A Killer in the Wind (edition 2013)

A Killer In The Wind
By
Andrew Klavan

My "in a nutshell" summary...

A creepy good mystery about an outcast weird detective who is after someone called...the Fat Woman.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Oh my goodness...it's a complicated web of intrigue and mystery...I hate to sound so cliche...but that's what this book was to me.

It's the kind of mystery/ thriller that is not relaxing to read...there are illusions that may or may not be drug induced and there is the elusive Fat Woman...the bad evil villain!

At the heart of this novel is Dan Champion...crazy police guy. He takes a drug called Z...he has visions...he is totally off the wall...obsessed with his visions and with the Fat Woman.

Finally...I understood that some of his obsession with all of this was in the past...sometimes I hate flashbacks...but then it was back to the present with it, too.

Ok...here are my thoughts on this novel...it's fast paced. There is a ton of action. There are mysteries and appearances and disappearances. There are weird characters. Dan champion is not an angelic cop...he is a pretty weird one!

The problem for me with a book like this is that...I don't really want to reveal anything...it's a puzzle that the reader should unravel on his/her own.

So...that's where I leave you.

What I loved about this book...

You can't not sort of love Dan Champion...in a weird kind of way. He just wants to get the bad guys and fix the kids. It's fast paced, action filled and thoroughly imaginative. It's an exhausting reading experience but in a good way.

What I did not love...

Hmmm...it's not my favorite kind of book but it was fun to read.

Final thoughts...

If you love off beat well written fast paced sometimes confusing...I had to go back and reread quite a few times...novels...you will truly enjoy this book! ( )

Incredibly intense, at times I was literally holding my breath. Loved the character of Champion, who had done everything he can to forget his past, and Samantha, apparently fragile but tough when she needs to be. Such a heartbreaking subject, but though the violence was at times graphic, the main subject matter was not. The writing was incredible, the pace non stop and the tension maintained throughout the book. Sometimes it was hard to tell what was real or not, what was actually happening or what was being imagined. Not for the faint of heart but an amazing thriller. ARC from publisher. ( )

I was not sure what to expect from this book, having never read anythig by this author. I also don't typically read this genre. The first chapter did not do much for me, and I almost put it down, but being one of those people who has to read the whole book every time, I pressed on. Wow was I glad I did. I was hooked within the next couple of chapters. You begin to question everything and you are as confused and intrigued as the character himself.

Dan Champion presents a very interesting character. We have all read those detective books with the sexy, brooding, emotionally unavailable, courageous man who always gets out of tight spots and beats the bad guys. This is what I expected from Champion, but I found him to be so much more than that. He didn't always win. He gets stuck in bad spots, you root for him, and of course he wins, but there is much more to it than that, and I thouroughly enjoyed the experience.

Add to this character the indescribable love he feels for a woman who doesn't exist and you, too, will be hooked I promise you.

The plot is full of twists and turns that keep you turning the pages to see what's next, and it is not usually what you expect.

The only complaint I have about this book is that I found the ending to be too quick and simple. The entire book builds up to it in a way that has the reader experiencing fear and anxiety right alongside the characters which is an incredible accomplishment for the author, but the resolution happend too quickly for my liking, almost being a disappointing contrast to the build up I experienced throughout the rest of the book. That being said, the book still did not end the way I expected it to, and it was an enjoyable read. Would read more by this author, and would reccomend this book to a friend.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )