Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Eve Singer relies on death to keep her career as TV crime reporter alive. The serial killer who is terrorising the citizens of London in the run-up to Christmas needs death for his own bizarre reasons. In his eyes, he and Eve are alike, wanting the same things. The killer becomes increasingly obsessed with Eve and as she becomes more involved with his gruesome public displays, it's not just her job that she is in danger of losing.
I've become a huge Belinda Bauer fan over the last 18 months and this was another gripping thriller by her. Compared to her other books that I have read, this one had a different feel to it, though.
While characterization was generally strong, I didn't feel the serial killer received the same kind of attention to detail, he remained a little flat at times. But I really enjoyed following Eve's relationship with her father, Duncan, who suffers from dementia. It was incredibly well portrayed and very poignant. The chase to catch the serial killer almost played second fiddle to following Eve and her struggles with her job and her Dad, her budding relationship with her colleague, and the interesting relationship with her neighbor. I love Ms. Bauer's writing style. It's tense and suspenseful but there is always that nice touch of humor that stops it from getting too dark. Very enjoyable!
I've become a huge Belinda Bauer fan over the last 18 months and this was another gripping thriller by her. Compared to her other books that I have read, this one had a different feel to it, though.
While characterization was generally strong, I didn't feel the serial killer received the same kind of attention to detail, he remained a little flat at times. But I really enjoyed following Eve's relationship with her father, Duncan, who suffers from dementia. It was incredibly well portrayed and very poignant. The chase to catch the serial killer almost played second fiddle to following Eve and her struggles with her job and her Dad, her budding relationship with her colleague, and the interesting relationship with her neighbor. I love Ms. Bauer's writing style. It's tense and suspenseful but there is always that nice touch of humor that stops it from getting too dark. Very enjoyable!
The Beautiful Dead by Belinda Bauer is a 2016 Bantam publication.
This is my first book by Belinda Bauer, but she’s definitely made an impression on me!
Eve Singer is a crime reporter with an aversion to the sight of blood. But, she works around that in her highly stressful and high profile position.
Like other news reporters, Eve attracts the attention of a serial killer who begins a gruesome game of cat and mouse with her, while Eve copes with job pressures and her father’s illness.
This book is a gritty serial killer novel, as well as a poignant portrayal of the familial heartbreak associated with Alzheimer’s, but the book also has a few lighter moments tossed in to offset the bleakness.
I liked Eve’s character, which is very well drawn, making her a person I respected and felt empathy for. She’s a little unconventional, but that’s part of the reason I liked her because it made her seem more realistic and human and it gives us a little insight into pressure crime reporters can live with.
The killer is sadistic and very creepy, and kept me on edge from start to finish. The showdown was slightly anticlimactic, but overall the suspense is taut, and the atmosphere is tense.
The plot is fast paced and the story has everything you could want from a crime drama. I liked that Eve was a crime reporter, instead of reading about detectives, or the usual police procedural or amateur sleuths, which made a nice change of pace for me.
I’m kicking myself for taking so long to discover this author. But, better late than never. I am definitely going to check out her previous and future releases!!
Overall, this is a very solid crime thriller I highly recommend to fans of this genre and this author.
This is my first book by Belinda Bauer, but she’s definitely made an impression on me!
Eve Singer is a crime reporter with an aversion to the sight of blood. But, she works around that in her highly stressful and high profile position.
Like other news reporters, Eve attracts the attention of a serial killer who begins a gruesome game of cat and mouse with her, while Eve copes with job pressures and her father’s illness.
This book is a gritty serial killer novel, as well as a poignant portrayal of the familial heartbreak associated with Alzheimer’s, but the book also has a few lighter moments tossed in to offset the bleakness.
I liked Eve’s character, which is very well drawn, making her a person I respected and felt empathy for. She’s a little unconventional, but that’s part of the reason I liked her because it made her seem more realistic and human and it gives us a little insight into pressure crime reporters can live with.
The killer is sadistic and very creepy, and kept me on edge from start to finish. The showdown was slightly anticlimactic, but overall the suspense is taut, and the atmosphere is tense.
The plot is fast paced and the story has everything you could want from a crime drama. I liked that Eve was a crime reporter, instead of reading about detectives, or the usual police procedural or amateur sleuths, which made a nice change of pace for me.
I’m kicking myself for taking so long to discover this author. But, better late than never. I am definitely going to check out her previous and future releases!!
Overall, this is a very solid crime thriller I highly recommend to fans of this genre and this author.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Easy to read page-turner about a serial killer who advertises his upcoming events.
initial reaction:
OH MY GOD. This book exceeded my expectations! I went into it cautious of what to expect, worried that I would get the typical female role of "I'm a psychotic bitch who gets what she wants"
That's not what I got. instead I got some polar opposites in characters, relationships that were never anticipated to blossom the way they did, and best of all, a thriller that had me hooked and screaming at the novel at each twist and turn.
I haven't read something like that in a long time.
OH MY GOD. This book exceeded my expectations! I went into it cautious of what to expect, worried that I would get the typical female role of "I'm a psychotic bitch who gets what she wants"
That's not what I got. instead I got some polar opposites in characters, relationships that were never anticipated to blossom the way they did, and best of all, a thriller that had me hooked and screaming at the novel at each twist and turn.
I haven't read something like that in a long time.
Dark humor. Interesting. Thrilling. Exciting. Captivating. Mind-blowing.
Chapters after chapters of pure entertainment in a mix of misery and tragedy, as well as, humor. For me, this was an amazing book that I will definitely re-read many, many and many more times to come. It got me hooked up to it from the very first page and I wasn't able to close it for more than a few hours (due to school). It's like a drug that will stay in your system for ages...and when you are finally at the end, you just won't know what to read next (like me).
The thing I most loved about this book is how the writer doesn't stick to the perspective of one character. Instead, she allows us to be able to be inside the minds of the different characters that show up through the book - creating a connection between not only us and the protagonists but with all the different characters. They all have their own story and by showing us their perspective and giving us glimpses of their lives we connect with them as one. We relate to the struggles that the journalist Eve goes through, both professionally and personally, and how she interacts with other characters like her father and her friend. We feel their pain. Especially the killers. Its the first book I`ve read where the writer has made me feel sorry for the bad guy... It made me see the world through his eyes and understand him. I find that beautiful in a book.
I loved the random dark humor that lights you up before the tragedy and how it has portrayed dead as a truly beautiful thing. Something to be worshipped and remembered rather than feared and avoided.
No wonder it is called "The Beautiful Dead"...
Chapters after chapters of pure entertainment in a mix of misery and tragedy, as well as, humor. For me, this was an amazing book that I will definitely re-read many, many and many more times to come. It got me hooked up to it from the very first page and I wasn't able to close it for more than a few hours (due to school). It's like a drug that will stay in your system for ages...and when you are finally at the end, you just won't know what to read next (like me).
The thing I most loved about this book is how the writer doesn't stick to the perspective of one character. Instead, she allows us to be able to be inside the minds of the different characters that show up through the book - creating a connection between not only us and the protagonists but with all the different characters. They all have their own story and by showing us their perspective and giving us glimpses of their lives we connect with them as one. We relate to the struggles that the journalist Eve goes through, both professionally and personally, and how she interacts with other characters like her father and her friend. We feel their pain. Especially the killers. Its the first book I`ve read where the writer has made me feel sorry for the bad guy... It made me see the world through his eyes and understand him. I find that beautiful in a book.
I loved the random dark humor that lights you up before the tragedy and how it has portrayed dead as a truly beautiful thing. Something to be worshipped and remembered rather than feared and avoided.
No wonder it is called "The Beautiful Dead"...
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
