SAWing the way to the top elite of hardcore psychothriller with a bit of media criticism
Social media competence is recommended to make better evil swarm intelligence decisions. There will certainly be funny troll comment sections both with the live stream and later when the final video is uploaded. The role of media has a big impact on the psychological dynamic of victim, Hunter, the audience, and the killer, whose motivation turns out to be a bit maybe over the top exaggerated, but somewhat understandable.
Sure as hell already reality That, how, and when it happens, or illusionary will happen, is more a question of to what extent and not if. While it might at the moment be one of the most disturbing darknet and organized crime features, games like that with audience participation might have a place in different kinds of societies of the future for different reasons. Let麓s say corporal punishment, using clones without fear and pain, militaristic societies with classy battle royales, or as an accepted hobby for relaxation, the options are endless.
Digging to the meta level It麓s one of the deeper, more meaningful, and social criticizing parts of the series, not just a maniac without a real agenda besides destroy, rape, eat, and kill, but someone who has really good reasons for revenge. This whole >> society, social media, the youth, whatever is evil and finds gore and torture entertaining << is another, far more complex thing. Depending on who is asked one could get dozens of different theories, thesis, discussions, duels, and battles until death, and explanations out of the shallow waters of many humanities, not even including new weirdo cyber pop psychology.
Or, to boil the explanation down So simple, so easy, the human animal was, is, and will be sick, cruel, and especially fascinated by cruelty of any kind, as long as it doesn麓t happen to oneself, and keen on participating in any kind of group watch offered by the favorite darknet station.
A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
鈥楻eally? We always have a choice, do we? What about the choices that other people make that end up completely changing your life, not theirs? Where is our choice there, then?鈥�
Chris Carter's One by One is a relentless, chilling thriller that plunges deep into the darkest corners of the human mind. Book #5 in the Robert Hunter series, it definitely lives up to the gritty reputation Carter has built in the previous four instalments that I've read. This time he offers up a tense cat and mouse game between Hunter, a seasoned LAPD Detective, and a sadistic serial killer who turns murder into a twisted form of interactive entertainment.
The novel鈥檚 premise hooks you from the start. The killer forces the LAPD Detective to make an impossible choice, selecting the method of the victim鈥檚 death in real-time via live video feeds. This psychological torment adds layers of emotional intensity to an already harrowing narrative. Carter expertly builds suspense not just through the physical horror of the crimes, but through the mental anguish inflicted on all involved.
Hunter is, as always, a compelling protagonist. His sharp intellect and ability to dissect the minds of killers is offset by the emotional toll these cases take on him, making him a complex and relatable character.
The Authors own background in psychology and criminal behaviour adds incredible depth to the villain, creating not just a monster, but someone whose twisted motives feel unsettlingly plausible.
While One by One is an addictive page turner, it is not for the faint of heart. The graphic violence and psychological manipulation might be too intense for some readers, but for fans of dark thrillers, it's a thrilling, edge of your seat experience. I would personally classify this series as horror/thriller!
The book鈥檚 exploration of choice, control, and moral dilemmas gives it a weight beyond the typical crime novel, making it more than just a serial killer story. The dialogue is crisp, the pacing relentless, and the short chapters push you to keep reading well past bedtime.
Upping this to 5 stars on my reread because it's bloody terrifying. I knew it deserved an extra star when I was forced to check all the potential hiding places in my hotel room last night. Just in case....
A serial killer is at work. Not just any serial killer, but one that puts the power and choices in the hands of the public. Broadcasting live on the internet, this serial killer asks the general public to vote on which more horrific manner of death they want a total stranger to undergo. And vote they do. Human beings voting to see a horrific death.
That's the fiction part of the book, but you know what? I bet that if such a scenario did happen live on the internet that there is plenty of sick people that would vote, and not only vote but WATCH, with glee. It's a dark world out there.
I love Chris Carter's writing because his imagery is fantastically horrific, this book had me turning away in sections and I am not easily turned, I read the most horrific of serial killer and horror novels, but yet again Chris Carter got under my skin with some of the kill and torture scenes. Sheer genius.
