I am new to Jacob Appel's writing having just read this novel, a collection of his short stories, and I read a short play that is freely downloadable on his website. So far I am very impressed and entertained by his light, witty, and very creative imagination that is clearly influenced by the richness of his personal education and life experiences. The standard advice to aspiring writers is "Write what you know" and it follows that such an accomplished polymath as Mr. Appel has a vast reservoir of knowledge and practical life experience to draw from. Combine that with high intelligence, a sly and dry wit, an impressively creative imagination, and the craftsmanship that comes with persistent practice and prodigious output, and it is not surprising that all of his work that I have read so far has been a page-turning pleasure. His opening lines immediately hook the reader's imagination and curiosity and his quirky characters, humor, and engaging story lines are entertaining right to the last line. I will be reading many more of his books, I am sure. This novel, meant to reveal the mind of a sociopath and serial killer, will not appeal to everybody because of the disturbing subject, so it may not be the best place to start if you are wanting to sample Mr. Appel's writing. Certainly he has a vast repertoire of published work to choose from. I have not read enough of his work to put this novel into the full context of his writing style. But, regardless, if the subject matter is not too off-putting for you, the book is very well written and the story is compelling at several levels and for me it was a page-turner that I finished in a couple of days and the ending will intrigue my mind long after the book was finally put down.