Rachel Reviews: The Hollow Pulse by Nathan Middleton
Fast-paced with atmosphere summarises this Seattle-based thriller which delivers danger but skimmed on character and tension
I've been to Seattle and whilst it was nice while I was there, I know that it has the reputation for grey days and wet weather. For the setting of a book about a killer on the loose, it's moody, grey, brooding. Pathetic fallacy in spades.
That's where this thriller starts: Pike Place, Seattle. The rain is coming down and our heroine, Jenna Kane is at the scene of a gruesome murder. This is not just any killing - it's been performed in a ritualistic fashion and it seems to have been done to grab her attention, to send her a message. Jenna recognises the MO and it sends fear into her heart. There is history here and guilt associated with not stopping this before so that it would never happen again. But she's not an FBI agent anymore so will this help or hinder? Has she got the freedom to investigate on her terms or will being an outsider to the investigation mean that the killer will get away with it again and again?
I was gripped. It was a captivating start. Middleton created the tension that all books about the pursuit of serial killers should have. Here, it's the finding of a corpse in a public place; the troubled heroine with the determination to uncover the truth and stop the killing with personal reasons as well as moral; the mysterious hooded stranger and whether he can be trusted.
The book is well-written in terms of flow and description: it doesn't jar to read and it's entertaining. I read it quickly and there were no stutters in my understanding of what was going on, who was who nor in my reading of the action in the different scenes.
However, as the book went on, the tension eased from what I felt at the very start and I think it was because the book was so focused on the pursuit of the killer and the action of this with the slashing knives and the shooting, etc. that it read like a series of chases and encounters rather than an investigation where the horror of it all should have made me gasp. Characters too were clearly delineated but I felt like more could have been made of them.
That being said, if you like lots of action, then this will deliver.
Rachel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC:
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Comments (6)
Interesting. So the ratcheting up of action actually decreased the tension as it went on. That’s a good lesson to keep in mind! I’m not a murder mystery reader I must admit haha
This has long been the shortfall of a lot of action stories, too much pulp and not enough humanity and art. The best writers in this genre deliver and the rest simply provide an entertaining ride. Another great review, Rachel!
Great review, Rachel, as always. I love action so I might give it a go. Do you think it was written more for adaptation to a movie than a psychological crime thriller? That might explain the lacking character arch.
I do love a murder mystery but not a fan of action. I'll pass hehehe. Loved your review!
BritBud - So didja go to the Public Market where vendors toss huge fish🐟 across to the customers as part of the places charm; along with their famous oysters 🦪 on the 1/2 shell made famous by Rob Reiner. Our Kristen lives there and has her sons wear hard hats👷♂️when shopping there. Oh, sorry not relevant—great narrative! CalBud
This was a wonderfully honest review that convinced me not to read this book. You did a great job highlighting the positives while also keeping it real. I'm not much for crime thriller novels and I have bad memories of Seattle so it didn't take much for me to decide this book isn't for me.