If you have not met Detective Robert Hunter before, now is the time, he is a genius Detective, super brainy and has the special skill of seeing the psychological element in any murder, profiling and second guessing the killer. All of the books featuring him are fantastic, I have read a few now. He works with his partner Andy Garcia and both are very likeable and tangible characters. Robert Hunter is a loner, I feel sad for him at times, but on the job he is outstanding and really likeable. Somewhat flawed yes, but outstanding.
The serial killer in this book is broadcasting first direct to Hunter and Garcia scenes of a human being trapped in an unknown location, the killer gives Hunter the choice of death method WATER or FIRE and forces Hunter to choose. Horrific in itself, but then the killer throws in a twist, and it's mind blowing, evil, shocking and graphic.
The hunt is on but this killer is cyber clever, avoiding even the most advanced searches for him on the internet, and the killer is cleverly avoiding being pinpointed by the most expert of police and FBI cyber crimes computer geniuses. He has the upper hand for most of the book, it's edge of your seat stuff.
The killer's next ploy is to broadcast on the web his next victim and let the public vote on the method of torture and death, and vote they do. It's all streamed live on the internet, the torture and kill methods are bizarre and cruel, shocking and the stuff of nightmares, we are not talking slasher killings here. Not for the weak of stomach I might add. Even this hard core serial killer fiction reader was struggling with some images.
The plot is fantastic, paced well from the start, the dialogue is great, the characters really shine, the story reveals itself bit by bit but you really are kept guessing for the majority of the book, no clues as to the killer's identity or indeed if Robert Hunter is going to get even close to capturing the killer in time before more and more lives are lost in this most barbaric of ways.
What will the public vote next?
I read this book over a few hours, could not put it down, by the final third of the book I was frantically turning pages, the ending is spectacularly good, I was nearly hyperventilating reading it! Chris Carter manages to keep his reader well engaged from start to finish in books that for me, are a cut above most of the crime fiction books I read and love. He's up there with the very best.
I can't rave enough about how much I enjoyed this book, I love it when I can read and lose track of all surroundings around me until I emerge back into reality when the book ends. Robert Hunter is a formidable character that I love, I love his brain and how he operates, the whole series is fantastic.
Highly recommended. 5 easy stars, would give it 6 if that was an option. If you are looking for a top notch crime book with a sophisticated serial killer plot, plenty of tense moments, some new and interesting kill scenes and a race to the spectacular finish line then you have found it. Here it is. Bet you love it!
Which of the kill scenes will YOU find the most disturbing? I am not telling which one was mine. But seriously, I might have nightmares.
Een voor een is het vijfde deel in de populaire Robert Hunter reeks. Eerder las ik de vorige delen allemaal al en beloonde die telkens met 5 sterren. Ook dit keer leverde Carter een beresterk verhaal af met gruwelijke details en enge moordmethoden. Een sterke maag is een vereiste bij het lezen van Carter鈥檚 werk. Hunter en Garcia krijgen een anonieme oproep en worden door de beller doorverwezen naar een website. Achterhalen wie achter die site zit is onmogelijk want de dader is ontzettend slim als het op IT aankomt. De rechercheurs zien live op hun scherm hoe een persoon vastgebonden zit en de dader laat de rechercheurs de keuze hoe de persoon om het leven zal komen. De dader heeft geen medelijden en gaat nadien gewoon voort met het uitzoeken van slachtoffers en het uitzenden van zijn daden. De ene nog verschrikkelijker dan de andere.
Een voor een past dus zeker in het straatje van Carter鈥檚 eerdere werken en zal menig thrillerlezer kunnen bekoren. Laat ons zeggen dat Carter echt op hoog niveau boeken blijft afleveren, wat ik alleen maar kan toejuichen. Dat doet telkens weer uitkijken naar nieuwe delen in deze straffe reeks! Een voor een krijgt net zoals de voorgangers de maximum score en dus 5 sterren.
