cover image Dear Killer

Dear Killer

Katherine Ewell. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-225780-2

Seventeen-year-old Kit is secretly London's dreaded "Perfect Killer," a nihilistic serial killer trained by her mother to carry out murder as part of a higher calling, choosing her victims from anonymous letters sent to her. As her body count grows, the police remain stymied%E2%80%94until Kit starts losing her focus. From making one murder personal to befriending a victim and outright flirting with the policeman unofficially assigned to the Perfect Killer case, it seems as though Kit's carefully constructed fa%C3%A7ade is finally crumbling. But she's still committed to carrying out one last assignment, heedless of the consequences. This tense page-turner was a finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest and represents Ewell's debut. She expertly captures Kit's dispassionate yet conflicted state of being, chronicling the chaotic swirl of emotions as the routine breaks down. However, Kit's point of view leads many other characters to feel less developed. The almost hypnotic nature of the storyline doesn't quite make up for moments of implausibility (including Kit's success and general modus operandi) and other plot holes in an otherwise solid thriller. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: Alice Martell, the Martell Agency. (Apr.)