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The Praries Book Review

A macabre fun ride…

TJ, a socially awkward, highly intelligent psychopath and serial killer, goes on a killing spree for reasons that make sense only to him. With a mole within the Manhattan NYPD department, it is up to Detective First Grade Imogen Carter to apprehend the killer before he brings City of New York to its knees. The story is told through first-person perspective in the form of diary entries and third-person omniscient. The narration is both clever and engrossing. TJ’s victims are mostly derogatory people which keep the reader from having to worry too much about their gruesome killings, but it doesn’t stop readers to see TJ’s sinister inner self. Imogen is a darling, a highly likable character. Degg generates plenty of suspense along the way to the satisfying finale. Wholly engrossing and entertaining!

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The Inferiority Complex by Ryan Degg is a superbly, splendid, suspenseful page-turner.

This book consists of 84 short chapters where the reader has the opportunity to get both sides of the story in first person, that of the serial killer, as well as the detective working the case. Having access to the inner most thoughts of both good and bad, creates a unique perspective for the reader, and it makes this book an undeniably exhilarating read.

After a life of feeling inferior, TJ meets Angel, the girl of his dreams. She gives him the strength to transform into, what he believes to be, a superior man. He sets out to rid the city of evil, but he is fuelled by a troubling past, and his mind is twisted. He targets a single prominent individual…

Detective Imogen Carter has decided to leave the force to take care of her mental health, and spend more time with her sister, but not before finishing off her last case, which turns out to be a serial killer on a mission. Her partner, Jamie, appears to have a crush on her, but Imogen does not seem to notice.

Degg has done a tremendous job with character building. He expertly switches views between the main characters (and occasionally a supporting character), and provides a full perspective to the reader as the story unfolds. I was never confused about who was talking or where they were, and even thought you are aware of both sides of the story, the author still manages to surprise you with perfectly placed plot twists and suspenseful close encounters.

I loved the conversational writing style. The book was completely captivating from start to finish. I could easily imagine the character’s facial expressions, emotions and reactions, as well as the scenes. The details are subtle, but creates a masterful backdrop for the story to play out smoothly.

Due to the violence, profanity and sexual content in this book, I would not recommend it to a younger audience. Readers that are sensitive to subject matter like murder, rape, necrophilia and suicide, should avoid this book entirely. However, if you want to read a book that keeps you hovering on the edge of your seat, this book is definitely the one for you.

This book deserves nothing less than a solid 4 out of 4 stars. I only encountered a few minor spacing and spelling issues, but certainly not enough to distract me from a tremendous piece of literature.