Paradise:Disturbed

by James Robert Fuller

A group of golfers find a woman's decapitated head lying against on the of the Grand Strand's golf courses. It signals the arrival of a pyschopathic serial killer who has baffled law enforcement in a coast-to-coast killing spree. The killer, looking for a worthy challenger has brought his game to Myrtle Beach, a town referred to by tourists and locals alike as paradise. He has come to the right place.

333 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2018

Reviews

[Ida · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very fast read. Interesting but wasn’t deep enough. I would like to read his next book to see if his writing style had improved.

[Jess Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story line, too much cop dialogue back and forth with random peoples names

[Gerry O'Malley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery is actually pretty good. Well thought out - the clues are all there. The detectives deducing the identity of the serial killer is written pretty well. Sure - there are some plot holes big enough to drive a truck through but overall its fun putting the pieces together. The Myrtle Beach locale is a bonus for those of us familiar with the area. The childish banter between the two detectives is annoying and distracting. The cops make fart jokes and fat jokes while standing over the mutilated body parts of a victim. The author must not spend a lot of time around other men because he has no clue how men talk to each other.

[Jane Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I would highly recommend anyone living in or near Myrtle beach read this, but also anyone e who loves a great story! Super character development and just a great pace for a thriller/mystery!

Perfect beach book, but also great for book clubs!

[Miranda Broach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read with very familiar landmarks.

[Aileen Lunavictoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy beach read. Local author using local locations. There were some gross bloody parts, not too bad.

[Breanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've rated this a 2 or maybe 2.5, but this was independently published so I didn't want to be too harsh - it did not seem fair to judge this book in the same way I would judge a book that benefits from all of the resources and editors that comes with being professionally published.

It was fast-paced, and the writing style was clear and clinical in the way that most crime thrillers are. It was a quick read and the events were interesting enough to hold my attention. If you are a fan of crime thrillers, then I would recommend giving this a read.

My two main issues with the book was the dialogue and the characterization. A lot of characters spoke in the same manner, even the child character, and it all felt so artificial and unrealistic.

The characterization was a little shallow. The main character's wife died, but we never even meet her and she is never mentioned again after her death. It did not seem to affect the main character at all, which actually made him seen a little unlikable and heartless. We are also told that he is a great detective, but he is kinda incompetent. He doesn't solve the mystery or any of the clues until it's too late. The killer ends up having to kill his own wife because she discovers evidence in his car, and her death is the only reason that the detective solves the case. Then, he sets up a trap that leaves two cops dead, and the killer isn't even stopped by this trap and the evidence they subsequently gather. He is eaten by an alligator. I admit, that his ending is ironic and satisfying considering how he disposed of his victims' bodies in the same manner. However, it makes the main character seem completely useless. He accomplished nothing, got two people unnecessarily killed, and in the end an alligator, not him, is the one who took care of the killer

The villain was slightly more fleshed out. His arrogance was consistently portrayed and served as his main motivator. I wish we would have seen more of his home-life - He has a wife and a son, but both of the characters are flat and we don't really get an idea of how he feels about them in his day-to-day life. he ends up killing his wife, and since the audience doesn't know her, and since it doesn't have any impact whatsoever on the killer, what should have been a powerful moment had no impact. I think they should have had the MC interact with the murderer more, so this moment could have lead to complex emotions. He could have felt foolish for not figuring out who the killer was sooner, or he could've felt guilty for not stopping the death of someone he knew personally.

All of the murder victims were sympathetic and they did have distinct personalities, but they were all infuriatingly naive. They all trust this stranger, and one even gives him her home address hours after meeting him. None of the women were suspicious or have him any pushback, and I just found it strange and unrealistic that he is able to trick every single woman he approaches. His wife is so dumb at the end that she in no way resembles a real person. It's more like she's a walking plot device with no ability to think critically. She finds his murder gear in the car and then she GOES HOME. To the man that she knows is a murderer. She doesn't call the cops or drive as far away as she can. She just goes home and merrily strolls through the front door even though she knows her husband is going to kill her. The excuse is that she's worried that he'll go after her son...but she could've just picked him up instead of going home. And when her husband threateningly tells her to go inside, she could've sped off and picked him up before the dad got there. She could've called the camp from the car and warned them that her husband was dangerous if she was worried about him getting there first. And she could've, you know, called the cops for help. I think the only reason that she didn't do that is because the plot needed him to kill her so that he would get caught. If that had to happen, then it would've been better if she found the stuff before she left the garage. That way he would wander in and catch her just as she realizes he's a killer. She would have no time to think or run away, and her death would actually make sense.

However, all in all this was an enjoyable, easy read. I enjoyed the writing style and the events of the story were interesting. Hopefully, the characterization will improve in the next installments. I will definitely be reading more of this series.