3 out of 4 stars
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Eyes of a Predator, by Glenn Trust, is the first book in The Hunters Series. In this introductory novel, readers follow the story of a psychopathic serial killer as he goes on a search for victims. This particular trip is across the Deep South, and the killer leaves bodies in a rural county in Georgia. Deputy George Mackey is a county deputy who joins in the search for the killer. He is a little rusty in his professionalism, but his investigative instincts are on point. Mackey joins with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation hopefully to find the killer and to rescue another victim.From the Dedication page: “For the victims.”
The author is a master of creating imagery with words. One rural image that stands out to me is Mackey pulling to a stop and sitting for a few seconds, allowing the dust to settle before he gets out of his truck. Trust obviously has experience with country roads and settings. The writing is smooth, and the dialogue is natural. There are also many twists and turns in the plot. As someone who enjoys reading books in the crime and mystery genre, I try to figure things out as I read, and very predictable books are not enjoyable. I loved that Eyes of a Predator caught me off-guard several times.
The character-building of the serial killer was fantastic. Trust uses symbolism to reinforce the idea that this serial killer is an animalistic predator, using allusions to animal hunters and prey. He also doesn’t furnish the name of the killer until well into the story, keeping him impersonal to the reader. We see through his eyes, how he stalks, and how he thinks. Description in the third person adds to the clinical, impersonal personality of the killer.
The only thing I didn’t like about his book was the lack of professional editing. That was distracting in an otherwise very involving read. There are comma errors and formatting issues, and even “y’all” is misspelled in this Georgia-set book.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I read this book voraciously, the poor editing won’t allow me to give the book 4 stars. I definitely wouldn’t give it 2 stars because I do highly recommend it. There is some foul language and, of course, a good deal of violence. If you are squeamish or don’t want to read about torture, you won’t like this book. Although I wouldn’t classify the torture as physically gruesome, it is certainly bloody and emotionally intense.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy crime novels, suspense plots, and thrillers. Glenn Trust has won me over, for sure. I plan to read the rest of The Hunter Series.
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Eyes of the Predator:
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