Overview

The story begins in Rome (Italy) and develops almost entirely in Canada, except an episode which takes place in the city of Buffalo (USA).

When the protagonist moves to the Canadian mountains, they immerse themselves into the social interactions of a typical remote mountain community. The main character is Rachel, a female serial killer, characterized by sociopathic and psychopathic disorders, which underlie her everyday behavior.

She controls people to achieve her goals. She involves herself and plays with the other characters, taking advantage of their weaknesses. She deems them useful only as slaves and employs her overwhelming sexuality and strong personality to keep them under total control. Her only and ultimate purpose is the creation of a “perfect man”. The plot is full of suspense, developing around graphic and erotic episodes, which relate to one another.

This way, the readers think of knowing what is going to happen next, but they are often deceived. As the story comes to an end, the readers are finally able to understand Rachel’s mental disorders, her purposes, her behavior and her deranged actions. Unlike many thrillers, the police’s point of view is deliberately neglected to highlight the killer’s point of view and particularly her MO, as if her mental disorders were the real protagonists. This is one of the most important, original and distinctive features of this book.

The entire plot is closely developed around Rachel. Her point of view can be considered as the camera, and the reader would be the director; her mental disorders control her state of mind, and apparently, there are no limits to her insane actions. She does not have a conscience; thus, she does not feel guilty. She believes the end justifies the means. She cannot be bothered by the surrounding environment because she is only looking forward to achieving her purposes. However, the luxuriant and majestic Canadian woods are masterfully described and employed as a background character, in contrast with the terrible events that take place within it as well as the peaceful and traditional mountain community will be upset by the arrival of the film crew.

An in-depth knowledge of mental disorder dynamics, real and accurate investigations and profiling procedures are at the basis of this thriller, making it an engaging, clever and satisfying read.