued and the story got better and I enjoyed the book.
October 12, 2019
Old ladies
I just loved this book,can’t wait to read the next book by this author, I hope to see many more!
I just loved this book,can’t wait to read the next book by this author, I hope to see many more!
June 14, 2020
This book surprised me. Really surprised me. I've read a few of Bauer's other books and picked up this one at a book festival in PA. His writing style is super gritty, and this one may take the cake in that department. I've never read a heroine quite like the protagonist featured here, and I can say the same about the novel's main story line -- a serial killer who picks the wrong town in which to carry out his final spree. Highly inventive. Some of the grislier scenes may turn a stomach or two, but readers who appreciate dark fiction will get a kick out of it.
March 29, 2023
Bauer knows how to keep a superb plot moving, with plenty of suspense, occasional gore, fascinating characters, and an underlying sense of sick humor. It's far from a serial killer novel, with one incredibly wild twist at the end. If you're looking for a great thriller, you can't go wrong with Bauer's entertaining tale.
July 9, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable roller coaster of a ride. The villain is suitably repugnant. The hero is thoroughly divine. I adored the element of the elderly vigilantes. A great audio book that I'm thrilled to recommend.
September 5, 2025
A tightly written thriller. No wasted verbiage, but mot miserly, just right.
Lots of well developed characters and an interesting backdrop make for a very good read.
Some bits were a little too much, but just a little.
Lots of well developed characters and an interesting backdrop make for a very good read.
Some bits were a little too much, but just a little.
December 17, 2019
I liked it a lot.
October 1, 2019
This is one dark, gritty murder story told from the perspective of two very damaged people, a bounty hunter and the killer. Along with graphic descriptions of murders and sexual assaults, this story takes the reader on a nonstop rollercoaster ride that seems to switch tracks to different traps and unseen hurdles. I think this is one of the best thriller stories I have read in quite some time. While this the first book I’ve read by Chris Bauer, but it will not be the last, I was happy to see most of his catalogue is in Kindle Unlimited. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide this review
October 4, 2019
Loved this book. I really hope this becomes a series. Would love to see what else Counsel could get into. This is about the hunt for a serial killer by an ex deputy on a sheriffs dept who is now called a bounty hunter. She also has tourettes. She has two K-9 dogs she uses in her searches. She runs into some wonderful people, some not so wonderful, and a touch of the supernatural. If you are looking for a great mystery with a touch more intrigue and an extra twist this is the one to read.
November 12, 2019
WOW. . . what great characters. I loved that the main villain was very matter of fact about his kills - excellent writing. The heroine was relatable ... I would love to hear more about her adventures. And all the secondary characters were believable and fit nicely into the plot and sub-plots. Great book!
October 1, 2023
Wrote it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews