Review of Boomerang by Stewart Giles

This book is better than an episode of Criminal Minds or Ncis. Maybe it is better than a mainstream mystery like the one of Agatha Christie, even though the latter is still unchallenged for her books. Despite all this introduction, the book I am about to review is stunning, well engineered and with a plot that is worth to regard as a great masterpiece. I am speaking about “Boomerang”, the book written by Stewart Giles and published, listen to me carefully, on Free-ebooks.net, the famous website of free ebooks for Kindle and not only.

I stumbled upon this book randomly, why I was looking for a mystery book to be reviewed. When I read the work, I noticed to have read a good thriller book, one of these capable to keep you glued to the pages until you finished reading. Boomerang is the story about a serial killer who leaves a number sequence, most probably a date, under the feet of his victims. Each date coincides with an important event in the life of Jason Smith, a brave and smart detective in charge of investigating about the mysterious killer. The latter is John Fulton, a former veteran of Vietnam’s war. Indeed, the book opens with overwhelming flashbacks that shows Fulton’s life before becoming a serial killer.

Each flashback is followed by the plot sets nowadays, where the killer commits several crimes. But not only, each murdered person is killed with the same kind of death of Jason Smith’s relatives. The man hanged in the Hotel in York, England, the city where Jason Smith lives and works, represents the father of Jason, who committed suicide many years ago. The young woman drowned in the swimming pool of the same hotel, represents the sister of Jason, missed and probably drowned many years ago.

At this stage of the story, readers and also the main character of the book realize that all of murders are linked with Jason Smith. But which is the relationship between John Fulton and Jason Smith? Why the serial killer haunts the detective? These are the most important questions that arise from reading the book. However, Boomerang is not only a mystery book, but a romance, partially. Jason Smith is a detective, but he is also shown like a very sensitive man, despite his rough manners with his superior who just for this reason suspended him.

Jason tends to not fall in love with her beautiful colleague Whitton, but he loves his dog and drinks beer. One day, he visits his old classmate Lucy, who invites him to leave for Singapore and Australia, the latter country is the native one of Jason and the serial killer. During the journey, Jason will discover back his past and a strong feeling for the sea and the air of his native city, Perth. Lucy helps him to pull out unforgettable memories and sensations never felt before. This chapter about the journey of Jason Smith is very poetic, attractive, nostalgic and enriched with marvelous words.

The entire story remains, however, a mystery thriller, with the shocking surprises and the style of a detective story with investigations, the coroner who carries out an autopsy on the murdered bodies and Jason Smith who fights to discover the real identity of the serial killer. Even though set in England, all the story is filled with some American slang words that allow to read an enjoyable detective book with a stunning and compelling conclusion.

Rosalba Mancuso

Rosalba Mancuso is the journalist, born in Sicily, who founded four websites in English. On Advicesbooks Book Reviews, Rosalba shows her great passion for books, helping readers and book lovers choose and buy the best books she read and reviewed. She also worked as a contributor for printed publications and online magazines and as a bilingual Italian-English writer. Here, Rosalba also offers room to authors and publishers who want to get their books reviewed through the voice of an avid reader like her. You must also know that this book review site lives thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you buy books through the affiliate links you find in her book reviews. This website is also funded by a book review service.