SERIAL K by Brian Gallagher

SERIAL K is an exciting thriller written by Brian Gallagher.

As soon as Craig Breedlove gets hold of his vast inheritance after the unusual death of his father and suicide of his mother the day after his father’s death, he puts his nefarious plans to action that is to pay tribute to the greatest serial killers in history. Diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, Breedlove had spent three years in juvenile detention prior to his diagnosis giving him ample time to come up with the most diabolical plan that will make him the greatest serial killer of all time.

After emulating Robert Hansen in Anchorage, Breedlove moves to Spokane to pay tribute to Robert Lee Yates, Jr, then on to Salem, Oregon for a modified reproduction of Randy Woodfield killing. By the time the crimes are discovered to be interconnected, Breedlove is on to his fourth victim.

FBI Special Agent and part time fiction writer Ryan O’Callahan is assigned to the case and teams up with his ex-wife FBI profiler Lea Pucci. As they hunt down the serial killer, the couple gets to spend time together and begins to consider possibilities regarding their unusual relationship. Meanwhile, bodies are piling up and they are nowhere near the identity of the perpetrator.

The book is told in the third person perspective and is a real deal thriller fiction complete with graphically depicted scenes. Never once deviating from the plot, the author builds up the premise by introducing a depraved character performing terrible crimes that ultimately escalate to egregious atrocity. With a relatively fast pacing, the book is a real page turner with sporadic love and romantic scenes to break the intensity of the action.

The characters, both main and minor, are developed with just sufficient back stories to substantiate their roles. The conclusion, though not the usual kind of ending I go for, offers a temporary closure that leaves a slight feeling of discontent that may make some readers want for more.

What I like most about the book is the unpredictability. Halfway through the story, the author introduces a new twist and throws in additional characters making the flow of the book more difficult to guess.

Despite the few typo errors that I noticed, I enjoyed this book a lot and I recommend it to crime and thriller fans. Some violent and gruesome scenes, however, may not be suitable for young readers.

Congratulations to Brian Gallagher (@GallagherAuthor) on such a great book! For more books by the author, click HERE.

SERIAL K was an OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day on November 16^th. You may check it out at Online Book Club.