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Obsessed
A serial killer whose mind echoes with the cries of his victims is protected by the only witness to his crimes--a woman who is enticed by the killer's obsession--and tortured by the fear that he is no longer human
392 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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147 people want to read
About the author
Rick R. Reed
118Ìýbooks1,043ÌýfollowersReal Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.� Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…� Find him at . Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his husband, Bruce, and their rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.� Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…� Find him at . Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his husband, Bruce, and their rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 29, 2012
Serial killers are a morbid curiosity for many people, me included. The most often asked question is, "Why are they the way they are?"
Ted Bundy, one of America's most infamous serial killers, was asked this question by Dr. Robert D. Keppel, the man who took his confession, and by Anne Rule, the true crime author who knew him personally.
His answer, "It's just the way I am. It is what I do," just raises more questions. There are no real answers to be had.
Obsessed, by Rick R. Reed, is the story of Joe MacAree.
Like a lot of psychopaths, Joe has a successful job, is happily married, and is well respected and liked by many. No one would suspect the twisted, dark compulsion that drives him to kill again and again. We have all heard the comments, "He was such a nice guy. I never would have believed him capable of something like this."
He wants to stop. Each kill puts him at risk of being caught and his fear of exposure is well founded.
When Randy Mazursky discovers his pregnant wife's mutilated body, he disconnects from reality and becomes consumed with vengeance. If he can figure out the connection between the killer and evidence that was left behind, there will be no mercy.
Bad luck, or Karma, comes calling on Joe. It was only a matter of time. His wife knows something is wrong and begins to question his absences.
Then there is Pat Young. Wheelchair bound and a recluse, Pat lives across the street from Joe's latest victim and witnesses his exit from the crime scene. She now knows who he is and puts the screws to him and he is not in control anymore.
Joe starts to unravel. He can't deny his evil urges.
At risk of losing his job, his wife, his freedom, and his sanity, if he ever really was sane, Joe starts to fall apart. He no longer governs his sick, driven needs. The noose is tightening around his neck and he begins to crack under the pressure.
Obsessed is psychological horror at its best. Told from the killers point of view, I sometimes found myself feeling sorry for Joe as this pressure-cooker builds and builds and finally boils over. I felt his desperation. Several times I thought to myself, "Wait a minute, this is a sadistic serial killer we're talking about!" The author had me so caught up in Joe's plight, I had to stop and remind myself that he is the bad guy. If that was the author's intent, it was very successful.
Read Obsessed, meet Joe, and see into the dark convoluted mind of a serial killer. Experience his hideous past and discover what drives him to kill.
An excellent, brilliantly executed thriller.
Ted Bundy, one of America's most infamous serial killers, was asked this question by Dr. Robert D. Keppel, the man who took his confession, and by Anne Rule, the true crime author who knew him personally.
His answer, "It's just the way I am. It is what I do," just raises more questions. There are no real answers to be had.
Obsessed, by Rick R. Reed, is the story of Joe MacAree.
Like a lot of psychopaths, Joe has a successful job, is happily married, and is well respected and liked by many. No one would suspect the twisted, dark compulsion that drives him to kill again and again. We have all heard the comments, "He was such a nice guy. I never would have believed him capable of something like this."
He wants to stop. Each kill puts him at risk of being caught and his fear of exposure is well founded.
When Randy Mazursky discovers his pregnant wife's mutilated body, he disconnects from reality and becomes consumed with vengeance. If he can figure out the connection between the killer and evidence that was left behind, there will be no mercy.
Bad luck, or Karma, comes calling on Joe. It was only a matter of time. His wife knows something is wrong and begins to question his absences.
Then there is Pat Young. Wheelchair bound and a recluse, Pat lives across the street from Joe's latest victim and witnesses his exit from the crime scene. She now knows who he is and puts the screws to him and he is not in control anymore.
Joe starts to unravel. He can't deny his evil urges.
At risk of losing his job, his wife, his freedom, and his sanity, if he ever really was sane, Joe starts to fall apart. He no longer governs his sick, driven needs. The noose is tightening around his neck and he begins to crack under the pressure.
