The Hundredth Man

Kerley seems to master the modern mystery/suspense novel in one fell swoop. Mixing elements of Thomas Harris, Jonathan Kellerman, and Harlan Coben, he shows that even tried and true formulas can be given new life."The Hundredth Man" follows two detectives, Carson and Harry--both memorable and likeable--as they try to unravel the clues behind a spree of murders. Each of the victims, found headless, provides further info that will eventually lead the detectives to the killer's twisted and horrific motives. Along the way, human beings are seen in all their warmth and in all their bitter coldness. A woman wrestles with her own alcohol demons, and a child-abused inmate toys with the minds of the detectives. Amidst the plot's dark elements, Kerley sprinkles insights without coming across heavy-handed. "The Hundredth Man" has not only a gripping story, but engaging characters and snappy dialogue to counter the gruesome aspects of autopsies, beheading, and psychological/physical abuse. Is it a sobering read? Yes. Does Kerley manage to lend it a fresh breath of humanity? Absolutely. We can only hope that more stories are on their way.

It is a point of interest that a number of advertising writers have gravitated toward the suspense fiction genre. James Patterson is probably the best known of these; Don Bruns is another. We can now add Jack Kerley to the list with THE HUNDREDTH MAN. Kerley, a resident of the formerly notorious Newport, Kentucky, has worked on a number of advertising projects throughout the world. It is only fitting, then, that his debut novel is attracting worldwide attention as well.The voice of THE HUNDREDTH MAN, as well as the subject of the title, is Carson Ryder, a Mobile, Alabama homicide detective who is one-half of a salt and pepper team making up the Psychopathological and Sociopathological Investigative Team, or PSIT. PSIT is a unit created to investigate freakish homicides. Given a choice between groping around for something in the dark or finding it easily in the light, 99 people out of 100 will choose the light; Ryder is the hundredth man. The other half of the team, Harry Nautilus, is the more experienced and, in some areas, the more reasonable of the two. The men balance each other nicely, with Ryder's keen powers of observation and deduction --- and something else --- supplementing Nautilus's ability to pilot the team through the Byzantine-like bureaucracy of the Mobile Police Department.When a killer begins to leave headless corpses around the Mobile area, it seems to be precisely the situation for which PSIT was brought into existence. However, the team becomes hamstrung early on by Terrence Squill, a Birmingham police captain who never makes a move without checking to see which way the political wind is blowing and who regards PSIT as a public relations window dressing for the police department and nothing else. As Ryder and Nautilus investigate the killings, often clandestinely to avoid insubordination, they soon discover that the trail of bodies seems to lead back to their own police department. Ryder's relationship with Ava Davenelle, a forensic specialist with the Mobile coroner's office, who has a couple of demons riding on her back, doesn't help matters for Ryder, either.The most bizarre aspect of THE HUNDREDTH MAN is Jeremy, Ryder's older brother. Jeremy took the brunt of their father's sadistic treatment during their childhood; now, damaged irreparably, he is both mentor and tormentor to his younger brother. Jeremy has some unique insight into the PSIT cases since he is himself a serial murderer, and his ability to understand the workings of the depraved mind can be of tremendous benefit to Ryder. There is, however, a terrible price that Ryder must pay.Kerley writes of the Mobile, Alabama area with great authority, paying some tribute to the sometimes uneasy mix of the rural South and nouveau Cosmopolitan aspects of the area that make it a bit more unique than one who knew the region only by reputation would expect. The basics of the story are all too universal, however. It struck me at one point that Kerley could have set this story

See storyline above.As a first novel I was very impressed. There is suspense and mystery throughout. I was immersed from beginning to end. Great characters and descriptive plotting. This novel should create a nice fan base for Kerley and I certainly look forward to his next.Highly recommended.

I'd heard about Jack Kerley as he caused a bit of a stir in my local area by getting an unheard of deal for a first novel (over half a million? Gads!!) but the book is worth the hype. It's a rock solid entry in the crime thriller genre with interesting characters (my fav is Harry Nautilus). Best of all, Kerley makes a solid attempt to avoid the typical cliched type of writing that ruins many a book--thriller or otherwise. You can tell he has a real love of language and some of his descriptions are a true delight. For those who like a more literary treatment, then Kerley is the writer to read. In addition to interesting characters, his plotting keeps the pace hurtling so that the book is a quick read that leaves you frankly wanting more. Did I guess who the killer was? Nope, not even close and that wins extra points too because too many thrillers offer predictable plots and easy-to-guess solutions. I look forward to reading more of this guy's work. I just hope we don't have to wait too long for his next novel.

Jack Kerley jumps into his story with all the style and wicked grace of the classic detective novel authors!! The action is fast paced, the dialogue is rapid fire, the characters are twisted and intriguing and the story is gripping!!A young detective, Carson Ryder, trying to overcome his past, uses unconventional methods to pry into the minds of psychologically damaged criminals and sociopaths. When headless corpses turn up and he and his partner, Harry Nautilus' skills are needed, they run the risk of being derailed by a political circus that has developed in the police department. There is also a young woman working her way towards a promising future as a medical examiner, but ghosts of her past haunt her and she must make some important choices and in the middle of a critical investigation Carson feels an obligation to help her.The crimes are vicious yet clean, the killer is amazingly calm and cool, yet so totally unhinged you cannot imagine how he manages to function. Allegations swirl like thick fog over everyone who becomes involved with this investigation. This is an astounding first novel that is both horrifying and intriguing and holds the promise of more great things to come from Jack Kerley, an author to watch (and read!!)