Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town's small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints.
All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler's station. He's covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers.
He was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim.
Heath is a serial killer.
As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55.
Gabriel is the serial killer.
Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth?
Copy received for an honest review
What a gripping debut novel from James Delargy.
I am on a bit of a crime/thriller kick at the moment, and the premise of 55 really intrigued me.
Who really is 55?
So many twists and turns, the reader along with the police were kept on edge, trying to figure out who really was the killer, why and where were all the other bodies.
We are shown some things from the past, however I wasn't really sure what why at first, however as the story continued I could start to put the pieces together.
The synopsis hooked me, as I felt that this was a completely different spin on the genre (to me and what I have read anyway).
There were 3 sides to this story - Heath's story, Gabriel's story and the truth. Each time I thought I knew who or why, a spanner was thrown into the works and I had to rethink.
I don't like to say much about the endings of books, however with this one, I just have to say "how the heck can you do that to me?". I found myself turning the page, making sure that I hadn't missed a chapter in my haste to find things out. Nope, I hadn't. Well played, Mr Delargy, well played.
Different, interesting and left me wanting more.
I can't wait to see what he brings us next.
