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Robert Hunter #8

Death Call: Er bringt den Tod

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Tanya Kaitlin freut sich auf einen entspannten Abend. Plötzlich klingelt ihr Handy, ein Videoanruf von ihrer besten Freundin. Tanya nimmt den Anruf an und der Alptraum beginnt: Ihre Freundin ist gefesselt und geknebelt. Tanya hat eine Chance, die Freundin zu retten, hört sie von einer tiefen, unheimlichen Stimme. Sie muss nur zwei Fragen richtig beantworten. Sie scheitert - und ihre Freundin wird vor ihren Augen brutal ermordet.
Profiler Robert Hunter und sein Partner Garcia haben einen neuen Fall: ein Serienmörder, der seinen Opfern in den sozialen Medien auflauert. Er studiert ihre Fehler und nutzt sie für sein perfides Spiel. Und das hat gerade erst begonnen...

416 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2017

About the author

Chris Carter

126 books4,499 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Biographies can be an absolute drag, so I won’t bore anyone with a long life story.

I was born in Brasilia, Brazil where I spent my childhood and teenage years. After graduating from high school, I moved to the USA where I studied psychology with specialization in criminal behaviour. During my University years I held a variety of odd jobs, ranging from flipping burgers to being part of an all male exotic dancing group.

I worked as a criminal psychologist for several years before moving to Los Angeles, where I swapped the suits and briefcases for ripped jeans, bandanas and an electric guitar. After a spell playing for several well known glam rock bands, I decided to try my luck in London, where I was fortunate enough to have played for a number of famous artists. I toured the world several times as a professional musician.

A few years ago I gave it all up to become a full time writer.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,217 reviews
Profile Image for Mario the lone bookwolf.
805 reviews5,022 followers
June 26, 2022
Maybe one should consider not showing each little mental fart with geotagged pictures and far too detailed personal idiot drivel to everyone in the world. Except one is into getting tortured and killed.

Often seen but never reached
Carter did already play with the concept of live streaming deadly shows live torture footage in his fifth work One by One and letting the audience decide how the victim should be killed, just as the actual concept of this novel, both have already been used in movies and literature, but never in the ultra über badass Carter style.

A master of the psychological background of micromimicry
The mimic and body language details, the fast paced dialogues, much interesting extra nonfiction real life information, and the moral questions behind the legitimation of slaughter and torture are what make Carter an exceptional writer, because he has the psychopathological background education and work experience that enable him to dive deeper into the minds of twisted souls than many other writers. He hunted them until they haunted his soul, what makes his writing so special.

Who makes these weirdos?
Some other of his novels have a similar idea of a killer that was made a monster, has a really good reason to overreact to certain triggers, and isn´t what one would call a real, true lunatic monster just for the reasons of the fun of it. To a certain extent, for sure, but one could go for it, understand it, and maybe do it too if an unnecessary tragedy takes away everything that has made life precious. Someone getting away with killing ones´ child, parents, or partner, in an accident, with a ridiculous amount of prison time, or even without any, could make many normal people DIY abduction and torture to death experts.

A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_C...
Profile Image for Matt.
4,194 reviews13k followers
October 4, 2017
Returning for yet another stunning psychological thriller, Chris Carter proves why he is the master of the genre. Detective Robert Hunter is again ready to find the most depraved killers in Los Angeles. As part of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit, Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia, place it all on the line to find those with psychopathic tendencies. When a young woman receives a video call from her friend, it looks to be a simple ‘face to face’ catch-up. However, things take a terrible turn when a killer is involved and requires answers to two basic questions. Failure to reply in a set time frame and the caller (the victim whose phone placed the call) will face the consequences. After failing to answer the second, seemingly benign, question, the killer smashes the caller’s face into a container of glass shards, forcing the other to watch through the cellphone screen, helpless. When Hunter and Garcia arrive to begin looking for clues or leads, they discover the most basic description of the killer will take them nowhere, as a sadistic mask was used and voice-altering technology negates any digital breadcrumbs. With his mind that works exponentially faster than anyone else, Hunter begins trying to piece things together, while also juggling a potential new romantic interest. Called away to a second scene, Hunter not only discovers the body of a middle-aged woman, but a husband who seems more focussed on revenge than grief. It is here that the man, dubbed Mr. J, begins his own hunt for the killer, using his personal and work contacts to follow his own trail. While Hunter and Garcia marvel at the evil the killer is inflicting on the victims and those forced to watch, Mr. J is making headway of his own. It’s now a race to see who will find the killer first and what sort of justice will come from the apprehension. Carter stuns fans with another wonderful piece and reminds me why I enjoy his dark thrillers so much. Series fans will likely be highly impressed, alongside new readers who will be pulled in before they can turn away.