Inteligentno, zanimljivo, jednostavno, dovoljno okrutno. Za triler, stvarno ima sve 拧to treba! Serijal se ne ve啪e, tako da se slobodno uzme bilo koji naslov i gu拧ta! Nema gre拧ke!
Another story with detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia and this time in my opinion with more gruesome murders committed by the perpetrator. In general I enjoyed the story as much as the previous one's in the series. I'm still wondering why the FBI was involved since outside of explaining internet terminology his presence was useless and I just saw it as a filler for some pages the author needed. It's ok to be misleaded in a crime novel but I would have liked if the author has given me some clues and other persons of interest and the chance to figure who it was along with the detectives. It feels like I'm reading and reading and I'm only waiting for when Hunter will have the epiphany or find a clue as to who it is and then tell me (the reader) while explaining it also to his colleagues. I also must confess that it was the first book in the series that I didn't want Hunter to hook up with any female character that came into view since I didn't make much of them. lol I love Garcia's relationship with his wife Anna and this time after the last books she was more involved and present in the story and to be honest I would like that kind of relationship for Hunter too since the author after five books made me care enough for him that I want some happiness and stability for him also. As always the working relationship and chemistry between Hunter and Garcia is a big plus while reading the story and of course Captain Blake that adds a nice female touch to the duo. The perpetrator in this story is using the internet and the need of people to have an opinion about everything and the pleasure they find in the power they hold by voting even when a human's life is at risk. We see people daily vote for whatever and whoever in every kind of reality show that makes one wonder what would happen in Chris Carter's imaginary scenario used for his story was suddenly real...? I hope that I never have to find out and I still have faith in the good in us!
What an incredible series. It just has not let up and from reviews of the ongoing saga's it does not seem too.
Chris Carter studied criminal behaviour and psychology at the University of Michigan. He employed these crafts with the Michigan State attorney's office dealing with all kinds of violent offenders. Clearly this author has the background and knowhow to deliver. As a police procedural it is so bang on. Overall just one of my favourite series.
The setting is LA as it always is and where our hero the child prodigy Robert Hunter works in the violent offenders section of homicide because there is homicide and then there are the true psychos! His partner Garcia is by his side again.
The book opens up with a phone call to Robert and the voice behind the call gives him internet instructions to find a site where an elaborate little scheme is hatched. A man is in a plastic type container with hoses and such around it. The caller wants Hunter to play a game. Should the man be placed on fire or drowned. The caller is insistent it is all up to Hunter. Hunter clearly tries to talk sense to the caller but the caller wants no part of it and so Hunter eventually chooses water knowing the man will drown. However the caller knew this would be Hunter's choice and tells him so and so the caller decides to ignore Hunter's wishes and floods the container with the agent NaOH which is that chemical that when thrown at someone burns them. Ex boyfriends and such have used it on their leaving girlfriends and such. Just a little can do so much damage think of being stuck in a container which will be flooded with the stuff. The descriptions of how the burning goes down is just so crazy. I really think that a lot of extreme horror fans would really enjoy this series. It is a thriller but man this whole series is right on the edge. I just love it.
So the investigation begins and our killer is clearly not done. Round two is a bit different in that Hunter cheated the first time in the eyes of our killer. Our killer has created a website known as pickadeath.com and there is female restrained in the same booth. The words guilty are on the screen as is a counter on both sides of the words Eaten or Buried. The public is invited to vote on this and most think its a gag of some sort but it is clearly not as Hunter and his team know. The terms are quite simple whichever counter gets to a 1000 first is the way she dies. Our killer is not all that bad though, if two minutes expire and the counter's do not reach 1000 then she will be set free. Well freedom does not come for her and I won't spoil which option wins but man oh man what I was introduced too by the killer here was just beyond anything I imagined. I will not be toying with wasps anytime soon that is for sure.
So these type of games continue. There are a series of five in total and the twists and turns along the way into Hunter getting a grasp on this case is amazing. Hunter joins forces with an elite FBI cyber unit but the killer here knows his way around all types of security. Together though they are better and stronger than apart.
