Notes on An Execution by Danya Kukafka - Starting August 9th 2023

[Book_Fairy]

A work of literary suspense that deconstructs the story of a serial killer on death row, told primarily through the eyes of the women in his life.

Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he’s done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago. But Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. He hoped it wouldn’t end like this, not for him.

Through a kaleidoscope of women—a mother, a sister, a homicide detective—we learn the story of Ansel’s life. We meet his mother, Lavender, a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Ansel’s wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister’s relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the homicide detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly. As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake.

[Karen]

Another one I've been meaning to read for ages...will try and join you for this (depending on how I get on with

[Brooke]

I'm slightly being on BRs but i just started this, looking forward to it!

[Karen]

We’ve had family visiting, so I’ve got a bit behind too.

[Brooke]

4%
(view spoiler)[ oh this CO, what are you thinking?! what did she do?! and at least he knows that she only likes him because he's behind bars and she has control of him *shrug* wonder if this is based on something, like i know there was that prison escape awhile ago where he just used her to get out. (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

8%
(view spoiler)[ i'm sorry what? you're gonna rape your wife before looking for you lost child? GIRL YOU NEED TO LEAVE. douche was already a POS and now this crap, nah dude needs some karma. (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

29%
(view spoiler)[ this dude has most of the signs of a serial killer already. bad/weird relationship with mom, head injury at a young age (when his dad slammed his head into the wall), and now he can't get it up during sex, and she LAUGHED at him, big mistake.

but also this girl is weird af too, why is she eating her sister's hair? (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

75%
(view spoiler)[ THE GUARD DIDN'T LEAVE THE GUN. oh no, dude is fucked now, how are you gonna get out of dying now?! you deserve this!

karma came for daddy though!

the one lady thou, freaking nuts and a stalker, and a creep. (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

Karen wrote: "We’ve had family visiting, so I’ve got a bit behind too."

Hope family time went well :)

i'm just partly behind because some holds i never thought would be here in time (said 6 weeks!) came in and now i have to catch up

[Karen]

First quarter - really liking the structure of this. Our inmate seems skilled at manipulation, and it’s fascinating to be given the insights into his early life.

[Karen]

Second quarter. (view spoiler)[ There’s a sense of inevitability to Ansel’s life. The details of the foster house animal killings are a pretty good sign of a disturbed mind. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Third quarter. The net is drawing in.

[Karen]

Brooke wrote: "4%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I was so pleased to see that she didn't go along with his plan. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Finished. Review on home page. Brooke, your comments made me laugh - it's hard not to see the signs for this behaviour in his early life.

[Brooke]

Karen wrote: "Brooke wrote: "4%
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

i kinda wanna know why she didn't thou, like is it because she was using him the whole time, or she chickened out, or something come up?

[Brooke]

Karen wrote: "Finished. Review on home page. Brooke, your comments made me laugh - it's hard not to see the signs for this behaviour in his early life."

years of true crime podcasts and documentaries came in handy, ahaha.