Scan barcode
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
A body of a woman hanging nailed to a wall, drained of blood and wearing a wedding veil has been found. Ok, if this sentence didn’t get your attention, then you might be dead… Just kidding.
FBI special agent Brad Raines is called onto the case. This is one of the most gruesome and puzzling case he has encountered. Brad is going to need all the help. How do you think like a serial killer…well you obtain knowledge from someone who can get into the mind of the serial killer. Brad meets Paradise. Paradise has schizophrenia but she also has a very special gift. The ability to be about to live through the victims of the Bride Collector by experiencing the women’s final moments before their death, when Paradise touches the dead body.
I have read several books by Mr. Dekker and enjoy his thriller work. I read Kiss which was a collaboration with Erin Healy and didn’t care for it as much. This book was dark and twisted…just the way I like my thrillers. Raines equally matched wits with the Bride Collector. This I found nice as there are some times when the killer is stronger or even weaker then the authorities. Paradise was the wild card in this book. She was intriguing. Though, sadly I didn’t really fell the romance between Paradise and Brad. There were plenty of action and a few surprises along the way. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you will want to check out The Bride Collector today.
FBI special agent Brad Raines is called onto the case. This is one of the most gruesome and puzzling case he has encountered. Brad is going to need all the help. How do you think like a serial killer…well you obtain knowledge from someone who can get into the mind of the serial killer. Brad meets Paradise. Paradise has schizophrenia but she also has a very special gift. The ability to be about to live through the victims of the Bride Collector by experiencing the women’s final moments before their death, when Paradise touches the dead body.
I have read several books by Mr. Dekker and enjoy his thriller work. I read Kiss which was a collaboration with Erin Healy and didn’t care for it as much. This book was dark and twisted…just the way I like my thrillers. Raines equally matched wits with the Bride Collector. This I found nice as there are some times when the killer is stronger or even weaker then the authorities. Paradise was the wild card in this book. She was intriguing. Though, sadly I didn’t really fell the romance between Paradise and Brad. There were plenty of action and a few surprises along the way. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you will want to check out The Bride Collector today.
megs_k's review against another edition
1.0
It's human nature to encourage the status quo and shun those who see life differently. ~ Ted Dekker
If you want a book that will rot your brain, this is it. Campy to the extreme and poorly written. It started out absurd and only got worse.
If you want a book that will rot your brain, this is it. Campy to the extreme and poorly written. It started out absurd and only got worse.
siglerbooknook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was left at the end of this book feeling like I needed a bath and not in an entertaining thriller way.
I appreciate the premise of this book and ever some of the morals Dekker was clearly pointing at through the story, morals like not using religion as a shield to condone mistreating others, or that all people are equally important.
That being said, the "Hero" Brad Raines creeped me out as much as the villain. The villain, Quentin we know is evil from the very first chapter we see him and he is clearly insane. Brad, on the other hand, is portrayed as a broken yet wonderful and desireable man, but his interactions with his partner, the victims, and especially the love interest Paradise come across as borderline preditorial.
I wanted to love the inclusion of the residents at the mental health clinic and I think it was neat that Dekker tried to use such an under appreciated part of society to bring home how important and special all people are. However, he wrote all 4 of them so childish and one dimensional that I don't feel like any of them were done justice. He fell into a lot if stereotypes while writing them that left the characters feeling flat.
My biggest fault with the story is near the end and directly deals with the final confrontation. Not only did it feel completely unbelievable, but it also kind of annoyed me how flippantly serious issues were addressed.
This is my second Dekker book so I know this story doesn't encompass his complete style, so even if you dislike this one you may find others of his novels more to your taste. While I doubt this will be one I recommend often, I do appreciate how much it made me think as I read it.
I appreciate the premise of this book and ever some of the morals Dekker was clearly pointing at through the story, morals like not using religion as a shield to condone mistreating others, or that all people are equally important.
That being said, the "Hero" Brad Raines creeped me out as much as the villain. The villain, Quentin we know is evil from the very first chapter we see him and he is clearly insane. Brad, on the other hand, is portrayed as a broken yet wonderful and desireable man, but his interactions with his partner, the victims, and especially the love interest Paradise come across as borderline preditorial.