Clearly though there is a connection to what is going on and when we do find out the reason you kind of feel for the killer and what he has gone through. You understand why he chose not to kill one of the victims knowing that living would be worse for her than dying and why he chose to disfigure her so much. I never really thought I would picture being on this guys side but the reasons for all this insanity is quite valid and I think most would agree.
Just a fascinating series with great police procedural work and such a great cast. So many twists and turns along the way and a surprising twist that makes you actually feel for such a crazy killer. Both Hunter and Garcia are pushed to their limits and at the end it is not clear if Garcia will be staying on as a homicide detective.
Over the last few months I keep seeing a love from other reviewers regarding this series including books down the line I have not reached yet - this is number six. That just excites me so much as I just love this series. An easy five stars and I think everyone I've read has been five stars so that says something and yeah I'll admit I do rate a lot of books five but when they are spot on to what you desire why not? When they are crap I know it but I seem to have gravitated to what I really like and I truly am thankful for that. Enjoy this series if you find it enticing. Just so creative and great as a police procedural as well!!
Um bom thriller, cheio de ac莽茫o do in铆cio ao fim e que nos agarra logo nas primeiras p谩ginas. N茫o h谩 um momento de t茅dio. Ao mergulhar no vasto mundo das redes sociais e na influ锚ncia por vezes insidiosa da Internet, Carter criou uma leitura policial genuinamente arrepiante, que, de forma assustadora, poder谩 tornar-se realidade...
You should only read this book if you like gruesome killings - and I DO mean gruesome. The killings approached being too gruesome for my taste and that is saying quite a lot.
Los Angeles Police, Homicide Special, Detective Robert Hunter receives a phone call while in his office. He is told to go to a particular website, the URL for which consists purely of letters, numbers and symbols so no one could happen upon it. Well-known cops, like Hunter, receive calls from pranksters and goofballs frequently, but Hunter had a feeling that he should listen to this particular caller. Now, Hunter is no ordinary cop. He is super bright, having graduated from high school and college far earlier than most. He then got a PhD in Behavioral Science and received other advanced training and has been in the field as a cop for over 20 years.
He and his partner, Detective Garcia spoke with the caller and, as instructed, went to the website. What they saw shocked them! The website had an apparently live feed showing a man in a very odd type of restraint within a glass box. The box contained two pipes each of which had small holes from top to bottom Was it real or some kind of computer-generated fake? They became convinced that this was no joke when the caller, whose voice was slightly altered, told Hunter that he had to select the captive麓s means of death, by fire or by drowning. Hunter used all of his negotiating skills but could not deter the caller, who said that if Hunter didn麓t choose, he, the caller would.
Hunter chose drowning because it seemed the more humane option and then water began to seep through the holes in the pipes and the box slowly began to fill. The level slowly rose until it reached the captive麓s chin and then it stopped. Shortly thereafter, it began to recede and the captive, who earlier showed signs of panic and terror began to relax and even giggle. The water eventually went down to just below his waist and then stopped receding. What happened thereafter was the most horrifying thing that Hunter had ever seen.
There are many books out there (where? THERE!) that portray profilers or criminal psychologists and the vast majority are wretched! The depictions are so wildly incorrect that I, who until my retirement, was a psychologist/behavioral scientist (complete with a doctorate from a very prestigious university), often couldn麓t finish them. Carter, on the other hand, did a beautiful job of portraying Hunter as a highly trained, highly skilled, very intuitive cop behavioral scientist.
The plot, through quite gruesome, was very engaging and extremely well done. The characters were realistic, had great depth and were so well created that I was able to picture and experience almost every one of them, even the very twisted killer. Absolutely the only reason that I have given One By One four stars was the gruesome manner in which the victims were killed. Carter may have gone a step too far.
I want to emphasize, as I said earlier, if you麓re not up for horrifying murder methods, don麓t read this book. If you are, then you麓re as crazy as I am or will be after finishing the book
Det. Robert Hunter and his partner Det. Carlos Garcia must track down a serial killer who is broadcasting his murders over the internet. Viewers are given a choice as to how they would like the victim to die.