Obsessed is psychological horror at its best. Told from the killers point of view, I sometimes found myself feeling sorry for Joe as this pressure-cooker builds and builds and finally boils over. I felt his desperation. Several times I thought to myself, "Wait a minute, this is a sadistic serial killer we're talking about!" The author had me so caught up in Joe's plight, I had to stop and remind myself that he is the bad guy. If that was the author's intent, it was very successful.
Read Obsessed, meet Joe, and see into the dark convoluted mind of a serial killer. Experience his hideous past and discover what drives him to kill.
An excellent, brilliantly executed thriller.
January 30, 2012
This novel is extremely graphic. It is horror, with blood and sex within the pages, and while I tend to avoid novels with any types of erotica in them as they don’t seem to lend anything to the story, this particular novel wouldn’t be a complete horror novel if these elements were missing. Reed focuses on the past abuse of Joe MacAree, explaining his crazed and erotic tendencies towards his victims as he yearns to be the controller and not the controlled. While he attempts to lead a normal everyday life with his wife Anne, his cryptic past eventually overshadows him, causing him to act out through murder. And yet, he never meant for this to happen.
Joe is an extremely twisted individual, relishing his power over others, literally thirsting for their blood. He is a young woman’s nightmare and a psychologist’s fantasy, wrapped up in the erotica of watching the life slip from his victim’s eyes. Yet, Joe wasn’t always this crazed. Obsessed begins with the murder of a young mother-to-be, leaving her husband in an abject state as he attempts to come to terms with the gruesome discovery of her body, vowing to stop the murderer himself. But Joe is not yet a refined killer, simply choosing his victims on a whim; he’s skittish, constantly admonishing himself and looking for forgiveness, yet unable to fight his obsession and change his ways.
Reed handles this novel beautifully as he shapes the character of Joe, taking him from one end of the sanity spectrum to the other. Through Joe’s obsession to murder, his abusive past, and his wife’s rejection, Reed paints a vivid portrait of a man who is quickly losing touch with reality; Joe is extremely distorted and utterly complicated. And, though Joe is an evil character, he is written so perfectly, truly encompassing sheer evil. And, through Joe’s psychotic actions, those lives he’s touched through his murders begin to crumble as well. A neighbor bound to a wheel chair begins to lose herself to fantasy through Joe’s quest for blood. An abject husband tortures himself with the quest for revenge. Joe’s wife loses her feelings of security, yet believes she can ultimately bring Joe back from the brink of insanity, though it may cost her her life. Watching those around Joe begin to combust added to the horror of the novel and made for an epic ending. This is true horror at its finest...
To see my full review upon release (3/2/12):
Joe is an extremely twisted individual, relishing his power over others, literally thirsting for their blood. He is a young woman’s nightmare and a psychologist’s fantasy, wrapped up in the erotica of watching the life slip from his victim’s eyes. Yet, Joe wasn’t always this crazed. Obsessed begins with the murder of a young mother-to-be, leaving her husband in an abject state as he attempts to come to terms with the gruesome discovery of her body, vowing to stop the murderer himself. But Joe is not yet a refined killer, simply choosing his victims on a whim; he’s skittish, constantly admonishing himself and looking for forgiveness, yet unable to fight his obsession and change his ways.
Reed handles this novel beautifully as he shapes the character of Joe, taking him from one end of the sanity spectrum to the other. Through Joe’s obsession to murder, his abusive past, and his wife’s rejection, Reed paints a vivid portrait of a man who is quickly losing touch with reality; Joe is extremely distorted and utterly complicated. And, though Joe is an evil character, he is written so perfectly, truly encompassing sheer evil. And, through Joe’s psychotic actions, those lives he’s touched through his murders begin to crumble as well. A neighbor bound to a wheel chair begins to lose herself to fantasy through Joe’s quest for blood. An abject husband tortures himself with the quest for revenge. Joe’s wife loses her feelings of security, yet believes she can ultimately bring Joe back from the brink of insanity, though it may cost her her life. Watching those around Joe begin to combust added to the horror of the novel and made for an epic ending. This is true horror at its finest...
