It's been a while since I read any of Ted Dekker's books and this brilliant author is still churning out captivating, bestselling books that I'm not sure I would be able to read them all any time soon (or maybe the ones with higher ratings). I bought The Bride Collector some years ago and lent it to friends. Now that it's returned, I picked it up to read because of the intriguing title, the blurb and the fact that it's a dark serial killer thriller.
Dubbed one of Ted Dekker's most intense novels to date (and I agree after reading), the story focuses on FBI Special Agent Brad Raines as he investigates an intelligent killer who targets beautiful young women and leaves a bridal veil at each crime scene. Quinton Gauld, aka the Bride Collector, is working towards a disturbing goal of murdering seven women. These men engage in a battle of wits and time as Gauld closes in on his final victim.
Believing Gauld is psychotic and every means to get him has failed, Agent Brad visits a private psychiatric hospital to gain some perspective on this case. He learns the residents of this institution are not just mentally ill but extraordinarily gifted. Then he meets Paradise, a young woman with a troubled past who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. She has an unusual ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the body. Brad needs her help but working with her and three other residents, Andrea, Cass and Roudy, forces him to question some of the assumptions about sanity, perception and the people society tends to dismiss.
The stakes increase when Gauld targets his good friend, a forensic psychologist, making the case a personal one. The story gets intense as the Bride Collector gets closer to his goal. Can Agent Brad and the residents of a psychiatric hospital find and stop this killer before the seventh victim dies?
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Publication: April 2009 Pages: 385
My Review And Rating
Ted Dekker is one of my favourite thriller authors and he delivers a creepy yet captivating story that delves into the twisted mind of a psychotic serial killer who believes God has called him to kill seven brides for Him. The plot is solid and the pacing is good. This isn't simply about an FBI agent chasing a serial killer. Through these characters, Dekker explores the idea of who gets to decide what is normal.
The idea of working with the mentally ill to stop the killer elevates the plot. The residents of the institution are easy to dismiss at first because of their mental illnesses and unusual behaviour yet some of them see things that the supposedly rational people around them fail to notice.
Paradise is the character who stayed with me the most. She's fascinating, her past is heartwrenching and gives this book much of its emotional weight. I like the way her vulnerability exists alongside her strength. She isn't someone who needs to be rescued from everything. She has to face parts of herself and her part before she can move forward.
Beyond this book being a great serial killer thriller, it is also a love story and not many readers will see this except the perceptive ones. Dekker splits this story into two: stopping Gauld and saving his victims, and saving Paradise, and satisfyingly blends them into each other. Paradise’s journey feels bigger than the murder investigation. She sees herself as unlovable only to find out that she's God's favourite. This part of the story is touching.
I also like that Dekker doesn't let Agent Brad be the perfect FBI hero guided by strict rules. He has his own emotional baggage which helps his relationship with Paradise as he learns to look beyond her diagnosis and see the person underneath.
At the centre of this novel is a strong theme of faith. Dekker makes a distinction between faith and fanaticism, giving the thriller more substance than a simple good versus evil story. Through Quinton Gauld, readers can glean how dangerous an idea becomes when someone believes his interpretation is unquestionably right. Gauld has convinced himself that killing young women serves a higher purpose. This doesn't make him righteous but dangerous.
As a thriller, this book is captivating in story, the themes and character development. Dekker leaves no stone unturned. He dazzles us with plot twists that leave readers guessing the next step only to be upset that they didn't see it coming. That's how I felt. There are disturbing discoveries, strange characters and unanswered questions to keep me turning the pages. There are also some gruesome scenes so this isn't a cosy mystery thriller. Dekker goes into the darkness when the story calls for it.
Rating this book, I'd give 9 out of 10 stars. It's an intense, thought-provoking read about a serial killer mystery that touches on sanity, trauma, faith and forgiveness. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with serial killers, I think this book is worth reading.
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Rating: 90/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/books.
