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Scarred
There were five now. The mugger, the sex offender, the wife-beater, the drug-dealer. And of course, Peter. Jason hadn't needed a gun to kill Peter.
Jason Ennis doesn't understand why the world is such a confusing place. Why it's so difficult to read between the lines, so hard to understand what people want, such a struggle to fit in. Not that he isn't trying as he works a dead-end job and chips away at a degree that's going nowhere.
But good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, when he least expects it, he gets a chance to make a real difference. To make the world a better place. By removing someone else from it. Someone who doesn't fit in with his standards of behaviour, someone who reminds him of how they scarred him as a child.
Scarred is not for the squeamish. A poignant debut about serial killers on the streets of Sydney, it explores the addictiveness of vengeance and the tragic mistakes made by the misguided.
Jason Ennis doesn't understand why the world is such a confusing place. Why it's so difficult to read between the lines, so hard to understand what people want, such a struggle to fit in. Not that he isn't trying as he works a dead-end job and chips away at a degree that's going nowhere.
But good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, when he least expects it, he gets a chance to make a real difference. To make the world a better place. By removing someone else from it. Someone who doesn't fit in with his standards of behaviour, someone who reminds him of how they scarred him as a child.
Scarred is not for the squeamish. A poignant debut about serial killers on the streets of Sydney, it explores the addictiveness of vengeance and the tragic mistakes made by the misguided.
462 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2019
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21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 17, 2019
3.5★s
I had difficulty with this review. While Scarred has an intriguing plot, set in the heart of Sydney, deep in the lives and minds of the criminals, it’s also gruesome, bloodthirsty and brutal. As well, there’s the issue (for me) of the frequent and excessive use of bad language which to my mind was overdone.
The story focuses mainly on Jason and his efforts to fit in; to make a difference to the world. He was scarred by a shocking childhood which quite obviously affected him in different ways. He disliked the bad guys; those who harmed others – he volunteered at the soup kitchen; worked on his university degree; worked a part time job. Jason’s methods were different to other people’s…
Scarred is Aussie author Damien Linnane’s debut novel, a dark and gritty crime thriller which will suit fans of serial killers (in the fiction sense of course!) – it states it’s “not for the squeamish” and I think that about covers it 😉
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
I had difficulty with this review. While Scarred has an intriguing plot, set in the heart of Sydney, deep in the lives and minds of the criminals, it’s also gruesome, bloodthirsty and brutal. As well, there’s the issue (for me) of the frequent and excessive use of bad language which to my mind was overdone.
The story focuses mainly on Jason and his efforts to fit in; to make a difference to the world. He was scarred by a shocking childhood which quite obviously affected him in different ways. He disliked the bad guys; those who harmed others – he volunteered at the soup kitchen; worked on his university degree; worked a part time job. Jason’s methods were different to other people’s…
Scarred is Aussie author Damien Linnane’s debut novel, a dark and gritty crime thriller which will suit fans of serial killers (in the fiction sense of course!) – it states it’s “not for the squeamish” and I think that about covers it 😉
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2019
Damien Linnane’s writing style is a fresh mix of humour and insights into the struggles of an undiagnosed Autistic young man’s struggles with social situations, work and attempting to find meaning in his life after a horrific childhood. Linnane also provides glimpses into the motivations of other criminals and a jaded detective as the story gets darker.
January 19, 2020
This book rocks along, has a story with interesting twists but is never hard to follow. It is skilfully constructed. I don't usually read crime or violent novels but this one had me fascinated. The character has absurd logic and contradictions in his ideas but I laughed and could see his point of view. It needed an extra bit of editing though maybe the small errors fitted the gritty but naïve main character. I'm still thinking about the book - a sign of a good one. And I read it in two enjoyable gulps. Congratulations Damien. An amazing achievement and I'm looking forward to the next one.
November 18, 2020
This is a well-written, very dark debut novel. Its ‘hero’, Jason, is a text-book study in high functioning autism/Aspergers, though he appears never to have come to the attention of psychiatrists and the diagnosis is never mentioned. Without labelling, or the comfort of a diagnosis, the reader is invited simply to find their way into Jason’s atypical thinking, his inability to read people or faces, his literal understanding of the world, his social ineptitude. It is a feat of rare literary ability that the author enables the reader like this character, identify with him, root for him almost, feel the justice of his perspective.
Jason is a serial killer.
First he kills disreputables: Jason feels the streets would be better off without them. In his unsuccessful, isolated, empty life, this gives him a sense of achievement. Then, responding to the ghosts of his own scarred past, he kills sexual predators and paedophiles. This is his most ‘committed’ activity, the one that gives him deepest relief and contentment.
Interlocking with Jason’s story is a second serial killer – this time one whom one is not invited to like: as dark a portrayal of a sadistic sexual murderer as I have ever read. The net tightening around these two killers – under the tired management of a dispirited cop – gives drive to the narrative. But the manifest vileness of this second killer also provides a counterpoint to Jason: one man kills for the excitement of possession, power, cruelty; the other kills as a vigilante, to protect the vulnerable, to make the world better.
