More like 3.5. Great beginning; really captured my attention. Could have used a little trimming of the story to tighten it up, and there was a whole subplot which was extraneous and just detracted from the whole tale. But it had spooky and captivating parts; not unsatisfying.

2+. started off strong but as soon as valerie came into the picture it strayed into cliche (i don't know why thriller writers need to talk so much about a cop's instinct/obsession with cases/"the Machine"...it adds nothing to the story). didn't mind the little side tangents - i liked learning about claudia, the sheriff at the end, etc - but when your main cop is so unlikable and frustrating, ugh. also, complete personal preference, i usually prefer when you don't get perspectives from the killer. good case overall, but skipped towards the end just to wrap up.

This book is a stunning thriller. It grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. Hollywood would be crazy not to come calling to film this. It has everything. I found myself reading late into the night and then waking up early to finish. Do yourself a favor - read this book!

Meh

The story was good and the multiple points of view leading to the same place were cool but they were !massively overshadowed by all the sex. We didn't need to know about the sex lives of the characters who had a minute part in the story.

This was intense from the very first page. I read a good amount of thrillers, and don't mind violence in books, but the opening scene of this one was so creepy it made me put off reading it for a few days- and that's a compliment.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. It's one of the most disturbing and violent books I have ever read. The pacing is very good through most of the book; it wraps up a bit too quickly at the end after pages and pages of painfully taught tension and suspense. It was scary. The images from it gave me nightmares and I wonder at the sanity of the author; the inner monologues of the serial killers feel all too real. On the whole, the book was gripping, the characters complete, complicated and compelling. So why love/hate? SO MUCH DEATH. You can't trust that anyone is going to make it and some of the characters you are rooting for meet bitter and sad ends. Still, I would recommend this book if you have the stomach for it.

This is a great story!!!! The first 2 pages completely draw you in, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the different point of views. It was just the right amount of twisted.

Dislike book. Unlikely. Coincidences. Unpleasant in a gratuitous way.
Don't read anything else by this author.

I could not put this book down. I LOVED IT. The storyline is incredible, and the character development is fantastic. I cried and raged through the whole thing - when a book makes me FEEL that deeply, you know it's good. I can't wait to read more from Saul!!

A gripping story that could've benefited from a heavier-handed editor