The Killing Room by thriller writer Richard Montanari is the sixth book in the Byrne & Balzano series.
Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano work in the Homicide division of the Philadelphia Police Department. When Balzano receives an anonymous phone call it is the start of another round of serial killings that are very bizarre. The caller states; “One God. Seven churches” which is to be the start of 7 brutal murders in the name of God where abandoned churches are turned into a killing room.
The murder spree starts with the discovery of an ex-cop found in the basement of an abandoned church. He is naked, wrapped in barbed wire and has been kept alive for 10 days before finally dying. This is soon followed by the discovery of 2 more victims in 2 more abandoned churches; one frozen in ice and one forced to swallow stones causing suffocation. All 3 murders are very bizarre with seemingly no motive.
With 3 murders and churches down and 4 more to go, Byrne and Balzano need to find the deranged serial killer now stalking victims in Philadelphia and turning abandoned churches into killing rooms. But with no leads, no links between the victims or any suspects they have a very hard task before them.
Overall, this is another excellent thriller from the master of bizarre, thrilling serial killers. Richard Montanari packs his books with thrills and doesn’t like his killers to be boring, they all have ingenious ways to commit their crimes and The Killing Room has its own unique serial killer that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
The Killing Room is fast-paced, thrilling and has plenty of twists and turns, all expertly written that will keep you reading and in suspense until the very final moments. The characters all have depth, are intriguing and believable.
Another exciting and thrilling instalment in the Byrne & Balzano series. If you haven’t read any of the series, then I can highly recommend it.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £9.99 (Paperback) / £3.99 (Kindle edition)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
For more information about Richard Montanari and his books visit www.richardmontanari.com.
You can read more of my reviews of novels from the Byrne & Balzano series here.