If you read this book and accept the invitation to like Jason, think twice. I am reminded of Peter Sutcliffe, the UK’s notorious ‘Yorkshire Ripper’, who died on the day that I finished this book. Peter Sutcliffe, an apparently quiet and submissive man, murdered 13 women and maimed a further 7. He called himself 'The Streetcleaner' and claimed he was on God's mission to ‘cleanse’ the streets of prostitutes. Like Jason, he told himself that they ‘deserved it’. This scanty attempt at self justification did not stop him from killing other women also – prostitute or not, he clearly had a deep hatred of all women. Jason, similarly, has a deep hatred of men: we are given insights into an upbringing full of male abuse, and throughout the book, Jason’s only faint attachments – inept and fumbling even so – are to women. Pretty much all men are objects of hatred to him. The author dangles the option of allowing us to see Jason as a virtuous vigilante – some of his victims are certainly vile enough to offer satisfaction in their death. But the author does not let us off the hook with that. Jason also wants to kill any man who looks at him askance and he the author unflinchingly portrays him killing a man whose only crime was to shout crossly when Jason crosses a road without looking. He deserved it, Jason thinks. In Jason’s mind, all men seem to deserve it. And in his unsatisfactory life, killing gives him power, purpose, importance. The vigilante justifications, of both Jason and the Ripper, float rather lightly across a darker morass. Does gender make so much difference? Is Jason really any different from the Yorkshire Ripper?
And so I do think twice, but still, there is something in Jason that makes me forgive him. Of course, he is damaged, scarred. And aren’t we all? I’ve made it my business in life to forgive the unforgivable, to find the hurt within those who hurt others, so I forgive Jason. Perhaps I should worry more that I don’t forgive the Ripper.
This powerful novel deserves to be widely read - not just as a thriller, though it is, in a slow, chilling way, something of a thriller. It also deserves to be read as a study in male violence and in our own, irrational, malleable responses to the perpetrators of crime.
Jason is a serial killer.
First he kills disreputables: Jason feels the streets would be better off without them. In his unsuccessful, isolated, empty life, this gives him a sense of achievement. Then, responding to the ghosts of his own scarred past, he kills sexual predators and paedophiles. This is his most ‘committed’ activity, the one that gives him deepest relief and contentment.
Interlocking with Jason’s story is a second serial killer – this time one whom one is not invited to like: as dark a portrayal of a sadistic sexual murderer as I have ever read. The net tightening around these two killers – under the tired management of a dispirited cop – gives drive to the narrative. But the manifest vileness of this second killer also provides a counterpoint to Jason: one man kills for the excitement of possession, power, cruelty; the other kills as a vigilante, to protect the vulnerable, to make the world better.
If you read this book and accept the invitation to like Jason, think twice. I am reminded of Peter Sutcliffe, the UK’s notorious ‘Yorkshire Ripper’, who died on the day that I finished this book. Peter Sutcliffe, an apparently quiet and submissive man, murdered 13 women and maimed a further 7. He called himself 'The Streetcleaner' and claimed he was on God's mission to ‘cleanse’ the streets of prostitutes. Like Jason, he told himself that they ‘deserved it’. This scanty attempt at self justification did not stop him from killing other women also – prostitute or not, he clearly had a deep hatred of all women. Jason, similarly, has a deep hatred of men: we are given insights into an upbringing full of male abuse, and throughout the book, Jason’s only faint attachments – inept and fumbling even so – are to women. Pretty much all men are objects of hatred to him. The author dangles the option of allowing us to see Jason as a virtuous vigilante – some of his victims are certainly vile enough to offer satisfaction in their death. But the author does not let us off the hook with that. Jason also wants to kill any man who looks at him askance and he the author unflinchingly portrays him killing a man whose only crime was to shout crossly when Jason crosses a road without looking. He deserved it, Jason thinks. In Jason’s mind, all men seem to deserve it. And in his unsatisfactory life, killing gives him power, purpose, importance. The vigilante justifications, of both Jason and the Ripper, float rather lightly across a darker morass. Does gender make so much difference? Is Jason really any different from the Yorkshire Ripper?
And so I do think twice, but still, there is something in Jason that makes me forgive him. Of course, he is damaged, scarred. And aren’t we all? I’ve made it my business in life to forgive the unforgivable, to find the hurt within those who hurt others, so I forgive Jason. Perhaps I should worry more that I don’t forgive the Ripper.
This powerful novel deserves to be widely read - not just as a thriller, though it is, in a slow, chilling way, something of a thriller. It also deserves to be read as a study in male violence and in our own, irrational, malleable responses to the perpetrators of crime.
October 22, 2019
From the first page!!! Love the book and I'm not normally a crime reader. It is written so well and the extensive research by the author is obvious as you read. I enjoyed that it was set in Sydney by an Australian Author. I can't wait for the next book!!
November 28, 2019
The writing is observant, detailed and compelling, a future feature film in the making...
November 28, 2019
Could not put this book down! Fantastic! Linnane is an author that is destined for big things. 5 stars.
November 28, 2019
Such a compelling, thrilling read. Once I started I couldn’t put the book down until I’d devoured the entire thing. Such an easy read, coming from someone who doesn’t read often.
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November 28, 2019As someone who has read every best selling thriller you could imagine over the past 60 years, I was thoroughly impressed with this novel. I would recommend to anyone who likes a great thriller sz
March 3, 2020
A great psychological thriller with plenty of twists that builds suspense to the end.
November 15, 2020
Hi everyone!!! Me again with another book review! (No spoilers, I promise!) This time, I'm reviewing a book gifted to me by Blackthorn Book Tours, "Scarred" by Damien Linnane.
Book TW: Rape, murder, mentions of pedophilia.
TL:DR: I give this book four stars. I found it an enjoyable and exciting read.
