Braxton is the thriving city of opportunity and unlimited potential in the bustling 1990's.
It's a place where the Armstrong family has thrived and grown for over thirty years as one of the most prestigious families in the law enforcement district. From father to sons, the police bloodline in the Armstrong family has been upheld with honour and diligence...until today.
Murder strikes the Armstrong clan, and there is no reprieve from the hurt caused.
A gripping hostage standoff and a difficult emergency simultaneously occur at opposite ends of the city. A young woman escapes the intentions of a predatory killer.
All things crash down on Detective Paul Anderson without remorse for anything or anyone he cares for. The darkest day of his life is a bloodied beating from the killing kind no one would imagine possible, and he has only one way out...
"Riveting...Hamilton is one of the best Australian authors alive today...Aspiring brilliance and tension...an awesome work of Hitchcockian suspense..!" Clive, New Book Reviewer
Good Reads Literary Review - THE KILLING KIND by Edward Hamilton is a riveting crime fiction story about the violent events involving expecting parents, Michael and Michelle Armstrong. The book also follows the investigations into the abduction and murder of several girls occurring in Braxton City, which leave its residents living in fear. As events unfold, we follow the detective assigned to the case, Paul Anderson, and several other characters that are related to each other and to the two main storylines in the narrative. Though in the beginning the connections are not apparent, they become increasingly clear by the end of the story, and this revelation, to me, was very compelling. Having multiple characters' viewpoints in the story was an interesting way to unveil the mystery at the heart of this story. The characters are interesting and well developed, but I felt that they sometimes delivered long expositions about their lives.
The author certainly knows how to end a chapter to make you want to read more, and the switch in point of views in each chapter ensures readers are engaged throughout the story and get a more holistic view of events. While I enjoyed the story, I felt that the beginning of the chapters sometimes had long sections of narrative where information is given rather than shown. In either case, I felt that the storyline was coherent and had a consistently high level of intrigue.
I really enjoyed the slow burn style that is used at the beginning of the story, but when the revelations start happening and connections are made the pace of the story really picks up and by that time I was completely enthralled with the book. THE KILLING KIND is a gripping crime fiction story that has elements of a psychological thriller mixed with a gritty detective mystery which delivers a provocative story that is immensely entertaining. This is an emotional rollercoaster that is perfect for readers who enjoy compelling drama and do not mind reading about dark but authentic aspects of life.
