Blake Crouch

Finished Desert Places, Blake Crouch's debut novel from way back in 2004. Loved it. While I've seen several serial killer movies, I'd never read a serial killer book. (Or at least I don't recall doing so.) In any event, this one kept me reading -- a page turner as they say/ I've seen complaints that the book was too violent, but a) I honestly didn't see it. Certainly it's no Miss Marple, but I've read more graphic violence elsewhere. And b) It's a novel about a serial killer (or two or three) so I certainly felt forewarned -- if I wanted something drastically different, I would have chosen a book with "Cat" "Tea" "Garden" or "Quilt" in the title or on the cover. The hardback cover for Desert Places has the photo of a deranged looking man. I mean of course, the front cover. Blake Crouch himself is on the back flap.

Ah yes, the plot. The main character is framed for murder by a serial killer. Since the main character is a mystery writer, he should be able to come up with a way out from under this trouble, but that proves easier imagined than carried out. Since the topic is broached in the book, I do wish there could have been a fuller explanation as to why the killer kills, but this is not pointed out as a drawback since I would have been just as happy if no mention of motive had been brought up at all. That's the strange thing about serial killers -- no motive is ever really going to be good enough; after all, we still do lock them up or execute them.

Anyway, if you're looking for a good serial killer novel, I found one for you.