I just finished a book the other day called The Finder by J.E. Lorin and wow! What a great read! This is a brand new author for me and the book description sound like something I’d enjoy so I bought it. It’s kind of a gay romance with a serial killer twist. The blurb is as follows:
At the age of sixteen, August Goodson developed a strange and mysterious power overnight: he can find people. Victims of murder, suicide, kidnapping, accidents, and rape; August can find them all, usually dead, but sometimes still alive. Nine years later finds August volunteering his services to the police. He’s still smarting from the loss of his long-time love Dante, who cheated on him with his best friend, and harbors a deep crush on the incredibly handsome, and oh-so-straight, Detective Luke Williams. But there are bigger concerns on August’s mind: a serial killer is loose in the city, one whose victims are a little too much like him for comfort. When August finds a living victim who may be one of the serial killer’s, he’s drawn even deeper into the case. Will he make it out alive, or will he soon be the one in need of finding?
In Augie’s Head
Our main character, August (but everyone calls him “Augie”) can hear voices of victims who call to him, often begging him to find them. The kicker is that the victims can be dead or alive. In this way, Augie is able to find the bodies of murder victims, so he’s become a valuable asset to the local police department.
The story is told from Augie’s point of view, so I found it especially fascinating to be in his head when the victim’s call out to him and to experience first hand what he undergoes when he finds the body he’s looking for.
It’s also worth mentioning that Augie is somewhat broken because of a bad breakup. Because of this, he comes across as rather bristly and never allows anyone to get truly close to him. Given that we are privy to this thoughts and feelings, we can understand his reluctance to let anyone it. August certainly comes with a lot of baggage. But even so, he is a strong and brave character — someone just needs to break down the impenetrable barriers that surround him.
Enter Luke
Luke, the of the police officers whom Augie works with (and who’s also quite hunky) is determined to bring Augie out of his shell. Luke, along with Augie’s best friend Cherry, slowly help to break down his barriers. In the process, Luke and Augie’s friendship deepens and slowly turns into a romance. Their romance is slow, tender and sweet — definitely a slow-burn situation as Augie is still unsure if he’s ready to move their relationship to the next level and able to overcome his past. But lucky for him, Luke is patient, tenacious but gentle. He’s the ultimate perfect boyfriend.
Enter the Serial Killer
Many of the recent bodies that Augie has “found” are the victims of a recent serial killer who is targeting young gay men who resemble August. As bodies begin to pile up, Augie feels increasingly responsible and retreats even further into himself, especially once his friends come under attack. Augie becomes drawn even more deeply into the case when he finds a living victim who Augie suspects is one the serial killer’s. Then, things become especially dire for August once he becomes the main focus of our killer.
Now I will say that there are some hints peppered throughout the story as to the identity of the serial killer, making it possible to figure it out early on. But this in no way takes away anything from the story. Even though we might suspect the killer’s identity, we have no idea how it will all unfold. I found it fascinating to learn why he murdered all those young men and how their murder is connected to our hero.
The Verdict
As I mentioned above, I loved this book. The characters were strong and excellently developed, and I liked that the secondary characters were just as vivid as our main character. They really came alive in this story. The book also had perfect pace and a gripping storyline, with a lot of compelling twists and plenty of surprises which kept me turning the page.
And even though there was a romance between Luke and Augie, I appreciated the fact that the book wasn’t filled with one sex scene after another. The Finder was more about the story than about the sex. The book definitely has it’s creepy parts, but the author kept the gruesome and vivid descriptions of the murder scenes to a minimum.
All in all, it was an enjoyable well-written book, and I am so glad that I read it. This was one of those stories that I kept thinking about several days after I completed the book. Recommended!
You can check out The Finder HERE