A Mysterious Review of …
The Camera Killer by Thomas Glavinic.
Review summary: This short novel of psychological suspense has much going for it, but its otherwise intriguing storyline is weighed down a bit by a subplot involving the media and its relentless focus on a particularly cruel murder. (Click here for text of full review.)
Our rating:
The Camera Killer
Thomas Glavinic
AmazonCrossing (July 2012)
Publisher synopsis: On Good Friday a heinous double murder takes place in the woods, sending shockwaves through the quiet province of Styria, Austria. The murderer records the sickening crime on videotape, and a media frenzy ensues when a local news outlet obtains a copy. Producers and reporters go into overdrive building viewer excitement (and outrage) at the scheduled airing of the tape, while the coverage and the search for the killer transfix the rural populace.
Two couples celebrating the Easter holiday find their idyll interrupted by the breaking news. Against the backdrop of sensational twenty-four-hour news coverage, the four friends spend the weekend playing cards, chatting, cooking, eating, and drinking numerous bottles of red wine. The weekend, however, is marked by a palpable sense of unease and anxiety. Despite their best efforts to enjoy this rare time together, the couples are unable to stop talking about the murders or escape the constant news updates.
Repulsed by the airing of the crime, they question the ethics of showing such atrocities on television. Yet, for all their complaints, they’re drawn to the coverage and, at times, almost giddy with excitement. While they sit inside watching for updates, outside the hunt for the killer intensifies. Will the airing of the footage help police track him down?
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