Have you ever felt rage about how some criminals just seem to get away with everything? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take matters into your own hands? Jason Ennis has, and he's doing something about it. With gun in hand and a thirst for justice, he goes out into the streets to protect those who can't protect themselves. The only problem? He's now a criminal himself.
Call me twisted, but I found this book an extremely satisfying read. Being able to read about how Jason brings his own justice to 'evildoers' was weirdly wholesome. If you are into vigilante stuff and have a thirst for justice, I thoroughly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed.
Mini spoiler warning: We do get a point of view from a rapist and murderer, so keep that in mind if you're thinking of reading this book.
Prose: It was engaging and easy to understand. There were some points where the point of view shifted out of nowhere, which was kind of confusing.
Story: I loved it! I'm really into anything that has to do with vigilantes and superheroes, so this story was completely up my alley. It takes you through what Jason does and how he thinks, and even though you know what he's doing is wrong, you can't help but root for him. Seeing how Jason meets the other characters by the end of the book is sooooo satisfying.
Characters: They were so real and fleshed out I have nothing bad to say about them. All of them had a story, personal traumas, and motivations. I could imagine them going on about their daily lives even when the story wasn't following them. None of them were perfect, which made them perfect. They were all human and relatable at some level.
Who is this book for?
This book is for someone who doesn't mind some violence and is seeking justice through vengeance. You want to read about some 'bad' guys getting punished? This is the book for you. This is a great crime thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end.
Book TW: Rape, murder, mentions of pedophilia.
TL:DR: I give this book four stars. I found it an enjoyable and exciting read.
Have you ever felt rage about how some criminals just seem to get away with everything? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take matters into your own hands? Jason Ennis has, and he's doing something about it. With gun in hand and a thirst for justice, he goes out into the streets to protect those who can't protect themselves. The only problem? He's now a criminal himself.
Call me twisted, but I found this book an extremely satisfying read. Being able to read about how Jason brings his own justice to 'evildoers' was weirdly wholesome. If you are into vigilante stuff and have a thirst for justice, I thoroughly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed.
Mini spoiler warning: We do get a point of view from a rapist and murderer, so keep that in mind if you're thinking of reading this book.
Prose: It was engaging and easy to understand. There were some points where the point of view shifted out of nowhere, which was kind of confusing.
Story: I loved it! I'm really into anything that has to do with vigilantes and superheroes, so this story was completely up my alley. It takes you through what Jason does and how he thinks, and even though you know what he's doing is wrong, you can't help but root for him. Seeing how Jason meets the other characters by the end of the book is sooooo satisfying.
Characters: They were so real and fleshed out I have nothing bad to say about them. All of them had a story, personal traumas, and motivations. I could imagine them going on about their daily lives even when the story wasn't following them. None of them were perfect, which made them perfect. They were all human and relatable at some level.
Who is this book for?
This book is for someone who doesn't mind some violence and is seeking justice through vengeance. You want to read about some 'bad' guys getting punished? This is the book for you. This is a great crime thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end.
November 18, 2020
Serial killers always bother me a bit in novels. I prefer a novel where one person gets killed and you’ve got to figure out who did it. Or you know who the murderer is going to be and the question is whether the police can stop him before he does it. But with serial killer books you just go on and on one after the other and it gets a bit wearing till you’re banging your head on the wall telling the cops to hurry up and get a move on because really you’ve had enough of blood and gore and you’re looking at the page numbers wishing it was a novella not 460 pages… That is how I felt for the first 50 pages anyway but after that this novel got under my skin and I started to see things through the eyes of the characters and then I was rivetted and couldn’t stop reading. It’s gritty it’s noir it’s urban it’s got tremendous pace but also makes you think. There are a lot of changes of POV so it keeps you on your toes. And it really gets tight and edge of your seat because you can see that all the characters are driven by their own history which can’t be changed so none of them change the way they are so it all has a bit of inevitability. One of the serial killers is quite sympathetic if you ignore the brutal way he kills people! You care about him more than you care about the victims which is a bit of a problem I suppose but it’s all cleverly done the way the author pulls you inside this character’s head. By the final scenes I was rocking on my seat glued to the kindle wondering which of the characters were going to end up dead. Clearly they weren’t all going to make it out alive and it began to dawn on me that maybe none of them would. No spoilers. It’s a great read.
November 16, 2020
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Scarred
Jason Ennis does what he can to fit in with the world. He has started and stopped multiple degrees trying to find a path in life. He volunteers at the local soup kitchen and moves from job to job. But what he truly enjoys is saving people from the horrors he experienced as a child. He wants to make the world a better place. Even if that means he has to kill to achieve his goals.
Scarred is a dark crime thriller that dives into the minds of killers and what creates them. Damien Linnane does not hold back the details, so make such you have a strong stomach when reading this novel. This is not a read for everyone, as there are many disturbing scenes. Readers will watch the evolution of two criminals and how their paths weave together to create an astonishing ending.
I did find that sometimes the backstory was too much for me. Not that it was over detailed with gore, just too much information that pulled away from the story and the emotions it created. Many of the side characters received backstories to connect them with the reader, but they didn't seem necessary. However, the intense moments felt throughout this novel made up for the slower parts.
Not only does Scarred show you the criminal side of the story, but readers also see through the eyes of the lead detective dealing with their cases. Presenting the plot with such an array of characters, really brought the story full circle. I appreciated seeing the development from all angles. If you enjoy thrillers, then this is certainly a book for you!
