The Serial Chemist by James J. Murray

BOOK BLURB

Emile and his brother Cecil live a calm, predictable adult existence.

Everything is orderly and without disruption. Suddenly, it isn’t.

With the death of their mother and the loss of her guiding wisdom, Emile finds it increasingly more difficult to keep the promise he made to her to keep his brother safe.

In their most challenging of cases to date, Detectives Rosie Young and partner Vince Mendez embark on a race against time to stop one of San Antonio’s most cunning murderers, a villain with a particular talent to strike and kill but leave only pristine crime scenes in his wake.
With the help of clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Parker, Rosie and Vince journey into the mind of a serial killer to understand exactly what type of monster roams their city targeting dads of small boys.

The question both detectives and Dr. Parker must answer is what emotional baggage creates a deranged mind that suddenly transitions to cunning killer and eludes the best of police forensics.

KATHERINE BLACK REVIEW

This book gives us a great blend of psychological profiling, scientific know-how, detective work and mystery. The writing is sharp and engaging and brings readers into a world where chemistry becomes a vicious (and viscous) deadly weapon, I loved reading about the administration technique. Mixing Emile’s knowledge of chemicals and his warped mind made for an unusual twist on the serial killer genre. Technical detail was skilfully woven into the narrative and it enhanced the story’s authenticity without overwhelming the reader. I loved the additional layer that elevated it from the usual.

This is a book of multi-layered storytelling, sublime description and well-developed characters. What makes it super-rich is the entangled relationship between Emile and his damaged brother Cecil. We had a great juxtaposition of tenderness and psychopathy. The tension builds well, leading to a string of murders requiring a profiler to be brought in to help solve the case. She jumps to the exact motive for the murders without any evidence to support her theory, but the balance of intricate plotting and vividly accessible prose make this tie-in okay. It’s a thought-provoking and suspenseful read, perfect for people who enjoy some scientific intrigue with their psychopaths. I really enjoyed it.

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About James J. Murray

James has experience in both pharmaceutical manufacturing and clinical patient management. Medications and their impact on a patient’s quality of life has been his expertise. His secret passion of murder and mayhem, however, is a whole other matter.

An obsession with reading murder mysteries and thrillers left him longing to weave such tales of his own. Drawing on past clinical expertise as a pharmacist and an infatuation with the lethal effects of drugs, James creates short stories and novels that will have you looking over your shoulder and suspicious of anything in your medicine cabinet.

James also writes a weekly blog called “Prescription For Murder” that highlights many of the lethal substances used as murder weapons.

Subscribe at https://jamesjmurray.co

mr j c newman

Simply Fantastic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 April 2024

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Detectives Rosie and Vince team up in San Antonio, Texas for a murder case where victims have swallowed a corrosive liquid causing a gruesome death. As more victims are discovered having died the same way, they discover the similarities between the victims and they have a very complicated case of a serial killer on their hands. With very limited clues and leads, this is going to be heavy.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in San Antonio, Emile Richards, the owner of a gardening equipment business, goes about his daily life protecting his mentally challenged brother Cecil who gets panic attacks every time he sees a parent and child having a heated argument.

The paths of the Richards brothers and the two detectives will inevitably cross to bring this fantastic tale with plenty of twists and turns which will make you keep reading. This crime story is very well researched, very interesting and I would recommend it to anyone. I really enjoyed this book.

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C A Deegan

A novel approach to murder!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 June 2022

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Being a fan of crime novels, when I saw this, I snagged it quickly. And it didn’t disappoint. The level of research that has gone into this psychological thriller is obvious; police procedures, psychology and chemical usage make for a decent read. The obstacles that the detectives have to overcome were realistic, and the clever twist in the tale was not one that I saw coming. If you’re a fan of murder and protagonists facing difficult odds, then you will enjoy this. A good read.

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Karen Inkle

Gripping thriller!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 January 2022

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Detective Rosie Young and partner Vince Mendez are investigating an ingested, acid attack murder of a man, where a child may be the only witness. Simarlarities from a previous week’s murder are of high interest but there is no evidence left behind to link the two. Three murders with compelling resemblances are needed to class as ‘serial killings’ !
This is a fantastic criminal thriller with plenty of suprises, especially the gigantic twist towards the end. This creative plot has obviously been well researched by this talented author to make it so realistic. The case is far from easy for the detectives and things definitely don’t go their way, it’s an uphill battle. It gave great insight into the complex procedures of the police, lawyers and criminal profilers. Really enjoyed, strongly recommend.

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