The Killer Trail

by D.B. Carew

Overview

When Vancouver psychiatric social worker Chris Ryder spots an abandoned cell phone during his afternoon jog, the innocent discovery drags him into the psychotic games of Ray Owens, a former patient at the centre of a high-profile kidnapping and murder case.

As the violence increases, Owens’ intricate web of lies threatens to ensnare the lives of Ryder’s family and friends, including his old flame Doctor Stephanie Rowe and RCMP Sergeant Brandon Ryan. Now if Ryder is to survive, he must examine the darkness in his own soul as he walks the killer trail.

Shortlisted for the 2013 Debut Dagger Award by the Crime Writers Association, D.B. Carew’s first novel is a gripping thriller that approaches crime with a clinical precision.

Praise for The Killer Trail

"[a] promising debut thriller..."
~ Sarah Weinman, National Post

"D.B. Carew, a first-time novelist, is a natural whiz at generating tension that puts Ryder — and the reader — through an emotional wringer."
~ Jack Batten, Toronto Star

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927063538
Publisher:	NeWest Publishers, Limited
Publication date:	05/15/2014
Series:	A Chris Ryder Thriller , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	253,211
File size:	685 KB

About the Author

D.B. CAREW has his masters degree in social work from Dalhousie University and currently works at a forensic psychiatric hospital in Port Coquitlam, B.C. An avid runner, he is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and the Federation of B.C. Writers. The Killer Trail is his first novel.

Read an Excerpt

ONE

Tuesday, February 7, 4:13 p.m.

He approached James Carrier's body, not so much to ensure he was dead—the gaping hole in the chest pretty much confirmed that—but because Ray Owens always liked to inspect his handiwork. He had done his job, and he had done it well. He'd studied his target—knew where he lived and worked, what church he attended, even where he bought his cigarettes. Most importantly, he knew James Carrier walked this trail every Tuesday. Ray had waited patiently for the right time, the right shot. Now he congratulated himself on a job well done.

The only blemish on this otherwise perfect job, he thought, was the fucking crows. They cawed in annoying unison, as if to give away his cover. For a moment, he considered using his Remington M24 to shred a few feathers. Nothing ever stops me from enjoying my kill, he scowled. But he lowered his rifle, not wanting to waste bullets on a few pathetic birds. Besides, he knew he wouldn't stop at one; he'd kill them all.

Ray emerged from his cover in the bushes, slapping snow from his clothes as though swatting away flies. He deftly disassembled the rifle, stowing it away in its case, where it would remain in preparation for the next job. He reached into his tattered trenchcoat and pulled out his cell phone to call his client.

"It's done." No response; he didn't expect one. He dropped the phone into his pocket and grabbed a cigarette. He didn't know much about his client, and this suited him just fine. All he needed to know was who, when, where, and how he was getting paid.

Editorial Reviews

03/24/2014
When professional killer Ray Owens loses his cell phone, which contains incriminating information, and Vancouver psychiatric worker Chris Ryder finds it, the solution seems straightforward: ambush and kill Ryder. Ryder soon discovers he is the target of a ruthless killer with whom he shares a longer history than he first realized, and, worse, Owens’s powerful employer is determined to get his hands on the phone before the police do. With not just his own life but also those of his loved ones on the line, Ryder will have to confront his family’s darkest secrets to survive. Carew demonstrates a broad awareness of crime fiction conventions in this, his debut novel, but unfortunately fails to move beyond cliché. Inexplicably, the author combines melodrama with self-sabotaging villains, resulting in a novel in which the antagonists’ essential incompetence leaves them impotent as credible threats. The surprising revelations fail to surprise, the various ploys to engage the reader’s sympathies are heavy-handed, and the plot proves a sequence of anticlimaxes. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Killer Trail:

"One clever criminal plus one broken social worker equals one hell of a smooth breakout novel from D.B. Carew. The Killer Trail is an intense psychological thriller that explores the pathologies of the hero and the villain in equal measure, driving them head on into each other in a bold twist of an ending."
~ Robin Spano, author of Death's Last Run

"The Killer Trail has an unforgettable villain, breakneck pacing and promises plenty of mysteries ahead. D.B. Carew has a knack for creating realistic settings, intriguing character and an ever-intensifying plot."
~ Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane series

"[a] promising debut thriller..."
~ Sarah Weinman, National Post

"D.B. Carew, a first-time novelist, is a natural whiz at generating tension that puts Ryder—and the reader—through an emotional wringer."
~ Jack Batten, Toronto Star

From the Publisher