Death Pact

Gruesome Crime Horror/ Thriller Starts With A Bang. Seriously, the start of this book feels like Hilton read Jeff Guinn's Waco, because it truly feels like Hilton took Guinn's hyper realistic descriptions of what actually went down there to scaffold his own fictional version.

Which is actually a *phenomenal* way to begin this particular tale.

The rest of the tale then flashes forward a bit and crosses the "pond", becoming a UK based police/ crime tale featuring some particularly horrific murders that fans of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter trilogy or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Pendergast series will absolutely enjoy. The pacing of the investigation is solid, and the way the various characters meld together is done quite well.

Surprises late are well executed, and by the end you're going to be questioning if this is meant to be a series starter afterall...

Overall truly a great crime story excellently told, and a solid change of pace from Hilton's Gey and Villere thrillers in particular in that while the action is equally intense, the criminals here feel so much more decidedly dark and truly evil. Very much recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Matt Hilton for allowing me to read this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Death Pact.

Everybody mark your calendar for July 2nd! Death Pact packs a punch - an amazing storyline filled with plot twists. This could be a movie or a criminal TV show episode. Nate and Will, two brothers rescued in childhood from the cult "Children of the Hammer". Both are placed into the system in the UK. Both grow up to lead very different lives. Or do they? One day a horrendous crime scene unfolds and at the center is a symbol drawn in the victim's blood. This symbol is no Satanic symbol. Quite the opposite. This symbol is angelic and heralds the coming of a new leader for the "Children of the Hammer" - and they want all their members back together, in the flesh, anthropodermic bibliopegy (now I know you're interested)! Deeprooted in heavy biblical undertones and religious beliefs, Death Pact is a classic serial killer cult classic that takes the reader deep into methodology, thought processes, and belief systems from the viewpoint of a survivor.

Will Will and Nate be safe? What is one of them is the rising leader and killer? What if it is brother against brother?

This will become the thriller of the summer! Perfect for fans of The DaVinci Code or Angels & Demons. The plot takes off from the beginning, slows a bit in the second half, but ends in a breathless ride to the conclusion. I would certainty read any follow-up that has the four main characters teaming up again in the future.

Full of plot twists: the twists and turns in this book kept me guessing all the way through. Speaks to those who love a bit of horror and a bit of criminal intrigue.

I have only read one other stand alone book by this rather prolific author, who is better known for his series books. I said after that one that I would be adding his series onto my ever growing tbr but haven't quite managed to read any yet.
So, in this book we meet two survivors who were saved from a cult as children and follow them as they try and evade a serial killer... good hook huh!?
Anyway, one of the survivors is Nate, a former detective, retired after a career ending case which he is still trying to get over. He is called back by his old boss to assist in the case of the aforementioned serial killer who has been rounding up and killing other former child members of the cult - The Children of Hamor - and, well, removing the skins on their backs. Skin that was branded with symbols. It soon becomes obvious that the perpetrator is wanting to reenact a ritual, but I'll leave you to get the ins and outs from the author direct. Nate has had no contact with his brother Will for years so whether he will be another victim or indeed the perpetrator remains to be seen...
I have mixed feelings about this book. The story was great - five stars. The execution (excuse the pun) was a bit hit and miss - three stars. Hence the middle rating of 4! It should have been more frightening and suspenseful than it actually was and the feeling of immense peril for the main character, Nate, failed to transpire. As did the hero or villain status of brother Will. But that said, I was interested and intrigued enough to carry on and my faith in the author nobly rewarded with a decent and satisfying ending.
I also enjoyed (if that's the right word) the crimes and executions. Brutally horrific and well described! And the crime solving element was well crafted and executed with aplomb.
All in all, a good solid read that I will recommend with the above provisos. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Nate and Will are survivors of the Children of the Hammer, Or are they? Rescued from the cult in the US, they grew up in care in the UK and all seemed well. Except it's not because now someone is killing in gruesome ways and leaving signs. This merges several subgenres and while it might be a bit much in spots, it did keep me reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.