The Murder Artist [Large Print] [Hardcover]

John Case (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2005

A New York Times Bestselling Author

As a television news correspondent, Alex Callahan has covered famine, plague, and war. But what he's never known is the terror that grabs him when he ceases to be an observer of the dark side and becomes enmeshed in it. Alex is logging some all-too-rare quality time with his six-year-old twin sons when they vanish amid the hurly-burly of a country fair. Then the phone call comes, setting in motion a juggernaut of frenzy and agony.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A parent's worst nightmare is realized in Case's expertly written new thriller. During a summer-long, last-ditch attempt to reconnect with his family since separating from his wife, Washington TV reporter Alexander Callahan loses his identical twin six-year-old sons at a Maryland Renaissance fair. After facing the media avalanche outside his house, Alex and police detectives discover mysterious objects placed inside: a carefully crafted origami rabbit, a bowl of water in the closet, seven winged Liberty dimes in a neat stack. Following a "maelstrom of emotion," Alex is eliminated as a suspect and authorities concede a lack of reliable leads. Scouring the Internet, Alex discovers connections between several cases of abducted twins and his own situation, and with relentless determination he continues his investigation, traveling to Daytona Beach, Fla., to interview wary sources and Las Vegas, Nev., to research the horrific deaths of two abducted young showgirls. The kidnapper, it seems, is a malevolent magician dabbling in voodoo practices. Case's pace reaches a fever pitch as Alex chases more leads to New Orleans, where he teams up with a local albino sleuth and ends up on the doorstep of a witchdoctor who insists on a nightmarish rebirthing ritual before he'll break his silence on the killer. Northern and Southern California provide the final backdrops for a harrowing conclusion that will leave readers breathless. A long, winding narrative that's impossible to put down, this is another work of superior suspense from the author of The Genesis Code.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

After a series of fanciful international-conspiracy thrillers, Case (aka Jim Hougan and Carolyn Hougan) changes direction with this first-person, present-tense narrative that effectively plays upon every parent's worst fear. Workaholic journalist and absentee dad Alex Callahan takes his twin sons to the Renaissance Faire only to find they've vanished during the distraction of a joust. During the moment-by-moment ordeal that follows, hope recedes, and Alex's life disintegrates until he falls back on his investigative instincts in a forlorn attempt to find his sons, or at least track down their killer. Alex's dogged search takes him around the country, where he meets colorful characters--or colorless, in the case of Pinky, an albino private eye--and picks up intriguing leads about magic, voodoo, and the significance of twins. The disturbing pattern that emerges points toward a grisly use for his boys that is far beyond his wildest nightmares. Case's hero is appealingly fallible, and his gripping pursuit of a warped monster doesn't let go until the final showdown. This solid kids-in-jeopardy thriller should appeal to a wide range of suspense fans. David Wright
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 727 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (March 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078627168X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786271689
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,054,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate thriller, November 5, 2004

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Murder Artist: A Thriller (Hardcover)

In this masterful thriller by John Case (a husband and wife team), reporter Alex Callahan loses his energetic twin sons at a Renaissance fair in Maryland: one moment they are petting a whippet with a Shakespearean ruff around his neck, and the next they have vanished. The police have few leads, and the lead investigator is reassigned to a homeland security force. Alex, who cannot accept that he'll never see his beloved sons again, sets out on a trail that leads to a series of revelations, each one more chilling than the last. Helped along the way by advice from police detectives, private investigators, lawyers, and his own gut instincts, Alex fights his way toward the truth. The plot assembles the history of magic, voodoo practice, and the gruesome tastes of a psychopath into a non-stop thriller that will have most readers willingly accepting their bloodshot eyes as they read late into the night.

Remarkably, in all this fast-paced rush of a story, the authors never skimp on characterization and detail. From Alex's estranged wife Liz to the albino private investigator in New Orleans to the grocery clerk who gives Alex his final break, the characters are memorable and well-drawn; many, such as the one-lipped voodoo "houngan", are unforgettable. The settings are equally skillful, with the seedy underside of Las Vegas glitz contrasting with the more down-home grime of the swamps outside New Orleans. Even the Renaissance Faire, where the twins vanish, is brought to life with such convincing detail that it remains vivid even 400 pages later. The abrupt ending might leave some readers dissatisfied, but it thankfully skirts the maudlin.

Readers of thrillers should not pass up this breathlessly suspenseful novel. Well-written, intelligent, and fast-paced, The Murder Artist deserves a spot among the best of the genre.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL thriller, January 8, 2006

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Avid Reader - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Murder Artist: A Thriller (Hardcover)

I loved it!

If you like Thomas Harris you will probably like this book, though it's not as gory (but definitely has its James Ellroy moments). It's super smart with nonstop action. Had me from word one to the last word.

Now I'm looking for everything he ever wrote.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller In Every Sense of the Word, October 28, 2004

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Murder Artist: A Thriller (Hardcover)

John Case doesn't do series characters, so each book presents you with a new hero to learn about. In this case it's one with whom we can all identify, that of a parent with a missing child, or in this case two as the children are twins. Then comes the dreaded phone call, a chilling silence, slow, steady breathing, and the familiar, plaintive voice of a child -- "Daddy?"

Put that down if you can.

After that, it's a thriller. And those familiar with John Case know that he does scary thrillers. There's no supernatural aspect, but the 'ordinary' people that John Case creates are scary enough in their own right.

Gee Im glad that my daughter is grown up.