Member Reviews
"The Psychopath" by A.M. Edwards is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the dark and twisted mind of a remorseless killer. The novel's central character, who remains unnamed, is a chilling portrait of a psychopath whose lack of empathy and manipulative nature drive the narrative.
The plot follows the psychopath as he navigates through life, committing heinous acts without remorse. The tension builds as law enforcement closes in, leading to a suspenseful cat-and-mouse game.
The narrative is structured to keep readers on edge, with unexpected twists and a pacing that accelerates towards a gripping climax.
The unnamed psychopath is a complex and deeply unsettling character. His calculated and emotionless perspective provides a haunting look into the mind of someone devoid of humanity.
The interactions between the psychopath and other characters, including victims, law enforcement, and acquaintances, are meticulously crafted, adding layers to the story and highlighting the protagonist's manipulative skills.
A.M. Edwards employs a direct writing style that complements the chilling nature of the story. The use of first-person perspective provides an intimate and unsettling glimpse into the protagonist’s psyche.
The author’s skillful use of suspense and detail keeps the reader engaged and uneasy, mirroring the unpredictability of the psychopath's actions.
The novel explores what it means to be truly evil, examining the lack of morality and empathy in the protagonist.
"The Psychopath" is a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers. Its detailed character study of a remorseless killer, combined with a taut and suspenseful plot, makes it a standout in the genre. The novel’s ability to maintain tension and deliver unexpected twists ensures that readers are kept on the edge of their seats until the very end.
I love stories about serial killers, but with a multitude of podcasts and true crimes documentaries, it’s hard not too. I thought this would have been comparable to American Psycho, and while parallels can definitely be seen, it can stand on its own. You get into his mind, which is incredibly frightening, the sheer narcissism and egotism. However, the book altogether was predictable and it went a bit longer than I feel it should have.
I tried four times to read this book and unfortunately it just wanted for me couldn't do it. Sorry !
This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a psychopaths mind?
We get to know Jez as a successful university professor, father to Jamie and husband to Maxine, and also a serial killer. We get to live inside Jez’s mind as he fantasizes about killing his coworkers.
The premise was fantastic and I had fun with this one.
I just couldn't get into this one. I think I see what the author was trying to do, but it was just so difficult to read and might have made a good novella if some of the rambling exposition had been cut.
'Eventually Leighton stops lecturing me, probably just to catch his breath. After our last encounter I can take it a bit better and am feeling more robust. I even manage to look at the artery increasingly protruding and pulsing in his neck as he spits venom at me. I wonder what it would be like to pop a pencil straight into it and watch it burst like crimson rain all over his office. I might enjoy that.'
Meet Jez.
Jez is adulterous husband to Maxine, devoted father to Jamie, promiscuous lover, university professor, pro-vice-chancellor for research – and a serial killer aiming to get to the top by any means necessary.
His passion for murder parallels his love of music, and he matches each kill with its own special theme song to enhance the experience as he works towards assembling his very own top forty greatest hits.
When the vice-chancellor of lowly ranked Francis Drake University begins to sexually pester Jez's mistress Bella, it accelerates his plans for domination. But will he get there?
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc.
I definitely enjoyed this book, the synopsis intrigued me and I definitely thought it did what it said it would but the main character exasperated me so much.
Would recommend but not my favorite!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 1, 2022
Meet Jez. Jez is a university professor, a devoted father and an adulterous husband. He is also a serial killer, murdering people who get in his way or whom he feels deserve it. Like, for example, the work colleague who was up for the same promotion as Jez. Or the man who continues to harass Jez’s mistress. All Jez wants is everything he deserves and a fast trip to the top, where he feels he belongs. But will he get there? How many bodies need to drop before Jez achieves his goals? And of course, most importantly, will he be caught?
A.M. Edwards introduces us to the dark psyche of a serial killer in his debut adult fiction novel, “The Psychopath”. The inner workings of a psychopath’s brain are brought to light, with each inner thought and monologue being exposed. This alone was enough to give me shivers.
The novel is narrated entirely by Jez, but it is not told in chronological order. Some chapters involve Jez’s current state as a married faculty member, but chapters from Jez’s past (his “rise to serial killing”, if you will) are interspersed. Each chapter is labeled, so it is easy to determine what time frame you’re about to enter. I loved hearing this story from Jez’s perspective- there really was no other way to do it, and I’m so glad Edwards thought the same.
