‘Journey of a Killer’ a great summer read
“Retreat, plan, attack.”
“Three simple words passed from father to daughter that become Sunny Whitaker’s mantra. Raised by the son of a New York mob enforcer, Sunny Whitaker learns that revenge is an acceptable response to those who hurt her or do her an injustice. From the time she commits her first murder at age 12 when he compliments her on a job well done, to her last, she has followed his instructions … Retreat, plan, attack.”
The central character of the book “Journey of a Killer,” Sunny Whitaker, was raised to be a killer just like her father Daniel. Daniel Whitaker was the son of a mob enforcer and killed his first victim, a classmate that bullied him, at age 13.
Sonny killed for the first time, a classmate that bullied her, when she was 12.
Daniel, met and fell in love with Francine in 1967. They would settle down in Arvada, Colo., where nine months later they would have a daughter they named Sunny. In short order Francine, tired of motherhood, abandons Daniel and Sunny.
Daniel and Sunny have a bond. Abandoned by her mother when she was just 3 weeks old, Daniel was all she had. Daniel taking on the roles of both father and mother read bedtime stories to his daughter. A favorite was the “Three Little Pigs.” But Daniel’s version was slightly different from the original.
“After the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew away the houses of straw and sticks, do you know what the three pigs did?” he asked his daughter. “Well, they made a plan, and one night while the wolf slept, the three little pigs grabbed a hatchet from the farmer’s barn, and slowly, quietly, they crept up to the wolf and cut off his head. See Sunny, they got even. They fought back. Not right away, but they waited, planned and attacked when the wolf didn’t expect it. And that’s what you need to learn. Retreat, plan, and then attack”
After her first murder, Sunny goes on to kill several more times. It has become a big part of who she is. She even keeps a shovel in the trunk of her car “just in case” she needs it.
The book has been reviewed at several websites. Amazon has four reviews of “Journey of a Killer.” Two with 4 stars and two with 5 stars:
“Suspenseful-a good summer read! I like how the book seamlessly weaves together character point of views from various time periods.
“i cannot put down this book. it is so well written. cannot wait for it to become a movie. A MUST READ”
“Really good book! Loved how the storyline jumped back and forth from the present to the past. Good character development. Kept me interested throughout – and loved the (surprise) ending.”
“I enjoyed this book. Read it in 2 days. Could not put it down, had to know what was going to happen next. Highly recommend it. Would definitely read more by Nadine Napear.”
This is a great story with changing time lines and unpredictable plot twists. A great summer read.
The author, Nadine Napear, does a fine job with development of her central character Sunny Whitaker. She is a cold blooded killer with a sweet side. The reader will find her so likable at times that you will hope she gets away with murder. And the surprise ending is worth the readers time.
“Journey of a Killer” is available from Amazon.com in paperback for $16.16 and Kindle $5.99.