The Scavenger's Daughter: A Tyler West Mystery [Kindle Edition]

Mike McIntyre (Author)

Book Description

Disgraced newsman Tyler West is desperate for a scoop that will save his career. When he investigates the baffling deaths of several of San Diego's elite, he uncovers a common link: torture devices not used since the Dark Ages. Plunged into a mysterious world of medieval torture scholars, antiquities collectors and sadomasochists, he must break the brilliantly conceived series of slayings that has cast a dark shadow over a city better known for its sun, sand and surf. The elusive killer goes by the name Friar Tom, in tribute to his hero, Tomás de Torquemada, the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. As Ty scrambles to unmask the monstrous zealot, he is drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse that could cost him everything.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike McIntyre, a former columnist for the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, is also the author of two travelogues--The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, an account of his coast-to-coast journey with no money, and The Wander Year: One Couple's Journey Around the World. He lives in San Diego.

Product Details

• File Size: 500 KB
• Print Length: 302 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Kite Press (December 28, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004HFS3VW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,158 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals
  • #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Hard-Boiled

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read February 5, 2011

By Jenny Hilborne

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished reading The Scavengers Daughter and had to share my comments so you don't miss out on a fabulous read. A combination thriller/mystery/horror, this book starts out with a gripping prologue and launches straight into action with the first of its high-profile victims. McIntyre spares us no mercy in the vivid detail he gives of each torture method inflicted on his victims. The tension builds in every chapter - and there are a lot of them.

Set in San Diego, Southern California, the story dives into the gruesome world of medieval torture inflicted by a modern day killer. Investigative reporter, Tyler West continually defies the police in a desperate search for the sadomasochist, Friar Tom, before he loses everything that matters to him.

The Scavengers Daughter is an involved, complicated plot expertly woven together to create a fantastic, suspenseful read. The chapters are short, the pace is fast and furious, and the reader is immediately hooked right up to the end. The characters are realistic, well developed and likable, even with their flaws. The villain, despite his cruel and dire passion for torture, is believable and convincing.

I didn't want this book to end.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Giving James Patterson a run for his money... February 15, 2011

By Stefanie647

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is phenominal. Seriously.

The characters are all wonderfully developed. No two-dimensionality here! I love that no one is all good or all bad. The hero has his flaws. The "bad guy" isn't all bad- or at least he didn't start out all bad. The reader is a witness to his descent into madness. The characters all wrestle with shades of grey. They make mistakes.

I also really, really enjoyed the alternating points of view. I thought it was a great way to present the story. And also, I love the fact that it was done properly. I've read just too many stories with point of view problems, and it is so refreshing to see it done well.

The author's descriptions were not overdone, yet he managed to give enough detail so the reader knows exactly what's going on. Also, the details and descriptions of the serial killer and his torture were not overboard. It was enough so that I knew was was going to happen and how, but not so much that I couldn't even read it. I have read other thriller novels that I absolutely could not continue because everything was described in horrific, graphic detail. This is NOT the case here. The author never describes in detail the actual act of murder or torture. He leaves something to the imagination. It's a wonderful balance between too much info and not enough. This reader thouroughly appreciated it.

I am looking forward to future books from Mr. McIntyre. I'm confident they will be equally wonderful.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great thrill ride! May 16, 2011

By GraceKrispy (MotherLode blog)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

After being suspended from the paper, Pulitzer prize winning journalist Ty West is desperate to revive his career. Luckily for him, there's a medieval serial killer on the loose in San Diego, and Ty is uniquely situated to get all the scoops. With some serious perseverance and a bit of luck, everything seems to be going his way. But things can change in an instant. Chasing down this story may be the most dangerous story of his career, and one false move means Ty stands to lose everything that's ever mattered to him.

A former columnist himself, the author seems to know his way around newspaper business (love the "Wheaties test"). The characterization in this book is well done, and the richness of the detail serves to pull the reader into the story. In fact, I'm a little frightened of the author, due to the impeccable research he's put into the character of Friar Tom. The information about the instruments of torture is exquisite, and really adds to the storyline. Somehow, the author manages to make such a wild storyline believable, and the result is a riveting, and frightening, tale. Told in both first person (Ty) and third person (Friar Tom), it's easy to follow the plot as it builds to its inevitable conclusion.

This was a book I found really difficult to put down. I began reading it on Sunday morning, and I could hardly be parted from my reader all day long until I finished the book. It was engrossing and well- written. I'm a big fan of Michael Connelly's books, and I think Ty West may be Harry Bosch's biggest competition. The twists in the story were easy to follow, and I never was lost or confused about what had happened.

Originally posted @ GraceKrispy's MotherLode review blog

More About the Author

Mike McIntyre is an author, journalist, traveler and avid golfer. His first book, "The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America," an account of his coast-to-coast journey with no money, was featured on Oprah. His latest travelogue, "The Wander Year: One Couple's Journey Around the World," recounts his 22-country, 6-continent adventure with his wife, Andrea. He is also the author of the novel, "The Scavenger's Daughter: A Tyler West Mystery." He's been a travel columnist for the Los Angeles Times, a theater columnist for The Washington Post and a feature writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune. He's also published articles in Golf Digest, Reader's Digest, Air & Space/Smithsonian and Powder magazines. He lives in San Diego.