Jason Ennis does what he can to fit in with the world. He has started and stopped multiple degrees trying to find a path in life. He volunteers at the local soup kitchen and moves from job to job. But what he truly enjoys is saving people from the horrors he experienced as a child. He wants to make the world a better place. Even if that means he has to kill to achieve his goals.
Scarred is a dark crime thriller that dives into the minds of killers and what creates them. Damien Linnane does not hold back the details, so make such you have a strong stomach when reading this novel. This is not a read for everyone, as there are many disturbing scenes. Readers will watch the evolution of two criminals and how their paths weave together to create an astonishing ending.
I did find that sometimes the backstory was too much for me. Not that it was over detailed with gore, just too much information that pulled away from the story and the emotions it created. Many of the side characters received backstories to connect them with the reader, but they didn't seem necessary. However, the intense moments felt throughout this novel made up for the slower parts.
Not only does Scarred show you the criminal side of the story, but readers also see through the eyes of the lead detective dealing with their cases. Presenting the plot with such an array of characters, really brought the story full circle. I appreciated seeing the development from all angles. If you enjoy thrillers, then this is certainly a book for you!
November 18, 2020
This is a tense gritty novel which doesn’t pull its punches. Two serial killers – one a deranged vigilante trying to clear up where the cops don’t bother, the other a sadist doing it for kicks. They’re both pretty remorseless, and they both get something out of it. You’re pulled along with the vigilante, wanting him to get it right, wanting him to get the sadist, but there’s a lot of more troubling deaths along the way. Progressively the author forces you to question - am I really on his side? The police are only doing their job and they’d like to get both of them – though it’s pretty clear that they don’t entirely regret what our vigilante is up to.
There’s a bit of backstory behind both these men, particularly the vigilante. Neither of them came from anywhere good, and the vigilante is scarred through and through by an abusive childhood. In part it’s a book about how kids who get damaged in childhood go on to damage others, but not in a preachy way – it’s not a manual for psychologists, it’s a thriller that pulls you along, your own emotions more torn and conflicted than those of the two protagonists. They both know what they’re up to. They’re cool with it, both of them. Will the dozy cops catch up with them before one of them kills the other?
It’s gory, it’s explicit, it’s not for readers who can’t take a smashed in skull. Some bits were predictable – of course, our two killers would inevitably meet. But I was expecting a redemptive cop-out ending. Didn’t come. What came was something different. Well done Damiene Linnane. Great first novel.
November 16, 2020
Raw and intense
Linnane pens a magnetic story in Scarred. As a debut author, I absolutely loved not only the story but the author's writing style, and his imagination can only get better. The character Jason, the lead in this unique story, was conflicted, raw and very intense. It's a unique plot about a vigilante who doesn't quite understand the human condition, especially the gray areas (if there are any) of who and what is good and who and what is bad. To Jason, bad is bad, and they must be taken care of. This is all I'm giving away. Jason does what he does, but does have acts of humanity, even if he doesn't realize it. This reader had compassion for Jason, and could see there was a light inside him, if only surrounded by darkness and confusion. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to read it and was not disappointed in the premise or the plot. This magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. I have fast become a big fan of Linnane, can't wait to see what other gems are in the imagination just waiting to be put to paper. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Linnane pens a magnetic story in Scarred. As a debut author, I absolutely loved not only the story but the author's writing style, and his imagination can only get better. The character Jason, the lead in this unique story, was conflicted, raw and very intense. It's a unique plot about a vigilante who doesn't quite understand the human condition, especially the gray areas (if there are any) of who and what is good and who and what is bad. To Jason, bad is bad, and they must be taken care of. This is all I'm giving away. Jason does what he does, but does have acts of humanity, even if he doesn't realize it. This reader had compassion for Jason, and could see there was a light inside him, if only surrounded by darkness and confusion. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to read it and was not disappointed in the premise or the plot. This magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. I have fast become a big fan of Linnane, can't wait to see what other gems are in the imagination just waiting to be put to paper. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
November 18, 2020
First, thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours for the opportunity to read Scarred, and what a book it was.
Wow is the first word that comes to mind with this book, I almost can’t even explain it. Don’t let the Christmassy picture fool you, this is just to brighten up the mood of the book! When I decided to do the tour for this, it’s definitely not what I had expected to read, and it’s going to be the first book that I feel I should mention all of the trigger warnings (below).
I don’t think ‘enjoyed’ would be the word for this, but it kept pulling me in to read it. Now I didn’t particularly enjoy the story, as at times it’s pretty harrowing, but I did enjoy reading it! But I will say that it’s not a book for the faint hearted, and there are many triggering points throughout, so please do consider this when choosing to read it. But if you’re okay with them, then it is definitely worth the read!
If you read this, then I’d love to know what your thoughts are on it!
Trigger warnings: Murder, Rape, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Child Pornography, Abduction/Kidnapping
Wow is the first word that comes to mind with this book, I almost can’t even explain it. Don’t let the Christmassy picture fool you, this is just to brighten up the mood of the book! When I decided to do the tour for this, it’s definitely not what I had expected to read, and it’s going to be the first book that I feel I should mention all of the trigger warnings (below).
I don’t think ‘enjoyed’ would be the word for this, but it kept pulling me in to read it. Now I didn’t particularly enjoy the story, as at times it’s pretty harrowing, but I did enjoy reading it! But I will say that it’s not a book for the faint hearted, and there are many triggering points throughout, so please do consider this when choosing to read it. But if you’re okay with them, then it is definitely worth the read!
