I've read so much crime fiction over the years that they can start to become formulaic, but I was pleased to lay my hands on my first Karen Rose book as it appeared to have a slightly new angle. The killer in this novel stalks avatars in an online game, gets to know them and their fears and then kills them in the real world, staging their murders as a suicide.
Eve is a survivor of attempted murder by a serial killer many years ago and is working on a thesis around victims using online worlds as a form of therapy and confidence building with the aim of eventually re-joining the outside world.
Detective Webster is investigating the murders and Eve approaches him after realising there may be a connection to the deaths and the subjects in her study. The action and suspense keep the book moving along, however the romance and sex scenes detract a little from the exciting stuff.
I must admit that I picked the serial killer before the big reveal, which was satisfying to me in a way. So many reviewers claim to know who the killer is half way through a book and I never do, so this was a small victory.
I found the use of the online gaming world to be quite interesting, especially when the killer re-writes the code for his avatar victims in the game, staging their house exactly like the crime scene, and placing a black wreath on the front door. Creepy!!
My rating = ***
Carpe Librum!
