Rachel's Poll Winner #2: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga
Narrated by Charlie Thurston
Publisher: Hatchett Audio
Publication date: April 3rd 2012
Length: 9 hrs 32 minutes
My rating: 4 stars 

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also 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 wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

I grew up in the hunting grounds of the Richard Ramirez, aka The Nightstalker, an infamous serial killer from the 1980’s.  Our home was even painted in the colors that he preferred, so my sister and I would stay up late and scare ourselves silly with the possibilities.  But even before all of this, I’ve always been fascinated with murder mysteries, so when I Hunt Killers came out my interest was immediately piqued. A story centered on the son of one of the most horrific serial killers in history?  Sign me up!  That being said, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so utterly creeped out by a story!

Jasper Dent was raised by a monster, his father Billy, privy to his activities, schooled in his evil ways.  Billy was finally caught, and for the last four years Jazz has been living free of his control, and determined to be nothing like him. He’s very afraid that Billy’s influence or genes predispose him to become a killer, though. Jazz despises what his father did, but it did leave a mark on his thinking. 

When a killing happens in Jazz’s home town he knows in his heart that this is just the beginning. The murder has all the marks of a serial killer, and Jazz is determined to stop him.  As a reader you realize that Jazz desperately wants to prove that he’s unlike Billy, and stopping someone like his father might help in that regard.

Being inside Jazz’s mind was a bit disturbing at times.  Having to relive some of his memories about his father made me ill.  I felt so horrible for Jazz, and wished someone could’ve yanked him out of his father’s clutches sooner! His father was a true sociopath with absolutely no regard for the life of other, even more horrible is the fact he got pleasure from their pain and suffering.  Unfortunately, some of his thinking rubbed off on Jasper and he has a constant inner struggle to look at people and know that they matter.  But he does know how a killer thinks which makes him a perfect hunter of their kind.

I was rooting for Jasper to catch the killer but seriously scared for him as well. I knew it was just a matter of time before Jazz registered on the killer’s radar, making this a suspenseful and frightening read. I kept trying to figure out murderer’s identity along with Jazz and I had a few suspects in mind, but didn’t know for sure until the end. 

I did really enjoy this story, but I found find Jazz’s involvement in the investigation a little unbelievable.  I highly doubt any law enforcement body would’ve included and allowed a teenager to be any part of such a serious investigation.  Still, I Hunt Killers was an addictive story, albeit completely disturbing.  The murders were shocking and brutal.  The ending makes the future for Jazz’s full of even more frightening possibilities.  I do think I’ll hold off on reading the sequel for a while just because I hear it has a cliffhanger. 

When I Hunt Killers first came out I was extremely excited to pick it up, yet, as soon as I got a copy it sat on my shelf with all my other “must-have-it-now” books and languished there until it won our Monthly Recap poll for my next read.  I'm so happy I finally read  listened to it.  The audio version was spot on and Charlie Thurston's narration made the story come alive! I must thank all of our lovely readers for helping me tackle my dusty TBR!