Jack King is about to learn the truth behind the SEE NAPLES AND DIE...
Expert profiler Jack King is on the trail of Luciano Creed, a psychologist obsessed with the cases of five missing woman. Jack is convinced Creed is not all he seems ...
Then the burnt bones of one of the women are uncovered on the foothills of Mount Vesuvius. Within days a serial killer's secret graveyard is laid bare.
For the Carbinieri's newest detective, Sylvia Tomms, it's a tough first case and she calls on Jack's expertise.
But Naples is in the grip of the terrifying Camorra mob. And Jack and Sylvia soon discover just how dangerous hunting one killer can be - in a city where murder has become a way of life...
A menacing new thriller from the author of Spider , featuring FBI Profiler Jack King
Michael Morley is a former TV producer and director, and is currently a senior executive director for Endemol TV. He has produced a number of award-winning documentaries. Viper is his second novel, following Spider which introduced Jack King. He lives in Derbyshire.
This was a grim book, not for the faint-hearted, but excellent reading. Set in Naples, it really brought to life the violence of the Camorra which is an unfortunate reality of life for residents of this city. I saw a doco about it and the book really seemed to be accurate in that respect. Funnily enough, the author is very fond of Naples and says that its a great place to visit - if you stay away from certain areas.
This is the second book featuring retired FBI agent Jack King and I think it was better than the first (Spider). I'm wondering what is next...
Plot summary: Jack King, ex-FBI criminal profiler is invited to Naples to investigate five missing persons by creepy profiler Creed. Due to Camorra mob families ruling the city, there is so much crime in the city that the police are not interested ... until Jack steps in. The story follows the investigation and key witnesses / suspects including Creed, campsite cousins Paolo and Franco, Camorra heavyweight Bruno Valsi and other mobsters such as Sal the Snake.
Review: Pretty gruesome in places (especially the mob torture scene) but a very good read overall. Definitely better than recent thrillers I've read. The different perspectives draw you into each character and constantly keeps you guessing about the crimes. I probably enjoyed it more because I've been to Naples and have an (unhealthy) interest in the mob and serial killers. I would recommend this book.
Op de flanken van de Vesuvius, in de buurt van Napels, wordt het half verbande lichaam van een jonge vrouw gevonden. De beroemde profiler Jack King wordt tegen zijn zin bij het onderzoek betrokken door een man die wel heel veel belangstelling voor de moord heeft. Dan worden er in de nabije omgeving van de eerdere vondst botten gevonden van meerdere lijken en heeft zelfs de drukbezette politie van Napels tijd. Samen met zijn Italiaanse collega Sylvia gaat Jack op zoek naar de dader. Als nel stuiten ze op een tak van de Camorra die zich de Familie van de Adder noemt. En het duurt niet lang voor Jack erachter komt dat in de stad van de Camorra andere wetten gelden. ---
Part way through, and this book is not for the squeemish. It gets graphic in the violence very quickly. The story is good though despite not really liking how violent it is.
This book had some cringeworthy violence in it - you almost wanted to read it from behind the sofa, but it kept you gripped with the twists and turns. I wish I could have read Spider first as I normally like to read books in published order if they feature the same main character, but I could still be entertained by this book without the back story.
Michael Morley returns with another Jack King thriller, that entertains and makes us cringe. Not for the faint of heart, the violence is very realistic and trying to second guess the author is pointless. The suspense is excruciatingly clever. In a world of serial killer thrillers, this one is a winner
Read this through with baited breath and did enjoy it but came to the realisation why I don't really like true to life gangster stuff. All the nastiness happens in real life. Think I'll avoid the Soprano's genre in the future.
kept me interested from the first page ..... enjoyed the whole book loved the authors descriptions and knowledge he appears to have about the places, groups and people he writes about read it cover to cover and already looking out for Spider Gory and engrossing