Review - I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

by Barry Lyga
publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
date of publication: April 3, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 359
source: from the publisher for review
read it in: 4 days

From Goodreads:

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?

Jazz Dent is not like other teenagers in Lobo's Nod.  Being surrounded by the infamy that being the son of the world's most prolific serial killer brings on, Jazz is a boy struggling to figure out who he really is.  Is he a meant for solving murder cases... or something far more lethal?  I Hunt Killers is a chilling peek into the mind of a boy damaged by the psychological scars inflicted upon him by his murderous father and the repercussions those scars have upon his life.  Turn on the lights, lock the doors, and sit down for a thrill like none you've ever experienced before.

Jasper "Jazz" Dent, while often charming, is a character with many skeletons (almost literally) in his closet.  He possesses both a keen intellect and an eye for detail that gives local law enforcement a run for their money.  It's difficult not to feel pity for him due to the brainwashing perpetrated by his father, Billy Dent, the world's worst serial killer.  He is a boy on the brink of tumbling into a dark abyss of murder and depravity.  His struggle to avoid this fate makes him a surprisingly admirable character, as does his loyalty to his best friend, Howie, who is as different from Jasper as it is possible to be.  The overall experience of being so immersed in Jazz's head is both enlightening and frightening.  He is definitely one of the most unique characters I have ever read about.

The plot of I Hunt Killers, while somewhat bogged down with Jazz's frequent inner monologues in regard to his true nature, is made up of an intricately woven mystery of the most frightening sort.  The brief glimpses into the point of view of the killer are chilling and do a great job at imparting a thick atmosphere of foreboding.  There are some truly horrific dream descriptions within that are more than capable of making you nervous, a sure sign that you are in the midst of a riveting, if not disturbing, book.  I must give one warning, however, if you are easily suggestible and prone to nightmares, be careful about when and where you read I Hunt Killers.  With the right surroundings, you could successfully scare yourself silly with this one!    

I Hunt Killers is quite possibly one of the most eerie books I've ever read.  Jazz is a very engaging character, even if he does manage to make you worry from time to time.  The plot is intense and full of some truly stunning twists that leave you scrambling to figure out the culprit behind the crimes.  The ending is truly an explosion of surprise that left me reeling after I turned the last page.  If you're looking for an intense, creepy read, you simply must try I Hunt Killers.  Thrills and chills abound and you'll be perpetually on the edge of your seat.

Buy I Hunt Killers at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This finished copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher.  No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.