If you read this, then I’d love to know what your thoughts are on it!
Trigger warnings: Murder, Rape, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Child Pornography, Abduction/Kidnapping
November 20, 2020
Jason the main character is a product of his upbringing , the abuse he suffered makes him see the world different to other people. He hunts the city looking for victims but theses are no ordinary victims he seeks out theses he see's as evil and sees no wrong with what he's doing. The question is is Jason a good guy or a bad guy, I think that question can only answered by the individual reader.
Detective Ames is other character with problems, he finds himself with two murderers to catch one is Howard Silverman, a serial killer whose targets young woman. And Jason whose killings are random.
Overall the book is well written and gripping from the first page but must come with a warning for it's graphic content and is not recommended for those easily offended.
Detective Ames is other character with problems, he finds himself with two murderers to catch one is Howard Silverman, a serial killer whose targets young woman. And Jason whose killings are random.
Overall the book is well written and gripping from the first page but must come with a warning for it's graphic content and is not recommended for those easily offended.
November 16, 2020
This is one of those books that get its hooks into you from the get-go and doesn't let go.
The main character Jason is an anti-hero of sorts. He grew up bouncing around foster homes until he can make his own way in life but he doesn't fit in at his workplace or his volunteering gig. The past abuse he suffered as a child has made him want to rid the world of people he views as evil. He hunts his city for potential victims using his father's old gun to dispose of them. In his mind, he's doing the right thing.
The two other main points of view in this book come in the forms of Detective Ames, who finds himself with two murderers to catch and Howard Silverman, a vicious serial killer whose targets seem to be getting younger. These scenes are especially difficult to read and are not for the fainthearted. I was surprised that I didn't find them gratuitous. Linnane skates along that thin line and is able to give us an insight into the mind of a deranged sexual predator.
For me, Jason was a major reason I couldn't put this book down. He's a hugely layered and intriguing character. Unlike Howard, his main goal isn't to make the world a worse place. Despite the horrific things he does, at his core, Jason can't just be categorised as a bad guy. He's more than that. I think a part of us can sympathise with Jason's motives (especially we know the person is guilty) but, for us rational readers, his actions aren't justifiable.
This is a solid debut novel by Damien Linnane. If you want to go on a wild ride and can stomach graphic content, this is definitely one you don't want to miss!
The main character Jason is an anti-hero of sorts. He grew up bouncing around foster homes until he can make his own way in life but he doesn't fit in at his workplace or his volunteering gig. The past abuse he suffered as a child has made him want to rid the world of people he views as evil. He hunts his city for potential victims using his father's old gun to dispose of them. In his mind, he's doing the right thing.
The two other main points of view in this book come in the forms of Detective Ames, who finds himself with two murderers to catch and Howard Silverman, a vicious serial killer whose targets seem to be getting younger. These scenes are especially difficult to read and are not for the fainthearted. I was surprised that I didn't find them gratuitous. Linnane skates along that thin line and is able to give us an insight into the mind of a deranged sexual predator.
For me, Jason was a major reason I couldn't put this book down. He's a hugely layered and intriguing character. Unlike Howard, his main goal isn't to make the world a worse place. Despite the horrific things he does, at his core, Jason can't just be categorised as a bad guy. He's more than that. I think a part of us can sympathise with Jason's motives (especially we know the person is guilty) but, for us rational readers, his actions aren't justifiable.
This is a solid debut novel by Damien Linnane. If you want to go on a wild ride and can stomach graphic content, this is definitely one you don't want to miss!
March 28, 2024
Linnane is a new to me author who has a definitive skill in writing crime novels.
This book read like an episode of Criminal Minds. The multiple perspectives kept you guessing how everything would turn out and when it all came together it was very satisfying.
Just a warning, this book does contain graphic rape scenes that could be very trigging to some so read with caution.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and I would pick up another book by Linnane.
This book read like an episode of Criminal Minds. The multiple perspectives kept you guessing how everything would turn out and when it all came together it was very satisfying.
Just a warning, this book does contain graphic rape scenes that could be very trigging to some so read with caution.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and I would pick up another book by Linnane.
December 18, 2021
Captivating from the first page. I could barely put it down and was sad for it to end. Drawing on life experiences and writing from the heart Damien writes with the skill of someone you would expect to have recieved numerous literary awards.
November 20, 2020
This book was an interesting read. Damien Linnane's writing style is dark at times but he adds humor in order to not make the story overwhelming. His main character, Jason, is autistic and is undiagnosed and his thought processes at times will make you laugh at his logic. This story was skillfully crafted and had alot of twists and turns that kept you guessing. While this isn't my favorite genre to read this book truly stuck out because of the characters and the plot. I am lucky that I got the opportunity to read it.
September 30, 2020
Spoilers: Scarred by Damien Linnane is a fascinating and sometimes terrifying look into the mind of a vigilante. The book makes him if not always sympathetic, but understandable in his motives and his bloody graphic journey interesting as we follow him.
Jason Ennis seems like a nice guy, if a bit eccentric. He volunteers at a soup kitchen and has a genuine repartee with the other volunteers and homeless. However, he favors wearing combat boots, army fatigues, and has a fascination with guns. He also has a night time hobby that takes up much of his time: He hunts down and kills people who commit abuse, sexual assault, and various other violent crimes.
