The Night Caller

"The Night Caller felt the need."*****"The Night Caller had read all the available material on the subject, how law enforcement defined serial killers, how they divided them into `organized' and `disorganized' types by analyzing crime scenes, how they worked up psychological and physical profiles that usually turned out to be amazingly accurate." John Lutz's novel, The Night Caller is all about tracking down a serial killer. His purpose is to make you wonder and make you think. Lutz does his job well. The plot starts off and stays thick throughout the story, so that the reader's attention is kept. This was a great novel and the characters were fantastic! The author really takes time to describe the characters. Lutz explains the settings in depth; no one could have done it better. Setting is also very important to the story especially when portraying murder scenes. The whole purpose of this novel is to solve the mystery, in other words to identify the killer. The book starts out with a murder, and has various ones throughout. Ezekiel Cooper finds his daughter's corpse in a deserted beach house, devastated, he vows to find her murderer. Although, what the ex-cop does not know is that there have been other victims. He teams up with a writer to find the unthinkable clever stranger. Determined to fine the killer, Coop soon crosses paths with Cara Callahan, who's bent on luring in her sister's killer. Just as Coop feared, her plan may be working a little too well. The evasive serial killer known as the Night Caller prepares to pounce again. The novel is effective. The setting and the characters fit in excellent together. In this story, every character counts. The characters are also placed carefully in the settings. "Her painted nails drummed on the steering wheel as she drove her red Sebring convertible toward the Siesta Key drawbridge in Sarasota." It is so interesting that Lutz can add everything he needs to without having a run-on-sentence. Knowing what character is where at certain times is important, "Coop sat at an outdoor table at the restaurant Seconds..." John Lutz makes every setting so realistic. "It was the kind of unseasonably warm October afternoon that made everyone wish at least for the moment that there were no winters to come." The author does a great job tying in the characters with the settings, although it is not essential. It is helpful. Lutz is very informal throughout his novel. He cusses a lot and is very blunt. There are a lot of twists to the story; after all it is a murder mystery. He is sarcastic at times. "She would enter confidently, locking the door and thinking she was separating herself from the perilous outside world." Lutz's sentences go into great detail to help you better understand the novel. The characters often think out loud. "'Cheap at the price,' Deni thought." Lutz lets you know what the characters are thinking. He asks a lot of questions and leaves the reader to answer them

When former NYPD detective Cooper finds his strangled daughter in his summer beach house, he is determined to put his prior skills to use in tracking her killer. He must also continue to fight the threat of his cancer that is now in remission, as well as an ex-wife whom he barely recognizes as the woman he once married. Once he is contacted by an overly-aggressive mystery writer who is convinced his daughter's killing is linked to others across the country, the search intensifies. Battling an uninterested FBI and local police force who disbelieve the idea of a serial killer, the two set out to prove them wrong. Along the way, Cara, a women whose sister may have also been struck by the killer, joins the hunt posing as a woman much like those being hunted and killed. While the pace is incredibly swift, there are a few holes in the plot that led to minor dissatisfaction. In this day and age of sophisticated technology and the sharing of information amongst crime forces, it is very hard to swallow the premise that these crimes would go unconnected for so long, especially with the killer's propensity for leaving behind certain clues. All in all, however, I was able to read this book in one sitting while enjoying it most of the way.

Living alone in Manhattan, Ezekiah "Coop" Cooper feels lonely. He retired from the NYPD due to cancer, which is currently in remission. His wife divorced him and has become an environmental activist. His daughter lives and works in New Jersey, but though they love one another they rarely share anything personal. That is why Coop is happy to be seeing his child Bette in the family bungalow in Breezy Point.When he arrives, he finds the most horrid scene. Someone murdered his daughter. A few days later, Coop talks to his former partner on the force, Art Billard to learn what the police know. Next he travels to New Jersey to talk to Bette's associates and friends. Ultimately, he meets mystery writer Deni Greene who believes a serial killer has murdered Bette. Coop reluctantly accepts a partnership with the unfeeling author, who will use anyone including a wrongfully locked up convict in Florida to attain her goals. However, neither one knows how dangerous THE NIGHT CALLER actually is, but they will soon find out.Though readers will need a humongous leap of faith as to how Deni put together her belief in a serial killer, THE NIGHT CALLER remains a powerful thriller. The story line is loaded with action, but it is Coop who makes the tale sing, as the audience will empathize with his plight. John Lutz has written a powerful novel that grabs reader attention from the beginning and keeps readers wondering whether the hero or the villain will triumph.Harriet Klausner