Everyone has secrets. Some more deadly than others.
gripping serial killer thriller and a New Mexico/Arizona 2016 Book Award Finalist
Everyone has secrets. Some more deadly than others.
When the ninth young girl falls into the clutches of a serial killer, Detective David Temeke faces a race against time to save her life.
The Duke City Police Department in Albuquerque, New Mexico is no stranger to gruesome murders, but this new serial killer on their block keeps the body parts of his eight young victims as trophies and has a worrying obsession with the number 9. The suspect is incarcerated in the state's high security penitentiary but Unit Commander Hackett is faced with a dilemma when another teenage girl goes missing.
Detective Temeke and his new partner, Malin Santiago, are sent to solve a baffling crime in the dense forests of New Mexico's Cimarron State Park. But time is running out. Can they unravel the mysteries of Norse legends and thwart the 9th Hour killer before he dismembers his next victim?
This is the first in the Detective Temeke Crime series. A unique noiresque modern detective novel.
Watch out for more from Detective Temeke and Malin Santiago
Professional Reviews
Tight Plot, Great Characters, Great Writing
Set in colorful New Mexico, The 9th Hour successfully combines the intense investigation to find a serial killer before he strikes again with the inner workings of the killer’s mind. Into this mix comes a British born detective of African descent and a killer obsessed with Nordic mythology. Stibbe’s ability to bring these diverse elements together shows skilled writing. Her ability to do this effectively, holding the attention of the reader shows real talent.
Detective David Temeke brings a passion to his investigation that is softened by his sense of humor. Teamed with Malin Santiago whose mother was Norwegian and who speaks the language, Temeke has personal issues that crop up during the investigation. Malin has a somewhat dark past herself and struggles with demons of her own. While giving the characters an added dimension, Stibbe manages to keep these side stories from interfering with the plot; finding the serial killer before he claims another victim.
Providing insight into the workings of the police department investigating the crimes, Stibbe builds a tight story with characters that evoke emotions from sympathy to downright disgust.
The character that elicits the most sympathy is Darryl Williams, a distraught father dealing with the worst tragedy a parent can face, the murder of a child. As Williams deals with his loss and the difficulty of raising his remaining daughter’s, the reader is drawn along, sharing his pain.
The story moves forward smoothly, the tension grows, and just when you think everything is about to be resolved, bang; along comes another dark surprise. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a fast paced and dark detective story. I also look forward to more investigations with Detective Temeke and hopefully his partner Malin Santiago.
A finely crafted detective thriller
Albuquerque cops have seen it all, but nothing like the serial killer aiming for teen girls. And the cops at the Northwest Area Command have seen nothing like Detective David Temeke. British, Ethiopian descent, Temeke immigrated to the U.S. to escape cold, wet England. Bald, muscular, handsome, skin darker than tar, Temeke is all business. Problems with colleagues at Homicide sent him to Northwest. Seven dead teen girls are part of the reason why.
So begins Claire Stibbe's The 9th Hour. It is a police procedural par excellence, a serial killer tale quite gruesome in detail but thoroughly compelling. If it wasn't so well written, so captivatingly smart and imaginative, it could be a bloody mess. It's not. Attention to detail what makes a novelist a cut above, and Stibbe's sentences have a life of their own. Details make or break a good crime story - it is the details, after all, that lead to the story's conclusion, especially with a deadly cat-and-mouse, serial killer vs. police. This is fine writing, intriguing characters, a clever criminal, and a detective who misses very little. It's a winning combination.
Temeke is up to the challenge, and he is pleased with his new partner, Malin Santiago, is too. What Stibbe has created is genuine, believable crime-fighting partnership. Neither are perfect and in their imperfections rise the trust they need to work together to catch a demented killer.
And this is a serial killer worthy of the name. Stibbe's unwinding of the man's twisted reasons for killing adds layer upon layer of intrigue to what could have been a pedestrian crime book. Relentless pace, excellent plot twists, no wasted scenes, and two compelling characters in Temeke and Santiago. That Albuquerque as the novel's setting is a character unto itself adds a bit of luster. Buy this book. Read it. Then read it again. The second helping will taste better. And then you'll want to read more Detective Temeke crime novels. Believe me.
A serial killer is collecting heads
This is the second book I've read by this author in this series. I purchased "Past Rites" and read it first. I enjoyed the other book so much, I bought the first in the series, and plan to read them all. Detective Temeke and his new partner Detective Malin Santiago are forces to be reckoned with. Temeke is a homicide detective who has great insight into the minds of his foe. Malin is a promising up and coming partner with a somewhat shady past, learning from the man she may have more than admiration for. These are fast moving, action packed, and suspenseful, but stand alone stories. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Let yourself take on a sexy adventurous read, walk on the sensual dark side of human adventure through the shadows of your mind. And, challenge your senses of the normal versus the paranormal, and the abnormal. Accept the quest, get onboard and disco
