The Anniversary Man

by R.J. Ellory

New unread book. Has small shelf wear to cover.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

389 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Roger began his first novel on November 4th, 1987 and did not stop, except for three days when he was going through a divorce from his first wife, until July of 1993. During this time he completed twenty-two novels, most of them in longhand, and accumulated several hundred polite and complimentary rejection letters from many different and varied publishers.

He stopped writing out of sheer frustration and did not start again for eight years.

In the early part of September 2001 he decided to start writing again. This decision was based on the realization that it was the only thing he had ever really wanted to do.

Between August 2001 and January 2002 he wrote three books, the second of which was called ‘Candlemoth’. This was purchased by Orion and published in 2003. ‘Candlemoth’ was translated into German, Dutch and Italian, and has now also been purchased for translation in numerous other languages. The book also secured a nomination on the shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller 2003. His second book, ‘Ghostheart’, was released in 2004, and his third book, ‘A Quiet Vendetta’, was released in August 2005. In 2006 he published ‘City of Lies’, and once again secured a nomination for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year. His fifth book – ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ - was published in August 2006, and in the latter part of the year it was selected for the phenomenally successful British TV equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, the Richard and Judy Book Club.

‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ went on to be shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction, the 813 Trophy, the Quebec Booksellers’ Prize, The Europeen Du Point Crime Fiction Prize, and was winner of the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur. It has since been voted Best Thriller of 2009 in The Strand Magazine. The book was also optioned for film, and Roger has recently completed the screenplay for Oscar-winning French director, Olivier Dahan.

Following on from ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’, Roger released ‘A Simple Act of Violence’, again securing a nomination for Best British Crime Fiction of 2008. In late 2009 he released ‘The Anniversary Man’ to rave reviews.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Costello is a survivor of a serial killer who had survived the "Hammer of God" murders back in 1984 in New Jersey. When he puts together the connection of murders that have happened in the past to ones that have happened in the present, he is enlisted to help out and catch the Anniversary man by NYPD Detective Ray Irving. But can this Homicide Detective and the Newspaper Crime researcher stop the Anniversary man before he can kill again? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good thriller and my first ever read by U.K. author R.J. Ellory. I was sitting on the edge of my seat while reading this. If you like crime thrillers, definitely give this book a check out. This book is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prieks lasīt grāmatu, kuras autors ir veicis rūpīgu izpēti par vajadzīgajām tēmām. Divas faktu nepilnības nav autora vaina, konkrētie notikumi tika atklāti vairākus gadus pēc grāmatas iznākšanas.
Par sižetu runājot, Ņujorkā notiek virkne slepkavību, kuras atgādina jau iepriekš veiktus noziegumus. Ne vien pati slepkavības aina, bet arī precīzs datums, tādēļ slepkavam tiek dots vārds "Gadadienu slepkava". Tā kā lasītājs dabū nevis tik vienas slepkavības atdarinājumus,bet vairākus. Te mēs redzam Zodiaku, Amitvillu u.c. Kopumā laba valoda, loģiski notikumu atrisinājumi, skaidrs fināls. Iesaku!

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Ray Irving, homicide detective
SETTING: New York
SERIES: Standalone
RATING: 4.5

As depressing as it may be, success often leads to a rash of imitators which leads to a reduction in quality which ultimately results in failure as the market suffers from fatigue of an overdone concept. Do you feel like you never want to hear about another vampire? Do you want twenty more forensic cop shows on TV? Many crime fiction fans have given up on serial killer books, as they’ve become very derivative and only become unique by being more bizarre than their predecessors. But then someone comes along with a new take on a tired concept, and we have faith once again. Such is the case for THE ANNIVERSARY MAN by R. J. Ellory. Oh yes, there is a serial killer, but the focal point of the book is on the investigation of his crimes rather than a deep dive into his damaged psyche.

In a city as large as New York, homicide is a daily occurrence. It’s not that murder becomes routine; but when it does happen, a homicide detective for the precinct involved works the case. It would be very difficult for the detective to connect the case to any others occurring around the city unless there was a signature used by the killer. Detective Ray Irving doesn’t realize that he is dealing with a serial killer on his latest case until he is shown a draft of a newspaper article which links several deaths around the city. The signature is truly unique—the killer is imitating famous serial killers and replicating their crimes on the dates that they originally occurred; ergo, “The Anniversary Man”. He is not copying one killer, but several.

