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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Shocking, intriguing and mind blowing. Picked it up at a used book store and was not expecting to like this book so much!
Read the full review at http://rainbowreviews.wix.com/readingfree or on Instagram @RainbowReviewsKC
Gut Instinct Rating - 5
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 4.5
Characters - 5
Excitement Factor - 4.5
Believability for type and topics - 4
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 4
Title Relevance - 5
Goodreads users gave this book a 4.22. I think it was more deserving of a 4.56.
Emoji Meter:
Gut Instinct Rating - 5
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 4.5
Characters - 5
Excitement Factor - 4.5
Believability for type and topics - 4
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 4
Title Relevance - 5
Goodreads users gave this book a 4.22. I think it was more deserving of a 4.56.
Emoji Meter:
With more twists and turns than snakes on a Waltzer, this is the compelling and equally well-crafted follow up to Jackson's astonishing debut `Pariah'. Once again featuring Detective Callum Doyle what starts out with a seemingly unprovoked attack on a mousy bookshop employee escalates into a great serial killer thriller. As the killer's murder rate escalates with varying methods of despatching his hapless victims, what appears to be a fairly random series of murders escalates into the very real threat of a serial killer stalking the streets of New York with a very specific reason for choosing the victims he does, leaving Doyle mystified by the link that he alone is sure exists and finding himself with his own personal hot-line to said killer. Punctuated by moments of great wry humour mostly at the expense of the cast of clowns that seem to be the stable of Doyle's fellow police officers, Jackson once again balances the tautness of the central investigation with a good dose of New York mordant wit. There is an absolutely terrific reveal at the end which caught me off-guard priding myself as I do as one of those annoying readers that guess the ending and just the right injection of pace that you as the reader (like `Pariah') are striving as much as Doyle to get to the bottom of this rooting-tooting mystery and seeking to unravel the clues in parallel with him. Along with a neatly conjoining plot woven around the aftermath of 9/11 and a mother's search for her daughter, this is certainly a more than entertaining crime thriller that wrong foots you at every turn. My only point of dissent would be the seemingly harmonious atmosphere of Doyle's home-life but maybe that's just because I personally prefer my detectives to be a little more personally tortured to add another facet to their character but this is a minor quibble and should not detract from the overall satisfaction gained by Jackson's excellent plotting and well-drawn cast of characters. Can't wait for the next one...
Det. Callum Doyle gets pulled into a murder investigation when he realises the number left written on a victim's arm is his phone number! He then starts receiving calls from a stranger who provides him with vital clues as to the identity of the next victim. Doyle hates playing along, but wants a chance to save a life. However, there appears to be no link between any of the victims and he feels like he's playing with people's lives.
Yes! This is what a serial killer thriller should be! I keep getting scammed by British police procedurals, all exactly the same as each other, selling themselves as serial killer thrillers, but this is the real deal. It's got an interesting, fast-paced story, disturbing murders, snappy dialogue and some surprising plot revelations. By about half way through, I just couldn't put it down! I'll be yawning a lot at work tomorrow because of the missed sleep! There was some padding, and the way, but this was a well-crafted and suspenseful tale! I'm very thrilled to have finally found another 4-star read, especially in the serial killer genre. I borrowed this from the library, and have since found I own two other books in this series! Who would have thought? I'm looking forward to checking them out!
Yes! This is what a serial killer thriller should be! I keep getting scammed by British police procedurals, all exactly the same as each other, selling themselves as serial killer thrillers, but this is the real deal. It's got an interesting, fast-paced story, disturbing murders, snappy dialogue and some surprising plot revelations. By about half way through, I just couldn't put it down! I'll be yawning a lot at work tomorrow because of the missed sleep! There was some padding, and the way
Spoiler
in which the killer found out so much about his victims was a little disappointing and non-credible
Read the full review at http://rainbowreviews.wix.com/readingfree or on Instagram @RainbowReviewsKC
Gut Instinct Rating - 5
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 4.5
Characters - 5
Excitement Factor - 4.5
Believability for type and topics - 4
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 4
Title Relevance - 5
Goodreads users gave this book a 4.22. I think it was more deserving of a 4.56.