I wanted to love the inclusion of the residents at the mental health clinic and I think it was neat that Dekker tried to use such an under appreciated part of society to bring home how important and special all people are. However, he wrote all 4 of them so childish and one dimensional that I don't feel like any of them were done justice. He fell into a lot if stereotypes while writing them that left the characters feeling flat.
My biggest fault with the story is near the end and directly deals with the final confrontation. Not only did it feel completely unbelievable, but it also kind of annoyed me how flippantly serious issues were addressed.
This is my second Dekker book so I know this story doesn't encompass his complete style, so even if you dislike this one you may find others of his novels more to your taste. While I doubt this will be one I recommend often, I do appreciate how much it made me think as I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Death, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gore, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence
randalblanken's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rcstewa's review
1.0
Awful. I should have quit at page 15 when the forensic psychologist with a PHD goes all goo-goo-ga-ga because Agent Brad “A Blonde George Clooney” Raines approves of her theory on the killer’s motives. Girl! You have a fucking PHD! Who gives a shit what that yahoo thinks?!
gbdill's review against another edition
1.0
I personally believe Dekker went way over the top on this one. The story was too macabre for my taste. Morbid details that made me cringe. Very violent and sexually perverse in many ways. I've enjoyed some of Dekker's novels in the past. But, now I genuinely question the man's sanity. The Bride Collector is perhaps the darkest novel I ever began to read, so dark I couldn't finish it. Is this what we are now calling Christian entertainment? God help us.
simonrtaylor's review against another edition
4.0
Ted Dekker returns with another twisting, turning thriller in The Bride Collector, the story of a serial killer with a penchant for beautiful women.
The killer is swiftly introduced to us as Quinton Gauld – though not known to the detective, Brad Raines. Dekker builds a compelling character in Gauld, a man with a troubled but ordered mind. His personality and outlook are quickly and firmly established and remain consistent for the bulk of the adventure. He is intelligent but imperfect, occasionally slipping up and acknowledging it, making him a believable and interesting adversary.
Up against him is Brad Raines, a detective with an unresolved bereavement. Besides this piece of information about his past, Raines’ character is underdeveloped when compared to Gauld. One step behind the audience and devoid of any life or personality outside of the case, Raines is likeable and maintains sympathy but is overall forgettable as another stock investigator. Gauld is by far the more notable lead.
The investigation brings us to a psychiatric hospital and a colourful cast of patients join the story. Roudy, Casanova and Andrea have very much supporting roles while Paradise becomes elevated to a principal cast member. Each has their own quirks, for wont of a better word, and they’re humorously portrayed which is troublesome. At first the fear for the reader is that these characters are parodies, poking fun at mental illness. But it becomes a dominant theme for the remainder of the narrative – what is normality? What, therefore, is insanity? Why isn’t ‘different’, ‘better’, and who defines what that is? And so the characteristics and attributes that set these people apart become endearing, and Dekker encourages us to celebrate their differences and enjoy their eccentricities (for wont of another word, again). In my opinion it’s a theme that’s relevant to the plot and sensitively – even challengingly – handled that leaves you rethinking your views. In the end, I enjoyed their scenes immensely and they became definite highlights enhancing the novel with their colourful personalities. The only drawback, for me, is the Centre manager’s willingness to let the FBI breeze in and out. Although Dekker goes some way to justifying it, I find it hard to swallow.
Two significant developments are designed to come from Paradise’s entrance. One, her relationship (in the broadest sense) with Raines, which is mildly interesting but moreso contrived and predictable. The other – advertised as a USP for the story – is her apparent ability to touch a dead body and see the last thing they saw before their death. The benefits for a murder mystery are obvious, but criminally underused. Unlike Dekker’s previous works – for example, Blink where the ability to see alternate scenarios heavily influences the plot – Paradise’s “gift” is used once, and its overall impact is so negligible the sequence could easily be omitted without affecting any other part of the narrative. Given its obscurity, the gift’s minimal airtime doesn’t harm the story however it is a strange decision on Dekker’s part to include a bizarre piece of supernatural in an ill-fitting genre when it isn’t capitalised on. If anything, it weakens the credibility of the novel slightly and wasn’t a necessary feature.
The dénouement is ushered in by a radical change in Gauld that is entirely unsupported. It’s such a sudden and dramatic turnaround it seriously damages his credibility and disengages the audience. With the rules changed to such an extent, suspended disbelief comes crashing down and the events seem so out of character we stop caring. It’s clawed back nearer the end but could have been so much stronger had continuity and characterisation been more diligently respected.
