Killer Rumors By Antonello Fiore

So, the author of this book sent me a digital version of it for an honest review, which I intend to deliver on (as I do with every book I read, whether or not the author requested a review). Killer Rumors is a gripping story that you can't help but be pulled in by, and if not for the grammatical errors and lack of proofreading it would certainly be a 5 star novel. However, I had to give this book 3 out of 5 stars because the jumps from present to past tense and vice versa, coupled with bad grammar, significantly interfered with my ability to truly enjoy this book as much as I could have. Again, the plot and the story development was phenomenal, but the execution of the book was less than stellar.

From the publisher:
Father D’Angelo and Bakeman, two devoted priests were brutally murdered while going on one of their nightly walks. Detective Frank Rinelli is called to the case- not only due to his close friendship with the priests, but with his expertise of tracking psychotic killers. Rinelli suddenly discovers these murders were based on a scandal that occurred several years ago at the same Church where the two murdered priests preached. And it doesn’t stop there. The list of people being murdered in connection with the scandal continues to grow until the killer has his ultimate vengeance- and the truth released.

My thoughts:
I was blown away at how deeply I was pulled into this story, and how quickly it happened. Not many stories have the ability to really make me wish I had a longer lunch break on which to read, but Fiore has a way with plot and character development. Frank Rinelli and his partner Nick Lorenzzo are immensely likable, filled with the wit and quips that come with the territory of being literary detectives (I highly doubt that detectives are really as sharp and witty as those that live in the pages of a book, likely due to an author's time spent developing the dialogue for his characters to deliver). I had a blast watching them try to discover who was killing off the priests and church employees, made even more entertaining by the fact that Fiore gives the killer his own voice in the novel. The reader gets to see what's going through his head, and why he has planned and executed these horrific crimes. I've read a lot of crime novels (here's looking at you, James Patterson), and this author certainly has the drive and the imagination to become a major player in this genre.

That is, of course, if there is a bit more editing done. The verb tense shifts back and forth from present to past, and it is so difficult and so disorienting to read. Add to this word salad and other assorted grammatical errors, and the incredible story loses its luster somewhat. It took away from my ability to sit and read for an extended period of time, no matter how intrigued and curious I was to see what was going to happen next. And I assure you, most of your time spent reading this will be on the edge of your seat, anxious for the next chapter and the next plot twist.

Killer Rumors is a fast pace crime thriller that I would read again and again (and probably be shocked at the ending again and again as well). Assuming, of course, that it is edited and re-released. I look forward to seeing what else the imaginative mind of Antonello Fiore can come up with in future installments of this series.

- Justin