It was years ago that I stumbled upon Chris Carter and his work. I have never looked back, nor have I wanted to. Using Robert Hunter as the protagonist and weaving together his varied and quite unique backstory, Carter creates a detective who not only strives on finding the killer, but also wants to get inside his mind. No killer is too deceptive and no crime too horrible to keep Hunter from asking the tough questions, even if he is the only person interested in the discussion. From this point, it is the cast of characters that flesh out the story, with a sadistic killer, whose methods and madness make the book for me, at the centre of this game. It is the thought process, the inherent justification, that really interests me more than anything else. Some may say the story is too gruesome or that the narrative is too reliant on the weak female. To those people, I offer my raised eyebrow and surmise that they ought not to have stumbled into this genre if they wanted something prim, proper, and pitiful. The crux of these novels are their disturbing aspects and that issues pulled from the headlines or social norms can be placed under the microscope. I thoroughly enjoy them for that reason and I would encourage anyone who can relax their literary gag reflex to join the party as well. You will not be disappointed.

Kudos, Mr. Carter, for delivering another stellar novel. I am eager to see what awaits us in the coming months. By then the trolls and vapid complainers will surely have found something else to enjoy.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Profile Image for Barbie.
109 reviews343 followers
October 23, 2019


My thoughts in a nutshell
I love Chris Carter’s work. He is an excellent crime writer, one of the best. I can't say anything new about his book. I always repeat myself, but it is the truth.
The Caller again is an ingenious, well-executed thriller with much gore and violence as we get used to CC’s style.
I love Robert Hunter. He is the man of my heart.
The ending was genius, as always. I didn't expect it.
Overall? 🤔 Read the damn series, please! It is remarkable and incredible. I gave it ”just” 5 stars because I can't give more than five on Goodreads.
Profile Image for Liz Barnsley.
3,592 reviews1,058 followers
November 23, 2016
Out of all the crime series I read avidly I think perhaps the Robert Hunter novels from Chris Carter are somewhere near, if not the top of my favourites list. It is the combination of twisted plotting, riveting and heart stopping death scenes and a main protagonist to die for in the unequivocably intriguing Mr Hunter.

So with The Caller we go to a whole new level of gritty and intense storytelling - I was gripped, utterly gripped from the very first page, Chris Carter gives us an almost cinematic reading experience with his descriptive and realistic settings and events. I defy you not to gasp at the end of the first chapter, then continue to do so throughout whilst your heart goes hoppity skip. Love books like that. You can't get out of them easily you are dragged along in their wake, a willing participant in a game of many levels.

It is clever writing because yes of course serial killer vibe - entirely fascinating, we are all drawn to the dark side - but there are many more layers of story to be had here including in the personal lives of our series mainstays - and a particular character tied to this case who I REALLY hope we hear from again. It felt like we might. I say no more - no spoilers here but if that IS the case I'm really really intrigued by what might happen.

Really this is an insanely good crime series. Extraordinarily well written, high quality and high drama all the way, please lets have many many more tales from the world of Robert Hunter. Damn fine reading! Erm and I'm kind of freaked out. Even better.

Highly Recommended.


Profile Image for Carolyn.
2,478 reviews695 followers
February 28, 2017
The first chapter of this book will certainly grab your attention! This is one fiendish monster who likes to play grotesque games and torment his victims. The suspense was darkly intense and sustained throughout the book with the police playing catch-up and trying to work out the motives, let alone the profile of the monster. The plot is clever and original and there's no way you'll guess the who or the why.

