What Da Cover Says: A Psychopath’s Guide to Paradise. Teenager Horatio has only just moved to Antigua, but already he’s making enemies. A crazed local youth is jealous of his new girlfriend, and hostile resident police suspect him of selling drugs to tourists. Throw in school, a bossy step-grandmother, plus weekends toiling in a launderette, and little wonder the idyllic island is proving to be no holiday. With his love-rival seeking vengeance, law enforcement tightening their noose, and the family growing suspicious of their British relative, the audacious adolescent has got a lot of balls to juggle. How on earth will he find time to kill again?
What I Says: Horatio’s first outing in this series was very much “like father like son” but in this second book the changes are starting to appear. The thinking on the spot, the intelligence, the not caring if he fits in and the willingness to kill are all there but Horatio’s need to kill is far greater. Horatio’s dad always had a reason to kill and maybe it is because Horatio is younger, but he is happy to kill if the opportunity arrives….and boy did he have many of those whilst in Antigua.
After the events of the first book Horatio and his mum have gone to live with family in Antigua, it is a massive upheaval that Horatio takes in his stride, working hard at a launderette, doing well at school, making enemies and causing just a touch of chaos. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and I think Horatio as now overtaken his father as my favourite killer. I love how his mind wanders towards the darkness whilst still focusing on conversations around him, nothing phases him. I also like how Portman has this ability to welcome the reader into the mind of a killer and leave you wondering why people seem to be so suspicious, everything is normal here.
Portman’s writing is superb, an author that never lets you down, but I do feel he needs to up the ante a bit, Horatio is too in control, I wanna see this lad sweat a bit…the ending potentially lines up his next challenge and I wonder if our friendly psychopath has met his match.
Highly recommend this fun series, make sure you start with the first trilogy though as this does contain spoilers for those who are new to this franchise.
Gnome Appreciation Society 