Book - Before Cain Strikes

Before Cain Strikes
Joshua Corin
Amazon Product Link

Product Description
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. The only problem is, in this online classroom the students are would-be serial killers eager to learn the tricks of the trade from a master, the enigmatic Cain42.
FBI consultant Esme Stuart is struggling to stanch the doubt and fear eating away at her marriage. Now a seedy true-crime writer is dredging up the deadly confrontation that nearly destroyed her. But the link between Esme's old enemy and this new predator is the key to the Bureau's manhunt.

Esme knows her involvement in the case could cost her everything. Her marriage. Her daughter. Her life. But when Cain openly challenges his "students" to embark on a killing spree, she has no choice but to act—before Cain strikes another victim down…

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[Possible Spoiler Alert!]

I got this book from NetGalley (I recommend all Kindle users to try going there!). This is my first crime/cop book to read, and right from the beginning, I didn't like it. I don't know what it was, I couldn't pin-point it, but I just didn't like it.

The story itself, the premise and the setting was good. Very much like the weekly CSI/Cold Case/Mentalist type of cop serials. But the things the characters say and do just put me off. All the coincidences ticked me off as well. How the husband Rafe thought of his relationship with Esme his with was totally surreal, and Penelope Sue died in a most undignified, unelaborated way.

And then there are too much details when there need not be. Going off tangent, branching off into long internal monologues, inconsistent characterization... Rafe sounded so convincing when he asked Esme to help his friend Lynette, but soon after that he reverted back to being his stupid self, so it was just plain dumb.

And the psycopaths. No idea how real psycopaths think, but I doubt it's as flimsy as the ones in here.

I really tried to like the book, but sorry. If it is any consolation, the setup of the story was good. Just... everything else... no.