Today is my turn on the Blog Tour for THE EXECUTIONER. This is a debut thriller by Heather Opperman and WOW what an edge-of-your-seat page turner it is! All the way to the totally stunning ending.
The Executioner (Detective Alex Reid #1) by Heather Opperman
Available from Amazon
Do you like adrenaline pumping psychological thrillers?
The Executioner is a debut thriller from an author we are sure to hear more about in the future
Alex Reid lives a charmed life.
He has a job he loves, a wife who adores him, and a home which has been featured in magazines. As a Detective in the Serious and Violent Crimes unit in Cape Town, South Africa, Alex is fortunate to live in a country where serial killers are few and far between.
But in a whirlwind turn of events, Alex finds himself locked in a life and death struggle with a malevolent serial killer who has chosen Alex as his arch nemesis.
As the body count rises, Alex must try to overcome his own personal tragedy and loss, and go head to head with the man the media have dubbed the Executioner.
Will Alex stop him before he extracts his final revenge?
The Location
Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city, the busy harbour and boats heading for Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, which is now a living museum.
The Detective
Detective Alex Reid had a difficult childhood but he survived against all the odds. He is now a Detective solving serious crime cases. He is a unique character that cares about the people he is keeping safe. He has developed a healthy working relationship with Fadi, appreciating his skills along with his strange ways. Together they are determined to take down the bad guys.
My Review
This is a debut thriller by Heather Opperman so I was unsure what to expect but we all love to discover new talent so I eagerly began reading.
Detective Alex Reid is the main character. After a difficult and lonely childhood he is living happily with his wife Jaeme with Lizzie occupying the guest cottage life is good – then a body is discovered…
Women are being abducted but apparently they are going willingly. They are tortured and killed. The victims are all different ages and the methods of their murder are also different but there is a clue that links them so the team are definitely hunting a serial killer.
The characters are unique individuals and build in complexity over the course of the story into well rounded, realistic people. We learn about their background and personality as the investigation proceeds and there is a smattering of personality clashes that makes for a very realistic read.
The setting is South Africa, a country I know little about, and I really enjoyed reading about the area and people.
It is a fast paced read that had me turning page after page. A lot of victims and numerous twists and turns kept the adrenaline pumping all the way through. This is a psychological thriller in every sense of the word and ticked every single box of my criteria for a great thriller. Awesome read and I am looking forward to book 2.
5 stars from me.
Author Bio
I am always thinking of new ways to describe what I see and feel. Words are my passion! I know it’s nerdy, but I make a point of learning at least 3 new words a week.
I have no formal training in writing. My background is in Corporate Information Technology, where I have 25 years’ experience.
But I have been writing since as far back as I remember, on any surface I could find, including one memorable occasion when I wrote a “poem” on the wall of my Mother’s bedroom, which earned me a clip on the ear.
Thanks to the encouragement, bribes and downright threats to my life and limbs, I was persuaded by friends and family to self-publish The Executioner. I am so grateful to everybody who has walked with me on this journey. I’m not stopping now!