John Costello is a crime researcher at the paper and an expert on serial killers since he is a surviving victim of “The Hammer of God”, who managed to kill two couples and John’s girlfriend many years before. He is part of a group of serial killer survivors who recognize the pattern used by The Anniversary Man. Costello is a deeply private man; Irving often suspects that he may actually be the killer himself. The killer does seem to want attention and provides a few clues about his upcoming plans, which lead to horrifying suspense as the killings unfold.

What I really liked about this book was what Ellory did NOT do. He did not dedicate individual chapters to be told from the serial killer’s point of view. We actually know very little about the murderer. We don’t learn about his mommy issues. We don’t learn about his childhood problems or ghastly physical appearance. What we do learn is what is revealed in the investigation.

Ellory also excels at creating characters who are three-dimensional. Ray Irving and John Costello share a kind of loneliness that infuses the page. The newspaper editor, Karen Langley, provides a nice contrast to the two men; and it feels like Irving’s boss, Captain Faraday, coud step off the page. The dialogue is completely real. I’m impressed that Ellory, who is from the UK, did such a great job in detailing the New York setting and police procedures. It was flawless. His research on the real serial killers was seamlessly woven into the narrative and provided another layer of interest in addition to the present day crimes. The only nit I have to pick is that the resolution wasn’t totally credible, with the principles ignoring red flags all over the place.

THE ANNIVERSARY MAN was an engrossing read, and I highly recommend it. Put aside your doubts about the serial killer thing—you will be rewarded with a suspenseful and involving reading experience.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The serial killer is of course a genre that has some outrageous creations and books written as thrillers and a shedload of portraits of factual serial killers. So in essence it is difficult to write something that is interesting and not immediately compared to other writers or books.
With the anniversary Killer you get an original book that is certainly not about the motivations of such a killer, you will never learn them, but about the people who hunt this particular individual. A policeman who lives for his work, a survivor of an attempt on his live by the serial killer by the name of "hammer of the gods" who has become somewhat of recluse and researcher for a newspaper. It is he who first recognizes the modus of a new killer whom takes his inspiration from his predecessors in the field of serial killers. And so the police assign one of their own cops and he starts chasing this killer who certainly does his best to obtain notoriety but the police want to keep this one under wraps as long as possible.
An excellent written book that works towards its ending in a way that makes you guess what will happen next and never gets caught in something spectacular, except for the dark persons deeds that are awful.
I did enjoy this book and how it was lead to is solution and lack of answers. This was a book about the policeman chasing the killer and not about the killer.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, not very often granted, a blurb on the front of a book nails it for me. In the case of THE ANNIVERSARY MAN the blurb from Clive Cussler is "The perfect author to read late into the night". I'd definitely advise that you catch up on your sleep before you pick up a book by R.J. Ellory. This is the second of his that I've read now and both of them have kept me up way too late, or found me sneaking out to hide in the chook sheds and grab a little time with the book when I really should have been working.

THE ANNIVERSARY MAN is the story of a serial killer, but don't let that put you off. The killer is not the focus of this book, there's none of that "in the head of" stuff going on. Instead, you get a glimpse into the life of a victim who survived and the cop who, many years later, finds himself looking to that victim for guidance on what is driving a current day killer. John Costello is the victim who survived when his girlfriend and he were attacked as teenagers. His killer caught, John was left to recover from his physical injuries and find a way to live his life and deal with the mental trauma of what he had been through. His way of coping is to know serial killers and their victims. To see the patterns, I suppose to try to understand why. Karen Langley is the crime reporter for whom John works as a researcher. She knows little about John's personal life, but she is extremely protective of him. Ray Irving is a cop with his own trauma. A natural loner, the death of his long-term girlfriend has taken away Ray's anchor, left him blindsided in a way that he has no idea how to handle. In a poignant and almost sad way, a series of killings that eventually sync up to be copies of previous serial killer's acts becomes Ray's personal crusade. A desire to stop the Anniversary Killer drives him, his ability to throw himself into the investigation despite barriers, seems to be his need to be relevant, wanted, busy, connected to the world again. Ray and Karen and John somehow have to feel their way into a working relationship, maybe the potential of a personal relationship between Ray and Karen, but somehow these three people have to band together to help find a dangerous, inexplicable serial killer who seems unstoppable.

