THE KILLINGS by J.F. Gonzalez & Wrath James White / Sinister Grin Press (June, 2012) / 173 pages / Signed Limited Edition Hardcover
THE KILLINGS is the new collaborative effort from J.F. Gonzalez and Wrath James White. I am quite familiar with Wrath, having read many of his previous works, and I’ve come to learn that opening something with his name on it typically means that I’m in for a fast paced and highly entertaining read full of the most extreme and diabolical madness you could ever imagine; as a consumer, this is of course what I want from an author. Gonzalez, however, is a new name to me so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in but was excited to find out what would unfold.
The streets have become a playground for someone that the locals are referring to as the Lust Killer, a maniac preying on innocent women, all of whom are young and bi-racial, slicing them up and taking a “trophy”, if you will (sometimes a breast and sometimes more). In true Wrath fashion, the kill scenes are brutal and shocking yet in this story, carry an almost poetic quality. There is no nonsensical gore nor is there anything wildly over the top. These two authors have managed to create a work and an atmosphere that is almost as beautiful as it is horrific and I could nearly feel the humidity in the air as the story weaved its way through the neighborhoods of Atlanta.
1911. Same city, same setting, murders in the same exact style (then known as the Ripper killings). The authors seamlessly weave a parallel story with too many consistencies to be coincidence. What is the link? Is the Lust Killer simply a copycat reaching for some grotesque glory, similar to that attained by the Ripper? Enter Carmen Mendoza, a local reporter with an uncanny eye for uncovering and exposing. Through her diligence, she learns of a woman whose name strikes fear in the eyes and soul of every person that knew her or that knows of her story… Grandma Sable. A curse placed long ago by Grandma Sable went very wrong and Carmen senses that this has something (if not everything) to do with all of the murders, both then and now.
The writers do an excellent job pulling in elements of voodoo and black magic that only add to an already complex tale full of mystery and intrigue (not to mention just the right amount of gore). Fantastic pacing and well thought out layers make THE KILLINGS an absolute must read for 2013.
- Jordan Norton
