Just Killing Time

by Derek Van Arman

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Jack Scott, head of a federal agency that tracks serial killers, tries to find a killer that has been on the loose for thirty years.

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7 reviews
Horrifically enthralling book about two separate sets of serial killings linked in the most intricate fashion. One is a cold methodical psychopath who preys on the vulnerable, the other is a pair of sadistic lowlifes who travel in a van preying on children and young women in the vilest manner possible. the two cases seem so far apart in MO that that you cannot believe there is a link between them, but the world-weary detective who is the hero of the story finds one through the most intricate plotting you will ever find and manages to bring both sets of killers to some kind of justice. This is a brutal, ugly story about the worst instincts of mankind, but it is enthralling to the end.
You know, it's hard to rate this book. The story is good, and I learned all kinds of fascinating things about the psychology of serial killers, as well as some interesting US history. The characters, while somewhat... sparse, were people I wanted to know more about, although their motivations and histories were a bit trite. All the makings of a good book, right? Except that the writing (and editing) is execrable. There were multiple times when I couldn't work out what a sentence meant, despite knowing all the words in it, and multiple times when a sentence meant the opposite of what the author was obviously trying to say. Grammar was often wrong, words were used in inappropriate contexts, and you could tell that the author didn't have a show more firm grasp on the meanings of a lot of words. I slogged through the writing because I wanted to know the end of the story, and I found the psychology fascinating, but it was an irritating read. show less
½
This was a pretty good thriller that i impressed myself of finishing in just 6 days :3

IT WAS A LITTLE "TOO" THRILLING SOMETIMES THOUGH xD
This book just blew me away! Its hard to believe that this is an authors first book.Its the total package,the real deal.I WANT MORE!!Nobody is this fantastic on their first attempt,well that is until now.Unbelievabley polished and ingrossing.I will buy any and all that Mr Van Arman writes.
One of the best books I've ever read. Why hasn't this guy written anything else?
"Los asesinos en serie tienen muy poco que ver con la imagen mítica que tenemos de ellos. Son nuestros vecinos... gente a la que encontramos en reuniones de padres de alumnos, que viajan en el autobús junto a nosotros, cuyos hijos juegan con los nuestros, personas con las que compartimos el pan en las reuniones familiares". Son palabras de Jack Scott, el jefe de una unidad de policía especializada en atrapar a asesinos en serie. Y Zak Dorani es uno de ellos, un hombre que lleva treinta años asesinando por placer, eligiendo a sus víctimas cuidadosamente y llevando a cabo sus atroces crímenes con meticulosidad. Sólo una vez cometió un desliz, pero supo defenderse brillantemente ante la justicia y salió absuelto. Jack Scott era el show more policía que le había atrapado y que le vio salir en libertad. En ese momento, empezó un duelo que duraría décadas entre un asesino despiadado y un hombre de ley que ha aprendido a razonar como los monstruos a los que quiere dar caza. show less

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211 works; 3 members

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1 Work 205 Members

Common Knowledge

People/Characters
Jack Scott; Frank Rivers; Zachariah Leslie Dorani
First words
The kid on the red Schwinn raced slightly ahead of the three-legged dog, down a dark and wooded hill, then back up into the sunlight.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Suspense & Thriller, Mystery
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PS3572 .A4137 .J87Language and LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literatureIndividual authors1961-
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Statistics

Members
206
Popularity
158,111
Reviews
6
Rating
(4.00)
Languages
6 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Media
Paper, Audiobook
ISBNs
15
ASINs
3