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Old 11-13-2009, 03:15 PM   #1
Direct Ebooks
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Posts: 184
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Cork, Ireland
Device: Sony Reader
Mania - thriller/crime novel.

Rarely if ever have I read a book that is disturbing and enthralling in equal measures.
From the opening, disorientating chapters in which the reader is introduced breathlessly into the present, hurled to the past and dragged kicking back into the here and now, there is a masterfully crafted sense of paranoia and delusion, the purpose of which only becomes apparant towards the end.

The main protaganist is Nick Wilder, a down on his luck freelance photographer, whos job is to be first on the murder scene to scoop the pics. However, when his brother is vicously murdered on a night out with him, the blood-soaked, confused photographer immediately becomes a suspect. The subsequently unfortunate ability to appear at murder scenes before the police do does not endear him to Seattle's boys in blue. A series of horrific murders (I genuinely had to turn away from my Sony reader once or twice and wince)provides the framework for a tight, taut thriller that really delivers value for money

Despite his predicament, Nick is not a particularly likeable character from the very beginning. He is selfish,lazy and unpredictable, but is all the more human for it. Larsen's characters are all complex, real people who's traits and motivations are revealed slowly and deliberately. With each gruesome murder, and trust me they are gruesome, we are drawn into the intricate web of suspicion, betrayal and intrigue.

This is a compelling thriller, with great characters, storylines and the inevitable twists. Craig Larsen really is a name to watch out for, and I look forward to his next title.

Mania is perfect for a cold winters night with the lights down and the fire blazing!

I bought the eBook at Directebooks.
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