I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Pages: 361
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Mystery-Thriller
Notes for Parents: Contains mild coarse language, graphic descriptions of murder scenes, and disturbing descriptions of psychotic behavior.

The Back Cover
Jazz is the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, “Take Your Son to Work Day” was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops only wish they could—from the criminal’s point of view.
Now, with bodies piling up in the sleepy town of Lobo’s Nod, Jazz must work with the police to prove that murder doesn’t run in the family.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a trilogy (#2 Game; #3 Blood of my Blood) which also includes a prequel called Lucky Day that will be available online April 1^st, 2014.

What’s good?

This mystery-thriller is both disturbing and compelling. Characterization is excellent. The main character, Jazz, is easy to like despite his occasional psychotic moments brought on by his much damaged childhood. The supporting characters are fantastic – especially friend Howie, who has the courage to be friends with the town freak, and Jazz’s grandmother, who is delightfully bizarre and horrifyingly enabling at the same time. The plot is wrought with twists and turns, eerily described crime scenes, and moments of pure adrenalin.
Best Part: The scene with the dog was freakishly unnerving. I had to close the book and walk away for a while. I guess this means it was well written but…see Worst Part.

What isn’t good?

Describing the phrase “bros before hos” as a “cute motto” nearly made me close the book for good. There are a dozen better ways to express that friendship comes before girlfriends. The casual use of the phrase was very off-putting. Speaking of girlfriends, Jazz’s girlfriend Connie was not well developed and remained vague through most of the story. Perhaps she figures more prominently in later books, but here her existence seemed kind of pointless. Also, I found it oddly convenient that the killer found girls with the right age, initials and occupation in what’s suppose to be a small town.
Worst part: …The scene with the dog made me wonder if I was somehow enabling the author’s psychotic thoughts by reading it.

Recommendation þþþþo

While brilliant in its portrayal of psychotic behavior, it’s a ridiculously disturbing mix of Criminal Minds and Dexter. I learned way more about the psychology of serial killers than I’ve ever wanted to know. This is not the kind of book I can finish and say I enjoyed. It’s a very specific genre that will only appeal to a select group. Highly recommended, but only for those who like that kind of thing.

 

Lyga, Barry. I Hunt Killers. New York: Little, Brown& Co., 2012.