REVIEW: Dominic by Mark Pryor @markpryorbooks @seventhstbooks #allthebookreviews
Dominic
by Mark Pryor
🎂 HAPPY PUBLISHING DAY! 🎂
Thanks so much to Seventh Street Books for these copies in return for our honest opinions.
Jessica and I were excited to get this one as our first #allthebookreviews review for 2018!
Thanks so much to Seventh Street Books for these copies in return for our honest opinions.
Jessica and I were excited to get this one as our first #allthebookreviews review for 2018!
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Publishing: January 2, 2018
Pages: 256
Paperback
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Series: A Hollow Man Novel (#2)
Goodreads Synopsis
Only two other people know that Dominic, a charming Englishman, prosecutor, and musician in Austin, Texas, is also a psychopath. They also know that a year ago he got away with murder.
One of those people is his "special lady," and the other is her brother, a teenager and fellow psychopath called Bobby. When a wily homicide detective starts digging up that past murder, little Bobby offers to take care of the problem--permanently. Dominic tries to dissuade him, but as he himself knows, psychopaths aren't good with following instructions. Or impulse control.
As Detective Megan Ledsome circles closer, Dominic knows his life depends on keeping his secrets hidden, from her and the rest of the world. And when his annoying office-mate declares his interest in a judicial position, one he himself would like, Dominic realizes that one of his carefully-orchestrated plans could kill two birds with one stone.
Of course, that means some sleight of hand and a sacrifice or two. But if there's one thing a psychopath doesn't mind, it's sacrificing other people.
My Review:
Dominic is a psychopath who happens to be a prosecutor in juvenile court and has to remind himself how to react appropriately in certain conditions to appear normal to everyone around him. (Think along the lines of Dexter.) As a psychopath, he doesn't like taking no for an answer, is used to being in control of every situation and will do whatever it takes to protect himself.
We get the viewpoints of Dominic, his girlfriend, Elizabeth and his fellow prosecutor, Brian. I found it most interesting to see Dominic's point of view and how he ran his every day life. The internal struggle of a psychopath. One who finally feels <i>something</i> for Elizabeth and couldn't protect her little brother, Bobby, also a psychopath (it takes one to know one!).
This is the second book in the Hollow Man series from Pryor. I unfortunately did not read the first book but I don't think you need to in order to follow Dominic. The author does a good job of throwing in Dominic's past without it being too much or you feeling lost.
While it's nice to see another telling from the POV of the psychopath, I struggled to find a connection with Dominic, or any of the characters. In other books from this point of view, such as You and Perfect Days, I felt empathetic and became enamored with the main protagonist/sociopath. In this particular book, this didn't quite work for me as well as I had hoped it would.
The writing is well done and there are certainly some plot twists I did not see coming. However, I could see the clues building so I was not overly surprised with the final couple of chapters. This is a deliciously dark read from a psychopath's mind where he's managed to damp down his impulse control and go for the long goal. Well executed - I just wish I had a little more rapport with Dominic himself.
★★★
Jessica's Review:
DOMINIC is book two in the Hollow Man series by Mark Pryor. While this could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading HOLLOW MAN. You'll definitely get to know Dominic much better this way!
Dominic is an Englishman living in Texas. He's a musician and a prosecutor - what no one else knows is that he's also a psychopath. Only two other people in his life know this about him and what he has been able to get away with. The special woman in Dominic's life and her younger brother, Bobby. Bobby and Dominic have one thing in common, they are both psychopaths.
When a detective starts to dig around in the past crimes that Dominic had committed things start to get stirred up. Bobby offers to help permanently solve the problem, but Dominic tries as best he can to convince Bobby to leave the detective alone. Psychopaths aren't known for their impulse control or for following instructions.
I loved book one and I think this second installment was even better! You get to dive into the minds of two psychopaths and see how they tick and what makes them differ from each other. You definitely get more information from the first book when it comes to the crimes that Detective Megan Ledsome is digging up.
Overall, if you want a good crime thriller with an anti-hero as the main character, then you'll want to dive into DOMINIC (like I previously mentioned, I think reading HOLLOW MAN first would be best). There are some twists throughout the book and I really enjoyed Pryor's writing style.
I give this one 4.5/5 stars!
No comments
Leave a Comment