Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel
Ok, so I do a lot of my reading at night. Often with just a bedside lamp on, and the rest of the room thrown into a gloomy relief. Then I started Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine and I swear to you I turned on every single light within 20-foot radius. Was it scary? Yes. Was it spine-chilling terrifyingly scary? Oh my, definitely yes. Move over Stephen King, Daniel A. Kaine has arrived.
The story is deceptively simple. A cop, Alex Beckman, is pursuing a violent (read sick) serial killer who likes to carve up his victims and sever their heads from their bodies. After Alex and his partner Sonja investigate the first few victims, they see a change in the killer’s pattern. Previously the victims’ throats were slit and the carving was done posthumously. Now, the killer has escalated and he appears to be torturing the victims before offing them. That torture includes carving into their genitalia and, in some cases, removing pieces of or all of it from their bodies. The scenes are graphic but that is not, believe me, the most disturbing thing about this novel. No, you see not only are the scenes described on page, but also they are done so by the killer, himself. And trust me when I tell you this guy is one very sick SOB.
The problem is that his narrative is also hypnotic in nature and amazingly well written. I felt as though I had fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in crazy town every time the killer took over the narrating from our detective, Alex. The scene descriptions were so cunningly drawn and described that I simply could not tear my eyes away even though I was terrified to continue reading.
As the killings continue to mount, we learn more about Alex and his on again, off again affair with Lance, a journalist for the local newspaper. Apparently, Slasherazzi has been leaving graphic prints for Lance to use with his stories. This made Lance hungry for any details he could find on the killer. Much like Alex, Lance also gets overly involved in his job and it is revealed that the reason Alex does not fully trust Lance is because Lance tampered with the file Alex kept on the serial killer and used the info for his news article. So there now lies an uneasy trust between the two men and yet a strong attraction persists. All that is about to change however, as the investigation heats up, the FBI are called in, and both Lance and Alex are viewed as potential suspects. Is Alex or Lance a serial killer? Or are they Slasherazzi’s next victims?
Honestly, this novel kept me up half the night. I truly could not put it down. To say something trite like it was a good mystery wrapped up in the makings of a horror story is not nearly to do justice to this riveting story. And the end? Well, I can honestly say I actually shouted out the words, “oh my god, NO!” The characters were spot on, believable, interesting, easily working on your heartstrings, and pulling at the edge of your last ounce of sanity. From the killer to our romantic leads, this group was exciting and compelling.
There are graphic depictions of violence in this novel so be forewarned. But, please, do not let that keep you from reading this tantalizing story. Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine is not one to be missed. Just remember, keep the lights on…all of them!