The movie "Untraceable" was released in 2008 and starred Diane Lane. It had the exact same plot, in which a killer broadcasts his murders over the internet. This book was published in 2013, five years later. The killers in both even have the same motive! This book skates uncomfortably close to outright plagiarism!
Worse than that, it's not even any good. The characterisation is as flat as you can get. I've read all five books so far, and Robert and Carlos still don't feel like real people! I've kept returning to the books because they're usually gruesomely fast-paced, but Carter's flaws as a writer are much more evident when the plot is boring and predictable (because it's already been done, almost down to the letter!)
There are no real plot twists, just stomach-churning torture scenes in between the detectives turning up at crime scenes or trying to find a link between victims. There's one measly attempt at a red herring that's over almost before it begins. It's strange to slog through a 500 page book where nothing really happens! Gross death. Outrage. Investigate crime scenes. Rinse and repeat! Attempts at condemning modern society's soullessness due to our current age of technology are obvious and heavy-handed.
I can't believe this has such a high rating! Oh well, hopefully the next book will restore some originality. And a notice to Chris Carter - torture porn was already past its use-by-date by the time "Untraceable" came out in 2008!
Estupendo! C贸mo sufr铆!. Por una vez el asesino no desmerec铆a los cr铆menes (no me hubiera importado. Ya me ha quedado claro que lo leo por sadismo malsano. Nunca termina una de conocerse a s铆 misma) Trepidante absolutamente. Lo le铆mos en una conjunta y lo acabamos todos a velocidad supers贸nica. No fuimos capaces de parar. Conjunta Escuela (Sagas).
Apie savo meil臋 Chris Carter jau esu pasakojusi ne kart膮. A拧 tikrai m臈gstu detektyvinius romanus, o 拧ie yra vieni i拧 geriausi懦j懦. Kartais skaitai tiesiog u啪gniau啪臋s kvap膮, ta膷iau nepaisant to, sunku knyg膮 paleisti i拧 rank懦 馃き馃枻
艩i knyga jau yra penktoji, kurioje pagrindinius vaidmenis u啪ima detektyvas Robertas Hanteris bei jo kolega Karlosas Garsija. 艩寞 kart膮 寞 Los And啪elo policijos departament膮 paskambina nepa啪寞stamasis, ta膷iau jis skambina ne bet kam, o tiesiogiai Robertui Hanteriui. Paslaptingasis 啪mogus Robertui pasi奴lo u啪sukti 寞 jo interneto puslap寞, kuriame vyksta tiesiogin臈 transliacija. O transliacija ne 拧iaip sau.. Tai tikr懦 tikriausia egzekucija. Policija bendradarbiauja ir su FTB, jie stengiasi visomis i拧gal臈mis susekti 拧io 寞ra拧o kaltinink膮, ta膷iau jie atsitrenkia tarsi 寞 sien膮. Paai拧k臈ja, jog nepa啪寞stamasis labai gudrus ir atrodo, jog visuomet policij膮 lenkia bent vienu 啪ingsniu..
