The Death Collectors
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4.6 • 14 Ratings
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
A terrifying new serial-killer thriller featuring Carson Ryder, hero of the bestselling The Hundredth Man.
Thirty years after his death, Marsden Hexcamp's ‘Art of the Final Moment’ remains as sought after as ever. But this is no ordinary collection. Hexcamp's portfolio was completed with the aid of a devoted band of acolytes – and half a dozen victims, each of whom was slowly tortured to death so that their final agonies could be distilled into art.
When tiny scraps of Hexcamp's ‘art’ begin appearing at murder scenes alongside gruesomely displayed corpses, Detective Carson Ryder and his partner Harry Nautilus must go back three decades in search of answers.
Meanwhile an auction has been announced and the death collectors are gathering. These wealthy connoisseurs of serial-killer memorabilia will pay millions to acquire Hexcamp's art – unless Carson and Harry can beat them in their quest for the anti-grail.
Reviews
Praise for The Death Collectors:
‘A fascinating and frightening take on the genre’ Independent on Sunday
‘Kerley who writes like a house on fire, has a boundless and truly ghastly imagination that’ll keep you awake long after you turn the last page’ Kirkus
Praise for The Hundredth Man:
‘A superb debut novel. A headless torso, the heat-soaked Alabama nights, a detective with a secret. Fantastic’ Sunday Express
‘A chilling journey into a pitch-black mind’ Michael Marshall
‘A sturdy hero with a clearcut mission and a setting that holds possibilities for fresh adventure. Kerley writes in a thrusting style that pushes the action from crime scene to autopsy table…’ The New York Times Book Review
‘Kerley jacks up the tension effectively, building to an all-stops-out climax. The plot is a treasure chest of interlocked pieces’ Booklist (starred review)
About the author
Jack Kerley worked in advertising and teaching before becoming a full-time novelist. He lives in Newport, Kentucky, but also spends a good deal of time in Southern Alabama, the setting for The Hundredth Man. He is married with two children.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The promise shown in Kerley's first book, The Hundredth Man, is borne out in the second in the series featuring Mobile, Ala., PD detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus. Carson and Harry are the department's psychopathological and sociopathological investigative team, nicknamed Piss-it by the other detectives. When a naked female body buried beneath flowers and surrounded by candles is found in a seedy motel, the crime is weird enough to be assigned to them. More bodies turn up, each accompanied by a tiny but beautiful oil painting. Retired police detective Jacob C. Willow hears of the murder/painting connection and tells Carson he thinks it has something to do with a serial killer case he worked early in his career. That madman, Marsden Hexcamp, has been dead for years, but a peculiar group of collectors specializing in murder memorabilia is keeping his memory alive. Carson is aided once again by his brilliant, homicidal brother, Jeremy, who, though held in a high-security insane asylum, proves instrumental in solving the case. Jeremy is a terrifying character, and we just know he's going to escape someday, at which point Kerley will truly scare the pants off his readers. This one's another winner from a writer moving toward the top of the thriller heap.
Customer Reviews
The Death Collectors
Without a doubt, this book is as good as the previous one in the series. Fast paced, exciting, and the ending caught me out. I love the characters and their dynamics. Another hit from Kerley.
I'm now onto the third Carson Ryder book.