Told from the perspective of both killer and cop, DEAD of KNIGHT is a cat and mouse thriller sure to delight fans of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta or Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch.
Believing he is a soldier of justice, a misguided young man begins a callous campaign of terror murdering women on their birthdays. Convinced of his righteousness he continues his brutal crusade forcing the citizens of Hanson B.C. to acknowledge a serial killer active in their rural community.
The Mounties always get their man…but not if Jack Staal gets him first!
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police put their Integrated Homicide Investigation Teams into action. Detective Jack Staal and the rest of Hanson PD are invited to support the RCMP. However, Staal, the once elite major-crime investigator reduced to small-town detective is desperate for redemption. He ignores protocol to work a case that is not his to solve.
Told from the perspective of both killer and cop DEAD of KNIGHT is a cat and mouse thriller sure to delight fans of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta or Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch.
Excerpt
"I'm strong. I am law and order's only hope. Judgment will be swift."
Tyro rose from the booth, pulled on his leather gloves, and followed his mark from the restaurant out into the lane.
The lane was barely wide enough to allow the passage of service vehicles.
Despite two dumpsters placed near the door, the alley was littered with trash, old clothes, newspaper, and bottles. He could see the blue flash of televisions screens in most of the apartment windows that lined the alley and he doubted anyone would be peering out to witness his actions.
He smiled at Kim, stopped a few feet from her, and lit up, managing not to gag as he inhaled.
"Jim doesn't enforce the smoking ban." Kim flipped her hair." I just come out to get some fresh air." She grinned and looked away.
Her grin angered him. His heartbeat began to increase until it thumped in his chest and pounded in his ears. He took a deep calming breath, held it, and then exhaled.
"Yeah, me too," he said. He offered her one of his cigarettes. She accepted. He placed it on her lips and flipped his Zippo. Her cheeks furrowed when she inhaled. She grinned at the Bud Light beer label on the lighter and sipped her coffee.
"It's a good day to die," he said quietly.
"Pardon?"
"Happy birthday, Kim."
"What?" She retreated a step. "How the hell did you know it's my birthday?"
Tyro clenched the lighter in his fist, pulled back and struck a quick blow....
DEAD of KNIGHT is a Cat and Mouse Thrill Ride
Author William R. Potter takes the reader into the heart and soul of his protagonist and into the warped mind of a psychopath. Potter's first full length novel, Dead of Knight is told from the point-of-view of Detective Jack Staal and from the perspective of a killer who murders women on their birthdays.
Through clever use of back story, we learn that Detective Staal is suffering from post-traumatic stress after a horrific shooting. Unable to shake the horror of that day, Staal has left his position with the Vancouver PD's homicide squad and has resurrected his career with the police service in a fictional country town called Hanson, British Columbia.
Anxious to work the biggest case of his career, Staal is forced to the outside when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated Homicide Teams are assigned to the case. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Staal convinces his colleagues to follow his lead and pursue a serial killer the media has dubbed Birthday Boy.
Believing he is a soldier of justice, a misguided young man has begun a callous campaign of terror. Damian Knight (Birthday Boy) is convinced of his righteousness and continues his brutal crusade of revenge. As his death count mounts, so does Knight's courage and he soon turns his anger on a fatigued Staal. Staal and Knight play out a cat and mouse thrill ride that culminates with an epic, one-on-one meeting of cop versus killer.
Potter has created an intriguing police procedural with a strong main character, a terrific supporting cast, and a plot with twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings. I have read many books in this genre featuring a main character that is a bullet-proof, womanizing Neanderthal. However, Potter's Jack Staal takes a pounding, both physically and emotionally. This is one author who isn't afraid to show his hero breaking down or making mistakes. Potter has penned a captivating tale filled with plenty of tension and conflict, crisp dialogue and an unrelenting pace. He puts us in the story with vivid descriptions and scene-painting narrative.
I highly recommend Dead of Knight-A Jack Staal Mystery. It is sure to delight fans of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta or Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch.
DEAD of KNIGHT is a can't miss mystery/thriller
A serial killer is on the loose, terrorizing the unsuspecting citizens of rural Hanson, British Columbia. Dubbed the “Birthday Boy” by the media, the sadistic menace chooses to target only women on their birthdays. As his horrific crusade escalates, Birthday Boy soon falls square in the sights of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - that is, only if Jack Staal doesn’t get to him first. Anxious to solve what will surely prove to be the biggest case of his career, Staal strives to stay one step ahead of the Mounties in his pursuit to uncover the Birthday Boy’s true identity and bring an end to his reign of terror...of course, that’s only if he manages to avoid becoming the crazed killer’s latest victim...
With taut, gripping action and a pulsing storyline, Dead Of Knight is a can’t miss mystery thriller. The skillfully penned narrative from author William Potter shifts seamlessly from the perspective of cop to killer as the action unfolds, ensuring that readers stay on their toes with each fresh turn of the page. Furthermore, Potter masterfully maintains the suspense of his tale with a series of ingenious twists and turns along the way, treating the reader to a cleverly crafted whodunit with the capacity to befuddle even the most discerning of mystery buffs.
As a result, Dead Of Knight succeeds brilliantly where many other offerings in the genre often fail, all without having to pander or overreach in order to do so.
Fast-paced and engaging, Dead Of Knight is an equally enlightening and entertaining read. Kudos to Potter for crafting such a compelling instant classic sure to be hailed for years to come.
“Dead of Knight” by William Potter is a thrilling and original mystery novel. The main character, Jack Staal, was introduced in Potter’s exceptional collection “Lighting the Dark Side” in the short story, “Prominent Couple Slain.” There, in the span of an average length short story, Potter provided readers enough information about Staal and his fictional hometown, Hanson, B.C., to leave us wanting more, and “Dead of Knight” certainly delivers.
A serial killer is on the loose, murdering women on their birthdays. The police slap the moniker “Birthday Boy” on him which only fuels his psychosis—he prefers “Soldier of Justice.” How do we know this? Ah, because thanks to Potter, we get the story from two perspectives, Staal and the Soldier of Justice, cop and killer, cat and mouse.
This is a brave undertaking and not easy to pull off. Most mystery and thriller writers stick to the police procedural formula and simply demonize their serial killer as an evil “Other,” a monster, without providing any real insight into their character or purpose.
Thomas Harris raised the bar long ago with Hannibal Lecter, The Tooth Fairy and Buffalo Bill and their complex relationships to agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling, and I think few writers have entered his arena out of fear of failure.
Potter takes on the challenge and succeeds with a fully satisfying, well rounded novel. It is both an exciting page turner and an equally effective insight into human nature and psychology.
Fans of the mystery genre and mainstream readers alike will enjoy this entertaining and thought provoking thriller. Potter’s dialog is brisk and naturalistic and he does not shy away from the graphic verisimilitude necessary to create sufficient terror and repulsion within the reader toward his perpetrator.
Hanson, B.C. is a thoroughly believable fictional town that blends seamlessly into reality and Jack Staal is a multi-dimensional, sufficiently flawed character with plenty of his own inner demons to battle while hunting down his antagonist--the perfect ticket for a successful series. I look forward to reading more Jack Staal mysteries.
I highly recommend “Dead of Knight” and any fiction by William Potter.
George Wilhite
Author, “On the Verge of Madness”
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