Book Review - The Crime of Julian Wells

The Crime of Julian Wells by Thomas H. Cook (2012) - What do you do when your best friend from childhood commits suicide?  Julian Wells is a well known crime writer who specializes in getting inside the heads of some of the worst serial killers around the globe.  Did his subject matter finally become too much for him or was there something else?   His best friend, Philip Anders, must look back into their shared history to find the answers.  The journey will takes Anders to places, both physical and emotional, that will put him in great danger.

This book reminded me very quickly of the classic Graham Greene novel "The Third Man" that involves a very similar mystery.  This is not a story with lots of action and violence.  It's commonly described as a "cerebral mystery" where little is as it appears and memories are found to be distortions of the truth.  Some folks are going to find this book slow because of that but for those looking for some serious mental stimulation along with a mystery they will be rewarded.  Cook is an author with a long record of success and very competent story teller.  At the same time I can't say I was blown away by the book.  Glad I read it, don't know that I'll ever pick it up again.

Rating - *** Worth A Look