CRIME REVIEW: The Night Season - Chelsea Cain

Release Date: 04/03/11

SYNOPSIS:

Heavy rains have burst the banks of the Willamette River; several people have died in the furiously rising waters . . . but the latest victim didn't drown: She was killed before she went into the water. Soon, other victims are found, and Police Detective Archie Sheridan realizes that Portland has a new serial killer on its hands. Reporter Susan Ward is on the story, but she's also got other leads to chase, and some secrets can be too frightening for prying eyes . . . with Archie following a bizarre trail of evidence, and Susan close behind, the pair must unearth the identity of a vicious murderer, and uncover the truth behind a mystery more than sixty years old . . .


REVIEW:

As a fan of the previous Gretchen Lowell titles I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book as I never know what the beautifully crazy serial killer is going to do next. The only thing I do know is that it will be inventive, it will be twisted and certain characters will return to face the wrath time and again. So I was a little disappointed when I found out that she only really had a cameo at the titles end with the rest of the book devoted to a new killer with a remarkable method of murder.

Or rather it would have been remarkable had the author dialled it back a bit and come at it from a more logical point of view. Without going into detail about the murderous method I would suggest that if you are to read this title that you have to suspend your disbelief to the nth degree and when backed with an interesting subplot backstory the reader will be highly entertained. Finally add the usual degree of prose, decent pace as well as wonderful authorly voice to the title and you know that it’s a pretty decent title provided you can escape the illogical mess of the murder method especially of a certain state trooper who personally I think is more comedic than of any real sense. If however you do want to stick within the realms of possibility then this may not be Chelsea’s best title for you and you may wish to return to an earlier title for a wonderful sense of righteous murder by one of the Crime World’s most memorable serial killers.