Have you ever wondered what made someone a killer? Why they did what they did and how they decided that killing was the best or only way to deal with the problem? Absolution: The Ted Roth Story is the story of one man's life, told by him from his youngest days up through the end. Teddy explains what happened to him that drove him to kill his best friend at the tender age of 10, and blame it on another boy. It takes you through each and every killing that Teddy commits, and gives you an insight into what he was thinking and feeling when it happened, and his reasoning for it. Author Edmund Hulton gives a wonderful first person, biographical kind of feel to this story that opens a killer's mind up to the reader, and you find that it is eerily similar to your own.

Although Absolution: The Ted Roth Story is a work of fiction, you can almost feel the realness of the story. The reader is easily able to identify with Teddy and the others in the book, so much so that at times you might think he's a monster and, at other times, you want to defend what he did as an act of justice. Author Edmund Hulton has taken the mind of a killer and yet given him a real life, a purpose and a motive to live, and told his story in such a way that you start to question who is the good guy and who is really the bad guy in the story. Definitely for mature readers only because of some of the events that occur that lead up to some of the killings. They are not described in graphic detail, but the topic might be hard to deal with for some readers. That in and of itself makes the reader question the justice of what Teddy does in certain cases.

Ted Roth lies in a pool of his blood. He is waiting for his last breath before he moves on from this world but before that event occurs he wants to get everything he has done off his chest. And by everything, he means every little thing that has happened to him which inexplicably leads to this moment in time. It all began with a ten-year-old boy, angry at being betrayed by his supposed best friend, and an idea so twisted and disturbing no one would believe it could come from a mind so innocent. Ted tells it all before it is too late in Edmund Hulton’s Absolution.

Absolution is a psychological thriller by Edmund Hulton that takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride inside the head of a very inventive killer. Teddy seems just like any other person until Hulton tells you about the inner workings of his brain, at which point you begin to feel a tiny bit of concern. Hulton's unsettling approach to storytelling creates an atmosphere where the reader is left waiting impatiently for Teddy's brand of justice to be exacted on his victim. Risner's experience is particularly noteworthy. By contrasting moments of comedic youthful exuberance with the gore, the author attempts to lighten the story's dark tone. Teddy's justification of his acts draws the reader into his narrative and allows them to determine whether or not he is an antihero who is misunderstood or beyond redemption. Even though Absolution is a dark book with lots of bloodletting, it is still a compelling read.

Kayley didn't know any life apart from that offered by St. Ann's. She had been an orphan and had been raised in the convent, but she was now being thrown out by her superior. After sharing what had transpired with Father Harold, Ted planned to visit him. During his life, Ted faced various betrayals. It had first been Charlie, followed by Frankie and Jamie. Jamie had been the most beautiful girl in their school, and going out with her made everyone jealous of Ted. Things went well until he found her with Frankie, his best friend. Even Detective Baxter and Senior Detective Stone couldn't solve what followed. To find out how the events unfold in Ted's life, get a copy of Absolution by Edmund Hulton.

Absolution by Edmund Hulton is wonderfully written and highly engaging. The author's prowess in narration and the shifting points of view from Ted's deathbed to the events that had made him who he was captured my imagination from the first chapter to the last. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and eager for more. The author vividly describes the events in Ted's life, which helps the reader create a mental picture of what is happening. I loved the seamless flow of the plotline, which left no room for confusion for the reader. The characters are well-developed, and readers will also appreciate the easy-to-understand language used, which makes the book accessible to all kinds of readers.

Absolution by Edmund Hulton is a thriller that follows Ted Roth as he narrates his story while his life slowly ebbs from a bullet wound. Ted had a normal childhood, being the only child of parents who adored him. His well-balanced childhood makes the darkness in him all the more curious and sinister. One thing Ted hates most is betrayal. Getting close to Ted and betraying him may cost you your life—literarily—as his childhood best friend and teenage girlfriend unfortunately learned the hard way. Did Ted get away with his many crimes? How did he get to the point of being so critically injured? These are some of the burning questions that will make it almost impossible to put this book down.

Absolution by Edmund Hulton is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Hulton is a fantastic writer, probably one of the best out there. He made splendid use of backshadowing that created the perfect amount of suspense about how Ted got to the point of being critically injured. Hulton also does a marvelous job of narrating events from the perspective of 10-year-old Ted, with his apt description of the idyllic 1950s neighborhood of Teaneck. He also accurately depicts the life of teenage Ted, complete with rampaging hormones and the awkwardness of first dates, to his college years. I could visualize everything—which in some cases wasn’t always ideal due to some of the graphic content, but it’s just more testament to the author’s writing skill. I equally hated Ted and rooted for him, both hoping he would get caught and desperately crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t. It’s not many authors that can achieve this. Absolution isn’t for the fainthearted because it contains graphic and explicit content; however, fans of true-crime documentaries will feel right at home with this profound work by Hulton.

Absolution: The Ted Roth Story by Edmund Hulton is a violent psychological thriller. Ted was just your typical boy; he rarely needed to be reminded to perform chores and was always willing to help, but he struggled with rejection. Ted and Charlie were best friends, going everywhere together until Charlie made friends with Johnny. Ted felt deceived by Charlie when he saw him playing and having fun with Johnny. Ted decided to kill Charlie for his betrayal and framed their mutual friend, Johnny, for the crime. Ted would only kill to get personal revenge on those who had wronged him and his loved ones without feeling hurt or angry. Ted grows into a successful, renowned businessman and consultant who interacts with people in higher social circles and embraces family life.

Absolution: The Ted Roth Story by Edmund Hulton was engrossing and had me hooked from the start. It was a roller coaster ride of murder, deception, and redemption. The story was fast-paced, and I could not put it down. I never knew what would happen next and was guessing until the end. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as I could. The murder scenes were descriptive and left nothing to the imagination. The characters were authentic and relatable. Ted was a psychopath, but sometimes I could almost understand why he killed a certain person. The story was well-written, and I could experience the scenes through Ted’s eyes. It is an excellent psychological thriller that reads more like a true story than fiction.