Overall, it’s a good volume from Dekker which poses some interesting questions for the reader. There are some unexpected twists in the middle that are well-dropped game changers (dénouement-ushering exclusive) but it lacks the trademark Dekker twist at the very end which is instead replaced by a relatively weak – if arguably fitting – ending.
The killer is swiftly introduced to us as Quinton Gauld – though not known to the detective, Brad Raines. Dekker builds a compelling character in Gauld, a man with a troubled but ordered mind. His personality and outlook are quickly and firmly established and remain consistent for the bulk of the adventure. He is intelligent but imperfect, occasionally slipping up and acknowledging it, making him a believable and interesting adversary.
Up against him is Brad Raines, a detective with an unresolved bereavement. Besides this piece of information about his past, Raines’ character is underdeveloped when compared to Gauld. One step behind the audience and devoid of any life or personality outside of the case, Raines is likeable and maintains sympathy but is overall forgettable as another stock investigator. Gauld is by far the more notable lead.
The investigation brings us to a psychiatric hospital and a colourful cast of patients join the story. Roudy, Casanova and Andrea have very much supporting roles while Paradise becomes elevated to a principal cast member. Each has their own quirks, for wont of a better word, and they’re humorously portrayed which is troublesome. At first the fear for the reader is that these characters are parodies, poking fun at mental illness. But it becomes a dominant theme for the remainder of the narrative – what is normality? What, therefore, is insanity? Why isn’t ‘different’, ‘better’, and who defines what that is? And so the characteristics and attributes that set these people apart become endearing, and Dekker encourages us to celebrate their differences and enjoy their eccentricities (for wont of another word, again). In my opinion it’s a theme that’s relevant to the plot and sensitively – even challengingly – handled that leaves you rethinking your views. In the end, I enjoyed their scenes immensely and they became definite highlights enhancing the novel with their colourful personalities. The only drawback, for me, is the Centre manager’s willingness to let the FBI breeze in and out. Although Dekker goes some way to justifying it, I find it hard to swallow.
Two significant developments are designed to come from Paradise’s entrance. One, her relationship (in the broadest sense) with Raines, which is mildly interesting but moreso contrived and predictable. The other – advertised as a USP for the story – is her apparent ability to touch a dead body and see the last thing they saw before their death. The benefits for a murder mystery are obvious, but criminally underused. Unlike Dekker’s previous works – for example, Blink where the ability to see alternate scenarios heavily influences the plot – Paradise’s “gift” is used once, and its overall impact is so negligible the sequence could easily be omitted without affecting any other part of the narrative. Given its obscurity, the gift’s minimal airtime doesn’t harm the story however it is a strange decision on Dekker’s part to include a bizarre piece of supernatural in an ill-fitting genre when it isn’t capitalised on. If anything, it weakens the credibility of the novel slightly and wasn’t a necessary feature.
The dénouement is ushered in by a radical change in Gauld that is entirely unsupported. It’s such a sudden and dramatic turnaround it seriously damages his credibility and disengages the audience. With the rules changed to such an extent, suspended disbelief comes crashing down and the events seem so out of character we stop caring. It’s clawed back nearer the end but could have been so much stronger had continuity and characterisation been more diligently respected.
Overall, it’s a good volume from Dekker which poses some interesting questions for the reader. There are some unexpected twists in the middle that are well-dropped game changers (dénouement-ushering exclusive) but it lacks the trademark Dekker twist at the very end which is instead replaced by a relatively weak – if arguably fitting – ending.
micksland's review
5.0
I love Ted Dekker's books. I usually don't love his stand-alone novels as much as the books in his Books of History Chronicles, but this is one of the best stand-alones he has written in a while. He fixed several things that I didn't like about BoneMan's Daughters. Brad Raines and Quinton Gauld are no more interesting than Dekker's usual heroes and villains (not that they aren't interesting, just that they aren't standouts), but Paradise is amazing. Most of Dekker's bad guys are psychotic, but it's a new experience to read about a psychotic character who doesn't go around murdering people. Also, one of the main characters gets killed halfway through the book, and Dekker usually doesn't bring himself to kill off the good guys. So overall, it was not as good as his Books of History Chronicles, but one of the better stand-alone books that he has written in the past few years. Possibly the best one since House.