Review: I Hunt Killers

You’re seventeen years old, and your father is the most notorious serial killer America has ever produced.

He brought you up. Taught you everything he knows. Everyone in your ordinary American town knows who you are.

So even though Dear Old Dad is safely behind bars, when the killing starts all over again, you are the first person the police come to see.

They don’t know whether it’s nature or nurture. And neither do you.

I have been reading some damn good books lately. Am I going to pick up the sequel to this after work today? Why yes I am.

I devoured this book in just a couple days and the atmosphere is perfect. Seriously, I had a hard time falling asleep because I stayed up to late reading about the creepiness of serial killers, and afterwards I was pretty paranoid that someone was going to come through my window. 

And then I had a dream about me being paranoid about serial killers. Not cool, brain.

Main thoughts during this novel: Holy shit. Holy shit this is messed up. Poor Jazz. This is so messed up.

Anyhow, this was a fantastic novel. I adore Jazz, the main character, and being inside his head is fascinating and heartbreaking. Instead of just having a serial killer dad, his serial killer dad made him watch as he tortured and killed his victims. It's really no surprise that Jazz is screwed up and really struggles with his identity. After being trained to be the next big serial killer; how could anyone be "normal" after that?

The psychological element in this novel is gripping. Billy, Jazz's dad, really did a number on him. He lurks in the back of Jazz's mind and creeps into his thoughts almost constantly. For most of the novel we only see Billy through Jazz's though and I gotta say he is terrifying. Holy hell is he terrifying.

Lucky for Jazz, he has awesome people to help him throughout the novel, both with his psychological state and with the rash of murders. His awesome girlfriend, Connie, and best friend, Howie, keep Jazz grounded and are also just amazing characters. (And they provide some nice diversity too) As far as side characters go, I love them to pieces. Everyone, especially Jazz, is complex and well realized. They feel real enough to touch.

As far as plot: it starts off incredibly strong but peters out a little at the end. I'm okay with this though because it sets up the next book nicely. Overall, this was tense and gripping, and I can't wait to pick up the second book. If you like thrillers and the exploration of good and evil, check out this story. You're in for quite the ride.

4.5/5