The Hundredth Man: Summary and book reviews of The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley, plus links to an excerpt from The Hundredth Man and a biography of Jack Kerley.
The Hundredth Man
by Jack Kerley
Hardcover: Jun 2004,
320 pages.
Paperback: Jun 2005,
416 pages.
Recalling Michael Connelly's taut storytelling and James Patterson's searing narrative twists, The Hundredth Man introduces a daring new talent. From its explosive first pages to its startling conclusion, this novel creates a world where heroes can't succeed without madmen, and the dead are the most dangerous of all.
When bizarre and cryptic messages are found on a pair of corpses in Mobile, Alabama, junior police detective Carson Ryder and veteran cop Harry Nautilus find themselves in a mysterious public-relations quagmire pitting public safety against office politics. With the body count growing, Ryder must confront his family's terrifying past by seeking advice from his brother, a violent psychopath convicted of similarly heinous crimes. Ryder finds himself falling for Ava, the striking pathologist processing the gruesome corpses. But Ava's past holds its own nightmarish secrets.
Chasing false leads while their boss relentlessly undermines all progress, Ryder and Nautilus come to realize someone close to them is the killer's ultimate target.
Thundering to a stark and chilling revelation, The Hundredth Man marks the arrival of an author who raises the stakes on every page.
The Sun (Baltimore)
Kerley's first novel is explosively good, a nuanced look at the dark underbelly of contemporary society that reads like a cross between Thomas Harris and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Publishers Weekly
The Hundredth Man is a distinctive thriller that starts out with a most unusual bang and leads leading junior police detective Carson Ryder and his veteran partner to investigate what's behind the sudden surge of corpses on their Mobile, Alabama, beat.
Booklist - Bill Ott
Starred Review. [The Hundredth Man is a] narrative locomotive of a first novel. Kerley jacks up the tension effectively with nicely placed jumps between Carson's narration and the tortured thoughts of the killer, building up to an all-stops-out climax. ... Powerful. ... Compelling. ... Kerley's plot is a treasure chest of interlocked pieces.
Library Journal
Starred Review. This is a pitch-perfect psychological thriller.
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. A serial killer novel with a difference smartly written, densely plotted, and almost too clever.
David Baldacci, New York Times bestselling author of Split Second
The Hundredth Man has a crackerjack plot and wonderfully original rapid-fire prose. Jack Kerley is a writer to watch. And read.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Chattas
Very creepy book. Loved it. The title is perfect. The main character (Carson) is the Hundredth Man. It's a reference from a joke at the very beginning of the book and it really does define this character. Looking forward to this author's next... Read More
Rated of 5
by Dan
The tension compels you to turn the page. Almost impossible to put down.
Rated of 5
by book woman
Can someone please, please, please explain the significance of the Title to me??
Does it relate to anything?
Rated of 5
by Warn
You cannot go wrong with this book. Twists and turns and great characters!
Rated of 5
by Avid Reader
Funny, smart, brilliant.
Jack Kerley spent twenty
years in advertising before writing The
Hundredth Man, his first novel. In
talking about himself he says, 'I enjoy
playing guitar, and will fish for anything,
anytime, anywhere...I spend a goodly amount
of time in Fairhope, Alabama, on the eastern
shore of Mobile Bay, and a fine place for
writing and fishing....All things
considered, I’d prefer being buried in a
bookstore than a cemetery, but suspect
zoning codes prohibit that sort of thing,
more's the pity'.
The partners in the Women's Murder Club realize that this killer is after something unspeakable and that the next target could be one of them - so they bait a trap that can't be resisted; but if their calculation is wrong, the consequences will be lethal.
Gone for Good is at once a powerhouse of suspense and a haunting tale of love--the love between brothers, between lovers, between family members. It is one of those rare thrillers that not only makes the pulse pound, but stirs the heart as well.
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The Sun (Baltimore)
David Baldacci, New York Times bestselling author of Split Second
of 5
by Chattas
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