When a crime novel is attempted, so many authors are unrealistic in one or more areas of psychology, police and science capabilities
- or even reality. Murder, intrigue, and the psychotic manipulations of a serial killer lacking any of the usual “selective processes” to identify and alert
potential victims is the resplendent theme that laces itself throughout this
fabulous novel. Raffi Yessayan (whose author biography clearly highlights the reasons for this successful novel)
really brings to life a novel of suspense that is not only believable, but would make a great
Silence of the Lambs-type movie if put in the hands of the right director.
Yessayan
introduces the reader to the gut-clinching world of the high-crime area of Boston where drugs, murder, and racial tension make the local courthouse more of a madhouse on a daily basis. The assistant DAs
pack into court regularly, facing the emotional difficulties of trying to make the streets safer but only ever seeing the worst that the area has to offer.
As the handful of ADAs work through their cases and their own personal issues, the ever-increasing tally of the “Blood Bath Killer” continues to rise.
His selection process still baffles the best of Boston’s Homicide Division and the FBI,
and the missing bodies allow those connected with the victims no closure. Court cases meant to put away dangers to the community are being thrown out of court because the policemen protecting the streets are too busy and sidetracked with the far-reaching
hand of the “Blood Bath Killer.”
The characters’ lives unravel as the serial killer strikes closer to home and his targeted victims are finally tied to the courthouse. The missing link
is found, but as the noose tightens around the courts and the lives of the ADAs, the serial killer’s final kill is not what any would have expected.
The psychology and emotional complexity brought forth in the characters of Eight in the Box are truly
the novel's most fascinating aspect. Just as the appalling, yet undeniable draw exists to the vicious acts that make serial killers around the world known, it is the intricacies of their psychology that make any suspense novel or movie interesting. The same
applies to this novel and the amazing ending that leaves readers wanting more -
and there is great potential for a sequel. I give Eight in the Box five stars and highly recommend it for a great night of devilish reading in front of a haunting fire.