The Killer on the Wall by Emma Kavanagh

Book Review

"It wasn't over. It had only just begun."

The Killer On The Wall is published in the UK today (20th April 2017). It is written by Emma Kavanagh and published by Cornerstone.

That quote is a little overly dramatic and cliched, and I'm afraid there is a lot of that in The Killer on the Wall. What starts off as an interestingly original thriller concept soon gets let down by the fairly unrealistic plot. If you suspend belief it's an enjoyable enough read and an interesting look at the science and debate around the makings of serial killers.



BLURB

The first body comes as a shock

The second brings horror

The third signals the beginning of a nightmare

When fifteen-year-old Isla Bell finds three bodies propped against Hadrian’s Wall, her whole world falls apart. In such a close-knit community, everyone knows the victims, and the man who did it.

Twenty years on and Isla has dedicated her life to forensic psychology; studying the brains of serial killers, and even coming face to face with the convicted murderer who turned her world upside down. She is safe after all, with him behind bars.

Then another body appears against the Wall.

And another.

As the nightmare returns and the body count rises, everyone in town is a suspect.

Who is the Killer on the Wall?

I chose to read The Killer on the Wall because of the author Emma Kavanagh and because the premise of a serial killer leaving bodies at Hadrian's wall hooked me. Unfortunately both things were a bit of a let down. I've never read any Emma Kavanagh before but I've heard good reviews of her other books so I thought I'd give this one a try. Unfortunately, the plot was just a bit too unbelievable and I didn't think it stood out much in the overflowing genre of serial killer thrillers. Similarly, The Killer on the Wall kicks off well; small village community terrorised by serial killer, that's right up my street. But it loses momentum and doesn't keep up it's good beginning.

I don't like posting bad reviews, because I understand the work that goes into a novel, but I also want to be honest. There were elements of The Killer on the Wall that I liked; I thought the focus on psychopaths and Isla's investigation into the science behind them was interesting. It looks at the question of nature versus nurture which I've always been fascinated with.

This book had such potential but got let down by an overly dramatic plot with some too good to be true deductions. Also, there are quite a few twists but I did guess most of them, and I'm generally not brilliant at guessing whodunnit.

Looking at Goodreads, this book seems to have mixed reviews, some are like me and feel it's a bit predictable, while others have given it 5 stars and rave about it. I'm afraid I can't give it that many stars, though.

My Rating: 2/5

However, having heard such good things about Emma Kavanagh I'd still like to read some of her other books. Let me know in the comments which ones you'd recommend.

I received a digital copy of The Killer on the Wall via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author and the publisher.

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