Kill me once
by Jon Osborne
(Arrow Books, R115)
The world of thriller novels can sometimes be a bit monotonous as good guys chase bad guys with hopes of bringing a stop to gruesome murders. Bottom line is that it is all about the thrill of the chase, if, in fact, it offers that kind of thrill.
In this latest Osborne story, he fills the cauldron with blood, a psychopathic personality, more blood, a twisted modus operandi, even more blood, and then drops the whole mess at some poor detective’s door.
The story moves at a dizzying pace, switching from detective Dana Whitestone’s efforts to make sense of the case, to the merciless Nathan Stiedowe plotting and executing his next gruesome murder. The reader does not get the opportunity to breathe for even a second as Stiedowe’s murderous intent escalates to fulfil his mission of becoming the most notorious serial killer in history.
The story takes an intense turn when it’s discovered that Stiedowe has called out Whitestone in a series of murders in which he’d plunged the letters D A N A up the genitals of little girls who had not even reached puberty yet, and that’s when he was just getting warmed up. As the note at the bottom of the cover states, “Introducing a new breed of serial killer”.
It seems to be all about the horror of the kill. Even the investigation takes a back seat here because Stiedowe’s work is so flawless. If anything, it will make you wonder how twisted the mind of an author can really get. Stiedowe’s particular penchant for Whitestone however keeps you interested.
In this case, the chase between good girl and bad guy gives this thriller legs. Osborne has put together a story that can result in nightmares.