The Book Bump

First Published: 2023
Author: Michael Geczi
Language: English
Genre: Crime/Thriller
My rating: 3/5

As the title indicates, the story relates the tale of a victim who manages to escape the clutches of a renowned serial killer.

The premises for the story had me intrigued from the beginning. How did the victim escape?

I would perhaps have preferred a less obvious title and blurb. The blurb for the book essentially gives the plot away. You already know who most of the characters are and how they link together. This is somewhat disappointing for a thriller as part of the “thrill” is trying to figure things out before the end.

Knowing early on who the killer is bursts my “intrigue” bubble. It was like reading an episode of Columbo (the old television series with Peter Falk). You keep going because you want to know how the detective works it out and why the killer kills… But even then, I felt it was a bit of a letdown.

The policing and piecing together of the evidence were too easy. Either the police detectives were some of the best detectives around, or they had some major lucky breaks.

There are lots of characters that come into play in the Santa Monica Police Department and the FBI. It’s easy to forget who some of the secondary characters are.

As for the main characters, they felt a little flat. In trying to give them flaws, the author goes too far. They are very cliché.

Christine Weeks is the perfect narcissist but also gets too big for her boots, and it all backfires. Somehow, I find it inconceivable that she genuinely believed her plan would work. Anybody in their right mind can see how flawed her plan is.

On top of that, her aim is only possible because of extreme coincidence. Or are we meant to believe that she manipulated the serial killer to kidnap her?  

Detective Mollie Granger and her girlfriend, Gwen, make for an interesting side story, as their different socio-cultural backgrounds and jobs strain their relationship. I liked how the author linked real-life events (the death of George Floyd) to make the characters and the case feel more real.

Detective Greg Nichols, too, has the potential to be an interesting character with a lot of emotional baggage. I’d be interested in learning more about him.  

I’m not sure what to make of KJ. She seemed weak, weaker and more naïve than I imagine a person would be given her situation.

As for Keith Victor, I think he’s a more complex character than the reader initially gives him credit for. The book has an interesting passage about the difference between accomplices, enablers, pawns, and victims. The category in which Keith falls isn’t as apparent as one might think the more the story progresses.

However, the writing style, although very easy to read, makes it difficult to grow attached to any characters. The plot twists added for shock value felt flat because I didn’t invest emotionally in the characters.

The author also heavily relies on telling and not showing, giving an overall feeling of awkwardness. Sometimes, the dialogue was complicated to follow. It also lacked a particular flow.

The author also relies a lot on flashbacks, which sometimes interrupt the flow of the narrative. As the reader, we get a bird’s eye view of everything. Nothing is left to the imagination. We often know certain critical elements before the police. And some things, the police don’t ever find out.

The backstory is complex to digest as it is given in large chunks. As a reader, I prefer to get to know the character as the information becomes necessary to the plot, not chapter after chapter of the character’s personal history.

The ending feels rushed, but I imagine it is left open for a sequel. Maybe there is more to the Keith Victor killings. We shall see.  

The story in itself was promising. However, I feel the execution and delivery could have been better.

I want to thank the author and BookSirens for providing a free ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.