This is a very different serial killing book. The murders that are happening are all as close to identical to the past events as the killer can make them, right down to the dates, methodology, the scenes of the crime. But the Anniversary Killer is emulating more than one past serial killer so part of the investigation must be to solve how this person has such detailed knowledge. There's also the never-ending question of why. More chillingly, what next. And that is where John's particular knowledge becomes something Ray relies on - finding the next anniversary, working out where the killer is likely to strike. The relationship that builds between Ray, Karen and John is beautifully done - the potential of a new romance touching and not at all distracting; Karen's protectiveness towards John nicely balanced; John's life somewhat shadowy, his knowledge completely understandable, and so touching.

THE ANNIVERSARY MAN was as close to perfect a reading experience as I've had in quite a while, I really did not want to put this book down. Why? Possibly because the crimes, as confrontational and awful as they are, were used as a catalyst for other people's reactions or actions. The characters in this book aren't perfect, perhaps a little overtly damaged in some cases, but the insight into human behaviour was both illuminating and touching. And there's no Hollywood ending here - it's real, and it hurt and whilst, you may have an inkling of what's coming, there was just enough to make you wonder if Ellory would really go through with it. There is also that something that just works for particular readers - I really believed in Ray. I really wanted him to succeed, solve the crimes, get the girl, become best mates with John and ride off into the sunset to a happy place. And most importantly, I can happily forgive him for anything he didn't quite manage to do.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"R.J. Ellory - Een mooie dag om te sterven"

Moest ik kunnen, ik geef dit boek 10*. Een heel dik boek, leest enorm aangenaam en grijpt aan. Elke vrije minuut las ik verder, wat ook makkelijk was aangezien het telkens korte hoofdstukken zijn. Ik heb gevloekt, was verbaasd, heb me laten verrassen, heb nagedacht en uiteindelijk heeft het einde me achterover geblazen.
Op de cover staat: een boek dat iedere thrillerfan in zijn boekenkast moet hebben staan. En dat kan ik alleen maar beamen!

[Connie53 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weer een spannend boek van Ellory. Die man kan schrijven zeg. Ray Irving is een rechercheur van de New Yorkse politie en hij wordt geconfronteerd met een aantal moorden waar niemand van kan worden beschuldigd. Hij komt in contact met John Costello. John heeft als 16 jarige jongen een moordaanslag overleeft waarbij zijn vriendin wel om het leven is gekomen. Sindsdien is John geobsedeerd door feiten en hij heeft allerlei neuroses ontwikkeld. Hij heeft ook een ontzettend goed geheugen over allerlei zaken die met moorden te maken hebben. Nu werkt hij voor een krant en samen met Karen Langley heeft hij een stuk geschreven, hij als researcher, Karen als journalist. In dat stuk leggen zij verbanden tussen de moorden die Ray onderzoekt en moorden uit het verleden. De politie houdt het stuk uit de kranten en Ray, John en Karen raken verwikkeld in een jacht op een Copy-Cat killer. Een 9.

[Cécile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Le problème avec les polars, ce n'est pas que je n'aime pas en lire, c'est que je les oublie aussitôt refermés.
Celui-ci fait exception mais malheureusement pas pour les bonnes raisons.

Le prologue très long aurait du me mettre la puce à l'oreille.
J'ai trouvé le style très froid et factuel.
Les meurtres sont cités et décrits tellement froidement qu'on ne ressent aucun frisson, l'inspecteur n'est pas du tout attachant car là aussi, trop factuel. Et surtout, il ne sert à rien pendant tout le livre !
Toutes, je dis bien TOUTES les pistes qu'il suit ou tout ce qu'il résout, il le doit à John. Et niveau personnalité... oh my. Moins attachants je crois que ce n'est pas possible. C'est le looser par excellence : il n'ose pas répondre à ses supérieurs, il mange tous les jours au même restaurant, n'a pas une tenue correcte, passe tout le livre a se plaindre de sa vie, il est toujours seul, n'a pas d'amis, et alors qu'une femme pleine de pêche s'intéresse à lui et qu'ELLE lui propose un rdv, il ne fait rien. (même à la fin, c'est le tueur qui prend contact avec lui, LOL, même lui en a eu marre d'attendre que l'inspecteur comprenne qui il était).
Bref le type qui sert à rien quoi.
Je l'appelle le type car j'ai même oublié son prénom, c'est pour dire.