To see my full review upon release (3/2/12):
February 25, 2014
Full review can be found at .
I have been a fan of Rick R. Reed since I read back in late 2012. Since then, I have read as many of his books as I could get my hands on, with being my 19th or 20th. While I love his romance, I am a huge fan of horror books and every time I find myself in the mood for one, I go to Rick's back list. What I didn't know when I started reading this book was that it was his very first one. And what a book it is.
Joe is a serial killer, who has an obsession with drinking the blood of his victims. At home, he is a devoted and loving husband to his beautiful wife, Anne. Anne, who is totally unaware of what her husband does during his frequent, unexplained absences. When questioned, he lies and this pushes the two apart, eventually causing Anne to want time away from the marriage - and Joe.
The deterioration of the marriage force Joe's obsession to become stronger. He walks away from everything he knows and loves and focuses on the next victim - and the next - and the next. Unfortunately for Joe, he left evidence behind at one of the crime scenes, as well as a witness. Before long, more than the police are searching for him.
To say I enjoyed this would be an understatement. Joe is one sick bastard and this is shown again and again throughout the book. The reasoning behind his madness is explained and be warned if you plan to read this. It's not pretty and could be considered a trigger for victims of violence. The violence is laid out for all to see, as well as sexual situations.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a thriller that keeps you quickly turning the pages, and for those who don't mind frequent violent situations.
I have been a fan of Rick R. Reed since I read back in late 2012. Since then, I have read as many of his books as I could get my hands on, with being my 19th or 20th. While I love his romance, I am a huge fan of horror books and every time I find myself in the mood for one, I go to Rick's back list. What I didn't know when I started reading this book was that it was his very first one. And what a book it is.
Joe is a serial killer, who has an obsession with drinking the blood of his victims. At home, he is a devoted and loving husband to his beautiful wife, Anne. Anne, who is totally unaware of what her husband does during his frequent, unexplained absences. When questioned, he lies and this pushes the two apart, eventually causing Anne to want time away from the marriage - and Joe.
The deterioration of the marriage force Joe's obsession to become stronger. He walks away from everything he knows and loves and focuses on the next victim - and the next - and the next. Unfortunately for Joe, he left evidence behind at one of the crime scenes, as well as a witness. Before long, more than the police are searching for him.
To say I enjoyed this would be an understatement. Joe is one sick bastard and this is shown again and again throughout the book. The reasoning behind his madness is explained and be warned if you plan to read this. It's not pretty and could be considered a trigger for victims of violence. The violence is laid out for all to see, as well as sexual situations.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a thriller that keeps you quickly turning the pages, and for those who don't mind frequent violent situations.
April 3, 2013
Dell Abyss has published some interesting novels back in the day, all as horror. This was not really a horror novel, at least nothing of the supernatural, just a very violent serial killer book. Not a mystery since we know right away (literally, first sentence) who the killer is, but more of a look inside the man and those around him whose lives he intentionally or inadvertently damages. The pacing was good, the characters were ok, not great, from time to time they made choices so exceptionally stupid that it really detracted from the book. Reader be warned, tons of sexual violence in this book, enough rape to challenge a Laymon book, not for delicate sensibilities. If you can deal with that, it was a pretty decent and quick read.
April 25, 2018
What's the worst book you've ever read?
(I know thinking about it makes you angry, but bear with me.)
Hold the image of that worst book in your head. Think about what made it so bad. Was it weak characterization? Characters who did things that made no sense? Or was it full of inane detail that didn't do anything for the story? Was it a tired, overused plot?
I don't know what your worst book is, but I can assure you that Obsessed is worse than that.
Obsessed is one of those books you use to justify writing that novel you've put off for years, because if something this bad could get published -- by Abyss, no less! -- then there's nothing holding you back.
(I know thinking about it makes you angry, but bear with me.)
Hold the image of that worst book in your head. Think about what made it so bad. Was it weak characterization? Characters who did things that made no sense? Or was it full of inane detail that didn't do anything for the story? Was it a tired, overused plot?
