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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Murders depicted with significant graphic detail; the killer's method is disturbing and the violence escalates
Language
Some
Some strong language in the crime thriller register
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The impossible nature of the killer's apparent abilities and the mounting evidence of a brilliant, disturbed mind create sustained psychological tension
What this book is about
John Verdon's debut thriller introduces Dave Gurney, a retired New York City detective pulled back into investigation when a former college acquaintance receives an impossible series of letters predicting the numbers he's thinking of. The impossible-seeming killer and the increasingly disturbing pattern of murders make for an inventive puzzle thriller. The violence escalates to genuinely graphic territory, and the psychological portrait of the killer is disturbing. One of the more impressive debut crime novels of the 2000s.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic murder scenes
Disturbing portrait of a methodical killer
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