Nieko kito negaliu pasakyti tik tai, jog Carteriui ir v臈l pavyko mane nustebinti. Beproti拧kai 寞domi knygos prad啪ia, o kuo toliau, tuo painiau bei 寞domiau klostosi 寞vykiai. Kaip ir prie拧 tai skaitytose knygose, taip ir 拧ioje auk懦 啪udym懦 metodai nebuvo pasirinkti patys 拧velniausi.. Skaitydama 拧i膮 knyg膮 vis tarp eilu膷i懦 ie拧kojau s膮saj懦 ir band啪iau 寞minti m寞sl臋 kas gi yra tas paslaptingasis 啪udikas ir d臈l ko jis visa tai daro.. Na niekaip neb奴膷iau atsp臈jusi.. Niekaip 馃檲 Tie kas skait臈te jau anks膷iau i拧leistas Chris Carter knygas nepraleiskite ir 拧ios. Labai puikiai susuktas detektyvas.Nuobod啪iauti tikrai nebus kada, o ir net neabejoju, jog skaitydami 拧i膮 knyg膮 lau啪ysite galv膮, kokie 啪udiko motyvai. Kaip ir visuomet, taip ir dabar.. V臈l nekantriai lauksiu nauj懦 knyg懦! 馃枻馃摎
Buena historia, buen ritmo y esta vez con los cr铆menes m谩s horribles a mi parecer de todos los que he le铆do de sus libros, se le ocurre cada cosa a Carter cuando escribe que a veces da miedo jaja. La presencia del FBI en este libro fue algo nuevo, los ciberdelitos fue lo que propici贸 que pidieran ayuda a ellos y es frustrante como a ellos tambi茅n los ata de pies y manos este psic贸pata durante la trama. Hunter se las vio dif铆cil para saber por d贸nde ir铆an los tiros en esta ocasi贸n. Garc铆a la sufri贸 tambi茅n con respecto a Anna. La capitana Blake solo daba 贸rdenes, bueno ya se que esa es su funci贸n pero podr铆a ayudar un poco m谩s. El psic贸pata en esta historia est谩 usando internet y la necesidad de las personas de tener una opini贸n sobre todo y el placer que encuentran en el "poder" que tienen al votar incluso cuando la vida de un ser humano est谩 en riesgo. Vemos gente diariamente votando por lo que sea y por quien sea en todo tipo de reality shows que hacen que uno se pregunte qu茅 pasar铆a en el escenario imaginario de Carter usado para su historia de repente fuera real... 隆Espero no tener que averiguarlo nunca y seguir teniendo fe en lo bueno que hay en nosotros!
This series just more and more gruesome as it goes! I love it!. So many sick and twisted ways to kill people. Robert Hunter has to be one of my favourite characters.. these books are just so good!!
Rechercheur Robert Hunter krijgt een anoniem telefoontje waarin hem wordt gevraagd naar een specifieke website te gaan. Als hij inlogt, komt hij terecht in een gruwelijke show die alleen voor z铆jn ogen bedoeld is. De beller wil echter niet dat Hunter alleen maar toekijkt. Hij wil dat Hunter meedoet, en weigeren is geen optie: 鈥業k heb uw hulp nodig, rechercheur. Vuur of water? Speel met mij mee.鈥�
Nog voordat Hunter en zijn partner Garcia hun onderzoek naar deze verknipte geest kunnen starten, krijgt hij een nieuw telefoontje. Een nieuwe website. Een nieuw slachtoffer. Maar deze keer heeft de moordenaar zijn spel ge眉pgraded naar een uiterst moorddadige live-realityshow, waar iedereen over de afloop kan meebeslissen鈥�
'Een voor een' is het vijfde deel van de Robert Hunter serie en wat keek ik hier weer enorm naar uit!
Ook dit deel begint vrijwel meteen weer ontzettend gruwelijk en de smerige details liegen er niet om! Het lijkt wel alsof elk boek steeds erger wordt en laat ik daar nou net van houden! Ik vergelijk de boeken van Chris Carter vaak met de zieke moorden van de film Saw en dat was dus nu weer zo.
Deze keer maak je kennis met de online wereld en een hele zieke moordenaar. Hij neemt contact met Robert op en laat hem live meekijken met gruwelijke taferelen. Langzaamaan raakt Robert steeds meer betrokken bij het spel van deze psychopaat.
Eigenlijk is dit verhaal geen enkel moment saai. De spanning is continu voelbaar en de gebeurtenissen zijn wreed en schokkend. Wat een fantasie heeft deze schrijver toch en ik ben helemaal fan van deze schrijfstijl!
Zoals je dus wel begrijpt, is dit boek zeker niet voor tere zieltjes. Je moet wel tegen de gruwelijke details van de moorden kunnen. Tegelijkertijd laat Chris ook met dit verhaal zien hoeveel schokkends zich online af kan spelen en hoe ziek de mens kan zijn.
