2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

The story begins with the point of view of Angie Vance as she’s about to be murdered. Did this scene adequately set the stage for the story to come? The killer and his basic behaviors? How did you react?

This killer gave me the creeps right from the beginning of the book. I think this let us know that this guy was a real creep right off. After I read that scene, I had to stop for a little while and let it sink in. It really got to me. It was chilling.

Karen, I took a long pause after that Prologue. I had to listen to another book that was a bit tamer😏

It did a great job of setting my expectations for the rest of the story. I knew it would be rough. But also, it started me thinking about the profile of the killer because we were in his head.

Jonetta wrote: "Karen, I took a long pause after that Prologue. I had to listen to another book that was a bit tamer😏

It did a great job of setting my expectations for the rest of the story. I knew it would be ro..."

Until I really got into the book further, I had to read this in small doses and during the day...lol

Maybe I've read too many thrillers and have become desensitized, but I wasn't that disturbed by the description of Angie's death. Karin Slaughter's Blindsighted is much more graphic as are some of Tess Gerritsen's books.

The Prologue did get to me, and there was a disconnect in this reader's mind when I began the first chapter.

Lauren wrote: "Maybe I've read too many thrillers and have become desensitized, but I wasn't that disturbed by the description of Angie's death. Karin Slaughter's Blindsighted is much more graphic as are some of ..."

It wasn’t so much the graphic nature as more of what was done to her while she was alive and through her eyes. It made me so very sad.

Charlene wrote: "The Prologue did get to me, and there was a disconnect in this reader's mind when I began the first chapter."

Why were you disconnected?

Jonetta wrote: "It wasn’t so much the graphic nature as more of what was done to her while she was alive and through her eyes. It made me so very sad.."

Yes, I see what you mean. It was terrible in the sense that she was still alive and suffering. I was actually relieved that one of the other girls (Jane I think her name was) died of an allergic reaction before the killer could torture her.

That was Jodie and I felt the same way. Even though she suffered as she was dying, it would have been worse at Brandon’s hands. The fact that the victims were so young made it even more heartbreaking. Brennan did a really good job of making me experience not only the physical pain but their emotional destruction. That’s what got to me.

This scene absolutely set the scene and let the reader understand how very disturbed the killer was. The scary part was knowing that killers often escalate with each victim and I couldn't imagine it being any worse for someone.

Good point, Melissa.

As Lauren mentioned above, this doesn't come near to the graphic nature of some psychological thrillers I read BUT it did set the scene and made me sick for a couple of reasons. #1 - the victim not being able to speak, to scream aloud at the horrors of what was being done to her was heartbreaking. #2 - the thought of the murderer lying on top of the victims as they took their last breath...just horrifying. It spoke volumes about the sick, twisted mind of the killer to me. I immediately began profiling this killer in my head. I knew things would only escalate & worsen.

Sandra, there was something different about this violence that was repulsive.

Jonetta wrote: "Sandra, there was something different about this violence that was repulsive."

Yes, there really was. It really turned my stomach to read the scenes where he laid on top of them as they died - especially getting off on it. I'm not sure I've read anything like that before and I read a LOT of these type books.

Same here. I had to put it down and take a breath.

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one that it bothered. I usually read books at night and this just creeped me out...I had to read this one during the day until I got a bit further in. I've read Karin Slaughter's series and others that were pretty graphic but this one really got to me.

Karen, we're all normally accustomed to these graphic stories and this got to most of us. Seeing it from the victim’s point of view, real time, just gutted me.

I don't know why I didn't get to see further discussion until today (see Jonetta's question above to me on May 18; the answer now is my Fibromyalgia fog has settled and I don't remember why I felt so disconnected between prologue and first chapter).

The discussion above has really resonated with me, too. This book must have been written in such a way, and depicting such horrifying crimes, that we could not distance ourselves from the victims.

Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "the thought of the murderer lying on top of the victims as they took their last breath...just horrifying."

Yes, this was really twisted.