I'm a big fan of crime dramas on TV. NCIS, CSI, the Mentalist, Dexter: you name it, I've probably at least dabbled in watching it. However, I've never branched out into reading crime novels. Agatha Christie is not a novelist whose work I've even attempted, and I've avoided all other great crime novelists bar Raymond Chandler.
I Am Death follows Detective Robert Hunter and his partner's attempts to catch the work of one of the most horrific serial killers they've had the misfortune to engage with yet. The killer subverts all serial killer norms: he approaches the police directly (covering his tracks of course), taunts them, and changes his MO every single time he kills. Each murder is carried out on an unsuspecting female, who he has no persona relation to. The only similarity between each killing is that they maximise the amount of pain that the victim feels. And that the message 'I Am Death' is found with each body.
The Monster also keeps captive a young boy. This boy is named Squirm, and is forced to watch all of the killings: he is punished if he looks away. Squirm is mistreated in every way possible, and dehumanised to the point of being completely stripped of his name; it is replaced with Squirm.
The investigation hot up with each new taunt, especially when the killer visits Detective Hunter's home, sliding a threatening letter under his door.
Have you read it? What did you think?
