Book Review: The Best of Crimes by K.C. Maher

I’ve found a gem of a book. But it’s dark and disturbing and not for the faint-hearted. Find out exactly what I’m talking about in today’s book review.

Blurb

The Best of Crimes* by K.C. Maher begins with Walter Mitchell walking into a suburban New York police station pleading guilty to the kidnapping of 13-year-old Amanda. Nobody wants to arrest Walter and he is told go home but with much insisting from Walter’s side, he is finally arrested and charged. The book then switches to explain to the reader how Walter got to this point, how an extremely intelligent man is faced with temptation but doesn’t succumb.

Review

I’m going to start this review by saying the same thing that many others have: I feel guilty for liking this book. I’m sure you can understand why having read the blurb. I’m not easily offended, and you really can’t be with this book, so I feel I was able to appreciate the talent that went eating writing The Best of Crimes and I hope you will to.

This is such a well-written book. It is full of emotion. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so many different emotions while reading a book. My change in feelings was subtle. I began the book really liking Walter. He is a child genius who, at 18, speedily marries a woman much older than him. They have a child pretty quickly, something which makes him extremely happy and this makes him an endearing character. We also learn a lot about his past. His parents were never around and the only string family bond he ever really had was with his sister. Then his sister dies and he is shipped off to a boarding school. It is hard not to feel empathetic toward him.

Suddenly, I am sickened by Walter, as his relationship with Amanda grows stronger and stronger. Yet I still really like him. The conflicting feelings are confusing but make for a really good read.

I’m not going to write any more about what happens in The Best of Crimes. This book is basically a matter of will he won’t he. And when I say that I mean will the relationship between Walter and Amanda go to that disturbing next level.

You will find as you read the book what it simply does is tell a story. It tells the story of the relationship between Walter and Amanda. There are no dramatic turns or big twists because the book doesn’t need them. The sheer talent that went into the writing of the story, the emotions the author makes you feel, is enough to make a wonderful book. I hope you will give The Best of Crimes a chance and discover exactly what I mean.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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