Lauren Jones
There may be a serial killer among people everyday and most do not know it. Some can suspect little oddities here and there, but no one ever actually gets the thought “Oh my god, he could be a serial killer because he is socially awkward”. Or, the thought “Wow, he must be a serial killer because he likes to be alone.” These things just do not happen…but when it is made public that someone is a serial killer, there are a lot of “ohs” and “that totally makes sense now”. Kepnes writes about a serial killer who knows who he is, but can’t find that one person who knows who she is. Everyone that he meets seems to be flashy, condescending, or just plain outright fake. This psychological thriller is chalked full of mystery and dark satirical humor interlaced within every page, leaving the reader immersed and wanting more. Joe is just your average guy. He is handsome, he is successful and he has a beautiful girlfriend who he begins to think is love. Oh, was it mentioned that he is a serial killer?! Oops, left that part out. In the last kill, he left a mug of urine at the scene and has been thinking about it ever since. How could he have been that stupid? How could he have been so careless? How will he be able to get it back so that it doesn’t become evidence? After a fallout with the the girl of his dreams, Amy wipes him out and heads for Hollywood to become an actress. Joe, not wanting to believe that he could have been played that easily, has just found his next target. In search for her, he follows shortly after and discovers a completely separate world on the west coast. He meets different people who become somewhat friends or rather, the closest thing to a friend he can have being what he is. Then…Love comes around. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. Love is rich and she has completely turned his world upside down. With Amy still in the wind, can Joe let go of her or will this need to kill only leach on to someone new and will is cause him to be caught? Kepnes has an intriguing thriller, one with creativity, originality and superb character development. If you are a sucker for pop culture and dark satire, this will draw you in and keep you guessing to what will happen next. The pace is great, allowing the reader to capture scenes vividly and without interruption. Since this was an audiobook that was purchased, the flow of the story was relayed very well and the story seems to be well-written in order to flow as well as it does. Fontana is virtually impeccable with his audio relay talent. This narrator makes the story come to life, more so than imagery that the readers can come up with through description alone. His dry humor really underlays the enjoyment of the novel. If you are a reader of crime fiction, mysteries, and psychological thrillers, this might be for you. Hidden Bodies can be read as a standalone; however, this is a second installment. The first installment is called You. A copy of this audiobook was purchased by Turning Another Page. We provide a five-star rating for Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes.