3.57 AVERAGE

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While I don't remember what first turned me on to reading Piccirilli, it's super easy to figure out why I keep reading him. His writing is strong, his characters well-defined and his stories engaging. Every book by him I finish cements his position as one of my favorite authors.

The Dead Letters follows Eddie Whitt as he refuses to let go of his daughter's death at the hands of a serial killer named Killjoy. Even when Killjoy changes his m.o. and starts delivering kidnapped babies from abusive homes to the parents of his murdered victims, Whitt won't let go. His life for the five years since his daughter was killed has been a pattern focused on finding and killing Killjoy. Something that makes him irrational enough to hurt himself in the process; his frustrations cause him to do things to calm down that had me cringe.

As readers, we experience that same frustration and desperation. We become involved with the weird cult family that has clues necessary for finding Killjoy. We hurt as Whitt's grief and pain bleeds off the pages. The book is something you will not want to put down. I'm not sure what else to say except go read it. Piccirilli is not someone to miss and this is novel is pure Piccirilli.