Badlands

by: Richard Montanari

Published by: Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Reviewed by Julina K. Small

Lock the doors, settle into a comfortable chair, and prepare to be swept away in the mystery and intrigue of Badlands. This chilling suspense novel, filled with gruesome murders conducted along a twisted plot in north Philadelphia, will keep you turning page after page as the puzzle unfolds.

Joseph Swann, known to his victims as Mr. Ludo, is the brilliant son of a magician-gone-madman. Keenly adept with his hands, he builds keepsake furniture pieces for the wealthy to support his passion for magic, puzzles, and murder. With tormented thoughts from a long-lost childhood, Swann attempts to collect revenge on his past by hunting teenage runaways to become his magician’s assistants. A handsome, smooth-talking man with knowledge on current events and pop culture, and a vast array of stage disguises that transform him into anyone he wants to become, Swann is able to gain the confidence of his young victims and lure them into his trap. In his relic mansion with hidden passages, Swann tenderly cares for each of his victims until he is ready to display their bodies as part of his Seven Wonders.

Detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne are assigned to the cold case of Caitlin O’Riordan, and quickly find that the case is not really cold, and the killer is on the loose. Collaborating with officers who worked the case in the past, street-smart runaways, and the famous author of a tangram book, the detectives begin to close in on their prey. The question is, will they catch him before the seventh girl dies?

Author Richard Montanari is a skilled novelist, essayist, and screenwriter whose work has appeared in numerous national and regional publications. He is an OLMA award winner and has also written Merciless, The Skin Gods, The Rosary Girls, Kiss of Evil, Deviant Way, and The Violet Hour.

Armchair Interviews says: Chills and suspense in a well-written novel.

Author’s Web site: http://www.RichardMontanari.com