This is the first book I have read by Chris Carter, so although it works well as a stand alone novel, I was very pleased to find out that there are already seven previous books in the series to look forward to. Detective Robert Hunter is a great character, a mix of psychologist and detective with good intuition. I also loved Mr J, a husband of one of the victims, with a most unusual job and hope he turns up again.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a copy of the book to read and review
Profile Image for Emma.
999 reviews1,110 followers
July 29, 2017
For me, a disappointing entry in the Robert Hunter series. Despite some great scenes, this was full of cliche, dull generalisations, repeated information, and clunky writing. It's 'all women have too many shoes' and a 'velvety voice' that sounded like 'experience' and 'Hunter said hello. Garcia said hello'. Honestly, I found it painful for the most part and skipped through whole pages of unnecessary conversational dialogue that added nothing to either the storyline or the characters. The whole book felt like filler.

A decent enough idea, but I hope Carter can pull it back next time. This is a long, long way from his best.
524 reviews13 followers
July 1, 2023
Angering a man holding a three fifty-seven Magnum was a mistake in any imaginable scenario. Angering a serial killer holding a three fifty-seven Magnum was just plain stupid.

What a great story. I finished it off very quickly as I couldn’t really put it down. As usual I come into a Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD Ultra Violent Crimes section at book#8 in the series. Obtaining most of my books from Charity shops doesn’t help as the clientele tend not to deposit books in order.

Still I have to say Chris Carter penned a riveting read. First few pages in and I was hooked. Hunter and his partner hunting a serial killer who kills the victim on FaceTime. But who makes a loved one watch and answer two questions. Failing to answer correctly both means death for the victim.

This story has the added point of departure of having a Mob enforcer as one of the loved ones. He then also engages in hunting down the killer in a Liam Neeson ‘Taken’ manner - I will find you and rip out your heart and feed it to the rats😁

I will look out for more Chris Carter books.
Profile Image for Gary.
2,807 reviews402 followers
July 9, 2017
The 8th book in the Robert Hunter series by author Chris Carter.
I always look forward to reading this series, it is so consistently good and always succeeds in leaving me in awe. This series of books have good characters, unusual plots and are full of blood tingling descriptive text, certainly not for the fainthearted.
This latest book features the main character LAPD Detective Robert Hunter investigating another gruesome case where a woman is attacked in her own living room and her best friend is video called and asked two questions. If the friend is successful in answering then the victim lives but a wrong response results in him or her having to watch a horrific and callous murder.
These books are so well paced and addictive. That may not have the full depth of character like Ian Rankin's Rebus or Michael Connelly's Bosch, but what they do possess are fast paced, ingenious plots with blood tingling murders that I would not recommend to anyone who is easily scarred.
Another excellent novel by Chris Carter.
Profile Image for Bill.
1,035 reviews178 followers
August 27, 2020
I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of Chris Carter. I've tried to read two of his earlier books & gave up on both, but when someone I work with insisted this novel was really good & lent it to me (Thanks, Brian) I had to give it a go.
On the plus side The Caller opens well, although some readers may find it quite brutal in places. Carter keeps the tension going by often having three dramatic events happening at the same time & moving back & forth between them in alternatate chapters.
However, while the novel's structure & plot are well thought out the characterisations are weak. Despoute this it's still very entertaining & much like seeing a "popcorn movie" at the cinema, when you can enjoy the experience without having to engage your brain very much.
Profile Image for The Book Review Café.
777 reviews218 followers
February 14, 2018
All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com

The Caller by Chris Carter is the eighth book in the Robert Hunter series, I must admit I was concerned that as there has been a two year gap between I Am Death and The Caller that the series might have lost its momentum, but I’m pleased to say that this is a very worthy and thrilling edition to the series. What I like about this author is that he writes stories that challenge and shock, he isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of what we expect. The authors imagination knows no bounds, the killings are gruesome and pretty gory in detail, so be warned if you are squeamish you may want to give this one a miss!

This book is very relevant today’s society a serial killer who stalks social media looking for his next victim, it never fails to amaze me how much we share on social media without even realising it, but after reading this novel you might think twice about what your putting on social media sites. As you would expect the author has created a very twisted killer, but I would expect nothing else from Chris Carter as he skilfully takes the worse parts of human behaviour and creates a character who is chilling to say the least. I’m not going to go into plot details as the less you know about the plot line the better the read.
The killing scenes in this book are graphic to say the least, and at times make for a grisly read, but this is what makes Chris Carter such a fantastic crime writer, his details of police procedures and psychological profiling are second to none, and you are able to get a real understanding of the criminal mind and the way it works, something which fascinates me. As the investigation intensifies and the body count rises The Caller made for a gripping and heart pounding read.

