Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic
Serial Killers Incorporated is the first book in a new series by the author Andy Remic. Currently it looks like a standalone, however it has big chances of being turned into a supernatural thriller series.
To be honest, I find it quite difficult to review it, not even sure where to start. I liked it, could have loved it, but I found it way too strange and confusing for my taste. Even now that I finished the book, I’m not quite sure what exactly did I read and who were indeed the main characters.
The story is about Callaghan, a very wealthy guy who literally wastes his life away on purpose by drinking, smoking, having relationships with married women, being a paparazzi of the worst kind, driving only fast cars, using the f word way too much, and just not caring much about the world he inhabits. He is a very unlikable character, at least at the beginning. One of those guys that you invariably think are a waste for this planet.
Things start to change, however, when some extremely sadistic murders occur whereby the killer involves Callahan in his killings for some strange reason. Volos, the serial killer has a special place for Callahan in his large scheme of things, he has chosen him for a very specific purpose and won’t let go of his target, involving him every step of the way.
Soon things become really dire for Callaghan, who is now not only “admired” and pestered by a truly vicious serial killer, but also chased by Vladimir “Vodka” Katchevsy, the husband of the woman he has an affair with, a Romanian mafia guy who takes no prisoners if you happens to get into his bad side.
Soon Callahan has to made a decision that will change his life. It is not an easy decision and it’s made most of desperation than anything else, but it seems that it’s the only way for him to finally grow up and behave less than the spoil kid he thinks he is, and more like the man he is.
There is lots (and really lots) of action in this book, suspense is a killer and there are hardly any moments where something violent is not happening. The killings are truly gruesome and you should make sure you are not eating when reading the book (I made the mistake of reading while having my breakfast – big mistake). The bodies are viciously savaged in a way that not even the CSI TV series can come up with.
By the end of the book I realized that nobody is what they initially seem – with the exception of Callahan himself. Everyone has some big secrets that they keep hidden from Callahan, and poor guy seems to have lived a life of lies – at least concerning his friends and loved ones.
I am not even sure what genre to classify Serial Killers Incorporated into – thriller for sure, murder mystery for sure, but with a hint of supernatural, which was more apparent towards the end of the book. I’m sure if there is a second novel in the series, the supernatural aspect will be more predominant, but right now all was too confusing as it were.
I enjoyed reading the book, in fact for themost of the part I couldn’t put it down. However I didn’t “enjoy” it as much as other novels. There was a sick pull to keep reading, although I was cringing at every swear word (and boy there are many of those, especially the “f” word) on every page.
When I finally finished the book, it was like a heavy stone lifted from my chest. I was glad to have read it. Probably I’ll buy the second one when it comes out, only to see if I was right about the supernatural aspect of it and what will really become of Callahan, but I’ll be definitely not pushing the author to come out with the second book NOW.
Btw, the author should really research better the names, as Vladimir Katchevsky is definitely not Romanian, it’s Russian. Having lived in Romania for the first 20 years of my life, I’ve never heard this name before (sure Vlad is common, although not so much used with its full name ‘Vladimir”, but not with the Katchevsky last name, which not Romanian at all). And vodka nickname? C’mon that’s again as Russian as it goes…if the author said ‘tuica’, I might have bought it…
Overall a good read, if on the heavier side, especially if you like books that remind you of “sick”, and I don’t mean here hospitals and ailments.
To read more about Serial Killers Incorporated or get the book, head over to Amazon.
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