Headhunter [Mass Market Paperback]

A killer is stalking the rainy streets of Vancouver, taking the lives of young women and leaving their heads behind. Heads turn up everywhere -- floating downriver, buried in shallow graves, even nailed to the top of a totem pole on campus of the University of British Columbia. Among the victims are a young drug addict, a collegian, and a nun.

It's hysteria time. The RCMP launches a massive investigation, summoning up their crack detective, Robert LeClercq, to head a special investigation force. But as LeClercq tries to get inside the murderer's head, he realizes there is a diabolical depravity operating here that he cannot hope to understand.

The book winds and meanders its way from the Canadian Northwest to the jungles of Ecuador and back via New Orleans, and while the plot sometimes becomes so convoluted that it seems to be getting hopelessly entangled, it always gets back on track in time. This is a book for strong stomachs; there is some downright sickening stuff in here, but it doesn't overwhelm the narrative. And up to the very last page, the reader will never, ever, guess whodunit.

Michael Slade's "Headhunter"--originally published in 1984--is a thrill seeker's wet dream: a dark, brooding, visceral offering of psychological suspense that also functions splendidly as a mystery, yet--with its sudden jolts of brutally graphic violence and grisly descriptions of traumatized bodies--is also unafraid to revel in the conventions of the horror genre. As a high school sophomore in 1985, I clearly remember being drawn to "Headhunter"'s lurid cover art (later toned down for subsequent printings), and I quickly devoured the story hidden beneath that leering, hate-filled death mask. Of course, I have been settling down with Slade consistently over the past twenty years (he released his tenth novel "Bed of Nails" in 2003), but "Headhunter" remains the benchmark by which I measure all of his work. And having recently re-read the complete text, I can easily say that none of the powerful imagery has diminished over the years; in fact, I found it so absorbing and provocative that it was like reading it for the first time. Now an adult, I am able to fully appreciate all of the elements that mesh together so well to make "Headhunter" one of the most accomplished thrillers in contemporary fiction. Slade (a pseudonym for retired lawyer Jay Clarke and his daughter Rebecca) is, in my humble opinion, criminally overlooked by American audiences (though celebrated in his native Canada), so I decided to write a review I hope will pull more of you into his nightmarish universe of sex, death, and psychosis. Potential readers should also note that Slade's characters (mostly detectives and pathologists/forensics experts)are recurring throughout all ten novels in his body of work, so if you enjoy "Headhunter," you can look forward to seeing them again in later works--of course, this applies only to those who survive! Now on to the story: It is October 1982 in the beautiful but cold city of Vancouver, and a homicidal maniac is on the loose. With two unspeakably mutilated bodies discovered--and linked by the same weapon--the Royal Canadian Mounted Police must admit the terrible truth: in all probability a serial killer is at work. Enter Superintendent Robert DeClerq, a retired uber-detective who has seen his own share of personal tragedy over the years. Beckoned by the powers that be to spearhead the investigation into the murders, DeClerq assumes command of the Headhunter Squad and immediately assembles a crack team of Special External (Special X) investigators to help ferret out the diabolical killer. With political pressure mounting and widespread hysteria gripping the city, the stalwart DeClerq and his team must race against time to catch their cunning adversary before the next victim is butchered. As Slade slowly begins to divulge pertinent details about the genesis of the killer's madness through a series of bizarre and gruesome flashbacks, the playing field of characters (both seemingly good and blatantly bad) widens and it is left up to the reader to decide who is a suspect and who is not. With Special X probing the ongoing murders and the rapidly deteriorating DeClerq receiving fiendish taunts from the guilty party, evidence and clues begin to pile up, not the least of which derive from a heroin trafficking ring and a New Orleans voodoo cult. As the investigation ensues, tension is ratcheted up to almost unbearable degrees and the reader is thrust directly into the center of the action to determine the killer's identity right along with the characters. (Of course, the information we're given keeps us one step ahead of Special X, but never ahead of Slade's devious mind!) Really, what can one say? Slade is a master story teller--a confident and gifted writer in full control of his razor-honed plot, lovingly breathing his characters to life with personality and insight, allowing them to jump off the page with witty, memorable dialogue that propels the story at a whip-crack pace. No stone is left unturned as Slade weaves his dark and almost cinematic tale, and it is a testament to his skill as a writer that he is able to keep such a labyrinthine plot so accessible and compelling over the course of four hundred plus pages. "Headhunter" was exhaustively and comprehensively researched, and it show: descriptions of historical facts, geography, forensic techniques, and policing procedures are flawless, investing the story with a commanding air of authenticity and authority. Again, praise to Slade for treating the reader to something substantial, for crafting his novel with a degree of intelligence and sophistication far elevated from the norm. All of which brings me to what is perhaps "Headhunter"'s single most effective asset--its absolutely stunning conclusion! The ending is where even an accomplished novel (or film for that matter) will finally begin to suffocate under the weight of crumbling logic, yet this is the exact point where "Headhunter" truly distinguishes itself. The last thirty or so pages of this book are simply a volcanic blast of adrenaline, culminating in a mind-blowing shock finale that is the equivalent of a sledge hammer to the skull. More writers and directors should take a cue from Slade and realize that the ending of a novel or film can make or break the entire project. Here, Slade has orchestrated an unforgettable ending, for I guarantee the revelation of the killer's identity will leave you slack-jawed in awe. But this dramatic revelation does not come out of left field. It all makes perfect sense, and many a reader will instantly scramble to re-read several key passages for subtle clues they may have missed. With such a fascinating and audacious ending, Slade has provided a telling and thought-provoking commentary on sexual violence that will resound in your head for days to come. Brilliant. So here you have it all in one delicious package ... plot, narrative, character, dialogue, and pacing all working together like the gears of a well-oiled machine. And at the controls, a writer who has an obvious love for and devotion to his craft. Now settle in, turn down the lights, and prepare to enter the hypnotic world of the "Headhunter." And remember, no peeking at the last page ...

This book is a thrilling read in so many ways. First of all, the plot about a vicious serial killer is always a fun read. Second, Slade's tying multiple time frames and characters together is unique and pushes you to the end because you want to know how the hell it all fits together. (These multi-plot line story structures went on to become SLade's trademark.) Also there is plenty of research put into every novel, and this is of course no exception. I have always been a sucker for serial killers written in gruesome splatterpunk fashion mixed with a mystery angle, so it's no surprise Slade has become one of my top 3 favorite horror writers.