Clever, suspenseful, and full of intrigue… A tense cat and mouse game.
Set in Chicago, Thorson’s ingeniously plotted latest featuring Malcom Winters finds the latter on the trail of a notorious killer after a cryptic message written in blood points to a sinister motive tied to a century-old secret. Leaving his old life behind, Malcom Winters has settled in Chicago with an apartment to call his own, a job as an academic, and a fairly regular routine. But the violence, it seems is here to stay in Malcom’s life: circumstances throw him into a wild chase that begins when Malcom finds the body of the woman he loves with a cryptic message written in her blood. A colleague joins Malcom in his search for clues, and together the duo set on to unravel a bizarre murder spree, drawing the attention of the killer to themselves. The plot builds slowly, but it will keep readers turning the pages fast, especially after Malcom and Vinn throw themselves headlong into the search for the killer. It’s at this point that the plot becomes deviously delicious with relentless suspense in the background, entangling the intriguing genius duo into a tightening web of greed and violence. Thorson’s complicated characters leap off the pages with intensity as he grasps their dark, twisted past firmly: In Malcom, Thorson has created a troubled and yet compelling central character. It’s through him that Thorson brilliantly integrates psychological depth into his suspenseful thriller plot. Even though Vinn, Leo, and Rebecca don’t get much space in the story (especially Leo and Rebecca) and are created to function largely as devices to propel Malcom’s investigation forward, they end up becoming equally compelling and significant. Readers will look forward to seeing all three of them make their entry in future installments. The convenience with which Malcom takes on the role of the teaching facility at UIC and the probability of two people like Vinn and Malcom ending up at the same job may strike some readers as unconvincing. But the hard-boiled narrative moves at a quick pace and the interplay between Malcom and Vinn as they race to unravel the century-old mystery and the killer’s identity is expertly handled. Twists and turns abound, and the tension between Malcom and Vinn adds extra spice to the intrigue. Thriller fans will be happy to join Malcom and Vinn for many more exhilarating rides.
