Messiah [Paperback]

Boris Starling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

The first victim was found hanging from a rope. The second, beaten to death in a pool of blood. The third, decapitated. Their backgrounds were as strikingly different as the methods of their murders. But one chilling detail linked all three crimes: their tongues had been cut out and replaced with a silver spoon. The local police had enough evidence to believe they were witnessing a rare--and disturbing--phenomenon: the making of a serial killer...

"He'll kill again."

Investigator Red Metcalfe has made national headlines with his uncanny gift for tracking killers. Getting inside their heads. Feeling what they feel. He's interviewed the most notorious serial killers in the world. He knows what makes them tick. But not this time. The killer's motives and methods are so elusive, so brilliant, that Red is forced to search the darkest corners of his own soul--and face the guiltiest secrets of his past--to see the truth. This time, the life he saves could be his own...

Prepare yourself for the stunning debut of a major new talent...and the most frightening book you will read this year.

Boris Starling's Messiah...A modern masterwork of serial killer suspense so realistic, so harrowing, it could only have been written by a former reporter and confidential investigator...

* Great new voice--in the tradition of Thomas Harris and John Sandford
* Great credentials--author is a former reporter and specialist in confidential investigations and kidnap negotiations
* "Fast-paced, gritty...one of the best books on murder you'll read."--Esquire (UK)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Scotland Yard's Redfern Metcalfe "gets inside killers' heads and reels them in." But Britain's latest serial killer (an evil genius dubbed "Silver Tongue" for his grisly technique and distinctive "calling card") is the worst Red's ever seen, leaving the hardened investigator shaken to his core. While Red and his hand-picked team of detectives concoct half-baked theories and chase shadows, the elusive Silver Tongue taunts them by racking up victims. With no forensic evidence to go on, Red is forced to play an excruciating game of "wait and see" with the killerAsending his personal and professional life into a downward spiral. Starling's debut sustains a sense of fear and uneasiness by seamlessly moving between Red's increasing obsession with the manhunt and his haunting memories of guilt-inducing past misdeeds. When it seems the case is close to resolution, Starling manages to step up the already considerable tension, and the simultaneous story lines dramatically and unexpectedly converge. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Twenty-nine year old Boris Starling works for a company that specializes in kidnap negotiation, clandestine investigations, and political risk analysis. Prior to that, he was a journalist for the British papers The Sun and The Daily Telegraph. Messiah is his first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451409000
• ISBN-13: 978-0451409003
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Messiah" Reigns, January 3, 2000

By 

Paul A. Nappi (West Chester, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Messiah (Paperback)

I am an avid reader of thrillers/suspense novels and have read numerous horror thrillers including books by Stephen King, John Saul and Thomas Harris. "Messiah" is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. When I purchased the book, I did not know what to expect as "Messiah" is the first effort by Boris Starling. I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, my only disappointment is attributable to the fact that the book had to end. Mr. Starling has apparently done significant research and has produced a compelling masterpiece of suspense with an imaginative and original storyline. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery thrillers. I am eagerly awaiting Mr. Starling's next effort!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Debut!, November 24, 1999

By 

"theladypandora" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Messiah (Paperback)

I picked this book up because of the blurb on the front which said, "The most terrifying thriller since 'Silence of the Lambs'". I thought, "What a bold statement for a book to make." Believe me, this book does not disappoint! It takes place in England which threw me at first because of the different terms they use, but you get past that in a hurry. This book is simply one of the best books I have read this year. I have recommended this title to over a hundred people! No really, I have. And I have yet to hear anything bad about this book. I can't wait to see what else Mr. Starling writes. If you are a fan of Thomas Harris, Jeffrey Deaver, or John Sandford, I urge you to buy this book! You will not be disappointed! It will be the best money you've spent on a book this year. The ending is mind blowing and I literally had to stop and think about it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For These Things Were Done..., July 28, 2001

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Messiah (Paperback)

Boris Starling's "Messiah" starts out deceptively slow paced as Detective Superintendent Red Metcalfe confronts the first crime scene of this novel. A hanging - made unusual by the removal of the victim's tongue and its replacement with a silver spoon. But he hardly has time to interview the deceased's girlfriend when he receives a second call. This time a bishop has been beaten to death, and once again the victim's tongue has been removed and replaced with a silver spoon. Red intuitively knows that this will be a bad case, and that he is hunting down a fiendishly clever serial killer.

Metcalfe, with his team of Duncan Warren, Kate Beauchamp, and Jez Clinton, find themselves faces with a killer who knows how to leave no trace at the murder scene. The murders seem to occur at random, and the victims seem to have nothing in common. Red, who is noted for his ability to get into the minds of criminals and killers is completely stymied. The team seems helpless as killing follows killing, and every lead points to a dead end.

Starling keeps up interest by first alternating the narrative with flashback of Metcalfe's life. In college he turned his brother in as a killer who is still serving a life sentence. Later Metcalfe was the driver in a hit and run accident. A secret he still hides. The second narrative feature is the gradual inclusion of tidbits from the killer. These are extremely well done, providing insight but never giving anything away.

Without ever appearing so, this is an extremely tightly plotted thriller. There is very little that does not happen for a reason. Clues are carefully presented and disguised without ever revealing too much. The story twists and turns as the murders point in different directions without ever becoming banal or repetitive. The murders themselves are ghoulishly spectacular, making this both a fascinating mystery story and a great serial killer read. A very fine piece of writing from a promising author.