A cautionary Tale by David Burton
Book Name: Fear Killer: A Cautionary Tale
Author Name: David Burton
Book Published on Date: 2nd edition (8 November 2013)
Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime Fiction, Murder Mystery
Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, none of these subjects is unknown to the current world. However, we hardly put much effort into understanding the long-term psychological impact it has on the victim.
Brief Summary:
This story is about Emily Perrit, who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her constant fear overshadows her existence because of her traumatic childhood and an abusive husband. One night when her husband is out-of-town on a business trip, she gets attacked by an intruder. In a dramatic turn of events, she shoots the guy in self-defense. Initially, this newfound courage prompts Emily to avenge her neighbor, Rachel Strickland. However, she becomes obsessed with torturing and killing men for sexual satisfaction by witnessing terror in their eyes. Because of these brutal homicides, they appoint Detective Martha Newton to investigate these murders. The biggest challenge was the insufficient evidence and lack of knowledge of connection in these murders. Despite clues hinting at Emily being the perpetrator, her timid appearance lets her stay under the police radar. The author successfully conveys the damage that abuse causes to the mental health of the sufferer. The repressed anger and terror of the central character, Emily Perrit, and other female characters in this story, are portrayed rather thoughtfully. This novel also highlights the ramifications of toxic masculinity on society.
Review:
The title and book cover does justice to the plot. Though sometimes the scenarios are predictable, the captivating narrative won’t allow your mind to wander around for comparisons. The character of Emily creates fear not only in her victims but also affects the readers. The monologues by Emily were spine-chilling. I feel the recurring dialogues displaying her obsessive personality make the scenes more impactful. Every character plays an equally relevant role in shaping the narrative. The moment from their introduction to their last appearance in the novel makes us understand their choices, thoughts, and emotions, thus making them more believable.
The language used for narration is simple and easy to understand. Grammatically, it is a well-edited book with negligible error. Each scene transition and dialogue complements the serious theme of the story.
This book is suitable for a mature audience because of the frequent use of profanity, graphic violence scenes, and explicit erotic sequences. However, people who are sensitive to the topics of child abuse, domestic violence, or any form of sexual abuse might reconsider before reading this one.
Overall, for me, this book gets a perfect score for its impressive storytelling.
Note:
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- You can read more about the author and his other works on his website – https://davidburtonwriting.com/
- If you want to get a copy of this book, the purchase links are available below: https://davidburtonwriting.com/Fear-killer/
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