The Killer Inside Me (Crime Masterworks, #17) (Mulholland Classic)

by Jim Thompson

THE KILLER INSIDE ME has been a cult classic since its first publication in 1952. Also a major motion picture starring Casey Affleck, directed by Michael Winterbottom.

'Probably the most chilling and believable first-person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered' Stanley Kubrick

'His ability to get inside twisted minds was uncanny...extraordinary' INDEPENDENT

Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford is a pillar of the community in his small Texas town, patient and thoughtful. Some people think he's a little slow and boring but that's the worst they say about him. But then nobody knows about what Lou calls his 'sickness'. It nearly got him put away when he was younger, but his adopted brother took the rap for that.

Now the sickness that has been lying dormant for a while is about to surface again - and the consequences are brutal and devastating. Tense and suspenseful, THE KILLER INSIDE ME is a brilliantly sustained noir crime masterpiece.

• ISBN10: 0752879588
• ISBN13: 9780752879581
• Publish Date: 3 August 2006 (first published March 1973)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
• Imprint: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[Aidan Brack (Mysteries Ahoy)]

While its themes and tone won’t be for everyone, The Killer Inside Me is certainly one of the milestone texts in the history of the crime novel and while that alone would justify a recommendation, I think it is an interesting read in its own right.

Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

The Killer Inside Me is a perfect example of Noir in its purest form; it’s disturbing, dark, gritty and chilling. The protagonist Lou Ford is an all-around nice guy – on the surface – underneath is a depraved sociopath. Ford claims this is a result of bordom; "If there's anything worse than a bore," says Lou, "it's a corny bore." The book is writing in first person; which makes the sadomasochistic relationships, child abuse and insanity just that much more chilling and disturbing.

This book is not for the weak-hearted, this is violent and disturbing, more so that you would expect from a book written in the early 1950’s. Lou Ford’s inner demons will make you feel sick at times; it’s reminds me of the same feeling I got when reading Lolita. Both great novels, that make you sick to your stomach.