Quant à l'histoire, c'est très lent. Il se passe très très peu de choses pendant 60% et si je salue l'effort de l'auteur pour toutes ses recherches et documentations sur les tueurs en série, je regrette quand même que le livre n'ait pas fait un tiers de moins.

Bref, un rendez-vous manqué, je n'ai rien ressenti de ce que j'attends d'un polar : pas été tenue en haleine, pas stressé, pas eu peur....

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik vind het lastig een duidelijke sterrenwaardering te geven voor dit, best wel dikke, boek. Sommige stukken vond ik echt heel goed. Het begin waarin vanuit John wordt geschreven was er goed. Ook de latere stukken (m.n. de dialogen tussen Irving/Karen/John) waren goed. De stukken die ik minder vond waren de eindeloze hoeveelheid feiten van moorden uit het verleden die uitvoerig beschreven werden. In de huidige tijd zijn er al 17 moorden die allemaal gelinkt worden naar het verleden en dus ook worden uitwerkt met namen/eigenschappen/omstandigheden etc. In totaal ongeveer 34 moorden.
Tevens de gewoonte van de auteur om nadruk te leggen bij het tijdstip van gebeurtenissen. Telkens wordt vermeld dat het nu 1 minuut over 8 uur is, of 13 minuten over 2 uur, of 14 minuten voor 5 uur is. Voor mij een puntje van ergernis.
De ontknoping van de daadwerkelijke dader liet erg lang op zich wachten (pas na 415 blz.) en is dan zonder enige aanwijzing plots ineens opgepakt en was het opgelost. Dan nog een stukje tragiek voor een van de hoofdrolspelers waar ik een beetje ontgoocheld over was.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Petter Deregren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will haunt me

[BookstaChlochette · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://lesbouquinsdechloe.wordpress....

Le premier thriller que je lis de cet auteur, je ne sais pas trop quoi penser , sinon que je suis un peu déçu, je le classerai même entre déception et bonne lecture, car j’ai quand même passé un bon moment.

Premièrement, ayant beaucoup entendu parler des romans de R.J Ellory, je m’attendais à quelque chose d’intense qui m’aurait gardé en haleine et qui m’aurait tenu jusqu’à la fin. Au lieu de quoi je pouvais très bien me passer de ma lecture pendant plusieurs jours. Non pas que je n’ai pas apprécié, j’ai passé un bon moment avec cette lecture mais il me manque ce côté addictif , suspens. Je pense également que le fait qu’il y ait trop de détails et donc de longueurs, laisse le lecteur se détacher progressivement du récit. Cependant, ce même côté m’a amené à vouloir terminer ma lecture pour savoir de quelle manière cette enquête allait finir.

L’enquête menée par l’inspecteur Ray Irving est l’une des plus compliquées dont ce dernier a dû s’occuper. Elle avance très lentement sans aucune piste concrète ni valable et ce durant tout le roman. Il faut dire que l’auteur de ces crimes ne laisse rien au hasard et s’il y a quelque chose à trouver, c’est que le tueur l’a laissé délibérément. Toutefois, je ne m’attendais absolument pas à ce que ça se termine de cette manière. Je me suis même demandé si cette enquête ne finirait pas classée.

En conclusion, un thriller assez différent des autres mais tout de même assez plaisant. Beaucoup de longueur, mais l’enquête reste bien menée. Apparemment, « Les assassins » n’est pas le meilleur roman de R.J Ellory alors je pense en lire d’autres.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago, John Costello survived a horrific attack by the serial killer known as the "Hammer of God". Fast forward to present day New York, and John is working as a researcher for a newspaper. Ray Irving is a New York cop, a bit of a loner, who has suffered the loss of a loved one. He is called out to a murder scene. This sets the stage for a tale of two men, not dissimilar, more in common than not, and their hunt for a killer some think don't exist. Mr Ellory's novels are a joy to read - the depth of character and the emotive scene setting never fail to immerse you in the scenario's he creates and it is no different here. Obviously well researched, references to "real life" serial killers are embedded in the story and give it an authenticity all of its own. Some reviewers seem perturbed by the ultimate resolution - the "reveal" if you like. It depends - if you are looking for the "shock" factor the "Oh I NEVER thought that was it" type ending then to be fair, yes you may be disappointed. Or not. Whilst there are plenty of twists and puzzles along the way, for me, it ultimately mattered not who the killer was, or even his/her motivation - this book was a definite character piece. It was about John Costello and how he has created a persona for himself to cope with the trauma he suffered. It was about Ray Irving and what drives him to chase the darker side of humanity. It also speaks to serial killing and the very real investigative problems this type of crime can bring. It will make you pause for thought. I loved it.

