Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Murder.net - Countdown to The Next Nightmare by John V Colascione is a horror crime novel that will make your heart pound with each page. The story centers on LAPD officer and aspiring detective Amanda Curtis as she interns under colleague and experienced LAPD detective, Michael Peters. A case comes along that will test both of them--an investigation into a savage killer known as The Head Hunter, who lures would-be models to their deaths and then live-streams the murders on a Dark Web site known as Murder.net. In addition to the investigation, the possibility of a relationship between the two cops begins to emerge--a will they/won't they scenario. The hunt for the internet killer is suspenseful and intriguing, and you will be sorting out the pieces along with the two investigators.

Colascione writes with an immediate sense of timing, clipping out unnecessary narration and exposition. If you like lean, tight writing that is plot-centered, this is your kind of book, as this style definitely works in the fast-paced world of criminal investigation where time is of the essence. One thing that stands out in the book is the inside feel you get about the internet, the Dark Web, and how the serial killer uses it to commit his crimes and perform for his audience. The fact that an eager audience awaits the next murder is perhaps a commentary on society's taste for the extreme and the forbidden. It's like holding a mirror up to human nature. That isn't to say all true crime fans would voluntarily watch the murder of an innocent person online but some would. Fans of Silence of the Lambs and Mindhunter will love Murder.net by John V Colascione.