There are a couple of other strands running through this novel which also added to the suspense. I do have one small criticism when I read a crime thriller I like to feel I’m taking part in the investigation, working my way through the suspects, picking up clues but this wasn’t the case with The Caller as there are very few suspects, and then wham bam the killer is revealed with no big lead up or clues to the identity of the killer, in my opinion this made the ending feel very rushed and I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed.

The Caller is a worthy edition to the series, the writing is exceptional, the plot intriguing but it’s not my favourite Chris Carter book due to the abrupt ending, but I’m sure many of his fans will disagree with me. This can be read as a standalone but as it’s such a brilliant series I would recommend you read the books in order as they really are an exceptional series.
Profile Image for Shaghayegh.
343 reviews94 followers
February 7, 2023
صبح توی هواپیما کتاب صوتی رو پلی کردم و وقتی به خودم اومدم دیدم تقریبا هفتاد درصدش تمام شده و من مثل همیشه شیفته‌ی سبک نگارش کارتر اصلا متوجه گذر زمان نشدم.
تصور کنید یکی با خط فرد عزیز زندگیتون زنگ میزنه و میگه عزیزت پیش منه، من فقط دوتا سوال ساده ازت می‌پرسم، اگه درست جواب بدی آزاد میشه، اگه درست جواب ندی مجازاتش می‌کنم
دوتا سوال ساده، مثل شماره تلفن اون فرد، یا سالگرد ازدواج یا چیزهایی از این قبیل.
و وقتی فرد به هر دلیلی نمی‌تونه اونا رو جواب بده می‌بینه که عزیزش به وحشیانه‌ترین شکل ممکن جلوی چشماش کشته می‌شه.
عذاب وجدان این اتفاق اگر فرد رو جسمی از بین نبره، روحشو برای همیشه تباه می‌کنه.
شماره تلفن عزیزاتون، تاریخای مهم و اتفاقات مهم رو حفظ کنید، نه به خاطر یه قاتل سادیست که ممکنه زندگیتونو با یه سوال تباه کنه. به خاطر اینکه اون چیزای ساده شاید یه روزی به کارتون بیان.
Profile Image for Laura.
382 reviews77 followers
September 29, 2018
'Death Call' ist der mittlerweile 8. Band um die Ermittler Hunter und Garcia, und hoffentlich bleibt uns diese Reihe noch eine Weile erhalten! Die Bücher haben allesamt abgeschlossene Fälle, aber unsere Charaktere entwickeln sich natürlich im Laufe der Reihe weiter, so dass manchmal Kommentare zu früheren Bänden kommen können. Wer jetzt erst in die Reihe einsteigen will und nicht vorher 7 frühere Bände lesen möchte, der könnte auch mit 'Death Call' beginnen.

Chris Carter versteht es einfach ungemein einen temporeichen und spannenden Thriller zu schreiben. Auch 'Death Call' beginnt sogleich rasant und fesselnd, so dass ich das Buch an einem Tag durchlesen musste. Carter schafft es den Leser mitzureissen und gleichzeitig eine sehr beklemmende Stimmung zu schaffen.

Die Anrufe und Spielchen des Mörders haben mich ein wenig an die Saw Teile erinnert. Die Szenen sind durchaus sehr blutig und brutal beschrieben, wer also etwas sensibel ist, der sollte vielleicht nicht zu dieser Reihe greifen. Für alle anderen - greift unbedingt zu!

*Rezensionsexemplar
Profile Image for Siobhan.
4,774 reviews589 followers
February 10, 2017
The Caller is the eighth book in Chris Carter’s wonderful Robert Hunter series, and I cannot begin to explain how happy I was to win an advance read copy of the story.
 
When I saw a giveaway for Chris Carter’s newest story on Goodreads, offering the novel well in advance of release, I jumped at the chance to enter. I wasn’t expecting to win – I never am when it comes to my favourite authors – meaning there was a lot of excitement when I received an email telling me I had won. I cannot begin to explain my excitement, and as soon as I could I picked up the book and started reading.
 
The Caller is a brilliant addition to the series. I wouldn’t call it my favourite in the series, but it is a very strong read. In my mind, Chris Carter stands above many of the crime authors currently on the market meaning even his weaker books are well and truly worth a read. As I’ve said, though, this isn’t a weak book at all.
 
