The Hundredth Man
Written by J. A. Kerley
Narrated by Kerry Shale
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
A darkly compelling serial-killer thriller set in America's deep South, introducing the next big name in psychological thrillers and, in Carson Ryder, a fascinating and complex protagonist set for a long time to come.
A headless male torso found in the sweating heat of an Alabama night is assumed to be that of a murdered prostitute, killed in a moment of passion. The head of Mobile's police department would have it so, but Detective Carson Ryder sees something else: the deliberate placement of the remains, the lack of blood, the bizarre writing on the victim's skin. Ryder has become a local celebrity after solving a series of brutal murders a year earlier, but his reputation is built on a terrible secret, stemming from his childhood – a secret he has kept from even his closest friend.
Another torso; another, even stranger, message – and the victim this time is no prostitute. Whatever Ryder's instincts about the case, however, the Byzantine manoeuvrings of departmental politics are interfering with the investigation. Are deliberate obstacles being placed in Ryder's way? And how does the chief pathologist's office tie in? Is there indeed a psychopathic killer out there in the night or does the solution lie elsewhere?
Ryder must get to the heart of the murders – and grapple with the demons that are rising again from his own past.
J. A. Kerley
Jack Kerley worked in advertising and teaching before becoming a full-time novelist. He lives in Newport, Kentucky, but also spends a good deal of time in Southern Alabama, the setting for his Carson Ryder series, starting with 'The Hundredth Man'. He is married with two children.
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Reviews for The Hundredth Man
14 ratings12 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A reasonable start to the series which is quite enjoyable but is just missing something, it does build pace as the book goes on and builds great tension towards the end of the book. I like the central characters in the book. Hopefully just a faltering start with his first book, having read a later book in the series I know these get better, so I will be continuing with the series. 3.5 stars.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed Kerley's writing style and characters. I love a good crime/detective novel, and Kerley sucked me into the world of Mobile, AL instantly. I genuinely like the characters of Carson and Harry, and was left guessing whodunnit until the end. This book addresses my obsession with things like Criminal Minds and I will be reading more Jack Kerley!
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I have read this book about 3 times simply because I forgot I read it. That is very unusual for me. I keep blanking out on this book. When I reach the same place in the book where I think "Why on earth did I bother", it hits me that I have read this before.
I can honestly say the plot is unmemorable. The dialogue is unmemorable. The writing is unmemorable. I only keep it around to remind myself I did read it so I don't pick up another copy at Goodwill or a booksale.
Can I tell you anything about the book right now except the fact that I've read it and don't want to waste money buying it again if I throw out the 3rd copy I bought? Nope. So I think we can safely say, it was bad. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty good for a first novel, with some fresh characters and decent plot. I liked the character building and the story was fairly suspenseful. I will be interested to see how the series build as I come across the books, but I probably will not actively hunt for them.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Had high expectations for this, but just couldn't get on with the authors voice. The narrative annoyed me after a while, and the story was not intriguing enough. It was difficult to find a connection with most of the characters and the murders just didn't thrill in the way a good murder should. The one redeeming feature of this novel was the main character's serial killing brother. He was genuinely interesting and wish the author had gone further with him.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Someone in Mobile is murdering people. Happens all the time. Not so much with the decapitation. And really not so much with the writing on the bodies. This seems to be a case for the newly-formed psychological investigation unit, made up of Ryder Carson and Harry Nautilus. Of course, there are political issues involved there, which make for some real interesting plot twists and oh, the red herrings! I absolutely did not see the identity of Mr. Cutter coming. I was very impressed.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It's disappointing when the actual investigation and hunt for a bloody serial killer is the least interesting part of a crime thriller. Kerley spends much of his time building the central character and his relationships with his co-workers, friends and family. The actual plot at times seems almost secondary, and where this approach may well be suited to a book within a series, in a standalone novel (or in this case the first in a series) then it can make for quite arduous reading. The main detective isn't particularly interesting either, however the political infighting within the police department is sharp and entertaining, offering an insight in to what Kerley is capable of. Overall, The Hundreth Man offers little fresh content, although there are definitely green shoots for the future.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Young Mobile Police Detective, Carson Ryder is a rare man who searches the dark places to find the necessary answers. He and his partner, Harry Nautilus are ordered to the scene when a headless body is found in a park in southwest Mobile.Both men are part of the newly formed Psychpathological Sociopathological Investagative Team, called PSIT and referred to by other cops in a more colorful phrase.Capt. Terrence Squill is an ambitious autocrat. When he views the body in the park, he dismisses it as a homosexual meeting that ended in murder.A second, decapitated body is found and where Squill was highly skeptical about the unit, he is ordered to incorporate it in his investigation team. Resenting their presence, he does as little as possible to assist them.There is an interesting subplot as Ryder goes out of his way to help a character who is an alcoholic. The author does an excellent job describing the horrors ot that disease.Another element in the story revolves around Ryder's brother who is locked up in a mental institution. He takes an interest in Ryder's case and seems to have the ability to give Ryder insights into the killer's reasoning and identity. This be-play reminded me of Hanibal Lecter.The narrative is packed with unpredictable action and the characters are both interesting and appealing. Ryder is a compassionate and engaging lead character.The story is a great reading experience.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For a first novel that sails in heavily charted waters (James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential and Nelson DeMille's alternating first-and-third person viewpoints come to mind), The Hundredth Man is surprisingly fresh and effective. That's because it does all the little things so well: humorous dialogue, insomnia-inducing suspense, multifaceted characters, and a tightly structured plot that navigates twists and turns a-plenty without veering off the rails.The only part that didn't work for me is a critical physical resemblance that's necessary to understanding the killer's motive but unknowable to the reader until revealed. All in all, though, this was a great read, and I'm looking forward to Carson Ryder's (and his evil alter ego Jeremy's) next adventures.-Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker"
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hundredth Man introduces the reader to Carson Ryder, a Mobile, Alabama homicide detective and one of two detectives assigned to the Psychopathological and Sociopathological Investigative Team, or PSIT. PSIT is a unit created to investigate freakish homicides. The other half of the team is Harry Nautilus, a more experienced detective. When a killer begins to leave headless corpses around the Mobile area, it seems to be exactly the situation for which PSIT was brought into existence. However, the team is kept on the sidelines by an egotistical police captain who never makes a move without checking to see what the political consequences will be. As Ryder and Nautilus surreptitiously investigate the killings, they soon discover that the trail of bodies seems to lead to an unexpected place.
Ryder is an attractive character who lives in a house on stilts over the marshy salt waters outside the city. He also has a softer side. He has a psychopathic brother with multiple personalities. Jeremy, who resides in a secure unit within a mental institution, has special intuitive qualities and some unique insight into the PSIT cases. His ability to understand the workings of the depraved mind can be of tremendous benefit to Ryder. There is, however, a terrible price that Ryder must pay. I would read more in this series for this character alone.
This was a very interesting book and I understand the later ones are even better so I've already picked up the second book in the series. - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The story was fine. The sound quality was horrible. Some of the character voice where irritating.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Before I read "the hundredth man" I had read a few others of the books in this series and kept wondering, how the personal story of Carson and his brother started. This, and not the actual plot was the interesting part of this book for me. I like series, where one encounters the same characters time and again, but often I read a book without realizing, that it is one of a series and I missed the beginning of the story.I liked the book enough to read others in this series.