Monday, May 19, 2008
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Contests & Giveaways
Guest Review: 'The Rhyme Killers' by Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran
The Rhyme Killers By Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran
ISBN-10: 1432708007
ISBN-13: 978-1432708009
Paperback, 292 pages
July 26, 2007
Outskirts Press
Reviewed by Cynthia Murphy
Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran’s first novel, The Rhyme Killers, is a strong debut effort. It offers interesting characters and a compelling plot. There are a few freshman flaws in the novel. In a couple of places, more character development would have been nice. The identity of the killer was also fairly easy to deduce for alert readers. However, these are simply minor flaws in a very enjoyable book.
The novel starts with a bang as the killer and his accomplice abduct their latest victim. The scene quickly shifts to the investigation of her murder. The victim, a young nurse named Nan Jorgenson, was brutally murdered and dumped in an abandoned warehouse. She is the latest in a string of homicides by the infamous Pied Piper. The killer’s trademark consists of a rhyming note left with a child’s ring. The note with Jorgenson’s body says, “Tom, Tom the piper’s son, learned to kill when he was young.” All of the rhyming notes with the bodies contain the signature of the Pied Piper. Detective Katie Knight is leading the investigation of the Pied Piper killings in Philadelphia. She faces a number of obstacles including a rookie partner and a prejudiced Chief of Detectives. Her new role as the squad leader also causes some tension with her colleagues. The story unfolds quickly as the team works to stop the serial killer before he strikes again. Det. Knight fits the profile of the Pied Piper’s victims. This detail leads to an exciting climax.
Gooden and Helterbran have created interesting characters for The Rhyme Killers. Det. Katie Knight is a strong but flawed woman. Her personal demons constantly haunt her. She has a tragic past that seems to cast a dark cloud over most of her life. Det. Knight is definitely a fighter. Her no-nonsense attitude actually makes her more likeable and realistic. This character could easily be a stereotypical tough female cop, but Gooden and Helterbran have given her more depth. Strong supporting characters such as her gay neighbor and her godfather offer further character development and touches of humor.
The killer and his accomplice are also compelling characters. Parker Shade and his sidekick, Rollo Daggett, are both a creepy and fascinating team. Gooden and Helterbran offer solid character development through numerous flashbacks. The pattern of behavior for the team is established through the flashbacks. The reader sees where the team began killing and why. None of the characters seem stereotypical.
The one place where I would have liked more character development was in the character of Det. Knight’s partner, Avis Rent. The authors reveal very little about his background. He and Det. Knight seem to make a good team, but the character development seems very one-sided. There is a lot of potential for his character. Hopefully, the authors will address this in the sequel that is due later this year.
I was impressed with the clever wordplay throughout the novel regarding the killer’s notes. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to keep developing creepy, twisted rhymes for all of the victims. Yet, Gooden and Helterbran never falter in this detail of the novel. They have even included a number of twisted rhymes in Daggett’s dialogue. The sheer volume is impressive.
The Rhyme Killers is a fast-paced, well-crafted mystery. The vivid descriptions and strong character development combine a compelling plot to form a strong debut novel. Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran show a great deal of promise in the mystery genre.
The novel starts with a bang as the killer and his accomplice abduct their latest victim. The scene quickly shifts to the investigation of her murder. The victim, a young nurse named Nan Jorgenson, was brutally murdered and dumped in an abandoned warehouse. She is the latest in a string of homicides by the infamous Pied Piper. The killer’s trademark consists of a rhyming note left with a child’s ring. The note with Jorgenson’s body says, “Tom, Tom the piper’s son, learned to kill when he was young.” All of the rhyming notes with the bodies contain the signature of the Pied Piper. Detective Katie Knight is leading the investigation of the Pied Piper killings in Philadelphia. She faces a number of obstacles including a rookie partner and a prejudiced Chief of Detectives. Her new role as the squad leader also causes some tension with her colleagues. The story unfolds quickly as the team works to stop the serial killer before he strikes again. Det. Knight fits the profile of the Pied Piper’s victims. This detail leads to an exciting climax.
Gooden and Helterbran have created interesting characters for The Rhyme Killers. Det. Katie Knight is a strong but flawed woman. Her personal demons constantly haunt her. She has a tragic past that seems to cast a dark cloud over most of her life. Det. Knight is definitely a fighter. Her no-nonsense attitude actually makes her more likeable and realistic. This character could easily be a stereotypical tough female cop, but Gooden and Helterbran have given her more depth. Strong supporting characters such as her gay neighbor and her godfather offer further character development and touches of humor.
The killer and his accomplice are also compelling characters. Parker Shade and his sidekick, Rollo Daggett, are both a creepy and fascinating team. Gooden and Helterbran offer solid character development through numerous flashbacks. The pattern of behavior for the team is established through the flashbacks. The reader sees where the team began killing and why. None of the characters seem stereotypical.
The one place where I would have liked more character development was in the character of Det. Knight’s partner, Avis Rent. The authors reveal very little about his background. He and Det. Knight seem to make a good team, but the character development seems very one-sided. There is a lot of potential for his character. Hopefully, the authors will address this in the sequel that is due later this year.
I was impressed with the clever wordplay throughout the novel regarding the killer’s notes. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to keep developing creepy, twisted rhymes for all of the victims. Yet, Gooden and Helterbran never falter in this detail of the novel. They have even included a number of twisted rhymes in Daggett’s dialogue. The sheer volume is impressive.
The Rhyme Killers is a fast-paced, well-crafted mystery. The vivid descriptions and strong character development combine a compelling plot to form a strong debut novel. Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran show a great deal of promise in the mystery genre.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Books-A-Million Coupon Code
Please forgive me...
I know the reviews are flowing as regularly as they once were, but I am seriously trying to catch up on the stack of great books I have waiting!
I'll go ahead and mention several that I just finished.
Practicing Conscious Living and Dying is a positive collection of true accounts of near-death experiences.
The review will be posting to Curled Up With a Good Book soon, so check it out!
Desert Medicine is a bittersweet tale of one woman's struggle with becoming a divorcee, determined to be a good mother and provide whatever her children need.
The review will be up at Front Street Reviews soon.
Back soon with more reviews!
I'll go ahead and mention several that I just finished.
Practicing Conscious Living and Dying is a positive collection of true accounts of near-death experiences.The review will be posting to Curled Up With a Good Book soon, so check it out!
Desert Medicine is a bittersweet tale of one woman's struggle with becoming a divorcee, determined to be a good mother and provide whatever her children need.
The review will be up at Front Street Reviews soon.
Back soon with more reviews!
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