From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: LA Rotten by Jeff Kilma

Author: Jeff Kilma

Publisher: Alibi

Date of publication: May 2015

For fans of Dexter and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jeff Klima’s debut thriller is a chillingly suspenseful novel set in a world of violence and chaos—where one man finds himself right at home.

As an expert crime-scene cleaner, Thomas Tanner charges big money to carve out bullets, mop up fluids, disinfect walls, and dispose of whatever’s left of whomever was unlucky enough to require his services. For a handsome young ex-con determined to stay out of trouble, it’s practically a dream job—until he discovers a grisly pattern to his work: a string of gruesome murders at a cheap motel chain, always in Room 236.

While prying into a serial killer’s nasty scheme, Thomas finds himself with a sharp-witted strip-bar waitress plastered to his side—and his conscience. Even more surprising, the killer starts prying into his life, luring Thomas into a twisted friendship. As Thomas struggles against his adversary’s wicked whims, risking the lives of the few people he holds dear, bodies pile up everywhere he turns. With a psychopath calling the shots, Thomas has little choice but to clean house once and for all.

You guys know me, I am always wiling to give a book a shot. I was intrigued by the synopsis for this L. A. Rotten. Honestly, I have always found the idea of being a crime scene cleaner fascinating. Not sure it would be a job I could do, but I give props to anyone who could do the job. Also, I loved Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I figured I would like this book, right? Unfortunately, I didn't finish it. If I had been writing the synopsis, I would have just stuck with "fans of Dexter" and left it at that.

Thomas is an ex-con (which I can forgive) who is a crime scene cleaner. He starts to realize that some of his crime scenes follow a certain pattern and must be the work of a serial killer. I was hoping that this would be a good msytery, you know reformed guy does good. But, Thomas was not a likable character. He is a heroine addict and frequents a strip club where the dancer will give him more than just a lap dance for a little extra money on the side. Um, ew. I was willing to give him a shot, but then he takes a job for a gang as an extra special "cleaner". Meaning he cuts up the body of someone they killed and disposes of it for money. Honestly, I stopped there. I knew for me, the book wasn't going to get better.

I will say that the book was well written. I know there is an audience for this book. I really never got into Dexter, so that could be why I didn't like the main character. I do urge you to give this one a shot though and see for yourself.