Book Review – The Face of Death by Cody McFadyen
Reading and editing for a living, I have read many books. It’s been a long time since a book grabbed me, pulled me into the story, and kept me turning pages. The face of death, by Cody McFadyen not only grabbed me, he grabbed me by the neck and dragged me through the pages, all the while keeping me on the edge of my seat.
Written in the first person, from the point of view of our protagonist, Smoky Barret, a battered and beaten but not broken FBI special agent, the reader can glimpse inside Smoky’s head, listening to his thoughts. There is a very intimate feeling in the relationship between the reader and Smoky.
This book comes into Smoky’s life about a year after she lost her husband, daughter, and good friend to a serial killer, and she nearly lost her own life as well. Left with the emotional and physical scars, some on her face for all to see, Smoky is trying to reclaim the pieces of her life as she furthers her work and becomes a mother to her dead friend’s now-mute daughter, Bonnie.
Once the reader has a taste of Smoky’s world, Smoky is called to a crime scene, where sixteen-year-old Sarah, covered in blood, asks for his name. Soon, the reader is immersed in a new story, in the third person from Sarah’s point of view, written by Sarah. The reader is exposed to it while Smoky reads it.
This back and forth between Smoky’s thoughts and Sarah’s story is skillfully woven through the pages of the book. Sarah has been attacked by a serial killer, who considers himself an ‘artist’ who is shaping and shaping Sarah’s life as a work of art – A Life Ruined – by killing most of the people that Sarah you could love, and hurt or harm those in your life. do not kill. For ten years, Sarah lives alone with horror.
Smoky’s job is to outwit the ‘Stranger’ in Sarah’s life, uncover the corruption and the reasons why ‘The Stranger’ is doing what he considers justice, and keep everyone Sarah knows and loves alive and, hopefully sane too.
Action-packed, a little gore, and a lot of suspense, there were only two things that annoyed me about this book that will keep it from getting a five-star rating: 1) McFadyen has Smoky reveal things in dialogue with other officers. even a newbie should know (probably for the reader’s sake). It interfered with my ability to suspend disbelief. Fortunately, this does not happen often. 2) The scene where The Stranger killed Sarah’s parents, and the way The Stranger creates that scene, in my opinion, loses integrity. I just can’t believe Sarah’s mother would respond the way McFadyen, through Sarah, says she did.
The story ends with a little twist, cleverly ties up all the loose ends, answers any questions the reader may have had while reading, and brings some humor and happiness back to the story. No, it is not a perfect ending to happily ever after, but it is a real, honest life.
The face of death, by Cody McFadyen left me wanting more, and I have already decided that I will read and review the next Smoky Barret book, The darker side. The face of death receives a 4 1/2 out of a possible five-star rating from this reviewer. Good book, highly recommended.
