4 Stars from me
I have been delighted this week to read Personas which is the combined work of two authors who write under the name of Laura Lollie.
Personas is a book like no other and I found it to be utterly compelling. The ingenuity of the lead character was almost inspiring…
It does need saying, however, that the subject matter is GRIM, and if you like fluffy Midsomer Murders style books then this is not for you! Personas is gritty, it pulls no punches and truly exposes the dark awfulness of murder and abuse. It is shocking in places.
The close observation of the habits of serial killers meant that, at times, I forgot I was reading fiction and it felt more like a true crime novel.
I thought the overall premise was a genius take on the whole ‘nature vs nurture’ debate and it certainly shone a new light on the potential answer. I think our killer himself posed the question of if you could clone the DNA of someone like Bundy or Dahmer, and raise them differently, would their depraved genes still rise to the surface. Are they just wired that way?
Magda Volkov was a very interesting character and was the strongest of the ‘police’ (for me anyway) within the story.
If you are a fan of serial killer books, true crime documentaries or simply of (hard hitting) crime thrillers – you will love this book. I can easily see this becoming a blockbuster movie.
Burb: In the first book of a 4 part series:
Growing up in New Orleans under the strict guidance of a deacon with a dark side, it leaves no question as to why he chose the path of crime. His understanding and use of DNA, computer hacking and looking like the guy net door, or whomever he chooses to be, compiles a terrifying character that you will never forget.
Magda Volkov, is a native Russian who works for the BAU of the FBI, her clairvoyance is something her director has learned to trust and use to their advantage especially now with a seeming ‘ghost-killer’ at hand. the deeper she gets into his psyche, the more they are both surprised when their strange vivid dreams begin to intertwine.
Be careful that their nightmares don’t become your own.
Read and Rated 