• Author: Chris Carter
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Publishing year: 2010
• Series: Robert Hunter series
• Number of pages: 416 (Tolino e-reader)
• ISBN: 978-0-85720036 (e-book)
• My rating: 4,5/5

Synopsis:

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked body of a priest. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, somone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Executioner/Chris-Carter/9780857200136

Review:

Another great thriller by Chris Carter, the man that teaches us how to leave chapters on cliffhangers…

Thriller writers work according to a formula that seems to be working to gain followers and fans. You start with a murder or the discovery of one, the more gore and the more gruesome the better, and one or a few detectives that are searching that killer. So does Chris Carter (not the same one who made The X-Files) and it definitely works! He offers us the right amount of gore, twisted killers and smart police detectives in his books. This was his second novel in the Robert Hunter series and for me, this is what I need. I read a lot (people that know me by now or follow me on social media have noticed this already) and I switch between genres and styles. But my go-to genre has always been (and will always be) horror and thriller. I love a fast paced thriller where we, as readers, are asked to think and search for the killer, whodunnits is what they call it… i have read a lot of books in this genre and (too) often I can predict the killer pretty early on. Not with The Executioner though. I thought I had it in Chapter 20 and then again in Chapter 90 (great misleading there, Chris) but I was still surprised at the end!!!

I love when writers still get me guessing and have me looking in the wrong places.

The book was suspenseful and full of (the right amount of) gore, it was fast and I was totally invested in this story. I also appreciate how the author himself replies to any post you make about his books. You can really feel him being curious and very much intrigued what his readers think of his books!

Well, Chris, if you read this… I love your books! I am already looking at the third one in the series, so you might see another review appear soon 😉

One last question: what are you afraid of? Because this killer knows already and he’s about to make your worst nightmare come true… 😈

Dutch edition: (published by HarperCollins)

https://www.harpercollins.nl/9789402709278/gezicht-van-het-kwaad/

De nieuwe nagelbijtend spannende pageturner van internationaal bestsellerauteur Chris Carter.

Op de traptreden van een kerkaltaar wordt het bloederige lichaam van een priester gevonden. Forensisch rechercheurs ontdekken dat in het bovenlijf van het slachtoffer het cijfer drie is gekerfd.

Eerst denkt profiler Robert Hunter dat het om een rituele moord gaat, maar als er meer lichamen worden gevonden, moet hij zijn mening bijstellen. Na onderzoek blijkt dat ieder slachtoffer is geconfronteerd met zijn of haar ergste nachtmerrie, die werkelijkheid is geworden. Hoe kan de moordenaar dit zo precies weten? Robert Hunter en zijn sidekick Carlos Garcia worden zelf ook geconfronteerd met hun grootste angst in hun zoektocht om deze moordenaar te stoppen…