#Review : The Campus Killer #crime #book

Title: The Campus Killer
Series: Detective Ali Ryan Series Book 1
Author: Andrew Hess
Genre: Detective, Crime Thriller
Pages: 359
Reading Level: Adult
Content: R (intense violence, mature subject matter, alcohol use)

I admit that I haven’t read a lot of crime thriller, but if they were all like this one, I think I’d read more. The Campus Killer pulls you in right from the start.

The story follows a hotshot female detective named Ali Ryan as she tries to convince everyone that a recent string of suicides is actually the work of a serial killer. Besides the case offering the reader tons of mystery and action, Ali also tries to have a life, which only makes her feel more real.

The story alternates points of view, between Ali and the killer, but we also get a chance to get into the mind of some of the other characters through the narrator who’s tapping us into the killer. It’s an interesting way to see multiple viewpoints of the story coming together. When I first realized that the pov changed I was concerned about being confused, but I wasn’t in the slightest.

My issue with some crime stories I’ve read is that I rarely like the hero, but I liked Ali and I really liked her sister. It was odd for me not to root for the bad guy, but this killer was so whiny that I couldn’t stand him, which only made me like the story more. You know how it goes; characters you love to hate.

The main reason I didn’t give this book a five was because of pacing and the ending. The pacing seemed to speed up and slow down, which isn’t bad, but I felt that it lacked a rhythm that would have it flow better. Of course, that could simply be one of my personal odd quirks. Honestly, the book is not hard to read at all.

As for the ending, it isn’t bad either. It’s quite good actually. It’s just not the ending I wanted. Some people want Cinderella to marry the prince and I want her to inherit her own kingdom. So the author and I didn’t have the same ideas for the ending; no big deal.

This is a really good adult “curl up next to a fire and sip something warm” read.

Disclaimer: I received a beta copy of this book for an honest critique and then later purchased the final product.

I’d like to give this book a 4 ½, but am sticking with a solid 4.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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