The Rose Killer

by Gary Pearson

Chicago, 1954. Detective Ian Harlow has spent the last three years trying to catch a serial killer that the press have labelled, 'The Rose Killer'.

After eight months of nothing a body turns up on the street with the usual calling card of a single stemmed red rose. The case then takes a personal twist as the killer starts taunting the detective to try and catch him. A cat and mouse chase ensues between the detective and the killer with bodies turning up more frequently than ever before.

Can Detective Harlow catch the killer before the body count gets too high?

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2016

About the author

I had a love of writing and the world of fiction from a young age, always enjoying writing things that took me to a different time or place.

I never acted on it until 2014 when I wrote and released my first novella, Retribution. A year later my second novella, Breaking Point was released and gave me the bug to do more. I love the thought of having something out there which I created and that can be read by so many people.

I currently have 3 titles released with many more projects on the way.

Reviews

[Julia Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but powerful read, this novella wastes no time but drops you straight into the action. A serial killer is once again stalking the women of the city. His calling card - a single red rose left by each victim’s body. In the style of The Big Sleep and other such noir novels, there is a suitably rumpled and cynical detective, who has a personal interest in catching the killer. Aided by his loyal partner, it’s a race against time as he attempts to add up the clues before the body count becomes too high.

Well written, there’s a pared-down, sparseness to the prose which suits both the genre and length of the novella, but although the author doesn’t bombard the reader with overblown descriptions, there is still enough to impart a sense of the time and place that the novel is set in.

An intriguing and gripping read by a new author and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.

[Shayney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free thanks to Story Cartel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book.

This short story or novella, is about a serial killer, was has been strangling blonde women for the past three year, yet he is only known to the police and the public as The Rose Killer, for the single red rose that he leaves on the his victims. There hasn't been a lot, until now. The Rose Killer has decided he wants to play a game with Detective Ian Harlow, taunting him! Can Detective Harlow catch The Rose Killer before it's too late? And why the sudden interest in Harlow?

This novella wasn't that long, being only roughly 115 pages, yet I was still able to get fully gripped into this story. There were some great characters that were developed in such short a space of pages, including a great story and a plot. It was also greatly written and the killer took me by surprise and it all seemed well thought out and developed brilliantly.

The reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, instead of 5 stars, is because this seems like a brilliant outline, and even though this was exacuted great, I would have loved it if it was longer and was a 300+ page book. It has everything it needed to make it happen and it would have just made it that extra bit perfect.

I would definitely recommend this book!! Especially if you love mystery, thriller and crime books.

[Sophie Brousseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thrilling tale of cat and mouse drops you straight into the action. The author doesn’t waste time with lengthy descriptions and unnecessary detail but it doesn’t leave you feel confusing or like something is lacking. The story flows well and Harlow is a strong, likeable protagonist.

If you’re looking for a page turner with a satisfying blend of drama and suspense without being overly gorey then this is a great choice.

[Rita Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a serial killer on the streets of Chicago strangling one blonde woman after another. He is called The Rose Killer because he leaves a single red rose with each victim.

Detective Ian Harlow and Detective Charlie Garroway are searching through case files and pounding the streets to catch the killer. The Rose Killer gets pleasure from taunting the police department and particularly Detective Harlow as he continues his killing spree.

Will someone be able to stop him before he kills again? This is a book that will keep you on edge and reading until you find the answer.