Oh, I know. I hear what you’re all thinking. Another book by Rick R Reed?? Really?
Dude, the guy’s got like 40 books out. I have a lot of reading to do! Besides, I happen to know from an inside source that this was the first horror book Reed wrote featured around gay characters exclusively. It was originally published in 2007 and is currently being re-released with NineStar Press. It was at one point optioned for a movie! Never happened, but still. OMG, if only that were to happen to one of my books.
So, no secret, I love Reed’s writing. But this is the first horror novel I’ve read from him. And once again, I was entertained, transported into the author’s world and suitably terrified.
Title: IM
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: February 10, 2020
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: No Romance, Male/Male
Length: 91600
Genre: Contemporary
WARNINGS: Graphic depictions of violence and mutilation, murder, pedophilia, scene of underage rape –
TAGS: LGBT, law enforcement, online dating, thriller, contemporary
Synopsis:
One by one, he’s killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. They invite him over. He’s just another trick. Harmless. They’re dead wrong.
When the first bloody body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. Sickened by the butchered mess of one of his brothers left on display in a bathtub, he seeks relief outside where the young man who discovered the body waits to tell him the story of how he found his friend. But who is this witness…and did he play a bigger part in the murder than he’s letting on?
Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth, a truth that he needs to discover before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity…his life. Because in this killer’s world, IM doesn’t stand for instant message…it stands for instant murder.
My Review:
Let’s face it, writing is hard. Personally, I think horror is one of the harder genres to nail down because not everyone is scared of the same thing, right? For one person it’s spiders, for the next, it’s small enclosed spaces. What drives our fear is very personal and individualistic. When you start out to write a horror novel, you have a big task in front of you. How do you terrify your readers?
Turns out the definition of horror literature is a little broader. A story is considered to fit into the horror genre if the writer instills feelings of terror, dread, repulsion, and fear. I would argue disgust also should be added as well.
Reed has, as I mentioned above, nailed it. And in this tale, the antagonist uses whatever knife he can get his hands on to get the job done. He also preys on something that any gay man will resonate with – dating apps. Now, I’m a married guy and have been for a very long time, so the dating app scene came long after I was already hitched. But I’ve watched friends use them for years. Meet someone through pictures (or not), instant message them, have a conversation and decide to hook up. There’s a lot of misplaced trust going into this scenario. How well do you know this stranger? Maybe a little, perhaps not at all. Reed plays on this – one of our most basic primal instincts – the need for sex – and creates a world where inviting strangers over for a good time, turns out to be the worst, and the last time.
I personally have a thing with metal going into the skin. Always have, always will. It’s the sensation of the foreign object embedded where it doesn’t belong, and the pain associated with the penetration of the metal through layers of tissue.
For those who do not deal well with graphic depictions of violence, or blood, or any of the other tags listed above, this is NOT the book for you. Reed takes us on a disturbing journey by using multiple points of view in the first person so that we can live each part of the story.
In one chapter, you’re the victim.
In the next chapter, you’re the cop trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
And then you’re in the head of the killer, seeing what makes him so twisted and vile.
The backstories for each of the characters put on display are intriguing. Some are rather non-descript, or ‘every day’. We all know people who would fit. And then the story of the killer is so incredibly bizarre, and yet believable, you’re too fascinated to put the book down.
The other thing I loved about this book is that Reed went with a killer who is described as waifish, and elf-like. Small and petite. How could someone so fragile looking end up holding so much power and sway over his victims? How could he have gotten away with murder so many times over? And yet, he does.
Reed had me thoroughly repulsed, not only with the violent acts, but with the warped thoughts of the killer, the toxic relationships he endured in his family, and his sexual abuse. All of these layers contributing to the rage that created a serial killer.
It was fascinating.
And, for those who like some sexy fun times in their books, Reed had me hooked on Ed Comparetto’s love life with the sexy librarian, Peter. Ed had several character failings and was at a very low point in his life throughout this tale, but his relationship with Peter was a highlight. One that kept him alive, and one that made you want to cheer him on because he deserved Peter in his life.
I’ve always said there are at least two good markers of a really good book:
1.) I don’t really want to put it down. If I zoom through a tale, I know it had me hooked (Check)
2.) If I feel something…shed a tear, laugh out loud, or in this case, felt anxiety and nausea from the horrific crime scenes, then the author has done their job. (Check)
Reed has lots of books available. Check out his available lists HERE. Third Eye is next on my list. What will be yours?
Rating:
Purchase Links:
NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Meet the Author:
Real Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet another book. Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” You can find him at http://www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his beloved husband, Bruce, and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix, Kodi.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Giveaway:
One lucky winner will receive a $10.00 NineStar Press Gift Code!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
J.P. Jackson 