Book Review: Sinner

SINNER | Christopher Graves
04.05.2018 | OP Media
Rating: 4/5 stars

In the 19th century there was a vigilante group known as the Bald Knobbers striking fear into the hearts of Missouri residents. The gang’s beliefs were deeply rooted in religion and a literal interpretation of the Bible, often leading to violent actions on women who were deemed impure. Ezekiel Woods, Jr. is a direct descendant from the Bald Knobbers and has decided it is time to carry on their mission. Known to those around him as Zeke, he is seen as the strange older man working at the grocery store, making no friends, and creepily staring down a younger woman he works with. It is at night that he embraces his ancestry.

For years, fears of the Bald Knobbers have plagued the people of Missouri. Tales of masked men charging through the night on horseback, burning down houses, and abducting town folk are countless.

In the darkness of night, Zeke transforms into a Bald Knobber, wearing a dark hoodie topped with horns and glowing orange eyes. He abducts women he has labelled as needing saving for various reasons, such as promiscuity. Once the women are secured in his farmhouse cellar he begins a set of rituals, which he believes will test their faith and ultimately decide whether the woman is worthy of redemption or will succumb to death. Zeke has just abducted a young, Texas transplant, Dani, who is not willing to be anyone’s victim after enduring recent heartache. Has Zeke finally met his match or will Dani meet her fate in his hands?

How can any of this possibly be happening? Why is this happening? Why–

Christopher Graves certainly knows how to write a heart-pounding story! SINNER instantly drops the reader into the dark and twisted mind of Zeke. Graves simultaneously allows the reader to follow the women Zeke will abduct and take to his lair, which certainly plays at the heart strings of emotion. Woven throughout the present storyline is a trip into the past where the reader is exposed to the origins of the Bald Knobbers, the life of Zeke’s mother, and ultimately Zeke’s childhood and the events that lead him to be the man he is today. Zeke is a sinister character through and through, but what made him this way? One of my favorite elements to this story was learning his history and his mother’s history. Not to be overlooked is our main abductee, Dani. At first I wasn’t devoted to her backstory or drawn in to her as a character, but the more I rooted for her survival, the more I bonded with her. Tension is ever present throughout SINNER, as you aren’t sure what’s going to happen next, who will be attacked, and who will survive. This is the perfect read for thriller fans looking for an interesting religious cult aspect driving the killer’s actions.

A special thank you to Smith Publicity for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!