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A review by mikekaz
Portrait of the Psychopath as a Young Woman by Edward Lee, Elizabeth Steffen
4.0
This is a hardcore novel. Extremely brutal. There are enough torture scenes in this novel to give you at least one thing to cringe about. If you're like me, you'll find several. The new uses for power tools was one. The red pepper was another. If you get squeamish easily, pass on this book.
Kathleen Shade is a regular columnist for a feminist magazine when she starts getting stories from a serial killer. Not so much stories as descriptions of the torture inflicted on her victims. There are also glimpses into her childhood which is more depressing than the pain experienced by the men she kills. Detective Spence is the police officer assigned to investigate the killing spree but he can't quite find the connection between killer and columnist and is left a step behind as the victims pile up.
While a good read, Lee has done better. The torture is over the top at times and we don't usually find out too much about the victims. This leaves us not feeling much for them one way or another when they are killed. And there are even victims that we cheer the killer on with their torture. Without feeling for the victims, the book becomes more about the killer and those with who she chooses to communicate. We get a good view of these characters but for me, the feelings as to what might happen to them wasn't there. The novel is still kick ass and not one I would pass up but Lee has done better.
Kathleen Shade is a regular columnist for a feminist magazine when she starts getting stories from a serial killer. Not so much stories as descriptions of the torture inflicted on her victims. There are also glimpses into her childhood which is more depressing than the pain experienced by the men she kills. Detective Spence is the police officer assigned to investigate the killing spree but he can't quite find the connection between killer and columnist and is left a step behind as the victims pile up.
While a good read, Lee has done better. The torture is over the top at times and we don't usually find out too much about the victims. This leaves us not feeling much for them one way or another when they are killed. And there are even victims that we cheer the killer on with their torture. Without feeling for the victims, the book becomes more about the killer and those with who she chooses to communicate. We get a good view of these characters but for me, the feelings as to what might happen to them wasn't there. The novel is still kick ass and not one I would pass up but Lee has done better.