Headsman

"The Headsman" would probably work better as a film, as it is very cinematic in its setting, and Harvey tends to get bogged down with repetitive dialogue; cliche characters; and much derivative material. However, Harvey DOES manage to provide some very frightening scenes, and these are what elevates this book above the usual. Jud McElroy, the young Police Chief of Braddock, NY, finds himself confronting the supposed return of the legendary Headsman, a murderer from the 1700's, who by legend, comes back every so often to take care of sinners. But Jud faces even more trouble with the town's uppity town council. Add to this a girl friend who wants to be the new Brenda Starr; a psychic who sees the murders as they happen; and a hellish blizzard---you have quite a setup for gore and goosebumps. Harvey does a good job in masking his murderer's identity, giving us several false "herrings" and by the time the identity is revealed, you want to smack yourself for not recognizing the culprit. Of course, our heroes do stupid things, and what would a good thriller be without that? In spite of its length, it moves well, although we could have been spared some of the extemporaneous fluff that must have been added to make the book larger and therefore better? Ah, well, off with their heads!RECOMMENDED.

I picked this book up at a warehouse bookstore for 2 dollars, so I wasn't expecting much. It surprised me by pulling me into the story quickly, and keeping up my interest in the central mystery for most of the book. Overall, a good, if slightly gruesome, way to spend a few hours.