Random by Craig Robertson

Author: Craig Robertson

First Published: N/A (ARC)

Pages: 329 pgs 

From the Jacket: A serial killer known as The Cutter has Glasgow in his grip. His modus operandi changes with every victim and the police are utterly baffled. But when he attacks a member of the criminal underworld, The Cutter suddenly finds himself on the run from a group hellbent on bloody retribution. With his carefully laid plans falling apart, he decides to take action – with terrifying consequences…

I remember being pretty excited to be reading this book. For one thing, it was my first complimentary book that came in my mailbox (courtesy of Book Chick City and Simon & Schuster UK for signing up for the Thriller & Suspense Challenge), and for another thing, the first 100 pages were so riveting (see Teaser Tuesday # 1), it practically had me gripping the edge of my seat with my free hand.

The story starts off with the killer having dinner in a restaurant with an unidentified lady. Upon making payment for the dinner at the desk, he reaches his hand into the bowl full of business cards and pulls out a name… Jonathan Carr. Salter, Fyfe and Bryce Solicitors. 1042 Bath Street….the killer’s first victim, maimed with a carjack swung to the back of his neck and died from suffocation with his mouth sealed shut by a duct tape and his nostrils squeezed tight with a few drops of super glue. The killer later cuts off the victim’s finger as a souvenir - an absolutely gruesome and heartless murderer. After another carefully planned murder, the killer strikes again, only to discover that he had killed a person connected to the Glasgow Mafia. It was from this point onwards that I started to lose the plot. I thought that the introduction of the underground criminals into the storyline was boring and unnecessary. Although from the jacket it sounded like the killing of one of the Mafia’s men was a major hindrance to the murderer’s killing spree, it really didn’t do much to enhance the action, and was to the contrary quite dull and idealistic in parts.

What’s interesting about this book though is that the entire story is written from the killer’s perspective which gives the reader an insight into the dark and twisted mind of a psychotic serial killer. I also appreciated the research done into ensuring that the murders were believable – some of them were truly ingenious. I could also relate to one of the potential victims (scarily enough), who was selected by the murderer from Facebook! Yup, it’s definitely possible, especially made so when you read about it in Random.

The Catcher in the Rye

Author : J.D. Salinger
Genre : Literature
First Published : 1945

Brief: This novel centres around a high-school boy; Holden Caulfield. It is written in first person, as narrated by Caulfield himself.

The first thing that struck me when I read the first few pages of this book was how much it sounded like I was reading a personal blog instead of a much-talked about novel. It wasn’t so much of the writing style (being in first person), but it was more of the profanity and swearing that appeared in almost every page that made me feel like I was just reading some random individual’s journal. I managed to get over the countless “craps” and “Chrissakes” after a while and found a few interesting points worth mentioning.

Holden’s story, as how he views the world, is none at all conclusive. His perspective on things invokes a major question. Was he merely a rebellious teenager or was he a schizophrenic? His thoughts were incoherent, tending to jump from one topic to another, yet he expressed each random thought with clarity. He also appeared to be unusually irrational at times, like the time he wouldn’t stop asking cab drivers where the ducks disappeared to in winter. There were also some incidences in the story suggesting that Caulfield was delusional. It’s quite obvious that he’s a cynic who hated almost everything and everyone. On the other hand, he was also shown to be extremely sincere and protective when it came to kids or women. Personally, Caulfield to me looked like he was on the onset of having a mental illness. Rebellious teenagers are usually attention seekers, something Caulfield wasn’t really fond of.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this was a great book. There was no high point in the story, though it does have some interesting moments, and it definitely leaves you with some food for thought.

*Update
J.D. Salinger has passed away on the 27th of January 2010 at the age of 91. Salinger died of natural causes at his home. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in a small, remote house in Cornish, N.H. (Associated Press).

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

The Gist (don’t worry, no spoilers here)
The scene is set in 1964, Lexington USA. An orthopaedic surgeon and his young and delicate wife were expecting a baby. On the night of the delivery, a blizzard hits the town and the doctor was forced to deliver his own babies, fortunately with the help of his nurse. Instead of one, 2 babies were born, twins; a healthy baby boy and a baby girl with down-syndrome. In that moment, the doctor made a single decision that would haunt him and his family’s lives for a quarter of a century.

The Characters
Dr David Henry: Orthopaedic surgeon and doting husband. Mysterious character, even to his wife and friends. Had a difficult childhood and a family history lined with problems.

Norah Henry: Wife of David Henry. A delicate and fragile woman, married at a very young age.

Caroline Gill: Devoted nurse and assistant to Dr. Henry. She helped deliver the twins and later became an accomplice to Dr Henry’s plans.

Paul Henry: The strong and healthy twin with an extraordinary gift for music. Rebellious in nature and hates his father.

Phoebe Henry: The twin with down-syndrome. Labelled as a retard by society.

My Synopsis
I saw a lot of hype surrounding this book and the summary at the back was interesting enough to propel me to read it. Plus, I really liked the cover (spoooky!). The numerous rave reviews somewhat reinforced my decision. After taking more than a week to finish the book, I have to say that I was left more disappointed than delighted. The first 3 quarters of the book was draggy and unbelievably depressing thanks to the sombre and dismal characters. I didn’t like the writing style either and found that the switch between scenes were sometimes confusing. It just wasn’t my cup of tea so I’m only giving this a 3/5. Maybe Kim’s latest book the “The Secrets of a Fire King” would fare better but I’m not counting too much on it. My next read? Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol…hopefully this one will not disappoint!