Is the perfect crime possible? Is it possible to ensure that you leave behind no evidence? No fingerprints? No stray hair? No clothing fibers? No specks of blood? Let’s say you do manage to ensure that nothing is left behind. So far, so good. But then someone comes along that you don’t expect, and this someone can probe deep into your mind to see everything you’ve ever done.
This story grabbed me from the beginning. It talked about this character’s expanding appetite. As someone who loves monster stories, I wondered if this character was a vampire whose thirst for blood could not be quenched. Maybe it was an educated zombie whose desire for brains and human flesh only continued to grow stronger. Maybe it could be a werewolf whose carnivorous appetite for meat refused to be quelled. But it was none of those. It was something despicable. Something horrific. Something even worse.
Andrew Phillips believes he is committing the perfect crimes. Yes, he commits more than one. But he is so meticulous in how he does them that he doesn’t believe he will ever be caught. His hunger is for young girls. He is the type of guy who makes me sick. His hunger consumes him, and he has no plans of stopping, no plans of ever trying to control it. As far as he is concerned, limiting himself to only a few each year is control enough. Yet he knows what he is doing is wrong and against the law. Because he does have a fear of being caught, he is extremely careful not to leave behind anything that would point the crime at him.
Detective Andrew Lloyd calls in Asher Benson for help in finding one of the most despicable types of criminal ever: a pedophile. This one is good, but Asher Benson is better. Asher Benson, a guy who is drunk before breakfast, reeks of beer, but criminals have good reason to fear him. As I said, if there is a person who can read every thought that you’ve ever had, is the perfect crime possible?
The suspense in this story is whether or not the perv will get away with his crimes that he has so painstakingly tried to make perfect. The joy in reading comes when Asher Benson lets the criminal know that satisfying his perverted hunger isn’t possible as long as he is around.
Favorite Sentences
Putting him on the pig’s radar was icing on the cake.
He looked at Phillips as if he were little more than a glob of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
The perfect crime necessitated that there be no witnesses.
A despairing groan escaped his lips as he stared at fragments of his teeth floating in the crimson phlegm.
New Words Learned
besuited – (of a person, esp. a man) wearing a suit
coalescing – coming together and forming one mass or whole
I was sent a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy of The Perfect Crime, I have provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon link: The Perfect Crime (An Asher Benson Short Story)
Editor Recommended Article: Ash: Asher Benson Book 1 – a Review
About the Author:
Jason Brant is the author of thrillers and horror novels. His works include The Hunger series, the West of Hell series, Ash, and multiple novellas and short stories.
A job led him from the mountains of western Pennsylvania to the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. For a little over half a decade, he held the position of Digital Forensics Analyst for the Department of Defense. He escaped that post to write novels, watch movies, and drink microbrews.
Website: http://jasonbrant.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmbrant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason_brant
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Bpo1L
Enjoyed your review…I wish the author much success. Will check him out. Thanks.
I’m so glad you enjoyed my review. Jason Brant is a great author.