Brian Kurtz is more than just an "angry young man." He's
prone to fits of violent, uncontrolled rage. Under a
professional's care, Kurtz is on an experimental medication
used to treat PTSD, but instead of becoming calmer, the
anger seems to simmer constantly now, dangerously near the
boiling point all the time. And when it does boil over,
Kurtz hunts down those who have wronged him, either in some
real or imagined way, and takes out his frustrations by not
only shooting them but savagely beating them.
Dub Walker's medical and Marine background led him to a
career as an author and a police consultant, analyzing
evidence and crime scenes. He's seen some ugly things over
the years but never the level of violence this killer
displays toward his victims -- one of whom was a personal
friend of Dub's. Working with his colleagues in the
Huntsville PD and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, TV
reporter Claire McBride, Dub uses all his experience to try
to lure the murderer out of hiding. He and Kurtz are now on
a collision course, headed for a final confrontation that
neither may walk away from.
But who is the anonymous, shadowy figure who seems to be
helping, even encouraging Kurtz to kill? Even if Dub can
stop Kurtz, will someone else get away with murder?
This is a pretty standard serial killer story -- in fact,
Kurtz seemed a bit stereotypical and felt a little flat to
me. I think maybe we spend too much time in his point of
view (and in too many other points of view, when Dub is far
and away the most interesting). Fortunately, however,
there's the intriguing mystery here about who is pulling
Kurtz's strings. I liked Dub a lot; he's tough, smart and
has a dry sense of humor, as well as a touch of darkness in
his past. The book certainly breaks no new ground for
thriller lovers, but it's an entertaining and fast-paced
read.
When Dub Walker’s close
friend Sheriff Mike Savage becomes the victim of a gruesome
murder, the forensic expert is called upon to track down the
serial killer who's been terrorizing the county. Having been
involved in more than 100 cases of foul play and witnessed
the bloody remains of rape, torture, and unthinkable
mutilation, Dub thought he had seen it all—yet the killer is
unlike any murderer Dub has ever encountered. Vacillating
between wildly divergent personalities fueled by post
traumatic stress disorder—at times calm, cold, and
calculating; at others maniacal and out of control—the
psychopath taunts, threatens, and outmaneuvers Dub at every
turn. The stakes are suddenly elevated as Dub uncovers a
deadly conspiracy tainted with unrestrained greed,
corruption, and ties to the military establishment and the
medical community.