“When our hero finds himself in the path of a serial killer, he somehow manages to defend himself, and give the blood-thirsty madman a taste of his own medicine. But when he goes through the dead man's wallet, he finds a mysterious personal ad inviting him to join a party hosted by Errol Flynn. What begins with passing curiosity soon becomes uncontrollable obsession, as our hero becomes acquainted with 18 killers…”

Calling themselves “skillers,” our merry band of serial killers hide their identities behind such celebrity names as Carole Lombard, Richard Burton, and Chuck Norris. To blend in with such a select crew, our hero takes the moniker of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Once Dougie gets over the initial fear of these dealers in death, he begins to feel as if he is finally part of something…anything…instead of the loner with no place in the world. That is where things take an ugly turn. Dougie has made himself right at home, as suddenly their numbers begin to dwindle. And FBI agent has come calling, and promised immunity if Dougie would eliminate each member.

This is a wonderful, campy send-up of the glutted market of serial killer novels. Povey’s talent of coming up with new and different ways to knock someone off is darkly amusing and the black humor bubbles under the surface. To add to the confusion, the reader is left wondering just what the hell is going on. Who is doing the killing here, and why? Is there a motive? Is it Dougie gone mad, or is it the interfering FBI agent? Even the ending is left a bit confused.

But that isn’t detraction from the story…it’s all part of the fun. Definitely a must-read for fans of the twisted.

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Warner Books (June 22, 2006)
ISBN: 0446578428
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