Many of his nights are spent chasing and catching presators before he goes in for the literal kill. He wants to avenge those who have been injured by others and their abusers have gotten away with it. He envisions himself as a Judge Dredd type who upholds the law by breaking it.
Meanwhile as Jason stalks his prey, another killer, Howard Silverman, is on the loose hunting down, raping, and killing women for his sexual pleasure. The book becomes a three way hunt: Jason for his prey, Howard for his, and Detective Brandon Ames to catch both of them.
The book is not one of black and white, good vs. evil. It's more like light gray vs. a slightly darker shade of gray, bordering on evil vs. really evil. We are mesmerized by Jason's actions, even if we would question them in real life.
What makes Jason so understandable is the care that Linnane does in analyzing his protagonist and why he acts as he does. Similar to Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, Jason has a motive for his murderous and violent actions. He himself has been a victim of physical and sexual abuse and one of the people he killed was the man who abused him. He stalks the night streets, sometimes catching men in the act of abusing wives or girlfriends on sight and shooting them. He also is methodical in his approach as he follows one potential assailant to his home and studies his actions before he strikes. He kills to protect others from being abused. Jason is a clearly scarred man and he wants to scar the world around him, so it's as wounded as he is.
Howard by contrast is not looked on with shades of gray. Similar to the show, Dexter, to make Jason look better in comparison, there has to be someone made to look worse. In this case, Howard is that person. Unlike Jason who has a motive for what he does, Howard is just drawn by his own desires to dominate and overpower women and others who are weaker than him. He is a foil for Jason and represents everything he despises. It's no wonder that the two are destined to encounter each other and that encounter would end fatally.
That however does not make Jason a hero by any stretch of the imagination.
There are many moments where Jason's actions are questionable even within the text. Many of the women and children that he saves are more frightened of him than they are of their abuser. When he kills a man that he perceives as a rapist, there is some doubt whether the man actually did commit rape or Jason misunderstood the encounter. When he rescues another woman, he develops an unhealthy attraction to her and she even visits him in prison, implying that his obssession with her will soon be as dangerous as the men he pursued. Jason clearly falls in the anti-hero category.
In fact the only actually heroic character the book offers is Ames. He is caught between catching the two killers, seeing one just as destructive as the other. He has a good detective instinct as he interviews suspects to identify Jason and Howard. He also abhors the publicity that the search is getting, like the press giving them catchy nicknames like "Corporal Punishment" (for Jason) and "Jack-Knife Joker" (for Howard) and concerned about copycat killers. A father, he wants to protect his daughter from the dangerous predators. Ames has the police officer outlook of what does and does not follow the law and acts accordingly. He doesn't see how or why the killer acts. He sees a killer. He is heroic but he lacks the nuances and depth that makes Jason so interesting. In fact, he is rather bland in comparison.
Damien Linnane shows us a scarred world and someone who survives in it by being more scarred. There isn't much healing. Instead there are hints that the scars will last a long time.
March 27, 2020
A brutal tale of justice blinded by revenge...
Scarred is exactly what the title suggests and Damien Linnane has carved a unique story telling path by bravely going to some violent and graphic places. It isn't for the faint of heart but the places readers are taken make for a great story.
You have the historically abused and damaged vigilante in the form of Jason Ennis who leads the story while residing on the fringes of society. He's the quiet type who could be Batman one day and then in the same breath a cold blooded killer, even though his motives could possibly be justified - the conflict which is genius in this story and that being whether or not Jason's motives are the right thing to do? He's complex and haunted by a childhood of abuse, his back story like all of the other principal characters is explored and told through the eyes of whoever is leading the scene. The view even switches in some scenes which is a credit to the author's execution and work to achieve.
We also follow Howard who is at the other extreme end of life's scale. He too is haunted by a dark past and uses it as a fuel on others sometimes brutally and graphically. In between the violence and sometimes depravity is a reason to go there, not for the shock factor but for the the greater good of a story which I eventually couldn't put down.
There are so many messages within the story such as revenge not always being the answer and the true morality of justice. My only real critique comes from the writing style which chooses more often to show as opposed to tell - a rather cliche critique in book reviews and for this book the 'showing' works most of the time to immerse one in the depth of backstory and to get into the thoughts of characters.
For those who don't mind some violence and graphic content, you'll appreciate a story that goes to places of darkness and scarring to tell it while a few 'bad guys' get taken down in the process.
Scarred is exactly what the title suggests and Damien Linnane has carved a unique story telling path by bravely going to some violent and graphic places. It isn't for the faint of heart but the places readers are taken make for a great story.
You have the historically abused and damaged vigilante in the form of Jason Ennis who leads the story while residing on the fringes of society. He's the quiet type who could be Batman one day and then in the same breath a cold blooded killer, even though his motives could possibly be justified - the conflict which is genius in this story and that being whether or not Jason's motives are the right thing to do? He's complex and haunted by a childhood of abuse, his back story like all of the other principal characters is explored and told through the eyes of whoever is leading the scene. The view even switches in some scenes which is a credit to the author's execution and work to achieve.
We also follow Howard who is at the other extreme end of life's scale. He too is haunted by a dark past and uses it as a fuel on others sometimes brutally and graphically. In between the violence and sometimes depravity is a reason to go there, not for the shock factor but for the the greater good of a story which I eventually couldn't put down.
