The Face of Death by Cody McFadyen is intense psychological thriller with a chilling serial killer.
Synopsis:
A sixteen-year-old girl holds a gun to her head at the scene of a grisly triple homicide. She claims "The Stranger" killed her adoptive family, that he's been following her all her life, killing everyone she ever loved, and that no one believes her. But Special Agent Smoky Barret does. Her team has been handpicked from among the nation's elite law enforcement specialists and they are as obsessed and relentless as the psychos they hunt; they'll have to be to deal with this case.
For another vicious double homicide reveals a killer embarked on a dark crusade of trauma and death : an "artist" who's molding Sarah into the perfect victim-and the ultimate weapon. To catch him, Smoky is going to have to put her own fragile, once-shattered life on the line. For The Stranger is all too real, all too close, and all too determined. And when he finally shows his face, Smoky had better be ready to face her worst fear.
from back cover
When I finished reading The Face of Death, I was liked oh my gosh how am I going to review this book. All I can say is that I LOVED IT.
Smoky Barrett is an intense FBI Agent who has both physical and emotional scars that she has acquired from past cases. She heads the Violent Crimes Unit in Los Angeles. She has a decision to make to stay with her team in L.A. or become a teacher of new FBI recruits in Quantico. I love Smoky. She is a tough lady who is able to overcome her past. She cares about her adopted daughter and her friends. They have become her family.Not that I am an expert in serial killers, but I feel that The Stranger is a little bit different then the typical serial killers that we read about. The Stranger has planned all of this years ago and over time his plans have come to fruition. That is what I find chilling about this book.
For a couple of night after I read the book, I had a hard time sleeping. I was afraid that someone would come into my house. That is how intense this book was. I don't even know when the last time a book made me react that way.
A word of caution there is graphic violence. It was shocking to read what The Stranger did to his victims but I feel that it was necessary to put it into the book so that we and Smoky can see into The Stranger's mind.
This is the second book in the Smoky Barrett series. You do not need to read the first book to understand the second. McFadyen explains the past so you can understand what happened to Smoky. The first book in the series is Shadow Man. The third book The Darker Side will be available in October. I will be looking for these two books so that I can read more about Smoky.
Cody McFadyen was born in Texas in 1968. He now resides in California. He designed websites before selling his first novel. He lives with his two black labs, often referred to as ‘The Black Forces of Destruction.’ His first novel Shadow Man and his second book were both international best sellers.
3 comments:
Sounds like a good thriller. Sounds so good if I read I think I would get nightmares. Thrillers do that to me anymore.
My husband works night so I am alone with my children. Every little noise I heard had me on edge for a couple of nights after I finished the book. My cat was the worse culprit. Jumping on and off the bed.
I've never read any of his books but I kind of remember hearing about Shadow Man when it came out. Glad you enjoyed it so much!
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