Normal: A Novel

January 12, 2015
A highly unusual serial killer is the star of British author Cameron’s blackly humorous first novel. The nameless narrator first appears to fit the stereotype of a meticulous killer untroubled by normal emotions. He researched 18-year-old Sarah Abbott, who was taking a year off from school before heading to Oxford, killed her in her house, and carefully cleaned up afterward. On returning to his van, however, he discovers that he has locked its keys inside. A brick through the van’s window solves that problem, but later, back at the victim’s house, he runs into a friend of Sarah’s, Erica Shaw, who winds up in a cage in the basement of the narrator’s garage. His bumbling continues throughout. In a big departure from the standard serial killer trope, he begins nonpredatory relationships with three different women. He even falls in love with one of them. Those who have no trouble accepting a humanized serial killer will be most satisfied. Agent: Amy Moore-Benson, AMB Literary Management (Canada).

February 1, 2015
Cameron's novel inserts readers into the life of a man who is anything but what the title implies-normal.Nameless throughout the novel, the main character's personal boundaries fall well outside what's considered acceptable beyond a maximum security prison or mental hospital for the criminally insane, and Cameron wastes no time getting down to the killing. The first victim introduced is Sarah, an 18-year-old whose brief live appearance only foreshadows her larger role as a victim. But the poor killer had a bad childhood: His mother left him in the custody of his brutal father, so naturally, Daddy Dearest became the first victim. He then moved on to more interesting subjects, like young women. After slaying Sarah, he carves her up like a side of beef, because, after all, he has another mouth to feed: He's holding Erica Shaw hostage in his specially built underground facility. Erica's proven to be a bit of a difficult case, though. She throws the food he provides her and, wisely, as it turns out, refuses to eat it. Although the reader never knows why he insists on keeping Erica alive while stalking new prey, he even goes grocery shopping for her. And it's there that he eventually meets the one woman who changes everything. In the meantime, he prevents a girl named Annie-originally intended as a victim-from being raped and picks up a hapless hooker who has a very different fate from Annie's. Soon his new infatuation, his prisoner and the police collide, causing all hell to break loose in ways that even a creative serial killer couldn't have envisioned. A black comedy featuring a bizarre murderer who believes he suffers for his "art." Cameron has written a painfully funny story that's littered with corpses, both intentional and unintentional, and proves that sometimes spotting the craziest person on the block isn't quite as easy as it seems.

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February 1, 2015

The unnamed protagonist just wants things to remain normal. Sure, normal for him is kidnapping and killing young women (sometimes after he's held them captive for a period of time), but is it too much to ask that he be allowed to pursue his calling in peace? Up until now that hasn't been a problem. But two young women are about to change that. One is the "victim" he currently has in his cage in the basement. Though she's been kidnapped, Erika isn't about to let her captor set the tone. The other is the young woman he meets at the grocery store. For the first time in his life he's interested in getting to know someone (all while not wanting to kill them). Suddenly, he's not sure he needs to keep up with his "normal" life anymore. The problem is, there's someone still in the cage. And the police are starting to ask questions. VERDICT Certainly not everyone wants to read a book from a serial killer's point of view, but for the ones who do this debut thriller may be just for them. While the murderer is a horrendous person, there is a very dark humor in his plight, and the author adds a couple of satisfying twists. Fans of Jeff Lindsay's "Dexter" series may enjoy.--Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
By the third page of this debut novel, the unnamed British narrator has murdered and dismembered 18-year-old Sarah. As the serial killer leaves the scene, Sarah's friend Erica pops up. Not to worry; he's built a cage under his garage to hold his prey, and in Erica goes. But police start coming around just as he feels his life changing after locking eyes with lovely supermarket checkout girl Rachel. And Erica, showing signs of Stockholm syndrome, is becoming an increasing problem. He knows he's not normal I hurt people. It's what I do. It's all I do and that he's a product of nature, not nurture. Then he starts making mistakes that lead to unexpected outcomes and an ending that seems tailored for a sequel. Serial killing is presented here as amoralno Dexter with a certain moral underpinningand some readers may find the tone oddly lighthearted, seemingly aimed at creating sympathy for the everyman perpetrator, however sociopathic he may be. For readers with a high tolerance for violence, Cameron offers an unusual spin on a man who murders.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)