Review: Great read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 6, 2011
In present day San Francisco, Detective Thomas James is called to the crime scene of a girl, beautiful even in death. Amanda was the kind of girl every man wants, the kind of girl a killer would want but couldn't have, unless he killed her to take a part of her to keep with him forever. This killer is nothing James has ever seen, starting with the note written in a child-like voice to the fact that he seems to be stuck in the mind, behaviour and though processes of a middle-grader. So, who is this killer? A mentally under-developed man whose string of murders ripple through San Francisco? Or maybe a brilliant psychopath who knows how to pretend to be someone else in order to divert suspicion? Or is the murderer the second body found hanging from a cord inside a closet on the same crime scene?One thing is clear, the murders seem to evolve around the supernatural, a ritual offering if you will - just like Amanda, that share similarities with a crime committed 90 years ago in a famous hotel during a time when witchcraft occupied the minds of the rich and famous, and when film stars were not as innocent as they liked to pretend on screen.Once at the hotel, James finds everyone long deceased, or so he believes, until paranormal activities start to take place, drawing James into an occult pool so dark and twisted that his own sanity's soon at stake as he tries to make sense of the things he never thought existed.An Apple for Zoe is a quick read, fast paced, full of action and paranormal elements that evolve around a twisted mind, dark desires and otherworldly forces. Detective Thomas James is the usual police officer with a strong investigative mind but an unwillingness to believe in anything mystic, which makes him convincing. The writing is sharp with a focus on dialogue and narration rather than description. This is a good book to read on the sofa on a weekend afternoon or rainy evening. As the plot progresses, all elements come together culminating into a strange crescendo that will make you wonder why you didn't see that one coming. It's a great storyline I thoroughly enjoyed.