'Een voor een' kon ik bijna niet wegleggen en ik had dit boek dan ook binnen enkele uren gelezen. Chris is echt 茅茅n van mijn favoriete auteurs en ik wil NU meteen deel zes lezen!
Chris, I love your books! 鉂わ笍
Verder wil ik @harpercollins_holland / @worldofthrillers heel erg bedanken voor het recensie-exemplaar!
This is a great series 鈥� though I have been wary of the violence & gore. This is another very engrossing story.
Detective Robert Hunter (LAPD) receives a call, and the caller asks him to go to a website. Robert asks his partner Carlos Garcia to also listen in and try to get help to trace the call. Both are shocked at what they see 鈥� there is a man restrained in a glass enclosure. Robert is next asked how he wants to see the man die 鈥� by fire or by water? Attempts to trace the call do not lead anywhere 鈥� the call is bounced from many locations and the IP address of the website traces to a server in Taiwan. Robert is to get more calls 鈥� and it is not clear what is the motive. Is the killer picking random people?
Many of the murders in Chris Carter鈥檚 books are brutal, and they come across to me as more extreme than necessary for the plot. But as with his other books, this one has a great plot as well. Good characters, interesting backstory and solid procedures. It is always a delight to follow Robert Hunter and his partner Carlos Garcia. The build-up to the reveal was extremely good, though I found the ending a little theatrical.
I say this practically in every reviews I have written when it comes to Chris Carter's "Robert Hunter" series: a well-written series that satisfy my needs for serial killers and fast-paced procedural. Every single books that he has written just grips me from the get go -- it is so fast paced and intense, I always feel like on edge of my seat (or bed, wherever I am when I read).
This latest book again gives a captivating story -- but more so than the previous books, I feel that it also has a good message behind all those gruesome and horrific murders. Chris Carter questions society that thrives on voting an outcome of someone else's life (Chapter 34). Or in this case on the method of killing people, simply to fill their curiosity. How people enjoy violent things -- the more violent the better. I can't help thinking that since I love reading this; I'm also part of this 'sick' society. Though in my defense, this is fiction, and only in pages. But at the same time, I know that it could easily happen in real life.
And the motivation between the murders sadden me as well. Because again, it taps the question about society and how they're easily giving out vicious comments on Internet on things that they don't completely know or understand. Simply because it's entertaining. The Internet trolls. The people who are willing to videotape a crime and upload it, comment on it, like/dislike it on Internet.
So, story wise, this is really, really good. I have formed a strong attachment of Robert Hunter and his partner in Homicide Special Section Carlos Garcia. Combined with how it makes me ponder about the era of Internet and social media, it easily makes this latest installment another favorite.
I do have complains. I don't really like how Robert solves the case. It's a bit out of the blue. Robert can't find or link any clues related to the murders beforehand. Then suddenly he and his mind clicks. It is too "deus ex machina" of a plot for me. In addition, this story also introduces another character -- whom I would like to read about more -- Michelle Kelly, head of FBI Cybercrime Division in Los Angeles. I'm rather sad that there is no more information about her in the end.
The ending is -- well, not a cliffhanger, but maybe more of an open choice, and I would be waiting on what decision will be taken.
Nice plot, with an unexpected twist at the end. There could have been more character build up on the murderer earlier in the story before revealing his identity.
"(...) did啪ioji dalis 啪moni懦 visi拧kai kvailai ir klaidingai tiki, kad tik mes patys atsakingi u啪 savo gyvenim膮, kad mes visada turime galimyb臋 rinktis, norime to ar ne. (...) O kas, jei kit懦 啪moni懦 pasirinkimai visi拧kai pakei膷ia ne j懦, o tavo gyvenim膮?"
Kaip ir reik臈jo tik臈tis - puiki. Tokias baisybes skai膷iau, kad net vietomis purt臈 nuo 拧leik拧tulio. Gyvenime negaliu pak臋st net truput寞 啪iauresni懦 scen懦, ta膷iau knygose jos mane traukia ir ve啪a kaip narkotikai. Ir kuo 啪iauriau ir baisiau, tuo geriau. O Chris su savo nesibaigian膷ia fantazija (po velni懦, kaip jam ir 寞 galv膮 tokios mintys 拧auna?!) , ir ypa膷 拧ia serijos dalim - kaip tik tai, ko reikia patenkinti mano 拧lyk拧膷i懦 vaizd懦 i拧tro拧kusi膮 siel膮.
