Killing the Beasts [Import] [Paperback]

Chris Simms (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: ISIS Publishing (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753174820
• ISBN-13: 978-0753174821
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

Chris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. Along with nominations for Crime Writer's Association Daggers and the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year award, Chris has been selected by Waterstone's as one of their '25 authors for the future'.

Chris says he is drawn to books that give insights into unusual minds. The twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles', The Collector, the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene's Heart of the Matter, the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe's Butcher Boy are all are books Chris states had an influence in shaping him as a writer. The idea for his debut novel, Outside the White Lines, came to him in the early hours of the morning while broken down on the hard shoulder of the M40.

His series of DI Spicer novels - psychological thrillers set very firmly in Manchester - follow the police detective's fortunes as he pursues mad, bad and deadly individuals through the city's ever-changing landscape.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perceptive and absorbing whodunnit, April 6, 2008

By 

Helen Simpson (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing the Beasts (Detective Jon Spicer Thrillers) (Paperback)

Jon Spicer is pulled off a long running car theft operation to lead the hunt for the killer of Polly Mather. His chance to prove he can cut the mustard. Soon more bodies are discovered and Jon is desperate to find a link between the murders.
Meanwhile he wonders about his old friend Tom Benwell. Tom works for an advertising agency and is unexpectedly promoted as the pressure builds for advertising opportunities around Manchester city centre during the run up to The Commonwealth Games.

The story all takes place in 2002 but the chapters swap between the Autumn (the present) and earlier in the year.
Although it took me a few chapters to get used to the time swapping, once I had, it worked really well and is very necessary to the story.

Simms specialises in damaged and disturbed characters and whether you're creeped out, sympathetic to, or repulsed by them...he certainly makes them realistic.
His 'normal' characters are well written too. I liked DI Jon Spicer. A rugby man (Spicer the Slicer) who enjoys his job, loves his girlfriend, but isn't infallible.

A story that gives you a disturbing but very believable glimpse of madness alongside an engrossing crime investigation.