"A Killer's Essence"

Dave Zeltserman was born in Boston and educated at the University of Colorado. A former software engineer, he is the author of nine horror and crime novels including Outsourced and Pariah.

He applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, A Killer's Essence, and reported the following:

On page 69, my homicide detective, Stan Green, is questioning the adult daughter of a murder victim, and later fuming about his ex-wife and how she's been poisoning his kids against his new girlfriend. As it turns out this is very representative of the book, both in the mood, and in how it shows how impotent Stan is in offering any comfort to this woman.

I’ll have to be there,” I said.

She gave me a questioning look.

“In case anyone shows up who you don’t know ...”

I didn’t spell out that her mother’s killer was the person I was concerned about showing up at the funeral, but she got the idea and her mouth started to tremble. She put a hand to her face as tears leaked from her eyes. I sat frozen, wanting to comfort her, but not sure how to do that, not even sure if it was possible. In the end, I sat silently drinking my coffee and feeling like a fraud and a coward. Eventually she fought back her grief and composed herself. When she could talk, she gave me the time and place of her mother’s funeral. I left her then.

While A Killer's Essence is ostensibly a supernaturally tinged crime thriller, it's also very much about the chaos and confusion that blinds us in over everyday lives. Stan Green is a good guy and a dedicated police detective, but his personal life is spinning out of control, and he's swallowed up in so much anger, and this next paragraph shows a hint of this:

While walking to my car, I held my jacket collar closed and lowered my head against the rain. It was a miserable day, and it pretty much matched my mood. While on I-95 North heading back to Manhattan, I almost called Cheryl to let her know how much I appreciated her poisoning my kids against me and Bambi, but I had just enough wits about me to realize what a mistake that would be. Instead I fumbled with my notepad until I found Zachary Lynch’s number, then called him. First time I got his answering machine. I left a message that I knew he was home and for him to pick up to save me a trip to his apartment. I called again afterwards, and this time he picked up.

Learn more about the author and his work at Dave Zeltserman's website and blog.

Check out the complete list of books in the Page 69 Test Series.

--Marshal Zeringue