[ElaineY · Rating 1 out of 5]

UPDATE: MARCH 2017
Still unable to get past the prologue (was it a prologue?) I didn't mind Rudnick's accent this time but the book, oh it was just too boring to continue.
=====================================================

I can't be arsed to write a review for a book that turned out so disappointing for me so just read stevedutch's review. It echoes my sentiments.

To be fair, the choice of Stefan Rudnicki as the narrator contributed significantly. The storytelling was already bad enough (actually one of the worst I've experienced) but Rudnicki's accent exacerbated all the negatives. Since I ordinarily love Rudnicki's voice, he is not at all suitable for fiction that require a typical American accent. He is best left for Greece-based books like the Jeffrey Siger ones which he narrates marvelously.

[Steffie Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis très partagée concernant ce thriller.
J'ai totalement dévoré la totalité du livre. Le rythme est excellent, l'enquête passionnante et bien menée, sans trop de "gore" malgré le nombre de victimes.

En revanche j'ai été totalement déçue par la fin que j'ai trouvé beaucoup trop facile et simpliste, sans aucune réelle implication concernant les conclusions de l'enquête. Ce qui fait que la note globale est relativement basse.

La plume est malgré tout excellente et le découpage fait de ce roman un vrai page turner à mes yeux !

[Azita Rassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitter and beautiful, different and real. It’s not a normal whodunnit at all. Thank you, Mr. Ellory.

[Zweite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une écriture solide, fluide, quelques effets de style agréables, un bon sens de l'atmosphère.
Après, l'intrigue ne m'a pas convaincue. Les prémisses sont pourtant percutantes : un type qui survit à l'assaut d'un tueur en série et qui devient ensuite spécialiste du sujet.

Je sens que l'auteur a voulu faire différent de tous les polars mettant en scène des tueurs en série, éviter de tomber dans le psychodrame, mettre de l'avant l'ampleur des recherches qu'il a menées sur le sujet. En refusant de mythifier le personnage de son tueur, il fait exactement l'inverse : il en fait un personnage bancal, une ombre, en fait, une machine à tuer, froid et sans personnalité sinon qu'il est rigoureusement organisé. Ellory joue jusqu'à la fin la carte de "il n'y a pas de 'pourquoi', les tueurs en série obéissent à une pulsion et rien d'autre, ils doivent tuer parce que c'est logique pour eux, et pour eux seulement" - comme s'il refusait d'explorer leur psychologie, de peur d'entrer dans le 'mythe du monstre'. Néanmoins, ce genre d'explication contribue à déshumaniser le tueur, à le placer dans une catégorie à part de l'humanité - un fou ou un illuminé à qui la logique ne s'applique pas, pour qui il ne faut pas chercher de cause ou d'origine. Ce qui m'embête de cela, c'est que ça m'apparaît bâclé : un individu est le fruit de son environnement, et même si l'on cherche à éviter le 'mythe' ou le cliché, on peut tenter de trouver un fondement à toute la violence qu'il porte en lui. J'aurais aimé que l'on plonge davantage dans cette fascination/admiration qu'ont certaines personnes pour les tueurs en série, dans la violence et la noirceur qui imbibent la société américaine. Ce que l'auteur laisse de côté, c'est la notion que les tueurs en série sont des êtres brisés - pas au sens tragique, empathique, mais plutôt au sens pitoyable : des hommes pervers, abjects, narcissiques, misogynes et pathétiques, incompatibles avec la vie en société, qui font souffrir pour assouvir leurs pulsions.

L'auteur reste donc du côté des faits, des chiffres, de l'enquête qui avance péniblement, sans piste convenable, et bon sang que c'est long. Sa représentation des femmes laisse à désirer, et malgré tous les efforts qu'Ellory a déployés, je n'accroche pas à son protagoniste, qui m'a semblé d'une banalité effarante. Et cette fin... je ne m'attends pas à tomber de ma chaise lors de chaque lecture, mais ici, je n'ai pas été impressionnée. Après une enquête aussi longue, on déboule sur un dénouement de quoi, vingt-cinq pages, qui boucle la boucle mais ne répond à aucune question - parce qu'Ellory, encore une fois, a choisi ne de pas explorer le 'pourquoi' de son intrigue.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moves slow in the beginning. Lots of descriptions that set a tone to the story. Dark. Intense.
It’s one of those atmospheric mysteries, similar to the “Nordic Noir”/”Scandinavian Mysteries” style of books.
Once the story starts to develop, it moves a little quicker, building up the suspense. I think by then, you’re either interested or bored. I was curious.
This is more an investigation rather than a character driven story.
Though I did like the chemistry b/w Karen & Ray.

