The 50/50 killer by Steve Mosby – a review

As I’ve said previously, I’ve a bit of a soft spot for Steve Mosby as he always seems like a nice chap. So I bought a copy of this book at the festival last year just so I would have something for him to sign. Not in a weird stalker way I hasten to add, just because I always feel sorry for the authors at the festival who don’t have a new book out at the time. They always seem to get less people asking for their signature which makes me feel sad (yes I know they are probably actually just grateful to get a break from being pestered by fans). Therefore I bought this book from the book tent. At the time I thought I’d already read it, but once again I was wrong. I’m glad I have read it now though.

The book starts with a man having been burned in his own home. Then another man turns up at the police station with a story about him and his girlfriend having been abducted and him managing to escape. Mark Nelson is a young policeman assigned to the team of the infamous detective John Mercer. All the evidence points to the perpetrator being the 50/50 killer who abducts couples and then makes them decide which one will live and which one will die.

This was a truly gripping read and in parts quite terrifying. I really hate masks, and have a fear of people hiding in the loft watching me (luckily my old house didn’t have a loft and this one has got so much stuff shoved up it no one could get the hatch open let alone live up there) and this book had both. The story of the killer and the danger that the couples are in was scary.

The main character of Mark Nelson was a bit annoying, turning up late on his first day instantly annoyed me, however he gets better and I enjoyed the pairing of him and the seasoned detective Mercer.

The story is told from varying viewpoints, and over a period of a couple days which gives the book an almost dizzy feel it is so fast. It did take me a little while to click my brain into the style of this time line but once there it was a great way of telling a story.

I would definitely recommend this book, which I think is the first of Steve Mosby’s crime novels, and from what I can see each one just gets better. I look forward to reading more, and now I know that I have definitely got and read all of his current ones I’ll just have to wait for his new one, hopefully its not too long.