The Trophy Taker
(Detective Johnny Mann #1)
Lee Weeks
Mystery/Thriller/ Murder/
5.5 Stars
I stumbled across this book in a second hand shop and picked it up because of the cover.
Summary
There is a prolific serial killer in Hong-Kong, racking up an incredible bodycount over the course of years without being caught on the radar, until today. Body's begin to show up all over the city, but is catching the killer as important as hushing up the press? Detective Johnny Mann, our tall dark, British-Asian, marital arts expert is on the case.
I really loved the setting (Hong Kong), it reminded me a little bit of the Bourne Supremacy (also partially set in Asia). I also really liked the plot, the characters - although Johnny Mann falls into every stereotype ever - the premise, it was a little bit predictable but there are some really good twists, turns and red herrings. The peek we took into the higher class sex trade, asian mafia, snuff films. I was impressed how Weeks incorporated these incredibly taboo, shock factor topics, without being too over the top - for me the over dramatization some authors use takes away from those moments, making them melodramatic or silly - finding that balance (particularly in a debut novel) was exciting.
I don't know if I will continue reading this series. If I came across another one of her books I would pick it up but I am not really driven to search them out or put them on my TBR list. I am curious to see how her writing will change (again this is her debut and for a first novel its amazing) but Johnny Mann is not my kind of character - I had this issue with Jo Nesbo's detective Harry as well - he fits too nicely, into too many stereotypes.
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