Book Review: Dead Eyed by Matt Brolly

DCI Michael Lambert thought he’d closed his last case… Yet when he’s passed a file detailing a particularly gruesome murder, Michael knows that this is no ordinary killer at work. The removal of the victim’s eyes and the Latin inscription carved into the chest is the chilling calling-card of the ‘soul jacker’: a cold-blooded murderer who struck close to Michael once before, twenty-five years ago. Now the long-buried case is being re-opened, and Michael is determined to use his inside knowledge to finally bring the killer to justice. But as the body count rises, Michael realises that his own links to the victims could mean that he is next on the killer’s list… The gripping first novel in a thrilling new crime series by Matt Brolly. Perfect for fans of Tony Parsons, Lee Child and Angela Marsons.

* Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Michael Lambert has to live with the skeletons in his closet. Twenty years ago, he lost a college friend. The guy was brutally murdered in his own room in the college, his eyes removed, his body mutilated with words carved into the skin. An image pretty hard to forget.

Now, twenty years later, another college friend receives photos of a body mutilated just like the one before. But the previous murder wasn't the first one. It was just one more body in the row, a work of the serial killer called The Souljacker. It was the last murder until now, when photos of another body appeared.

Is The Souljacker back? Why did he stop for twenty years? It really him now or is it a copycat? What is the link between the victims? The research shows that the new victim is also a friend from college days. Something strange is going on.

With DI Sarah May breathing down his neck, Lambert starts his own investigation. Two of his college friends are killed in the most horrible way, and the third one is involved. As the investigation shows some progress, the number of bodies arises. Lambert and his friend Klatzky are the main suspects in DI May's investigation. But someone else is the main suspect in Lambert's investigation.

Matt Brolly is not a name familiar to me, but is definitely a name I'll be looking for in the future. His writing is creepy, violent and full of tension, and definitely doesn't lack dead bodies. The murder scenes are vividly described, bringing a dose of horror and panic. The main character is a real action hero, a former member of an undercover police unit. He is not just anyone involved in the killings. He uses his knoledge, connections and skills to find the real killer, 'cause everything points out that he is the target. Still recovering from his little girl's death, he has to put himself all together in order to save the ones he loves.

„Dead Eyed“ is a gripping psychological thriller, a story full of creepy and violent murdering scenes and characters with closets full of skeletons. Unpredictable and adrenaline-loaded, it is an absolute treat for fans of hardcore murders (in books). I absolutely recommend it!

My opinion: 5 / 5

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