Article first published as Book Review: The Scar by Michael S. Weiner on Blogcritics.The Scar is about a serial killer in Pennsylvania and the detective who is hunting him. It begins with the killing of a priest then proceeds to tell the story of the killer and how he came to be the way he is along with the hard work the police put into finding him and getting him off of the streets.I especially enjoyed the chapters where the killer talks about himself and why he is killing:"I also desire more than impossible dreams. I desire a life I can call my own, but that day may never come. I have a job I must do for which I have come to believe brought me back from death: to punish those who are undeserving of life." (21)Our killer truly feels he is doing the world a favor by eliminating these people that he sees as evil. As the book unwinds and we learn their stories, we also see they are not the upstanding citizens that people think they are. But do they deserve to die such horrible deaths?The characters are likable and believable. I enjoyed the interaction between Detective Seff and Captain Baron. Captain Baron wants the case solved yesterday and wants the mayor off of his back and he expects Detective Seff to comply:"I don't need to tell you that having a serial killer roaming the streets that we're supposed to protect makes us look bad. Not to mention it's giving me heartburn and a bad case of diarrhea. And I don't like having a burning sensation from my ass, so tell me you have something we can go on." (53)The action does not stop and only intensifies as the book goes on. The author trips us up a lot. Just when you think you may have a handle on who it is, wham, he hits us with something else and sends us on a different track! And the ending? Just let me say WOW! I never saw it coming, and I like to pride myself on being able to figure things out. Not this time. I honestly sat there with my mouth hanging open in shock!In short, this book blew me away! It is not a long book, only 152 pages, but those pages pack a wallop! I was expecting a typical serial killer story — murders, how he was caught, etc. — but what the author gives us is that and so much more. Mr. Weiner takes us into the the mind of this killer and manages to make us feel sorry for him and almost cheer him on. He shows us the day to day workings of a police investigation and how mundane it can be, how leads turn into nothing and how hard it is to find that one clue, one piece of evidence that breaks the case.I highly recommend The Scar to anyone that likes thrillers. I really hope to see more by Michael S. Weiner in the future. ( )

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I was worried that it might be too graphic and not suited to my taste. But I must say, this turned out to be a great read! It was graphic (it doesn't take much for me to get queasy), but the story itself was compelling. The entire time I was reading I couldn't refrain from imagining a CSI episode. That's how great the story read.

The main characters are Detective Seff and Kevin Mason. Detective Seff came across as the strong, silent type. He was very calculated with his actions. He was a very well thought out character, and I really enjoyed his role in the story. Kevin, the main police suspect, wasn't featured much in the story. The entire novel was spent looking for this missing person. However, in the process you do get a pretty good understanding of what type of person Kevin is. There were some other characters throughout the story, but they didn't stand out that much.

One of the things that does stand out the most for me was the complicated plot. There were so many twists and turns! The complex plot made putting the book down hard to do. Uunfortunately, there isn't a whole lot that I can say about the book without spoiling the ending. The killer has an unique gift (curse?) that allows him to see all the past actions of anyone he touches. This ability leads the killer to identify people that have managed to escape the traditional justice system because their vicious actions have gone undetected. It was interesting to read about the "victims" and how their public appearance was completely different from their true inner natures.

I think the most haunting aspect of this book is the fact that a lot of the horrible events that took place are things that could probably happen in real life. I watch the news each night and am appalled by the horrible acts that people commit against one another. If you're like me and tend to be a little sensitive about such matters, this might not be the best book for you. But, if you're looking for a fast paced murder mystery then you would certainly enjoy this book. ( )