In this one, Chris Carter once again demonstrates how he is an author of the modern world. He uses modern day technology and trends to create a wonderful crime novel that reflects the real world. Issues we see today, trends that can be found, are shown within his books. Rather than being your typical murder mystery, Chris Carter sends us on a chase that uses the world as it currently is to add many layers to the story. The fact that these things could happen, the fact he uses things we see and interactive with on a daily basis, makes the story more terrifying. We’re constantly left with ‘what if’ questions, leaving us grateful that Chris Carter is simply writing these stories and not out there in the real world committing these crimes. I know for a fact, if something like this were to happen in the real world people would look at the world in a very different way.
 
Truthfully, as real as all of his novels are, I think this one addresses the most in terms of the modern world. Not only is it used in the crime – both in terms of finding victims and in terms of how the crime is committed – but it also addresses the modern world in terms of reasons why the crime was committed. It’s not simply a case of ‘this person is bad’; it has much more to it than that. Moreover, things aren’t as straight forward as they could be. As always, Chris Carter adds multiple layers to the story, telling a story within the story, allowing us to watch many things come together.
 
Now whilst each of these books can be read as a standalone novel, there is a story underneath it all. With this one, I found myself wanting to see more for Hunter on the relationship front. He’s a wonderful character and I believe I’ve reached the point where I want to see him happy, and certain events in this book left me hoping that there will be happiness for him in the future.
 
Overall, yet another wonderful Chris Carter read. I’m now off to slip into a post-Carter slum whilst I await the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Katerina.
496 reviews68 followers
October 5, 2020
2.5/5

If not for the character and actions of Mr.J I would give this installment of the Robert Hunter series a lower rating. Maybe it's my fault that I read so many books of the series almost back to back but it got predictable for me and nothing much surprised and if I managed to figure out who the killer was I would sadly even consider giving it a one star review.

After reading until the 8th installment I know by now how many victims there are gonna be, how Hunter will solve the case and that he will go and face the killer on his own. I would like a surprise like a victim gets away and spoils the killer's plans, Hunter's partner is the one that solves the case or is the one facing the killer in the end or anything that will be different.

The only difference was that Hunter got to know a woman and possibly will have a more stable relationship for some time and even though I wanted that for him I can't say I liked her or that I felt who they started to fall in love with each other. It made me feel nothing the three times they interacted during the story and at some I was like "oh great another murder so their meeting will be cut short!" I got more feelings while Hunter comforted a relative of the victim than when he met the woman he is going to have a relationship with.
There was zero chemistry between them and the only connection was that they are both into a good whiskey.
Tracy's personality felt flat and I didn't like her style either or to be honest anything about her.

Hunter's partner Garcia has got some good moments during the story and even made me smile with some remarks he made. Captain Blake made a few appearances but wasn't much involved in the case and the same can be said for Dr. Hove.

The killer's motive wasn't so convincing either and you could argue with me and say that a sick mind doesn't need to follow logic to commit his crimes but I would honestly preferred if he just killed because he was into it than the reason I was given for all he has done.
In this story also a great part of the motive concerns people and their use of social media which I could do with out since it was already used in another story.

The most interesting character I encountered in The caller was Mr.J and I wouldn't mind if he got to the murderer first and spared me from yet another installment the Hunter vs. The killer trope. I even found his storyline and investigation far more interesting than the one the two detectives lead.
For me the best installments of the series were the first and the sixth and I guess it's time for me to have a break from Chris Carter because I really don't want to break up with him permanently.
Profile Image for Raven.
771 reviews226 followers
March 4, 2017
I cannot resist the allure of a new title from Chris Carter (One By One,   An Evil Mind ) and his dynamite pairing of detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia of the LAPD. Once again in The Caller our intrepid duo are drawn into the nasty world of another completely loco serial killer, who operates via the world of social media, exacting some wonderfully visceral, and cruel and unusual punishments on his victims and those closest to them. Throw in a hitman looking for revenge on the killer too, whilst hoping to dodge the radar of Hunter and Garcia, and what Carter dishes up is a spine chilling, violent, read in one sitting (in subdued lighting if you dare) serial killer thriller with some very nasty surprises indeed. Typical Carter fare, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.
Profile Image for CYNDI.
405 reviews58 followers
July 6, 2024
Wow. That was mind-blowing, indeed! Robert Hunter does it again. OMG.

