Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was an amazing thriller! Definitely the best I've read in a while. Assuming you read the synopsis, I'll just add a few comments. We are following the perspective of Theo, who is a bit socially awkward and doesn't really possess any street smarts. He discovers that a former student of his was murdered, but his scientific brain doesn't accept the poorly explained circumstances indicating that the attacker was just a bear. He is the only person who thinks that the culprit is human, and his suspicions take him down a very interesting path. This character seems stiff and detached at first, but as he experiences each new situation, his personality adjusts and he becomes a very entertaining person to follow. He is extremely intelligent, so at first I was worried that I would just be fed a jumble of scientific jargon, however the author brilliantly explains some of the surprisingly interesting details and theories through the story. The plot is slow and steady at first, however it is immensly captivating, because what we know about this killer adds a folklore-type sense of mystery. The story does pick up as the main character unearths more bodies and discoveries. I love that the author added some chilling moments when Theo thinks he's being watched, and I'm always impressed by the addition of a strong female influence. We meet a woman named Jillian, who proves she can handle almost anything thrown her way. I read this all in one sitting and I was sweating from anxiety by the time I reached the ending! On that note, the ending was spectacular! I'm so happy that Mayne pays attention to detail, because he does an expert job of laying out the sequences of events during this thrilling and terrifying ending in a clear and easy to follow manner. I've read many thrillers that neglect to account for some piece of information that makes me trip up and question what I'm picturing. I'm trying to think about other things that I ask about before reading suspense novels. I hope these aren't spoilers, but I'll say that there was some foul language, but not excessively throughout. Some mentions of drug and other adult centric themes, but there wasn't any graphic sexual content. There was some violence and detail of bloody injuries, but it wasn't overly grotesque or unbearable for the average reader. The ending was slightly open, enough to make you want more, but there definitely wasn't a cliffhanger. Overall this book was outstanding, and I can't wait to read the next one!