I did this on audio and while the narrator did a good job, he was a little dry.
There were a lot of moving parts; as it were, but b/c the writing was sharp, I didn’t get lost.
The nature of the “serial crimes” made it difficult to guess who did it. It did peak my interest trying to figure out who to suspect.

At one point, I thought “could it be…?” and if so, what a twist but also obvious.
There was a surprise at the end and i didn't figure it out at all.

I didn't give it a higher rating b/c while i got hooked & really liked it, i don't think it's for everyone.

FYI: it is graphic in it’s descriptions & also violent

***And just a quick personal note-this was another random choice thru my library overdrive. But before I listened to it, I looked it up on GR (as well as some others I passed on) to check reviews.
So thanks to those who posted their thorough thoughts as I do really use that as a guide for some of my random choices. ***

[Sarina Morrhaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wauw ... en ik maar twijfelen ... oh boy .... maar NU weet ik het tenminste lol. Aan iedereen die het echt wil weten, of Costello de slechterik is of niet? Lezen maar zou ik zeggen ... Wat mij betreft was dit echt wel een heel goed boek, waarin ik zeker tien keer getwijfeld heb aan alles, maar de schrijver is er dan ook heel bedreven in om zijn lezers mee te nemen in het verhaal.
Ik ga alvast de andere titels opzoeken, want ik wil best wat meer van deze auteur lezen.

[Jason Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of only 3 books to make me cry. Nuff said. Excellent.

[🥀 Rose 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.J. Ellory once again captivates my attention well into the long hours of the night with this extremely engaging read. Serial killer genre is one of my favorite, but they have to been over-the-top good for me to warrent them a 5 star rating. If it scares me at all, then it's more than good. This one did just that.

In 1984, 16 year old, John Costello meets 17 year old Nadia and young love blooms along with the sexual awakenings of young teens in the heart of New York city. To some innocent, but to one it's offensive and that would be the Hammer of God serial killer who has already killed other young couples and now has his eye on Nadia and John. She is immediately killed while John survives the attack.

Jump forward to 2006. A serial killer is once again stalking New Yorkers and it's up to Detective Irving to find and stop him. However being short of staff and stretched on nerves, he employs the help of a newspaper researcher, John Costello, who has unnerving insight into serial killers as well as able to put Irving onto the sub-subculture of those who collect memorabilia of these kinds of killers who might be able to help give a trail to the killer. Karen Langley plays the boss and friend of John Costello and feels not only protective of John, but feels an affection for Det. Irving and puts her in the middle of this mutli-layed thrill ride.

I am not going to go into any more details lest I give it away. Anniversary Man, unlike A Quiet Belief in Angels, is not quite so lyrically written, it's more hard-boiled detective novel. However, unlike the true hard-boiled novel this one has a heart and soul. I love these characters and all their flaws and issues. Ellory has a way of breathing such life into the people he creates, they literally jump off the pages. This includes the killer. The descriptions of dying to me were horrifying and real. When NAdia is killed by the Hammer of God, the way he describes her death was so awful, I had to sit down. Another part of this book that got to me was another murder (no details) but Ellory allows you in enough to know the victims and peek at their lives enough to care. This was difficult was me and I found I just couldn't read it at night anymore LOL! Too scary.

I highly recommend reading this well structured, mutli-layered, hard-boiled book. It's really more about it's people than the killer themself. Another reason to like it.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was with much anticipation and a little apprehension that I picked up RJ Ellory’s latest offering; ‘The Anniversary Man’ and started to read. The anticipation of a brand new novel from a favourite author and the apprehension of wondering would it be as good as his earlier books.

There is a quote from Clive Cussler on the front of the book saying that RJ Ellory is an author that keeps you reading throughout the night hours – that is the perfect quote for this book, but don’t expect an undisturbed sleep after read this – the imagery will most definitely give nightmares!

