by Dan Wells
First published 2013
John Wayne Cleaver knows he carries something dark inside himself. Homicidal urges surge through him at unpredictable moments, threatening to transform him into the very thing he studies obsessively: a serial killer. Rather than prey on innocent people, John has found a different outlet for his violent impulses. He targets murderers instead. His latest quarry goes by the name Nobody. John deliberately lures this killer to his quiet hometown of Clayton, setting himself up as bait in a deadly game. The wait stretches for weeks while John prepares for what's coming. Then the murders begin. Bodies start appearing around Clayton, each death confirming that Nobody has arrived and accepted the challenge. Now the hunt can begin in earnest. John must rely on his intimate understanding of killer psychology and his own monstrous instincts to track down Nobody before more innocent blood spills. But when you play cat and mouse with a serial killer, there's always the risk you'll end up being the mouse.
Genres: mystery, crime, psychological-thriller, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, dark-protagonist, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Clayton
333 pages · Paperback · Sonatine
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder, violence