Easily one of my favourite books in the series. The torture, the mind-games, the fear, the punishments! The blood. I devoured this book in one sitting and I am telling you, I didn't want it to end. Like, everything happened so fast and I learned not to get deeply attached to any of the characters because they could be next in the killer's list.

Also, one character really upped the game. A different set of eyes and skills which kind of worked well with Hunter's lane although somewhat different and shrouded in mystery. That ending gave me the shivers! It was so so satisfying—just how I wanted it.

Okay, this is only a quick review because I'm already flipping the first page of the next book in the series. Yey.
Profile Image for Rob Twinem.
917 reviews46 followers
March 17, 2017
I am sure I am not the only one who was disappointed when The Caller (8th outing for Robert Hunter) was not published last July and we the faithful had to wait a further 6+ months before the great Detective Hunter of the LA ultra violent crimes unit was confronted once again with a seemingly unstoppable and deranged serial killer. Hunter is not like any detective I have met before, he is highly intelligent possessing an over active mind that rarely allows him time to relax. He enjoys alcohol but not in the falling down "sozzled" way, rather his tipple of choice is single malt scotch whisky which he savours and sips....."Hunter reached for his glass and brought it to his nose. The smoky and complex aroma of the golden liquid made him smile again. He picked up a water jar and poured just a little more than a few drops into the tumbler, before finally sipping his whisky. Smooth sweet vanilla, with sooty smoke coming to the fore and a long honeyed ember finish..."

A sadistic killer is once again targeting victims in downtown LA, and his methods of execution are both bloody and ingenious. Rather than use immediate torture he makes a video call to someone very close to the victim and asks that person 2 questions. If the friend is successful in answering then the victim lives but a wrong response results in him or her having to watch a horrific and callous murder. What sets Chris Carter's books apart from his rivals is the methods that the perpetrator uses to silence his victims. We have a face destroyed by glass fragments, a head crushed in a vice, a skull penetrated with a chisel and hammer...He brought the chisel and hammer back to Cassandra's head. This time he positioned the chisel just a little left from center, and only about an inch up from her forehead........Up went the hammer. Down it came BANG...." The fact that the author studied psychology and criminal behaviour and as a criminal psychologist worked with many serious offenders means that he can display his knowledge through the brilliant and determined Detective Hunter. My Favourite character in The Caller is Mr J (Jenkinson) married to the lovely Cassandra, who falls victim to the "demon" (I'm not spoiling the story by sharing that with you) We discover that Mr J has a hidden occupation, one that his wife was not aware of, he is a hit man for the mob, and when Cassandra meets an untimely demise Mr J is on the case.....So with Detective Hunter chasing the demon before he strikes again and Mr J demanding revenge the scene is set for a fantastic conclusion...a perfect ending that bought a smile to my face with a beautiful closing observation......

Yes Chris Carter's stories may not be deep, observational and character driven but by god they are great fun to read and once started impossible to stop. The front of the UK hardback edition states "as compelling as a box-set thriller" and that is a great description. I hope I do not have to wait 18 months before joining Detective Hunter and his colleague Carlos Garcia on another thrilling outing!
Profile Image for Feyre.
1,226 reviews117 followers
November 28, 2022
4.5 🌟
Chris Carter liefert einfach jedes Mal ein spannendes Buch ab, das man nicht weglegen mag. Wobei ich diesmal das Motiv des Täters ein wenig zu gut nachvollziehen konnte, was mir doch leicht Angst macht.
Der Fall ist toll durchdacht, der Schreibstil unterstützt das Ganze und auch die Art und Weise, wie das alles angegangen wird, ist mal wieder total faszinierend. Mr J ist eine tolle Perspektive, die das Gesamtpaket toll ergänzt. Roberts Love Interest mag ich auch (ich kannte sie schon, aber das kommt davon, wenn man die Bücher nicht chronologisch liest).
Ich kann nur hoffen, dass Carter weiterhin Bücher mit diesen Figuren schreibt, denn aktuell kenne ich alle und ich möchte meeehr.
Profile Image for Nikos Sougias.
30 reviews5 followers
May 31, 2022
Κλασικός Carter...ήμουν αναποφάσιστος...αλλά οι τελευταίες 5 σελίδες ήταν 😈😈😈😈😈
Εύκολο πεντάρι τελικά!
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,520 reviews46 followers
March 14, 2017
Chris Carter novels are usually incomparable to other novels in this genre; dark, sadistic killers, twisting plots and likable lead characters. I have read and loved them all. So, when I found that I could pre-order 'The Caller' I clicked the 'add to basket' button hard and fast. When the book arrived I tried to pace myself, but couldn't hold off for very long...

