Review: Obsessive encounters - A Tour de force
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2013
The action begins with a prologue that expertly sets the tone for things to come. The scene is viewed through the eyes of a boy, and without being explicit it sets an atmosphere of mistrust, secretive, slightly sordid homosexual encounters, beneath everything a festering hatred and disgust that become a recurrent theme.The novel deals with the disappearance of several men at the hands of a serial killer. All the victims seem to have the perfect life, position, family, children. After their disappearance the facade unravels. The victims craved something extra; excitement and freedom from the confines of home life. The portraits are totally believable. Much as people may want to think this is just a construct for a novel, the scenario is repeated in real life more often than you may feel comfortable admitting. The writing in these scenes is right on target and superbly constructed.Mr Wickard detours into the world of bodybuilding, gyms and secret liaisons masquerading as "massage" with skill. He touches on the underbelly of this mode of life lightly but surely, and again leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions.The scenes with the serial killer gradually escalate and are genuinely, intensely horrifying in their depiction. We are allowed insights into the killers mind, motives and actions that generate feelings of revulsion, but also a compelling need to keep reading. Mr Wickard displays genuine talent in his masterful handling of the narrative threads.We are introduced to new protagonists in this novel. Not setting out to win the sympathy of anybody as we learn more about them, particularly Inspector Vanessa Sanchez, we become more and more attracted for good or bad. The characters are human, they face similar stresses and strains. Many will recognise the fight to escape a divorce, or the desire to connect with their children. My feeling was one of admiration and respect for Inspector Sanchez rather than liking, which demonstrates that there are multiple ways of engaging with characters.Red herrings and clues are expertly scattered and I finished the book in a rush, completely carried along with the excitement and the surprise at the killer. Once again, a tour de force from Mr Wickard.