This is crime writing at it’s most excellent – a cast of gritty, realistic and wholly believable characters added to a storyline that grips from page one. By the end of the book I was in need of an oxygen mask as I had held my breath for most of the final chapter.

Ray Irving, the homicide detective in charge of the hunt for the Anniversary Man serial killer is a typical New York cop – he comes with baggage and the snippets from his past history only add his character and how he behaves throughout the book. John Costello, on the other hand, is something of an enigma – a strange, solitary man, almost savant-like in his habits – he becomes more and more central to the plot throughout the book. Costello begins the story – twenty years previous when he survived an attack by the serial killer known as the ‘Hammer of God’. Costello has spent his life learning about serial killers, their habits, the facts of their crimes, most everything a person could know about really. His knowledge thrusts him right into the middle of the current investigation, and changes his whole life.

Ellory has obviously done masses of research on the subject of American serial killers over the last twenty years, his meticulous eye for detail and ability to interweave these facts into the current investigation is wonderful and just adds more and more credibility to the story line.

With some pretty gory murder scene descriptions and some gritty language, this is not a novel for the faint hearted, but is one for real die-hard crime fans out there.

A marvellous achievement – Ellory’s writing goes from strength to strength.

[Brigitte Alouqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une succession de meurtres étrangement ressemblant aux plus grandes scènes de crime va avoir lieu.

Ray Irving va hériter de cette enquête et sera aider par John Costello qui est lui-même un rescapé d'un serial killer, mais cela remonte à sa jeunesse.

Vous pensez bien que ce sac de noeud ne va pas être simple à dénouer, surtout lorsqu'ils vont se rendre compte que les meurtres actuels sont en fait perpétrés à la date anniversaire d'un autre meurtre ayant eu lieu dans le passé.

Par moment, j'ai eu l'impression que Costello servait un peu de bouée de sauvetage lorsqu'Irving se sentait complètement perdu. Peut-être est-ce du à son passé de rescapé, je ne sais pas trop. En tout cas, ils vont former une équipe de choc.

Une enquête rondement menée, qui nous laisse sur les rotules tellement elle est prenante.

Encore une fois, vous ne serez pas étonné si je vous dis que je suis un bien piètre enquêtrice ! Chaque fois que je me suis dis "Ca y est j'ai la solution", eh bien à chaque fois je suis tombée à l'eau. Heureusement je ne suis pas là pour mener l'enquête autrement tout les criminels seraient en liberté.

Un livre qui vous prend par la main dès la première page, et qui ne vous relâche pas avant la fin, j'ai passé une nuit blanche uniquement parce que je voulais savoir, je voulais continuer, impossible de lâcher prise. A un moment j'ai cru que je ne tiendrais pas, la fatigue se faisait bien ressentir, mais attention, j'ai gagné ce combat, et je suis allée jusqu'au bout.

Si vous aimez le genre thriller qui vous tiens éveillé, alors sans aucuns doutes possible, celui ci est pour vous.

C'était le premier que je lisais de cet auteur, mais je suis certaine de ne pas en rester là. La prochaine fois je m'y prendrai plus tôt pour commencer ma lecture en espérant ne pas y passer la nuit encore une fois. Mais j'avoue que ce fut une nuit blanche que je ne regrettes pas une seule seconde.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This case follows a serial killer in New York copying real life notorious serial killers and killing innocent people in the same way and anniversary of original killing. The killer is totally organised and a perfectionist in the way he plans and executes his kills. The prologue to the book describes serial killings that occurred in 1984 with one male survivor John Costello. John Costello is now a crime researcher for a newspaper. The lead homicide detective is Ray Irving who tries to gain clues where none are left works with John Costello to solve the mysteries. The focus of this novel is on the chase for the perpetrator and trying to follow the clues to bring a speedy end to the process. The acts of the past real life serial killers is described and this is extremely harrowing. The main characters have their own interests. John Costello has a photographic encyclopaedic knowledge base re serial killers. He becomes part of the investigation team as a result. There is a budding romance between Ray Irving and Karen Langley who is a newspaper journalist and Costello’s manager
Ray Irving and John Costello drive the story forward and the pace is quite fast. The killer is always several steps ahead. The characters of Irving, Costello Langley and Captain Faraday are interesting characters. The author describes the process and minute detail of the Police investigation. Some of this book is truly harrowing and more so as some of it is true. The capacity for people to somewhat heal and move forward after such horrendous events is remarkable. I thought the end was very sad in the sense of lives lost yet hopeful with new beginnings Overall I did not enjoy this one as I did others read by same author. However I would recommend it as others have clearly enjoyed it and given rave reviews but for me not so much.