I wish that I had been able to hold off a little longer, because I would still be excited about it, and not as disappointed as I am.

As expected this novel was full to the brim with sadism, blood and gore. The killer was obsessively cruel and I had my nose wrinkled in disgust throughout quite a lot of the novel. But gore alone does not a good crime novel make.

The main reason I read crime novels is because I love trying to work out who the killer is, but that was nigh on impossible in this novel. There was absolutely no foreshadowing and there were no 'clues'. So many reviewers have said "this novel kept me guessing till the end!" and I would totally agree, but it wasn't in a tense, oh-golly-I-thought-it-was-x-and-now-I-think-it-could-be-y-oh-wow-it-was-z, way… it was in a you've-not-told-me-a-bloody-thing-and-I-have-no-idea-what-is-happening, way. Yes, keep us in the dark to an extent we don't want the killer and their motivations unveiled in the first chapter, but reveal these aspects slowly, so that we might piece the plot together ourselves.

Instead of slowly building up clues and foreshadowing, and allowing the reader to connect the dots alongside the detectives, there were only off-page realisations and dots-joined. Garcia or Hunter would suddenly realise something, which would result in one of them - usually Hunter - giving a multi-page explanation about what had been realised, how and what impact this had.
Yes, this did progress the plot, but it made for terrible reading. Essentially whole pages at a time were explanations given by Hunter about his realisations. This removed the reader's required effort to connect the dots, because there were no dots to connect, and so fell rather flat. I would have preferred to see how he came to his realisations and how he followed through, to live it through him. Not to be told about it all second hand without any chance to reach the same conclusions myself.

These explanations also infuriated me when they did happen, because Blake and Garcia - or whoever Hunter was explaining things to - always stared at him blankly, or blinked at him, and it always ended with them not understanding anything and asking for further clarification. Blake and Garcia may not have the intelligence that Hunter has, but they aren't nitwits. They're still high-ranking police officers and should be capable of following Hunter, even if an early explanation is required and then they pick up the explanation and run with it. Instead they look to him like a crime messiah.

I am also ready to start seeing some personal progression now as well. I'm tired of reading and rereading in every book about his past and career and his love of whisky. Yes, he likes a single malt whisky, I know. I want something new to get my teeth into, and I thought that was going to come in the form of ole' victory rolls, but Hunter's encounters with her were flat, lacking progression and repetitive.

There were a number of other annoyances throughout the novel that just further knocked my enjoyment, because it just felt sloppy. Like the spelling errors that were throughout. It just suggested that even the editor hadn't bothered.

The most annoying element was that everyone kept talking to themselves. Again, this felt lazy and like tell-don't-show. Characters would speak out their frustration even though it felt weird and unnatural. Yes, it succeeded in telling the reader the character's emotions or opinion but I'd much rather Hunter punched a wall so we infer his frustration, rather than him sitting at a computer alone saying, "I am very frustrated." etc.

This certainly wasn't the worst crime novel that I've read, but it was certainly the worst Chris Carter that I've read. It felt rushed in both writing and editing, and was all too vague and flat. It didn't tick all of the boxes for me.
Profile Image for Justina Neliubšienė.
317 reviews46 followers
April 8, 2022
"Visi jį pajusdavo, šliaužiantį oda lyg gyvą padarą, netyčia įstrigusį nužudymo vietoje. Kvapą, persmelkusį orą, įsigėrusi į sienas. Kai kas manė, kad tai baimės kvapas. Kai kas teigė, kad skausmo. Kai kurie manė, kad toks žiaurumo kvapas. Hanteriui atrodė, kad tokį kvapą palieka blogis."
Stipru, žiauru, bet parašyta tiesiog meistriškai. Tobula!!!
Profile Image for Tonkica.
690 reviews138 followers
August 19, 2018
Kraj mi je bio malo nategnut.. Nemam zamjerki kao ni inače što se ideje i načina pisanja tiče! Preporuka od mene i za ovaj naslov!
Profile Image for Steffi.
3,150 reviews175 followers
August 13, 2017
Die ist nun schon der 8. Carter und somit der 8. Fall für Robert Hunter und Carlos Garcia. Jeden Fall habe ich absolut verschlungen und genauso ging es mir auch wieder mit Death Call.