Emoji Meter:
Gut Instinct Rating - 5
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 4.5
Characters - 5
Excitement Factor - 4.5
Believability for type and topics - 4
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 4
Title Relevance - 5
Goodreads users gave this book a 4.22. I think it was more deserving of a 4.56.
Emoji Meter:
What I love about the Callum Doyle series is that all the books can easily be read as stand alone’s. I should know as I have read them all out of sequence by starting with Cry Baby which is the fourth in the series to reading the first, third and then this one. So as you can see, totally out of sequence, which really isn’t like me at all but luckily it didn’t matter that they weren’t read in order and all have been worthy of five stars as have loved them all.
The Helper is quite different to the others in the series. This is due to the killer dropping hints to Cal in order to give him a chance to try and stop the murders before they happen. This not only infuriates Cal but the reader also. You need to be psychic at times I think to work the hints out and understandably Cal is beating himself up when he doesn’t manage to stop them in time.
It felt very much like a cat and mouse game where the killer has the upper hand and is more powerful whilst Cal is the mouse who just seems to be running back and forth with no idea of what is going on but knowing he has to put a stop to it. It is a very fast paced read and very much a race against time to try and stop even more innocent people being killed.
I loved Gonzo’s character in the book. He is a bit of a techno geek who fancies himself as a bit of a detective and gets under Cal’s feet whilst trying to help him solve the murders. It is obvious that Cal finds Gonzo annoying but he can’t help admiring his determination and I think he has a bit of a soft spot for him.
The Helper is yet another griping ride in the series that will have you holding on tight. With shocks and twists a plenty it left me feeling breathless by the end. Loved it!
The Helper is quite different to the others in the series. This is due to the killer dropping hints to Cal in order to give him a chance to try and stop the murders before they happen. This not only infuriates Cal but the reader also. You need to be psychic at times I think to work the hints out and understandably Cal is beating himself up when he doesn’t manage to stop them in time.
It felt very much like a cat and mouse game where the killer has the upper hand and is more powerful whilst Cal is the mouse who just seems to be running back and forth with no idea of what is going on but knowing he has to put a stop to it. It is a very fast paced read and very much a race against time to try and stop even more innocent people being killed.
I loved Gonzo’s character in the book. He is a bit of a techno geek who fancies himself as a bit of a detective and gets under Cal’s feet whilst trying to help him solve the murders. It is obvious that Cal finds Gonzo annoying but he can’t help admiring his determination and I think he has a bit of a soft spot for him.
The Helper is yet another griping ride in the series that will have you holding on tight. With shocks and twists a plenty it left me feeling breathless by the end. Loved it!
With more twists and turns than snakes on a Waltzer, this is the compelling and equally well-crafted follow up to Jackson's astonishing debut `Pariah'. Once again featuring Detective Callum Doyle what starts out with a seemingly unprovoked attack on a mousy bookshop employee escalates into a great serial killer thriller. As the killer's murder rate escalates with varying methods of despatching his hapless victims, what appears to be a fairly random series of murders escalates into the very real threat of a serial killer stalking the streets of New York with a very specific reason for choosing the victims he does, leaving Doyle mystified by the link that he alone is sure exists and finding himself with his own personal hot-line to said killer. Punctuated by moments of great wry humour mostly at the expense of the cast of clowns that seem to be the stable of Doyle's fellow police officers, Jackson once again balances the tautness of the central investigation with a good dose of New York mordant wit. There is an absolutely terrific reveal at the end which caught me off-guard priding myself as I do as one of those annoying readers that guess the ending and just the right injection of pace that you as the reader (like `Pariah') are striving as much as Doyle to get to the bottom of this rooting-tooting mystery and seeking to unravel the clues in parallel with him. Along with a neatly conjoining plot woven around the aftermath of 9/11 and a mother's search for her daughter, this is certainly a more than entertaining crime thriller that wrong foots you at every turn. My only point of dissent would be the seemingly harmonious atmosphere of Doyle's home-life but maybe that's just because I personally prefer my detectives to be a little more personally tortured to add another facet to their character but this is a minor quibble and should not detract from the overall satisfaction gained by Jackson's excellent plotting and well-drawn cast of characters. Can't wait for the next one...