I don't know what your worst book is, but I can assure you that Obsessed is worse than that.
Obsessed is one of those books you use to justify writing that novel you've put off for years, because if something this bad could get published -- by Abyss, no less! -- then there's nothing holding you back.
August 9, 2014
Easy reading yet grotesque. Sickest book I've ever read. Loved it!
January 17, 2021
I’m reviewing the audio edition. This story has so many twists and change of direction that just when I thought I knew where it was going I was wrong. Joe has a awful childhood but appears happily married, successful job and gets along great. He is driven to secretly kill but afraid of being found out. As the story moves along the facts of his childhood play into his behavior so much. He loves his wife but when she wants to leave that seems to set him off. This author does a great job of bringing to life the characters. As in this story he gives them just enough bad in their personality to keep them interesting such as Pat, the wheelchair bound recluse and Randy the husband of one of the victims. I really enjoy the stories by this author. I feel Jack de Golia the narrator did a great job. I also appreciate getting a free copy from Audiobook Boom.
Want to read
July 21, 2011Stephen King endorsed the entire Dell Abyss Horror line. Here is his blurb:
"Thank you for introducing me to the remarkable line of novels currently being issued under Dell's Abyss imprint. I have given a great many blurbs over the last twelve years or so, but this one marks two firsts: first unsolicited blurb (I called you) and the first time I have blurbed a whole line of books. In terms of quality, production, and plain old story-telling reliability (that's the bottom line, isn't it), Dell's new line is amazingly satisfying...a rare and wonderful bargain for readers. I hope to be looking into the Abyss for a long time to come."
"Thank you for introducing me to the remarkable line of novels currently being issued under Dell's Abyss imprint. I have given a great many blurbs over the last twelve years or so, but this one marks two firsts: first unsolicited blurb (I called you) and the first time I have blurbed a whole line of books. In terms of quality, production, and plain old story-telling reliability (that's the bottom line, isn't it), Dell's new line is amazingly satisfying...a rare and wonderful bargain for readers. I hope to be looking into the Abyss for a long time to come."
October 23, 2013
Um... Yeah
Read
July 18, 2016One of the best horror books I've ever read, and I've read a lot!
November 30, 2024
It took me awhile to get into this. It’s not my favourite work of the authors and I spent myself seriously questioning some of the actions of the various players. There’s an underlying distrust of systems that, for the most part, got in my way. Characters do rash and rushed things in the face of true horror and being unable to accept certain things.
September 12, 2021
I’m read a lot of horror and true crime so I’m not someone that is easily shocked, but here, rather than shocking, I just found it heavily masculine, unnecessarily uncouth and just plain gross, in a sexually deviant way. That was just in the first few pages. I understand if it it’s relevant to paint the picture but to be honest, it just made me feel put off.
May 14, 2020
This is a very well written story, psychological horror at its best, no doubt.
Then, why only three stars? Because I need to like at least ONE character in any story. Here, I didn't manage to like a single one of them; I liked Joe's wife for a little while, but then, that too went away and I was left with a lot of people for whom I couldn't care less. A perfect case of 'It's me, not the book' *laughs*
Jack De Golia did a great job with the narration, though.
Then, why only three stars? Because I need to like at least ONE character in any story. Here, I didn't manage to like a single one of them; I liked Joe's wife for a little while, but then, that too went away and I was left with a lot of people for whom I couldn't care less. A perfect case of 'It's me, not the book' *laughs*
Jack De Golia did a great job with the narration, though.
January 21, 2019
Audible:A riveting story of a man who may be a monster.It is a dark tale.I liked it a lot. Jack de
Golla was the perfect narrator. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
Golla was the perfect narrator. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
April 18, 2019I had to abandon my plan to review this as I can't find it in my files.
October 17, 2020
Compelling yet gruesome story of a serial killer. Excellent narration by Jack de Golia.
Not sure why the story was categorised under LGBTQ+ on the audiobook codes site
Not sure why the story was categorised under LGBTQ+ on the audiobook codes site
March 18, 2013
it's just ok.
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