The Scalp Collector

by Suzanne Smith

Detective Sammy Stone stared at the blood soaked corpse tied to the La-Z-Boy recliner. The body was that of twenty one year old Marci Levelle. Like Barbara Tony in Lake County last month and Abigail May in DuPage County the month before, Marci has been scalped and gutted. Sammy's sixth sense tells him that this sadistic killer, aptly named the Scalp Collector by the press, hasn't finished his murderous rampage yet. It's just a matter of time before he takes the life of another innocent girl. Determined to put an end to the senseless slaughter as quickly as possible, Sammy relentlessly follows the bizarre pattern of clues that begin to emerge in the aftermath of the crime. It isn't long before he realizes that the prime suspect in his murder investigation is an intimate acquaintance of his. Will Sammy act on his suspicions in time to save the next victim, and himself?

64 pages, Paperback

Published June 14, 2023

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you've just found out that the woman you are falling in love with may actually be the one that is viciously killing local women; leaving them bleeding without their scalp intact and that said scalp is nowhere to be found at the crime scene?

Now, what would you do if you were the Detective assigned to that case that has to make the decision to either turn her in, or look the other way and provide some mental/psychiatric help? Risking his career in law enforcement and quite possibly a prison sentence himself for aiding and abetting this woman leaves Detective Sammy wrought with confusion. Why did he have to find a woman that finally understands him, that sets his heart and soul on fire and thrills him to no end but a woman that could be instilling debilitating fear in the city?

Or could it be at all possible that the killer is not at all what/who they seem?

Nothing better than a psychological twisted end that you didn't see coming! I very much enjoyed reading this short but thrilling story by Suzanne Smith and hope to see more from this author in the future!

[Susan Freestone · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a great read, I do love dark books and I can definitely say I LOVED THIS.

It may be a short book but the way the author wrote this it never felt like that, it had a feel to it of being a longer book.
It had great characters, I especially liked Sammy the Detective.
I got into this story straight away and couldn't put it down,
I even thought I knew who the killer was, but this serial killer is a whole different breed, very cunning!!
The killer had it all planned but..... (You will need to read this book to find out what happens and how it ends!! No spoilers!) I didn't see this ending how it did!

Brilliantly written. I can highly recommend this book especially if you love thrillers, it's a MUST READ.

This is the second book I have read and loved from this author and it won't be the last.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging and captivating story. The characters are fairly well-developed and realistic. The storyline moves along well and is as logical as a psychological thriller can be. The dialogue flows well and doesn't come across as exaggerated or choppy. There is plenty of psychological and physical drama without getting overly gory or crude. I enjoyed the fact that Ms. Smith was able to lead me down the primrose path without me even being aware of it. An indication of a talented author, in my opinion. She kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat.
The only mild criticism I have is not of this particular author but of novellas/novelettes in general. In my opinion, it is difficult to fully develop characters and their backstories within the limitations of a novella. I am a fan of the longer, more involved books. It feels that the novella ends about the time I get really involved with it. That being said, I would still be open to reading anything else by Ms. Smith.
I received a review copy via indieBragg and this is my honest opinion.

[Kameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.



Do you love watching crime shows? Do you scrutinize every piece of evidence, attempting to solve the case before the fictional cops do? Have you ever doubted your sleuthing instincts? Have you ever flip-flopped whether a character is guilty because the evidence was so overwhelming, which made them the obvious choice? If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you must read The Scalp Collector by Suzanne Smith.

The short story begins with a crime scene that would turn anyone’s stomach. Marci Levelle, twenty-one, was discovered tied to her La-Z-Boy: gagged, gutted, and scalped. I can’t imagine being a police officer or coroner working on this case; worse, she’s not the first victim. Three women dead. Three different jurisdictions. Will Detective Sammy Stone stop the serial killer before he or she targets victim number 4?

The evidence was overwhelming, pointing at one character. Sammy didn’t want to believe someone close to him was a murderer; however, he had an obligation to follow the evidence. Sammy didn’t follow police procedures, which came back to haunt him. He should’ve contacted his partner (Will) and the other precinct detectives about his suspicions or the frantic help me phone call.

His investigation did reveal painful memories and brought to light scars that someone would’ve preferred to stay hidden. (I’m staying vague to avoid spoilers.)

When the investigation leads to one suspect, you must ask yourself, Is it too obvious? Are they the killer, or are they being setup quite beautifully? That was the case with this case. (No pun intended) I had the nagging feeling it was all too easy, but then again, I wondered if the author played it that way.

When Sammy and the serial killer come face-to-face, he realizes they do not fit the profile. Their reasoning for these horrific acts proved the villain required psychiatric care for many years.

Did Sammy catch the killer before their blade took scalp number 4?

Did the scalp collector escape?

Read the book and find out!

(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)

[Diana Sobolewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner I couldn't put down.

With a title like Scalp Collector, author Suzanne Smith had my attention. When it was delivered to my Kindle, I wasn't planning on reading the story until I'd finished some chores. But I couldn't resist reading the first chapter. Well, the chores had to wait. I read right through to the end.

This story features a relentless detective who grapples with guilt over a third grizzly homicide; one he feels he might well have prevented. Additionally, he is tormented by memories of past horrific murders. The darkness spills out into his personal life; manifesting in sleepless nights and broken romantic relationships. Still, it's what makes him uniquely qualified to see certain patterns and search for clues as to the motivation of the particularly sadistic killer who will continue scalping and gutting beautiful young women, if not stopped. When his excellent police work points to someone in his orbit, professional instincts and personal feelings collide. The wrong call could cost him his career, maybe even his life.

Scalp Collector reads like a murder mystery and psychological thriller in one. The author has done her research on crime scenes and the mind of a brutal killer. From my experience, it's a page-turner readers won't be able to put down.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that THE SCALP COLLECTOR by Suzanne Smith has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Come