Als Robert Hunter, rechercheur bij de afdeling Bijzondere Moordzaken van de politie in LA, een anoniem telefoontje krijgt en de beller hem verzoekt naar een specifieke website te gaan, zal dit gesprek zijn leven volledig op zijn kop zetten. Hij komt terecht in een gruwelijke show die alleen voor zijn ogen is bedoeld en een wrede moordenaar vraagt hem te kiezen hoe zijn slachtoffer zal sterven. De beller is niet te traceren en Hunter en zijn partner Garcia hebben het onderzoek nog maar net opgestart als de telefoon weer gaat. Nu gaat de weerzinwekkende moordshow nog een stap verder en kan iedereen stemmen over het lot van het volgende slachtoffer鈥�
Al snel is duidelijk dat het team te maken heeft met een hondsbrutale moordenaar die alle touwtjes in handen lijkt te hebben. Hij is uitermate goed voorbereid, technisch onderlegd, deinst nergens voor terug en kent geen berouw als hij zijn slachtoffers martelt en ze op vreselijke manieren laat sterven. Een link tussen de verschillende slachtoffers is haast niet te ontdekken en de rechercheurs tasten lang in het duister terwijl deze psychopaat de zaak persoonlijk maakt, het team telkens verrast en kleine aanwijzingen geeft die nergens toe lijken te leiden, totdat de verbindende schakel er ineens voor zorgt dat dit kat-en-muisspel eindigt in een race tegen de klok.
De auteur trekt je met zijn zeer vlotte, beeldende en meeslepende stijl direct dit bizarre verhaal in en door de korte hoofdstukken, kleine cliffhangers en de snelle schakelingen tussen de diverse perspectieven is dit adembenemende, ijzingwekkende en intens spannende verhaal al erg snel niet meer weg te leggen. De band tussen Hunter en Garcia wordt verder uitgediept, hun vertrouwen wordt op de proef gesteld en terwijl zij goed samenwerken speelt ook Michelle Kelly, het hoofd van de divisie Cybercrime van de FBI, een interessante en onmisbare rol in het geheel.
Dit is een zeer gruwelijke thriller die veel vaart heeft, je niet meer loslaat, een hoop vragen oproept en je laat nadenken over maatschappelijke en ethische vraagstukken en de aard van de mens. Alle puzzelstukjes passen uiteindelijk naadloos in elkaar, het motief is sterk en geloofwaardig uitgewerkt, er komen grote emoties los en dit fantastische boek m贸茅t je lezen als je niet terugdeinst voor een verhaal over een enge seriemoordenaar dat je levensecht wordt voorgeschoteld!
5猸�
*Ik heb dit boek gekregen van uitgeverij HarperCollins Holland in ruil voor een eerlijke recensie.
Kaip buvo gerai! Wow! Prisipa啪insiu 啪udymo b奴dai 拧iek tiek 拧okiravo, band啪iau tik 寞sivaizduoti k膮 jau膷ia aukos. Ir nors 啪iauru ir kraupu norisi dar ir dar. Viskas taip susukta, kad tik pa膷iame knygos gale su啪inai visas s膮sajas: kas? kaip? kod臈l? Labiausiai privert臈 pagalvoti Brendono 啪od啪iai: 鈥淢es visuomet turime pasirinkim膮? Tikrai? O kas, jei kit懦 啪moni懦 pasirinkimai visi拧kai pakei膷ia tavo gyvenim膮? Kur tada ta m奴s懦 galimyb臈 rinktis?鈥� Gali b奴t pat atsargiausias, geriausias ar kitokiausias, bet niekada ne啪inai kit懦 啪moni懦 pasirinkimo ir kaip tai nulems tavo gyvenim膮.