Edwards somehow manages to endear a reader to Jez, and although I wasn’t exactly rooting for him, I fell prey to his charm. He makes no excuses for his behaviours and thoughts, and is a loving and caring father to his son. “The Psychopath” is not a twisty-turny, suspenseful kind of story, but the ending sure packed one heck of an unexpected surprise!
For a psychopath/serial killer junkie like me (I make no apologies), I loved “The Psychopath” (Jez in particular). As a debut, Edwards has hit it out of the park and I hope to see more from him soon.
It's an original and gripping story that features one of the most hateful MC. It's well written, a bit rushed at the end.
It was an interesting read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I'm sorry to say but I could not get into this book. I will have to try again. Thanks for the ecopy.
I did not finish this title. I tried to complete it, but lost steam around 1/3 in. Perhaps a better read for another reader.
I will not lie, I am completely and totally obsessed with serial killers.
I fall asleep to the soothing sounds of Lester Holt and can binge watch ID Discovery for hours without ever being bored.
A title like "The Psychopath" , instantly speaks to my dark soul. I knew without a doubt in my mind I HAD TO HAVE THIS BOOK. Thank you so much Netgalley, A.M. Edwards and and RedDoor Press, for allowing me to read and review this mindblowing, psychological novel.
The Psychopath is narrated in first person and from the serial killer's point of view (YIKES!) cue my excitement! He tells his story through thoughts and feelings from his first murder until now.
This is a truly UNLIKEABLE main character and I was quite alright with that. How could you honestly say you "love" a serial killer. You just want to get into their head and find out what makes them tick and why they do the things that they do.
I have seen mixed reviews on this book but you are all crazy if you picked this up and did not like it. You are getting exactly what the synopsis tells you, you are getting.
Hands down 5 stars.
I couldn't get into this book, it was trying to be American Psycho but failed. I didn't enjoy the writing style at all and made it extremely difficult to get through. Disappointingly I stopped reading at 63%.
This book is written in an open and honest way and she is dedicated to preventing others from falling for a psychopath, ending the shame for other victims and helping them to find their voice too.
I don’t rate memoirs because I feel that I shouldn’t rate someone’s true story/experience but this book was super interesting. Repetitive at times, but kept my attention.
NetGalley and RedDoor Press than you so much for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book.
Jez is a married man, is deep in academia life and oh by the way a psychopath. This is the story of his emergence as a psychopath, it is humorous and horrific all rolled into one. What the author does in the final pages rocked my reading mind. Full of anticipation for the next reading adventure from this author.
It starts Jeremy: A husband, father, pro-vice chancellor, and of course a psychopathic serial killer. "The Psychopath" And we go through several time frames of past to present. I found this one a little slow in places.
A perfectly creepy insight into the mind of a psychopath.
Was a little confusing at times but worth a read
Oh wow. What can I say about this book? I hesitate to say this book was bad. For me, it was entertaining. A kind of 'so odd, it was entertaining kind of way'. Good old Jeremy calls himself a psychopath, although whether he is a psychopath he doesn't know, but he likes the sound of being a psychopath. It allows him to kill people who get in his way. Are you the top person in class? Well, good Ole' Jezzer will bump you off, and take the top spot. Making flirty eyes at the woman he's having an affair with. Oh no, no. That won't do. Snuff you out he shall.
It seems like an interesting premise, especially when you're following along with him and getting his insights into the world around him. The worst thing this book could be is boring and... unfortunately, there were times when I lose interest, there is only so many times you can listen to him talk about his stalker wife, Maxine, or go on about how he hated that neighbour in Australia, or another person he killed for the umpteenth time. It was firmly sitting on the 'uh...this boring' shelf. However, around 75% into the book it turned the corner into 'this is hilarious, what is this book'. And I started laughing all the way to the end. Look, don't go into this book thinking that you'll be getting American Psycho; it's firmly American Psycho 2. It's trying to live up to something it's not, but while trying to do that, it takes a turn that makes it unintentionally hilarious. It's just unfortunate that you have to get through so much blugh stuff to get there.
Thanks to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
I struggled with this book. The character was very unlikeable and I couldn't find a reason to even try to like him.. I got about half way through the book, before I stopped reading. It just wasn't what I thought it was going to be.