There are so many messages within the story such as revenge not always being the answer and the true morality of justice. My only real critique comes from the writing style which chooses more often to show as opposed to tell - a rather cliche critique in book reviews and for this book the 'showing' works most of the time to immerse one in the depth of backstory and to get into the thoughts of characters.
For those who don't mind some violence and graphic content, you'll appreciate a story that goes to places of darkness and scarring to tell it while a few 'bad guys' get taken down in the process.
November 20, 2020
I asked for this book from the generous team at Blackthorn Book Tours. It was the blurb summary that really piqued my interest.
Blurb:
There were five now. The mugger, the sex offender, the wife-beater, the drug-dealer. And of course, Peter. Jason hadn’t needed a gun to kill Peter.
Jason Ennis doesn’t understand why the world is such a confusing place. Why it’s so difficult to read between the lines, so hard to understand what people want, such a struggle to fit in. Not that he isn’t trying as he works a dead-end job and chips away at a degree that’s going nowhere.
But good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, when he least expects it, he gets a chance to make a real difference. To make the world a better place. By removing someone else from it. Someone who doesn’t fit in with his standards of behaviour, someone who reminds him of how they scarred him as a child.
Scarred is not for the squeamish. A poignant debut about serial killers on the streets of Sydney, it explores the addictiveness of vengeance and the tragic mistakes made by the misguided.
Now, as a horror and true crime lover, how can you not want to read that????
But when I got the book, I was immediately disappointed. The format it is written in is almost like one HUGE paragraph. As the manuscript went on, the format DID get a little better. But it was difficult to read because there was little separation between thoughts and paragraphs, quotation marks were rarely used to identify dialogue, often leaving me wondering if the main character was thinking these things to himself or if it was a real actual conversation within the text of the story. The compressed and unclear format made it very challenging and somewhat frustrating to read. What frustrates me the most is that a simple click of grammar and spell check could have fixed about 30-40% of the issues. The rest could have been easily solved with using paragraphs to separate different trains of thought and subjects. If I had to call this style something, it is definitely written in the more ‘stream of consciousness’ writing method. And unless you are right in the mix with the author, sometimes that can be very disorganized and confusing.
Another frustrating thing about this manuscript was certain things about our main character Jason get repeated over and over, virtually in every chapter I read. Things like “he doesn’t like to be without his tactical gear or his gun” and other similar quirks. These are repeated so often it’s almost insulting to the intelligence of the reader (me) because it’s like, how many times do you have to tell me that in one story? Do you think I didn’t catch it the first ten or twelve times? Come on. I think I get what the author was trying to do, trying to make us identify with the character as an OCD and more militant type of individual. But it got to be where if I saw that phrase, I wanted to skip ahead to get away from it. I applaud and admire the effort the author made to make Jason real to us and put us in his mind and position, but at a certain point it just became like an overload of an audio track on repeat.
There also seems to be a lot of random information that doesn’t seem to apply specifically to the story and comes across more as filler material to bulk up the page count for the novel.
However…
The story itself, AWESOME. At least what I could get through of it. I will admit freely that at about the halfway mark I simply had to stop reading and put it away. For me, reading is an enjoyable activity. Not one where I like to experience a whole lot of frustration or spending time deciphering what the author was intending.
This story is also not near for the faint of heart. It takes a lot to make my stomach turn and things of that nature. Being the child of a police officer, I was exposed to murder crime scene photos and some of the most horrible stories from the other officers on the squad and the ADA that was my Dad’s old partner on the police force. And there were still parts of this story that made me have to pull back and resituate my brain and emotions. To me that is extremely powerful writing. And it’s not done in a way that I think comes off as offensive. This author is using these events to make a statement for certain characters involved.
This story should definitely come with one of those ‘trigger warnings’ that I see splayed all over everything nowadays. It is truly a chilling story to read, just so hard to maneuver through. It is extremely violent including such ghastly crimes as murder, violent rape and sexual assault, general violence, child pornography, torture, kidnapping, revenge, punishment, psychopathy, sociopathy and even suicide. It’s as if the author was trying to include every horrible thing a human being could do to another human being all in one book.
While I wasn’t able to finish it myself, I can honestly say that if you want to dig in deep to the darkest parts of the human condition, this is a book for you. But be prepared for the horrors that await you because they are in fact there on every page.
About the Author:
Damien Linnane was born in Sydney in 1986. His debut novel, the vigilante justice thriller Scarred, was written by hand in prison while he was serving a two-year sentence for a series of crimes, including the firebombing of a home, with the sentencing magistrate finding that his motivation appeared to be ‘vigilante action’.
Since his release from prison, Linnane has completed a master’s degree in information studies. He also works as a portrait artist and freelance writer, and is in the finishing stages of writing a memoir.
Media links:
Webpage: https://damienlinnane.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damienlinnane/ OR
https://www.instagram.com/embersofret...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scarred-Damien...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
RATINGS
3/5 Stars
Blurb:
There were five now. The mugger, the sex offender, the wife-beater, the drug-dealer. And of course, Peter. Jason hadn’t needed a gun to kill Peter.
Jason Ennis doesn’t understand why the world is such a confusing place. Why it’s so difficult to read between the lines, so hard to understand what people want, such a struggle to fit in. Not that he isn’t trying as he works a dead-end job and chips away at a degree that’s going nowhere.
But good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, when he least expects it, he gets a chance to make a real difference. To make the world a better place. By removing someone else from it. Someone who doesn’t fit in with his standards of behaviour, someone who reminds him of how they scarred him as a child.
