What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I am looking for the name of a book which is about a serial killer who studies his victims first and learns their secret language and comes to kill them. One of the families has just adopted a boy who does not speak. I read it over 20 years ago.

Hi! What do you mean about "victim's secret language"?

The POV is the killer's or the victim's?

Any idea of the location? State, city, etc.

Is there any romance involved?

Likely adult, or it could be YA?

Rehema, please note you must add genre (e.g., adult thriller, non-fiction crime) and more plot details to the header/ topic title "The book about...". Just copy from what you've already written in the first comment. If you would like help with this, let us know in a new comment.

Hello Dave, Kris. thanks you for responding back.
The book itself is definitely Adult Fiction
What do you mean about "victim's secret language"? The killer would bug the houses and listen in on the conversations of this victims. The Victims would have their own secret language (simplified) and when the killer came to attack he would repeat the words of that language to his victims.
The POV is the killer's or the victim's? Multiple POV's including the killers, the guy investigating the case and the young boy who has been adopted and was mute.
Any idea of the location? State, city, etc. No idea at all
Is there any romance involved? no romance involved.
Likely adult, or it could be YA? This is Adult Fiction
I read the book in the mid to late 90's.

by Mark Nykanen?

From Kirkus (TRIGGER WARNING: child sexual abuse):





"Overly familiar debut melodrama somewhat redeemed by one fresh theme, the use of art therapy to overcome childhood mutism . Two poles of mental illness hold this novel in balance: the study of a sexual psychopath, and of the elective mutism he's driven his stepson into through sexual abuse. Chet Boyce marries Davy's plain-faced mother to get at seven-year-old Davy. When Davy tells her that his new stepfather has been hurting him "down there" and she confronts Chet, Chet kills her with a straight razor in front of Davy, then buries her, and takes Davy with him in a Wailer to the far Oregon timberland town of Bentman. Chet, it turns out, is a serial murderer who marries and kills widows with sons. His threats have caused Davy to go mute, even around their trailer which is parked in the woods. Not surprisingly, the boy does poorly in school, and so is later transferred to the Bentman Children's Center for psychological study, where he ends up in Celia Griswold's art therapy class. Two subthemes about cruelty to animals glance off the main storyline: Hunters kill deer illegally on the Griswolds' country property, and a retarded shepherd begins grazing his flock near their home. Meanwhile, Celia gets Davy to turn out endless drawings for her--which are nearly always of Batman with his crotch heavily blackened. Celia considers this a likely indication of child abuse, and her chats with Chet only strengthen her suspicions. We follow Chet as he sneaks into Celia's home while she's away. At the same time, Celia's husband Jack is having an affair with his secretary at the insurance agency he runs. When he and his lover go off for a weekend, Celia is left alone in the woods, and Chet's fiendish schemes begin, with murder the lighter side of his joys. Chet's grim illness is ghastly, but the plot twists and climax are unsurprising, reducing this to a standard-issue thriller. (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 1998)"

Rehema, is your book nonfiction or a thriller (fiction)?

No, this isnt it

Angela wrote: " by Mark Nykanen?

From Kirkus (TRIGGER WARNING: child sexual abuse):





"Overly familiar debut melodrama somewhat redeemed by one fresh theme, the use of a..."

Daisy wrote: "Rehema, is your book nonfiction or a thriller (fiction)?"

Its a fiction thriller

Rehema wrote: "Daisy wrote: "Rehema, is your book nonfiction or a thriller (fiction)?"

Its a fiction thriller"

Okay, you'll probably want to update your header to correct that.

Thank you. Just updated it

Rehema, we need plot details in your topic header. You have some in your first comment, where you describe some of the book's plot details. Please just copy and paste that into your topic header. It's too vague now.

Rehema, I copied some plot details to the header/ topic title. Feel free to edit it.

What is the story's time period and location?