Chris Carter has long been on my must-read list, so of course The Caller was one of my first block of pre-orders for the year. A couple of years ago I recommended him to my mum-in-law who is firmly of the belief that his books are excellent but gory; The Caller is no exception to this rule.
I don't like to ponder too much how Chris Carter comes up with his ideas - I can only guess that he's very good at compartmentalising or else his nightmares must be far too vivid. There is no getting away from the fact that they way he kills his victims are amongst the most macabre and brutal deaths I've read, but it never feels gratuitous, and if you're a fan of crime thrillers then he is up there with the best of them. The Caller certainly has some imagination though, making people watch helplessly as he tortures their friends and family - it's certainly enough to put you off answering a video-call for a while!
Out to capture The Caller is the wonderful Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia - both of whom are on top form again. I have no idea why these two are still limited to the written page to be fair - these books lend themselves beautifully to be filmed and whilst I was reading this latest one, my mind kept flitting to the fact that it reads like a wonderful film with a great story behind it. Though this might be partly due to the fact that I think I've got a bit of a crush on Hunter to be fair! Both him and Garcia anchor the story and along with the rest of the supporting cast, are written with complete control and depth.
Of course, it probably goes without saying, that I loved this. It kept me hooked from the first word to the last as usual, with a plot as ingenious as it is superbly written. Excellent.
