“What would the people of the earth be without woman? They would be scarce, sir, almighty scarce.”

Synopsis

Investigators in New York City link a series of gruesome murders to a serial killer targeting men. Piecing together the clues, they enter into a cat-and-mouse game of survival with stakes that escalate beyond what anyone could have imagined. Book 5 of the INTEL 1 thrillers

-Andro the Greek prefix meaning male, man, or masculine
-Cide Latin origin suffix meaning “killer”, or the “act of killing”

This book has a bit of everything, it’s a crazy whodunnit, a story of international intrigue and the manipulation of science that can bring apocalyptic ruin to humankind.

I don’t recall reading a book with a serial killer whose sole purpose is taking out just men. This is the fifth book in the INTEL 1 series, but yet it wasn’t hard to get to know the characters, so reading this as standalone was fine. The characters and world building are well developed. INTEL 1 is a covert government agency specializing in protecting the US from the most dangerous threats both domestic and international.

Although now I have to get to reading the rest in the series starting at the beginning and get to know more about these INTEL 1 operatives, (especially that Francisco Lopez, a former priest turned warrior) that’s working for the president.

It begins with a gruesome murder on the street of New York, the victim, a known serial rapist; the serial killer is dubbed the Eunuch Maker. Detective Tyrell Sacker is the lead on this case with two junior detectives he must train and mentor. The killer leaves absolutely no clues for the detectives to go on, that is until he meets Private Investigator Grace Gone. That girl rocks, her uncanny ability to know what’s going on and find the clues that everyone else missed is beyond. With her on the case leading Sacker to the truth, the case began to emerge as not just a serial killer but so much more.

Although I have to say that Detective Sacker pissed me off to no end, I mean dude get your shit together already.

The book is essentially in two parts; you’re continually wondering, what do the gruesome murders in New York have to do with INTEL 1 operatives chasing down a known enemy Nemesis in Tehran? When these two stories converge into one you’re shaken as to what is being done to these victims that kept piling up in New York. As both the NYPD and INTEL 1 join forces to solve these murders, we’re in the path of possibly witnessing the horrifying madness of this murderer and what he has in store for us and the rest of the world.

An interesting premise in the book is the bio-research into male contraceptives, this is weaved into the story throughout the book. And makes for quite the conversation.

This book is an action-packed thriller, police procedural, with a compelling mystery that takes you on a ride both national and internationally. It will provoke your thoughts of endless possibilities about this kind of biological madness happening in real life, long after you’ve turned the last page.

I received a hard copy of this book from the Author, Erec Stebbins. Thank you.

Title: Androcide
Author: Erec Stebbins
Originally Published: September 26, 2017
Genre: Medical Thriller/ Crime Fiction/Police Procedural/ Mystery, Suspense/Thriller
Publisher: Twice Pi Press
Number of Pages: 339

About The Author

Erec Stebbins is a biomedical researcher who writes novels in a variety of genres, focusing on thrillers and science fiction. His work has consistently been praised for its action and thrills alongside a deeper, often philosophical angle. His novels have been called “unique” and “pulse-pounding” (THE RAGNARÖK CONSPIRACY), “altogether profound, reminiscent of Bradbury and Dan Simmons’ Hyperion” (DAUGHTER OF TIME TRILOGY), and “startlingly dark” (EXTRAORDINARY RETRIBUTION) with five star ratings in Foreword Reviews, San Francisco Book Reviews, Portland Book Review, and others.

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