In the Name of the Father
by John W. Long
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Crime
ISBN: 9798891323254
Print Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt
A detective’s fight with his own demons intertwines with a chilling serial killer chase in this gripping crime thriller.
In the Name of the Father is an enigmatic tale where morality, redemption, and murder collide.
Picture this: Jack Johnson’s life is a walking, talking country song. His wife Allie has left him, his alcoholism is getting out of control, and his career as a homicide detective is hanging on by a thread. Years of drowning his sorrows in the bottle have made pulling himself together a Herculean task.
Enter The Watcher—a serial killer who carves crosses into the foreheads of his victims. The Watcher is a terrifying figure, determined to cleanse the world of those whose sins he determines irredeemable. His chilling vendetta adds a layer of dread that permeates the novel.
Jack catches the case and faces a choice: continue his descent into self-pity or reclaim his life. The story unfolds through alternating perspectives, flipping between Jack and the unnerving vigilante, The Watcher. This setup crafts a twisted, gory game of cat and mouse that keeps twisting. As Jack inches closer to unveiling the killer, the tension mounts: can he hold it all together, or will the case upend his fragile marriage and sanity once more?
As a seasoned mystery and procedural aficionado, I usually spot the culprit early on. However, Author John W. Long expertly sprinkles in just enough red herrings to keep even the sharpest readers guessing. More than once I confidently believed I had it all connected, but I was very wrong. It’s a thrilling ride for both newcomers and genre veterans alike.
Jack’s troubled marriage and his struggles with hitting rock bottom add depth to his character arc, making readers root for him as he battles to salvage his personal life alongside his efforts to catch a maniac carving up Southern Florida.
Faint-hearted readers, consider this your warning. Long doesn’t shy away from the gruesome details. The vivid, often unsettling descriptions of the murders, seen through the killer’s eyes, ingeniously humanize both the victims and the perpetrator, drawing readers deeper into the dark heart of the story with every knife slash or episode of waterboarding.
Rather than delving into the nitty-gritty language of law enforcement like some crime procedurals, In the Name of the Father uses dialogue that is accessible to the layman. This approach keeps the narrative engaging without sacrificing detail. Long’s use of straightforward, compelling dialogue bridges the gap between complex detective work and reader understanding, making it an enjoyable read for a wide audience.
If you’re on the hunt for a gripping summer mystery to read by the pool, look no further than the sun-soaked streets of South Florida and the tumultuous world of Detective Jack Johnson. This is a ride you won’t want to miss.
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