Review: Killing The Beasts

2005 looks like a pivotal year for Chris Simms as he publishes his third crime novel, but this time he has a new agent as well as leaving Random House for Orion Publishing. This highly polished study of madness and murder shows how well Simms’ talent is maturing after his previous work ‘Outside the White Lines’ [2002] and ‘Pecking Order’ [2003], which were also cracking studies into madness and mental disintegration. The action this time takes place around the build-up to the Commonwealth Games that Manchester hosted in 2002. What starts as a standard police procedural, soon turns more into a dark character study, filled with insight and not lacking in some dark, dark humour. There are some scenes that had me laughing out loud, but also shivering at the same time, because Simm’s has an engaging voice in letting his tale unfold.

Detective Jon Spicer is hunting a gang of car thieves who are targeting the ‘top-end’ of the market – Mercedes, BMW’s etc when his attention is distracted by the murder of a female ‘model’, but before you can say ‘prostitute’, further bodies turn-up and Spicer thinks that a serial-killer has emerged, which is just what Manchester doesn’t need in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile Tom Benwell an advertising executive, [and one of Jon’s old friends] runs into a bit of luck, as he is promoted to Managing Director of his firm ‘It’s a Wrap’ just as the feeding frenzy brought on by the games is about to reach its zenith. Energized by his new role, he takes his wife Charlotte to the Seychelles only to spend most of the time on the phone sorting out deals and PR work. One of his accounts is for ‘Xtreme’ chewing gum which takes up more of his time than he expected. The strain of his new role starts to take its toll on Tom. He turns to drugs to keep him moving, and Charlotte doesn’t mind as she likes to be high on the club scene anyway. Inside his drug filled haze, Tom starts to worry about the IT-Manager at ‘It’s a Wrap’, not only is he referred to as ‘Creepy George’, but Tom discovers disturbing pornography hidden on the company servers; pornography of the worst possible kind. Tom decides to take action.

Meanwhile Jon Spicer sees a link between the stolen luxury cars and the serial killer at play, but his commander is not convinced. Meanwhile Tom Benwell’s life starts falling apart as his appetite for the white powder takes control. Soon his job, his marriage and his sanity hang by loose tendrils, and a figure watches him, stalks him, and waits for him to fall because Tom Benwell drives a Porsche.

A highly polished novel about madness and disintegration and a must read for those who like their crime-fiction psychological. If you’ve not read Simms before, this is a great starting point to enter his world of madness, but be aware, like the drugs that Tom Benwell takes, Simms’ writing is equally as addictive [and probably as dangerous!]

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ali Karim - RAM

Book Review: Killing The Beasts