Review: Superbly Chilling
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2014
Nothing Sacred is the prequel to Encounter and features Detective Dan Hammer while he is still part of the local police force. A suspected serial killer is abducting and mutilating young women, but in a terrifying oversight one survives.  In what is quite simply a master stroke Wickard uses clinical medical terminology to describe the mutilations; for example a Doctor describes her examination findings on the survivor in medical terminology, later a technical description of the mutilation is given as part of the autopsy on a victim. This is superbly chilling, and excellently highlights the sheer horror and repulsion of the crimes.  At times I found myself making noises of distress as the extent of the mutilation became apparent. Twice I almost wanted to put the book down to recover from it's assault on my psyche, but the writing is so compelling I was unable to tear myself away.The plot twists and turns like a sidewinder, and at one particular point a particularly brutal act of violence, and sacrifice should, if interpreted correctly, have pointed me straight to the killer.  However, such is the sheer class of this novel of suspense and terror that the true importance only becomes apparent in the thrilling denouement.The character of Dan Hammer is well crafted, lent humanity by small insights. His almost obsessive need to see his daughter, the raw, visceral physical explosion born of frustrated desire on the way to a crime scene, the way his weariness and cynicism contrasts with his near hero worship for the FBI profiler sent to assist. All of these small but acute observations paint a picture of a driven and compulsive character.All in all superb, chilling, visceral, raw, and a masterpiece. Wickard deserves a place amongst the key writers of suspenseful thrilling crime writing.