Das Buch ist von Beginn an spannend und steigert sich von Seite zu Seite. Der Fall ist absoluter Nervenkitzel und ich habe an den Seiten geklebt. Man glaubt immer zu wissen was los ist und wird dann doch immer wieder überrascht.

Die Morde sind wieder mal sehr brutal, so dass das Buch wirklich nichts für schwache Nerven ist und ich bei den Beschreibungen auch manchmal an meine Grenzen gelangt bin. Doch mit Hunter haben wir einen hochintelligenten Ermittler, dessen Gedankengänge zwar manchmal schwierig zu folgen sind, aber trotzdem ein großes Maß an Spannung in die Geschichte bringen, da man unbedingt wissen will was er rausgefunden hat.

Nun heißt es wieder Warten bis wir im nächsten Fall wieder auf die Abgründe der Menschheit treffen.
Profile Image for Ugnė | pilna_lentyna.
286 reviews142 followers
October 17, 2022
Žiaurių nusikaltimų meistras C.Carter, aštuntojoje serijos dalyje, mums ir paruošė beveik neišprendžiamą galvosūkį. Šį kartą, žudikas vaizdo skambučiu susisiekia su aukų artimaisiais, atsakomybę permesdamas jiems - atsakai į du paprastus klausimus - tavo mylimas žmogus gyvens. Neatsakysi - skaitę Carterio knygas, tikrai gali įsivaizduoti, kas bus... ⠀

Gal nuskambės keistai, bet šioje dalyje, kankinimų ir baisybių buvo nedaug. Nors ir nuo tiek makabriškų scenų, daugeliui gali sustoti skrandis, žinant, ką autorius išdarinėjo ankščiau, ši atrodo labai nekaltai. Nors gal reikėtų sakyti, kad autorius keičia savo modus operandi - iš nesveikų ir brutalių kūnų pjaustymų ir kankinimų, pereina į psichikos žalojimą. Ne aukų, o jų artimųjų. ⠀

Nieko naujo nepasakysiu. Buvo gerai, buvo įtempta. Eilinį kartą teko kovoti su savimi, norint padėti knygą į šoną. Ir vėl tikėjausi, kad pavyko pergudrauti autorių. Ir vėl likau apsukta aplink pirštą, suvokusi, kad Carterio taip lengvai neįveiksiu. ⠀
Profile Image for Zuzana Jana.
97 reviews12 followers
November 6, 2018
4.5🌟

I am a big fan of Chris's books and this book is the reason why as it was the first one I have read from him. The caller is amazing psychological thriller which will not let you sleep. The book is part of Robert Hunter series but it is okay if you have not read the previous books as they stands as separate stories.
Profile Image for Jean.
447 reviews71 followers
July 18, 2018
The Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter is by far my all-time favorite series! I get so excited when I see another book come out. Since I'm a Netgalley addict, it's hard for me to fit in a non-NG book onto my reading shelf. But when my library started the zip books program (if the library does not own the book and if the book is on Amazon prime, the library will have the book shipped directly to me from Amazon for free! I read the book and then return it to the library.) , I immediately requested this book. Hopefully the library will now own this amazing book so others can read it.

Just like his other books, this book is not for the squeamish. This book grips you from the very beginning and is fast-paced. I couldn't believe how quickly I finished the book. Loved the plot, the characters, the ending. I loved everything about this book!

I definitely recommend this stellar psychological thriller to all. Can't wait for more to come.
Profile Image for Andrea.
1,060 reviews153 followers
March 5, 2017
Nowhere near as gruesome as The Death Sculptor (but really, what is...), and not half as interesting a killer as the one in An Evil Mind (but then, who is :)). I didn't like the first half (too full of clichés for my taste), but the last half more than made up for that.
Profile Image for Morana Mazor.
416 reviews85 followers
June 11, 2018
I još jedan izvrstan uradak Chrisa Cartera..! Ovaj nas put čak i tjera da se malo zamislimo o tome što objavljujemo na društvenim mržama.. Jer i sajko killeri sve pomno prate.. ;)
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