Deviant Ways [Unabridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Chris Mooney (Author), Richard Ferrone (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2001

Punctuated with one blisteringly violent and unpredictable twist after another, this pitch-perfect study of psychological terror spotlights two magnificent minds opposed in a no-holds-barred duel of cunning and depravity. A master killer calling himself the Sandman is out for revenge. He's slaughtering not just one person at a time but whole families and whole neighborhoods, unleashing devastating explosions nationwide, and watching the horror unfold on a sophisticated network of surveillance cameras. No one knows why he is committing his crimes, or where he'll strike next. But one man -- Jack Casey -- knows this: the Sandman wants him in the middle of the case, and wants him to suffer. Jack was the FBI's top profiler until a psychopath's unspeakable crime shattered his life. Now Jack is starting over as a detective in a posh shoreline community outside Boston, and involved with a beautiful woman who knows nothing about his shocking past. But the Sandman has found him, and his cutting-edge electronic devices are silently monitoring Jack's every move. Knowing that a showdown is imminent, Jack turns in desperation to Malcolm Fletcher, a strange and brilliant fallen angel from the profiling unit. Fletcher is wanted by the FBI. And he possesses the key to unlocking the Sandman's demented mind. As Jack Casey confronts evidence that the evil he's fighting may have emanated from his own side of the law, the Sandman's motivations begin to appear and a wild chase ensues. But while racing against time to save the next family, Jack is led deeper into the dark and terrifying tunnels of his fragile mind -- a place where the Sandman awaits, to deal his final master stroke of vindictive cruelty. Deviant Ways is a breathtaking and unforgettable first novel that catapults Chris Mooney into suspense fiction's highest ranks.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: RECORDED BOOKS, LLC; UNABRIDGED edition (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0788759884
• ISBN-13: 978-0788759888
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.2 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,185,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN EXTREME AND DISTURBING THRILLER!, October 30, 2000

By 

Christian "Writer/Human" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deviant Ways (Hardcover)

If one could create a new category of fiction, say, in the manner of sports, this first novel by Chris Mooney would be at the top of a list titled: Extreme Fiction. As one who is never at a loss for words, this incredibly intelligent and mind-rendering thriller evoked only the most astounding comparisons...such as, "Move over Thomas Harris, Chris Mooney has created a bigger, better, and meaner Hannibal Lecter!" Where once Harris' top-selling book was the litmus test to improve upon, Mooney's "Deviant Ways" is destined to become one to outdo.

Jack Casey is a man haunted. Not by your everyday, run-of-the-mill ghosts...but by his own demons: The face of his former wife as she lay dying only feet away from him, bleeding to death from a slashed throat; the images of all the victims that he was too late to save as a criminal profiler for one of the nation's top law enforcement agencies, the FBI. Now retired from the Bureau, but still tormented by his past, Casey is trying to form a new existence, hoping vainly to outrun these demons that insist on following him. And follow him they do, deep into one of the most intense thrillers ever written. Like an evil hybrid of Jack Clancy, Thomas Harris, and Jonathon Kellerman, Mooney writes like a man possessed by his own monsters, and his therapy is to purge them onto the page...much to the benefit of the reader.

Pursuing Jack Casey is The Sandman, the result of a horrible government drug experiment gone as wrong as possible. The Sandman is without conscience, remorse, or feeling...but what he lacks in these, he makes up for in cunning and intelligence, and knowledge in explosives. As Casey tries to out-think The Sandman, he is forced to confront all of his own monsters, not only to save his own life, but those of the people he is beginning to care about as well.

With as many twisting turns as a mountain highway, "Deviant Ways" is not for those who read to fall asleep. I proudly add this book to the list of my all-time favorite reads!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Am So Impressed!, December 29, 2000

By 

"scooners" (South Bend, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deviant Ways (Hardcover)

This is Chris Mooney's first book and I am amazed at the talent and maturity his writing displays. I have read alot of books lately and Deviant Ways is at the peak of my top 5 list. This is a true suspence thriller that is unprecedented. The descriptives in this book were so good that at times I felt as though I was watching a movie. The Sandman is a great "serial" character but I think Miles Hamilton was a little creepier. But my favorite character wasn't even the main character, Jack Casey. It was Malcolm Fletcher, a former FBI profiler with a sordid past. He is the key ingredient for the utter success of this book. Malcolm Fletcher is cool and delivers his own form of justice that will surely put a smile on your face. This is a dark tale but don't worry you'll be feeling most hopeful at the end of Deviant Ways. Enjoy, thriller fans and watch for Chris Mooney in future. I have a feeling he'll back.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense At Its Finest!, March 13, 2001

By 

Brian K. Walley (Clayton, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deviant Ways (Hardcover)

I had never heard of Chris Mooney until someone sent me an e-mail telling me about this book. So, I decided to put it on my list. Well, after reading this book, I am still wondering what took me so long to read it! This book was well-written, exciting, and very suspenseful. I really enjoyed The Sandman, Jack Casey, Miles Hamilton, and especially Malcolm Fletcher. This was a classic case of good vs. evil and, while I was rooting for Jack Casey, I found myself really enjoying and respecting the cleverness of The Sandman. I really enjoyed how the Sandman continued to call and torment Jack Casey throughout the book. He knew ALL of the buttons to push to get to Jack and, believe me, HE PUSHED ALL OF THEM! Although Jack is the main character of the book, you cannot help but to take notice to the antics of Malcolm Fletcher, an ex-FBI agent. He was the "guardian angel" that always seemed to pop up whenever Jack was in trouble. Fans of the Thomas Harris books or even the James Patterson books really ought to give this one a try. If you are looking for heart-pounding suspense, this book should not be missed!