Based on the editor's description I was immediately intrigued by John Burley's debut thriller, The Absence of Mercy, so I was excited to finally be able to pick it up over the weekend.
I loved the prologue; the very first line is "this is not the beginning," which sets the stage for some eerie thoughts because, knowing it's a murder mystery, what is the beginning? What has already happened to lead to this horrific killing in the first three pages? Read on…
The murders are gruesome and savage, which makes the reveal of the killer more powerful, and I like how Burley, a doctor (cause who doesn't have the time to be an emergency medical doctor and write a novel?), incorporates his scientific knowledge into the mix with his main character, medical examiner Ben Stevenson.
Also, while the killer is revealed with 1/5 of the book left, the reasoning and explanation adds another layer to the story; it becomes more than just a murder mystery.
I definitely would recommend checking it out. Egalleys are available on Edelweiss.
– Annie