[Ian Mapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another book where the intensive and obvious research has got in the way of the story telling.

Only in America could you begin to imagine that a "surviving serial killer" support group could exist. If you can get over this hurdle, you can appreciate the life of John Costello - a man who 20 years ago was left for dead by the "hammer of the gods" killer. He now works as a researcher for a newspaper - lives a life alone and is an expert on serial killers.

Is this a doppleganger for ellory, who has researched all serial killers in America over the last 30 years and used them for a new serial killer in New York who is painstakingly recreating them.

Ray Irving is the detective who is tasked with catching the new killer and soon is using Costello for evidence and the plotting of where the killer will strike next.

My problems with the book (besides the beyond belief storyline) are that it is too damn long. We have 450 pages of recreated murders - which shows the extent of the research completed by the author, as every modern killing spree seems to represented but when you have the whole thing wrapped up in the last 30 pages - with no twists and a killer who comes from nowhere in the context of the book - is it necessary?

Could it have been 150 pages smaller?

There are qualities - Ellory is one of the best thriller writers today and the characterisation, sense of location, interest are all present and correct. Costello and Irving are like two sides of the same coin and complement each other well.

Not a total disaster - but I not as good as A quiet belief in Angels.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though these books are a lot more "gritty" than I generally read, there is something I do really enjoy about RJ Ellory's novels. The subject matter is not what I usually want from my reading, I don't find killing entertainment - but it is compelling, the writing is good and the characterisation superb. The sense of place is remarkably good - as Ellory is afer all English - but he must be a New Yorker in his soul. The story is of a serial killer stalking New York City, re-creating infamous murders, New York cop Ray Irving employs the help of John Costello, who in 1984 survived an attack by a serial killer, an attack which changed him forever. In his head John Costello seems to carry the details of hundreds of killers and victims, including the dates of the crimes. This is information crucial to such an investigation. Costello is a peculiar character an enigma even to those who supposedly know him well, leading Irving to sometimes question whether he has in fact made a huge mistake. We do have some well worn stereotypes here, the world weary cop, nursing a bereavement, the mouthy hard bitten lady journalist, the ball breaking boss. But it all works well, and these stereotypes are familiar enough for a reader to settle down comfortably with.

The intricately woven plot is pacy with just the right amount of tension, leading me to keep on turning the pages until it was very late indeed.

[Anne Raftery · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am normally a huge RJ Ellory fan. I absolutely loved A Quiet Belief in Angels, and have read it 3 times, so I had great hopes for this book.

It started off interestingly enough, and had the usual characters that one would expect in a detective novel, world weary and lonely middle aged cop, sassy lady who comes to his rescue after a shaky beginning to their relationship, odd ball boffin type, etc etc etc. Plenty of well researched CSI type of stuff there too.

We were well and truly cheated in the end though as Ellory seemed to run out of steam. It was as if he was late for his publisher's deadline and thought 'oh, sod it, I'll get this book finished tonight', and introduced a previously unmentioned character, about whom we knew nothing whatsoever, to pin the murders on, thereby cheating the readers of a satisfactory conclusion, and frankly treating them with scorn. This, coupled with his behaviour regarding assuming alter egos to review both his own and other's novels has made me less of a fan. Naughty boy.

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this novel Ellory established himself as one of my favourite crime writers. I had loved 'A Quiet Belief in Angels' though wondered if his others could live up to that standard. I shouldn't have been concerned because this does and also is very different in style.

It is a serial killer novel but one that is quite fresh in the way the killer operates. Fascinating and compelling.

It combines page-turning suspense with quite a literary quality.
Near the opening is a recollection of a crime by its victim that is a stunning piece of writing.

[Anne Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely fantastic book, if I could give it more than five stars I would! Totally unputdownable, I've been reading solidly for over four hours because I just had to finish it. The tension grips your entrails and twists, and I feel like I've been on a very enjoyable roller coaster. Magnificent writing, real characters you care about, a driving pace, twists and turns... if this isn't in contention for my book of the year I'll be amazed.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

couldn't put it down. one of those books where i go i'll just read a few more pages and then i'll put the light out but i'm still reading it two hours later.