Sometimes being a Bride isn't all that it's cracked up to be...
The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker is a psychological page turner! A demented Serial Killer, a great pair of detectives, a bit of sexual tension, and a group of mental patients deciphering the clues along with the police department... how much more do you need in a great mystery/thriller?!
Back of the Book... FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.
It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.
In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.
As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Col
lector's next target.
The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?
What did I think? I Loved it! Ted Dekker slowly builds the story, setting the stage and fleshing out the characters. When everything is set in place, it's a thrilling ride! The Bride Collector is obsessed with collecting brides for God. 7 is the lucky number because 7 is the number of perfection. Brad Raines is grasping at every possible lead trying to beat the clock and stop the serial killer before he kills again and again. He and his partner believe that the killer has a connection with the with The Center for Wellness and Intelligence, and this is where they gain the help of a group of patients, one of which is Paradise. With the help of Paradise, a schizophrenic, the case goes in an interesting direction...
Some of the things I enjoyed about Ted Dekker's book The Bride Collector were the characters. They were so interesting, so well developed, and realistic... Flawed but human. We are allowed to get inside the head of Brad Raines, the detective, and witness his thought process- whether it's figuring out clues or dealing with his growing attraction to a most unusual girl. We also get inside the head of The Bride Collector, and get a taste of his motivations and thought process. Most interesting was getting to know Paradise and the other patients from the psychiatric center. Instead of dealing with cliches, the author puts a human face on mental illness and shows a different side to the patients and how they deal with their problems.
I kept turning those pages trying to figure out the clues right along with everyone eles in the story! Even though this is a story with a serial killer, the blood is kept to a minimum. The story is more psychological versus graphic. If you are familiar with the writing of Ted Dekker, you won't be disappointed! If you haven't read this author yet, you enjoy a good psychological thriller with great characters, and a good helping of unexpected twists & turns, The Bride Collector is for you!
About the Author... Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.
Early in his career he wrote a number of spiritual thrillers and his novels were lumped in with ‘Christian Fiction’ a surprisingly large category. His later novels are a mix of mainstream novels such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed and BoneMan’s Daughters, and Fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these is his Circle Series: Green, Black, Red, White and The Paradise Books: Showdown, Saint, and Sinner.
The Bride Collector is going to be released April 13th! Learn more about Ted Dekker at teddekker.com. AND as a special treat for anyone who pre-orders The Bride Collector from Amazon.com, Ted is also giving a pdf copy of his first never before published book, To Kill With Reason. Get all the details on what you need to do at Ted Dekker's facebook page.
I want to thank Miriam at Hachette Book Group for sending me a copy of The Bride Collector for review! Thanks Miriam it was a great read!
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