Bound & Determined to Find a Good Read: Review: The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey

Description:

People are predictable. That’s what makes them easy to kill.

Detective Chief Inspector Prosper Snow is in charge of an investigation into a serial killer called The Oracle who turns his victims into macabre works of art. But Prosper harbours a dark secret of his own. He and his old school friends were members of a group called The Kult who made a pact to dish out their own form of vengeance on bullies. Now a member of the group puts their friendship to the test when he makes a far darker request: that they murder someone that raped his wife.

To get away with murder, the friends decide to blame it on The Oracle, but events take a chilling turn when the instigator turns up dead, his body fashioned into a disturbing work of art. Now, one by one, the members of The Kult are being hunted down.

Just when Prosper thinks things can’t get any worse, his wife is kidnapped and he knows that if he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks his dark deeds being unearthed. If he doesn't, he risks losing all that he holds dear.
(From the author)

Details:

ebook, 179 pages
Published March 22nd 2011 by Shaun Jeffrey, via Smashwords (first published May 25th 2009)
ISBN: 001124562X (ISBN13: 2940011245626)
(Goodreads)

Review:

The Kult has all the makings of a fantastic crime drama: neurotic serial killer, cop with a past, vivid characters. I was asked by Shaun Jeffrey to review his book, and I jumped at the chance. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let me go.

We start out meeting The Oracle. Obviously, he’s the bad guy. He’s creeptastic. I love him. He’s heartless and ruthless. And seeking revenge. And that’s about all we know about him, until way far into the book. The mystery of his identity is fascinating and intriguing to the point of making me neurotic to find out who he is.

Prosper has ghosts. You know something is up with him, and the more you read the more you know. Fat kid, bullied, but with a group of loyal friends. He’s also a pushover. I hate him. He needs to grow a set of cajones and do the right thing. Which is apparently a difficult thing for him. Since he caved to the peer pressure. Come on, really? These aren’t teenagers we’re dealing with here. This is not high school. He’s a freakin’ cop! And he killed someone because he was pressured to. As frustrating and irritating as this fact is, you really empathize with Proper and feel bad for him.

The Kult, started as a band, and morphed into a band of brothers, looking out for each other and standing up for each other. Even though a little far-fetched, it was believable that teenage dudes would think this up. Through thick and thin, loyal to the end. I mean, literally to the end.

The last quarter of the book is where most of the action takes place. Be sure to buckle up—it’s a bumpy ride! So much action, so much intensity! Be prepared to stay up all night to finish it once you get there. This is a fantastic thriller, full of movie-worthy epicness.

Speaking of which, Gharial Productions started production of the movie in September 2010. Here’s the trailer: