BoneMan’s Daughters
By Ted Dekker

A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture. Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn. Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire. (Product Description)

My Review: Very original, though highly unlikely serial killer/ thriller novel. There were aspects of this book that intrigued me, but my overall impression is still a little bit reserved. For a decorated and highly trained military officer, Evans’ actions were quite elementary and emotional. The issues with his family were not developed which made some of the characters hard to empathize with. But the aspect that bothered me the most was that the mind, history and motivations of the perpetrator was very underdeveloped which left the reader wondering what really happened in the killer’s past that made him to the things he did. Sure, there were subtle hints at his childhood but not enough to buy the monster he turned into.

That being said, I must admit the plot was very unpredictable and there was never a dull moment. Dekker attempted to send a political message with part of his novel which I thought was an interesting way to look at the cost of war and collateral damage (but this storyline abruptly ended as well). Despite its many shortcomings, it was an entertaining and suspenseful read. This was my first go at Ted Dekker and I think I will try more of his works. Let me know what you think.

For those of you who are counting down the days until the season premiere of Supernatural's sixth season, here is a link for some spoilers. Enjoy!

Here's a new post from the graphic novel blog that might interest horror fans:

Every time a new Stephen King graphic novel comes out, I am blown away by the artwork. The covers are so vivid, and the quality stays true through the entire book, which unfortunately isn't always the case in graphic novels. If you haven't tried any Stephen King graphic novels, I suggest you start with either The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born or The Stand: Captain Trips. Each of these books is the first in a separate series. But, if you've been reading them all along, check out Fall of Gilead, the latest in the Dark Tower series.

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Summary: They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come. In one week, Manhattan will be gone...

May's Review: There is a reason why Del Toro is such a great fantasy director. He has a certain visual style that immediately captures your imagination and manages to hold your interest throughout even if the story isn't quite up to par. In the case of the book, fans of Del Toro wonder wonder if he can translate his unique visual style without using images or illustrations but rather, with words? I am happy to report that yes, he can. Maybe it's just me but I definitely tell it was patented Del Toro.

His vampires are eerily reminiscent of the über vampires in Blade II--entirely grotesque and frightening but at the same time, strangely compelling. It certainly helps that both author take their time to build up a credible back story for the characters so the audience gets to know them, especially Abraham Setrakian whose has a history with the vampires. The pacing of the book is actually quite fast-paced, almost as if he originally envisioned the story as a movie. If you enjoy reading vampire books, you can't go wrong with this one. In fact, The Strain is the first book in the trilogy so if you really like this storyline, then you will have two more books to look forward to in the next year or so.