Andrew Mayne Scares The Heck Out Of Me

5 out of 5 stars

The second book in The Naturalist series – Looking Glass takes Theo Cray on a wild goose chase to find someone who has been abducting children, doing heinous things to them and making them disappear forever.

I don’t usually get creeped out when I’m reading a book – but Andrew Mayne was able to do that to me about three times while reading Looking Glass.  The descriptions of certain scenes (I won’t spoil anything but I will say the first time he finds the yard) were just so vivid and creepy that they will stick with me.  I’m getting the heebie-jeebies now just thinking about it again.

Cray is definitely one of the most interesting people featured in a series.  He has this attitude and an overwhelming want to do the right thing that he can be blinded by it.  But doing these things makes me as the reader feel like he’s done justice.  I just love that, and I love that he is punished and reprimanded for it because we’re so used to people letting the “good guys” aka the cops and detectives do the right thing that when a normal citizen jumps into the fray and starts doing it – they want heads to roll (especially his).

I wasn’t sure how Mayne was going to write another book in this series. It felt like it should have been a one-off, but now I’m super glad that he wrote another one (and I hope that he continues with the series). Cray is an amazing lead and the topics that Mayne has covered (both serial killers but totally different reasons) were both fascinating to dig into. I want to know how Cray reacts to other topics/killers.

I will warn those – Looking Glass features some very adult themes and could trigger readers who don’t like to hear about rape or pedophilia – I thought that Mayne does a good job avoiding these scenes in detail but you can’t avoid the fact that is what is going on behind the scenes.

A “detective thriller” with a scientist/vigilante at the helm – The Naturalist series, including Looking Glass was one of the best books I’ve read in a while.  I loved it.

Book Description:

Professor Theo Cray caught one of the most prolific serial killers in history using revolutionary scientific methods. Cut off from university research because of the shroud of suspicion around him after the death of his former student and the aftermath of catching his quarry, Cray tries to rebuild his life but finds himself drawn into another unsolved case.

The desperate father of a missing child, ignored by the authorities and abandoned by his community, turns to Theo for help. The only clues are children’s drawings and an inner-city urban legend about someone called the Toy Man.

To unravel the mystery behind the Toy Man, Theo must set aside his scientific preconceptions and embrace a world where dreams and nightmares carry just as much weight as reality. As he becomes immersed in the case, he discovers a far-reaching conspiracy—one that hasn’t yet claimed its last victim.

five-stars
Looking Glass (The Naturalist #2) by Andrew Mayne
Narrator: Will Damron
Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
Series: Naturalist #2
Published by Brilliance Audio on March 13th 2018
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 312
Format: Audiobook
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I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Also by this author: The Naturalist (The Naturalist #1), Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3), Dark Pattern, The Girl Beneath the Sea
Also in this series: The Naturalist (The Naturalist #1), Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3), Dark Pattern

five-stars
Brian
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