Book Review: Murderabilia

MURDERABILIA | Carl Vonderau
07.08.2019 | Midnight Ink
Rating: 4/5 stars

Can you ever escape your past when you’re the son of a serial killer? This is the dilemma that William MacNary has been trying to solve his entire life. When he was eight-years-old his father was sent to prison after being convicted of killing thirteen women. Not only did he abduct these women, he also brutally murdered them and then staged their bodies in tableaus he would photograph. Thirty-one years have passed since William last saw his father. Not a day has passed since he last thought about him or the photos he took.

William has built a new life for himself. He has a family and is making a successful living as a banker. When a colleague of his wife goes missing and then turns up dead, his world shifts. This woman’s body has been staged to look just like the work of William’s father and to make matters worse, the scene and body are littered with fingerprints and DNA that all point to William as the killer. William maintains his innocence and claims the murder is a result of a copycat killer. In order to prove his case he’ll need to rely on the one person who knows the original crimes best. He’ll need to contact his father.

MURDERABILIA is a front row seat into the world of William MacNary, who is desperately trying to live a normal life after being subject to shame and fear when his father was convicted of being a serial killer during William’s childhood. For thirty-one years William has kept the truth about his father close to his heart and only let a select few know about his past. The death of his wife’s colleague quickly shatters this fragile reality he has built, as William is swept up into a murder investigation.

Vonderau’s writing is paced at a speed that keeps the reader on their toes. Just as you’re getting to know William and the secrets he holds close, you’re thrown head first into a murder investigation. Can the reader believe what William is telling them? While the delicate balance of trust is brief, that flicker with the truth concerning William, opens the door for the reader to bond with him. Can you imagine being framed for a crime you never committed? Can you imagine looking to the outside world like you have picked up where your father’s crimes left off?

There are a lot of winning aspects to MURDERABILIA. There is the look into William’s childhood, how he grew up thinking of his father and his home life. There is William’s current threat with a copycat killer who potentially could be targeting William’s family. Then there is my favorite aspect: meeting William’s father. It’s always interesting to be face-to-face with a serial killer in any crime fiction novel, but when there is an actual relationship between that killer and the narrator, the level of intrigue greatly increases. I’ll keep the specifics limited to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the dynamic between William and his father is excellent!

MURDERABILIA is a great addition to the crime fiction, thriller, suspense reading worlds. This is a story that will keep you guessing and keep you wanting to know more! You will feel unsettled and yet fascinated by the events unfolding between the pages.

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: Thank you to JKS Communications and Midnight Ink for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.