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A review by debs4jc
The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker
3.0
A FBI agent uses residents of a mental health institution to help him solve a crime involving a serial killer. It sounds so implausible, and at times I did find this story so, but it also led me on thrill ride with a lot of twists and turns --- and deaths. The serial killer is called the Bride Collector because he affixes his female victims to a wall, posed in nothing but a bridal veil, and then drains all the blood out of them at their heels--leaving them looking perfectly beautiful and "pure". His nemesis is Brad Raines--the lead FBI agent assigned to the case. As Raines investigates, a link between the killer and a nearby institution for mental health patients who are also highly intelligent is uncovered. As Raines checks out this link, he becomes aware of the special gifts of the residents at the institution, particularly of a woman named Paradise, and he hopes their talents can help him crack the case.
The race against time to stop the bride collector kept me wanting to keep listening to this story, but I did find some aspects of it unbelievable. I could not believe an FBI investigation would be allowed to be handled the way it is in this book. I did appreciate what the author was trying to do, in bringing awareness to an overlooked segment of our society and even making a person with a mental health disorder one of the heroes. However some of the interpersonal dynamics between Raines and the residents of the institution were hard to swallow as well. So I'd say this is a good thriller to enjoy for the shock value and some of the unique characters, just don't expect a high level of believably.
The race against time to stop the bride collector kept me wanting to keep listening to this story, but I did find some aspects of it unbelievable. I could not believe an FBI investigation would be allowed to be handled the way it is in this book. I did appreciate what the author was trying to do, in bringing awareness to an overlooked segment of our society and even making a person with a mental health disorder one of the heroes. However some of the interpersonal dynamics between Raines and the residents of the institution were hard to swallow as well. So I'd say this is a good thriller to enjoy for the shock value and some of the unique characters, just don't expect a high level of believably.