The Blurb
When an unidentified female body is discovered laid out on a slab in an abandoned butcher's shop, the cause of death is unclear. Her body bears no marks; except for the fact that her lips have been carefully stitched shut.
It is only when the full autopsy gets underway at the Los Angeles County morgue that the pathologist will reveal the true horror of the situation - a discovery so devastating that Detective Robert Hunter of the Los Angeles Homicide Special Section has to be pulled off a different case to take over the investigation
But when his inquiry collides with a missing persons' case being investigated by the razor-sharp Whitney Meyers, Hunter suspects the killer might be keeping several women hostage. Soon Robert finds himself on the hunt for a murderer with a warped obsession, a stalker for whom love has become hate.
My Review
So we've reached the third book in the epic Robert Hunter series, and this was the most difficult read for me so far. It reads well as standalone, with plenty of back story, so don't worry if you haven't read the first two books, but I always think it's a richer reading experience if you read a series in order from the beginning.
The book opens with a bang - literally! Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia find themselves investigating a murder knowing nothing about the murder or the identity of the victim. And that's just the beginning... They also cross paths with Whitney Myers, an ex cop turned PI, who is looking for a musician reported missing by her father. Hunter is impressed by Myers but he's also not a man who trusts easily. He is a fascinating character and we learn a wee bit more about him in this book - he can lip read, for example!
The storyline is tense throughout but especially so at the end which kept me right on edge. I'm not going to go into the story in any detail for fear of spoilers, but I found it a difficult read due to the nature of the crimes - there was a light on at night when I was alone in the house and reading this! . I think this might be a harder read for female readers, particularly. But all this series are on the darker side of dark crime, so as long as you're prepared for that going in, you'll be fine. And the plotline is satisfyingly twisty and complex with bits of science and psychology dropped in here and there. And the odd red herring. And plenty, plenty of threat and peril.
From its explosive beginning to its nail biting end, The Night Stalker is a ride. Albeit a pitch black one. But it's a plot that won't let you go until it's wrung every emotion out of you, including sadness for the victims, but also the story behind it all, whilst horrifying and shocking, is sad as well. So, all in all, a satisfying read, but an uneasy one for me, that I've thought about a lot since I finished it. Strapping in now for part four!
The Author
Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.
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