Scarred is not for the squeamish. A poignant debut about serial killers on the streets of Sydney, it explores the addictiveness of vengeance and the tragic mistakes made by the misguided.
Now, as a horror and true crime lover, how can you not want to read that????
But when I got the book, I was immediately disappointed. The format it is written in is almost like one HUGE paragraph. As the manuscript went on, the format DID get a little better. But it was difficult to read because there was little separation between thoughts and paragraphs, quotation marks were rarely used to identify dialogue, often leaving me wondering if the main character was thinking these things to himself or if it was a real actual conversation within the text of the story. The compressed and unclear format made it very challenging and somewhat frustrating to read. What frustrates me the most is that a simple click of grammar and spell check could have fixed about 30-40% of the issues. The rest could have been easily solved with using paragraphs to separate different trains of thought and subjects. If I had to call this style something, it is definitely written in the more ‘stream of consciousness’ writing method. And unless you are right in the mix with the author, sometimes that can be very disorganized and confusing.
Another frustrating thing about this manuscript was certain things about our main character Jason get repeated over and over, virtually in every chapter I read. Things like “he doesn’t like to be without his tactical gear or his gun” and other similar quirks. These are repeated so often it’s almost insulting to the intelligence of the reader (me) because it’s like, how many times do you have to tell me that in one story? Do you think I didn’t catch it the first ten or twelve times? Come on. I think I get what the author was trying to do, trying to make us identify with the character as an OCD and more militant type of individual. But it got to be where if I saw that phrase, I wanted to skip ahead to get away from it. I applaud and admire the effort the author made to make Jason real to us and put us in his mind and position, but at a certain point it just became like an overload of an audio track on repeat.
There also seems to be a lot of random information that doesn’t seem to apply specifically to the story and comes across more as filler material to bulk up the page count for the novel.
However…
The story itself, AWESOME. At least what I could get through of it. I will admit freely that at about the halfway mark I simply had to stop reading and put it away. For me, reading is an enjoyable activity. Not one where I like to experience a whole lot of frustration or spending time deciphering what the author was intending.
This story is also not near for the faint of heart. It takes a lot to make my stomach turn and things of that nature. Being the child of a police officer, I was exposed to murder crime scene photos and some of the most horrible stories from the other officers on the squad and the ADA that was my Dad’s old partner on the police force. And there were still parts of this story that made me have to pull back and resituate my brain and emotions. To me that is extremely powerful writing. And it’s not done in a way that I think comes off as offensive. This author is using these events to make a statement for certain characters involved.
This story should definitely come with one of those ‘trigger warnings’ that I see splayed all over everything nowadays. It is truly a chilling story to read, just so hard to maneuver through. It is extremely violent including such ghastly crimes as murder, violent rape and sexual assault, general violence, child pornography, torture, kidnapping, revenge, punishment, psychopathy, sociopathy and even suicide. It’s as if the author was trying to include every horrible thing a human being could do to another human being all in one book.
While I wasn’t able to finish it myself, I can honestly say that if you want to dig in deep to the darkest parts of the human condition, this is a book for you. But be prepared for the horrors that await you because they are in fact there on every page.
About the Author:
Damien Linnane was born in Sydney in 1986. His debut novel, the vigilante justice thriller Scarred, was written by hand in prison while he was serving a two-year sentence for a series of crimes, including the firebombing of a home, with the sentencing magistrate finding that his motivation appeared to be ‘vigilante action’.
Since his release from prison, Linnane has completed a master’s degree in information studies. He also works as a portrait artist and freelance writer, and is in the finishing stages of writing a memoir.
Media links:
Webpage: https://damienlinnane.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damienlinnane/ OR
https://www.instagram.com/embersofret...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scarred-Damien...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
RATINGS
3/5 Stars
October 14, 2020
This is not for the faint of heart, this book is dark and so there may be some triggers for certain readers, I suggest read the blurb maybe even read the ‘Lookinside’ if you are on Amazon. I think the author has come up with a brilliant plot and has done a fantastic job writing it. The author doesn’t seem to hold back, so the reader gets to enjoy all the delightful gore that is dished out. It’s a decent sized book and one where I had to stop and get a fresh cuppa a few times, other than that I sat and read this overnight unable to close the book for sleep or anything else.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 9, 2026
Scarred is the first non-university related book I have read in years and it certainly did not disappoint! I was hooked after the first chapter, and struggled to put it down until I had read every word. I find myself wanting more, hopefully the very talented Damien Linnane has something else up his sleeve.
Definitely on my list to read again, and I have already recommended it to family and friends. You will not be disappointed!
Definitely on my list to read again, and I have already recommended it to family and friends. You will not be disappointed!
September 25, 2020
This is a well written dark thriller with detailed and descriptive characters and scenes. The author does a fantastic job bringing this fast paced story with realistic feels showing the mental states of different people, centering on Jason. Very interesting read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
November 10, 2019
Scarred was easy to read and compelling to follow. I read the whole thing in 3 goes over two days - like a Netflix binge. Then after I read it I thought about the characters and concepts and imagined untold and alternative scenarios, real life comparisons and untold extras. That's a good book. :)
July 17, 2020
A page turning thriller, with a gritty and interesting plot. I love that he hasn't shyed away from the rough Australian colloquialisms and swearing, which brings character and adds to the grubby vibe set in Sydney.
5/5 Would definitely recomend.
5/5 Would definitely recomend.
November 29, 2019
Fantastic work!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews