The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker (Center Street, April 13, 2010), 448 pages

Summary
The serial killer the FBI has named the Bride Collector has just taken his fifth victim. Brad Raines is leading the Colorado investigation, along with profiler Nikki. When a note is found with the body, Raines has no choice but to follow the lead to the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a home for the incredibly brilliant mentally ill. He’s skeptical, but what he finds is not what he expected.

Thoughts
I love how Dekker’s thrillers touch on so many themes — including mental illness, self-perception and body image this time. Actually, I marvel at this. And it’s this that, for me, elevates these books above the common.

The characters — we see various parts of the story from the eyes of Raines, the killer, and also Paradise, one of the residents at the Center for Wellness and Intelligence — are well-drawn, incredibly real, flaws and all.

This is a classic Dekker thriller. If you’ve read one before, you know what to expect. I’ve read several of Dekker’s books (and have several more waiting on my shelves), and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. If you haven’t, why not? This is a good one to start with.

Hachette made a countdown widget, which gives you an excerpt of the book and a way to enter a sweepstakes. Among other things. Unfortunately, though, I can’t embed it here. So click the link to check it out.

About the author
Ted Dekker is a prolific author, having published more than 20 novels. He’s known for stories that could be described as suspense thrillers. Dekker’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/teddekker and his Twitter account: @TedDekker.

Other reviews
Jenn’s Bookshelves
Peeking between the Pages
All About {n}
Redlady’s Reading Room
Luxury Reading

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I received this book from the publisher.