Review: The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter

**** 4 Stars

I'm a sucker for a good crime series. The only problem is that there are too many out there and when I start one I tend to find myself sucked in, needing to read every book in the series back to back. The Crucifix Killer has been on my To Read Pile for a very long time, one of those ones I have been putting off because I have too many review books to read and I don't want to get sucked in to another series. But hey I am an adult and I think it is time I learned some restraint when it comes to series, I need to learn that they should be savoured and not devoured in one go so I decided it was time to give Chris Carter's Robert Hunter series a go. Boy I am glad that I did!

The Blurb

When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in the middle of Los Angeles National Forest, Homicide Detective Robert Hunter finds himself entering a horrific and recurring nightmare. Naked, strung from two parallel wooden posts, the victim was sadistically tortured before meeting an excruciatingly painful death. 

All the skin has been ripped from her face - while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that's impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? 

Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him? Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining.

My Thoughts

Oh my I think this had one of the best openers in a book ever. Detective Robert Hunter's partner, Garcia is in trouble at the hands of a serial killer and it is only the beginning of the book, jump back 5 weeks earlier and we see how the story leads up to Garcia's terrible predicament.

The book throws you into the world of high class prostitution, drugs and guns whilst a serial killer is loose in the City of Angels, killing people in some very grisly ways. The problem is this killer is leaving a strange symbol on the bodies just like a serial killer that Hunter believed he imprisoned and was executed a few years ago. Is this a new killer in town or did Hunter & his ex-partner make a mistake and arrest the wrong person the first time around?

There was just so much going on in this book, different storylines overlapping each other and that really helped to add to the suspense and to keep me guessing who the Crucifix Killer was right until the very end.

I loved Robert Hunter - Chris Carter has certainly created a detective that has engaged me and made me want to read future books. Hunter is a man struggling to come to terms with the death of his partner, a man who has turned to drink and one night stands just to get through the pain, a man haunted by the Crucifix Killer. This is a killer who likes to play games and their favourite one is taunting Hunter,putting the lives of the victims in his hands on more than one occasion.

The Crucifix Killer is an adrenaline fuelled read that keeps you on the edge of your seat; grisly crime scenes and a unique serial killer keep you turning the page, needing to find out who the killer is and I totally didn't see this killer coming. An excellent start to what looks to be a fantastic series, I will certainly be reading the next Robert Hunter book soon.