Slights is the debut novel of Kaaron Warren, published by Angry Robot, that came as part of my welcome pack from joining the British Fantasy Society.
The protagonist is a serial killer and the blurb implies that the story will be a gruesome serial killer horror. Instead it's somewhat of a hybrid. It's part psychological horror, part ghost story and part mystery. I enjoy some genre-bending and I was pleasantly surprised that the novel was more complex than the blurb gave it credit for.
It is written in a really engaging voice and over the course of the story the truth about the protagonist's father is revealed. One of the stand-out features of the book is the way the protag comes to awareness about herself and her relationships. At the end, nothing is what it seemed to be at the beginning and the changes are handled very skillfully.
It's worth reading, especially if you're on the lookout for something a bit unusual, and I shall look out for more of Warren's work.
2 comments:
Isn't it funny how the actions of serial killers ALWAYS seem to stem down to their father. It's a true fact, but it always make chuckle. Could have used something a bit more original, such as they witnessed something as a child that twisted them...but then this theory may not work for this plot.
Sounds like a highly interesting read...
Mothers create serial killers too!!!
In this particular story, it's not as cliched as I may have made it seem. I didn't want to give it away. There are layers of influence - and a sibling who didn't turn out to be a serial killer.
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