3 out of 4 stars
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The Test, written by B.A. Sherman, is a psychological cop thriller and the first book in The Greg Dorn Series. A mental patient named Ricky Ryan escapes from the state hospital one day with a stolen car. Running a stoplight, he kills Greg's mother and sister. Months later, Greg and his father finally gets word of the trial date. Unfortunately, Greg's wish to see the thief of his life rot in prison isn't granted. There is no trial; Ricky, having settled for a plea bargain, gets a guileless slap on the hand instead. An inner darkness soon makes itself known to Greg. As the years go by, it grows.
Finally, Greg is a cop. From Parsons, Kansas, he transfers to a traffic department in Denver. The city is different than what he's used to. For one, it is cramped with road users who seem to neglect the ethics of safe driving. Road rage statistics are sky high. Accidents occur frequently, and the cops who try to make the roads safer are treated like garbage. Greg especially, receives his fair share of rude, unnecessary treatment. Meanwhile, the darkness inside him continues to grow. The moment soon comes when the darkness has had enough. "It," as Greg calls it, soon comes forward, takes control of Greg's body, and unleashes years of accumulated fury.
The author has been in law enforcement for more than two decades. The technical police jargon is a major strong point in this novel. Nothing should be taken away from the book itself though. Somehow, the author manages to transfer the protagonist's anger to the reader as well. His characters are very easy to relate to; their actions are completely justifiable. There is more than one twist in this intriguing novel with its surprising ability to get readers' adrenaline up and running when the real action finally begins.
I found the quality of the writing standard, but not a flaw at all. The author may not be a guru when it comes to poetic English, but he certainly knows how to keep things interesting. Nothing is introduced to the novel that doesn't play some sort of role in the overall storyline. As a psychological thriller, this book succeeds. The main protagonist clearly acts like someone housing a lot of inner demons. Greg is withdrawn at first, and only "loses" it when his wife takes his kid and leaves him to his own devices. As for weaknesses, the quality of the writing is the only apparent drawback.
Greg Dorn isn't Dexter Morgan from Jeff Lindsay's famous books, but readers who loved Lindsay's books will find something similar and original courtesy of B.A. Sherman. This book consists of extremely violent content and strong language. If these are qualities in a book that you don't like, you should not read this. If you're wondering what the title has to do with a serial killer, you'll have to read the book to find out. My rating is 3 out of 4.
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The Test
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