The Executioner

If you like dark, twisted and gory thrillers with a very intriguing main character, then you'll want to pick up the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter.

While not for the faint of heart, Carter kicks off this book immediately with the grisly murder of a priest that leads him into a tangled web of deceit, old grudges and a body count that continues to rise with each murder just as gruesome as the last. With a new police Captain to get used to and the pressure to find this sadistic murderer, Hunter has his work cut out for him.

A wee beef: There were a lot of names to keep track of with all the murders, suspects and two storylines

Clearly, this is not a Murder She Wrote kind of book (or series) and is a better pick for readers who like dark, DARK, reads with creative methods of murder that are described in detail. 

Compelling and fast-paced (with very short chapters), Carter doesn't pull any punches in this explosive and entertaining series that blends crime fiction with bits of humour from Detective Robert Hunter and a titch of social commentary.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Chris Carter

Genre: Suspense, Horror

Series: #2 in the Robert Hunter series

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from public library

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

First Published: July 1, 2010

Book Description from GoodReads: Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest's head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most.

Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims? Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most.

Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.