Bodies floating to the surface of a lake in a graveyard.

Bodies laid to rest in coffins not their own.

For ex-cop turned P.I. Theo Tate, it's a case he must solve....one that began when his life was torn apart by tragedy, and pushed him over an edge no policeman should cross.

An edge he may be crossing again.

A masterfully written noirish thriller that delivers in spades, Cleave takes the story right to the razor's edge at points, but keeps things on track with a deft hand, and creating a uniquely human character in Theo Tate.....one with real depth who I look forward to reading more about.

Highly recommended.

Joshuas Vater ist Polizist und wird bei einem Einsatz getötet. Für Joshua ändert sich mit einem Schlag sein Leben, weil ihm sein Vater ein Geschenk hinterlässt: Er spendet dem blinden Jungen seine Augen, damit er die Welt für sich entdecken kann. Allerdings ist bei der Operation ein Fehler passiert und Joshua wird das Auge eines Killers eingesetzt. Daraufhin hat er furchtbare Träume, die er sich nicht erklären kann.

"Die Saat des Killers" musste ich unbedingt lesen, weil ich endlich mal wieder Lust auf Cleaves Christchurch hatte. Wer Paul Cleave bereits kennt, muss sich auf eine ungewöhnliche Geschichte einstellen, die mir dennoch ausgezeichnet gefallen hat.

Joshuas Vater stirbt bei einem Einsatz, als er und sein Kollege Ben einen Mörder stellen. Nach dem Tod seines Dads ändert sich Joshuas Leben von Grund auf, weil der blinde Junge die Augen seines Vaters erhält. 

Gleich zu Beginn wird man in die Mordszene hineinmanövriert, und sieht, wie Joshuas Vater um's Leben kommt. Hier zeigt sich Cleave, wie man ihn kennt. Blutig, schnörkellos und knallhart leitet er den Tod der Figuren herbei, um im Anschluss Joshua aus der Blindenschule abzuholen.

Bei einer Transplantation ist Zeit ein wichtiges Kriterium. Joshua kommt nicht einmal dazu, den Tod des Vaters zu realisieren, schon wird er operiert und findet sich mit einem Verband um die Augen im Krankenhaus wieder. 

Daraufhin findet sich der 16-Jährige in die Welt der Sehenden ein. Nur diese grausamen Träume suchen in heim, in denen er sieht, wie sein Vater getötet wird.

Mit dem Polizeieinsatz hat mich Cleave sofort wieder nach Neuseeland gezogen. Ich mag sein Christchurch und wie die polizeilichen Ermittlungen in dieser Stadt laufen. Doch dann sieht der Autor vom Ermittlungsstrang ab, und wendet sich in erster Linie Joshua zu.

Für Joshua öffnet sich eine neue Welt, was sehr interessant zu lesen ist. Er war sein bisheriges Leben lang blind. Jetzt kann er sogar auf eine normale Schule gehen, und sehenden Auges die Zukunft planen. Zudem ist Joshua verwirrt, weil er eben den Tod des Vaters und die neue Lebenssituation verkraften muss. Außerdem wird er von merkwürdigen Visionen geplagt, die er sich nicht erklären kann.

Gerade dieser Part um Joshua hat mir enorm gefallen, weil Cleave damit zeigt, dass er nicht nur mit den bösen Jungs kuscheln kann. Der jugendliche Protagonist nimmt zwar oftmals den Thrill aus der Handlung raus, gibt dafür aber fesselnden Raum für die Entwicklung der Story her.

Thematischer Hintergrund des Romans ist zelluläres Gedächtnis. Es gibt die Annahme, dass sich transplantierte Organe an ihre biologischen Eigentümer erinnern, und es deshalb bei Organempfänger manchmal zu merkwürdigen Anwandlungen kommt. Beispielhaft werden die plötzliche Vorliebe für deutsches Bier oder der unabdingbare Drang, Klavier zu spielen, angeführt, obwohl der Empfänger vor der Operation niemals damit in Berührung kam. Und nun stelle man sich vor, man bekommt das Herz eines Serienkillers eingesetzt … 

Die Handlung ist für einen Cleave relativ ruhig, wird dennoch sehr fesselnd erzählt. Es gibt einen blutigen Rachefeldzug, der meiner Ansicht nach genau im richtigen Maß gewählt wurde, die Polizei hat Dreck am Stecken und das Tempo zum Ende hin wird stetig erhöht.

Insgesamt ist „Die Saat des Killers“ ein großartiger Roman, für Cleave aber mit wenig Thrill, in dem der Autor jedoch neue Facetten zeigt. Rahmenthema und Handlung haben mich fasziniert, daher ist es ein Thriller, den ich durchaus empfehlen kann.

Finally, finished a book early enough in the day to read this one. It's been on my TBR for a while. I wasn't holding off for any reason other than I thought it would be a little more on the horror side. Well, after waiting all this time to read it, I really didn't have to wait. This was not a book that gave me nightmares at all. Which actually worked out better for me.

I loved the overall concept of the book. "Can receiving the eyes of a serial killer through enucleation cause you to have visions from that serial killer?" Crazy, huh? Well, let me tell you, it was and it gets even crazier at the end. It was creepy and I really like how it worked out in the end.

There were so many times that I thought the book was almost over, however, I would look down and see there was still a lot of time left. I was thinking where else can this book go and then YOWZA - another complete twist and I was mesmerized all over again.

Interesting concept, great read, could not put it down!!

Thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

By: Paul Cleave
ISBN: 9781501153013

Publisher: Atria 

Publication Date: 8/1/2017 

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: 5 Stars

Buy the Book

Paul Cleave, the internationally bestselling powerhouse New Zealand author returns following Trust No One landing on my Top 10 Books of 2015 and Five Minutes Alone making its way to my Top 30 Books of 2014 with yet another jaw-dropping twisty suspense horror thriller — A KILLER HARVEST. It is indeed "Killer." 

An avid Cleave fan: What sets this author apart from the competition? Many things. Tops: His creativity, talent, and his wicked dark humor! 

Oh, and what a cover! Dynamite. Atria is killing it! I kept swishing at the last page, hoping for inspiration from the author. Would love to know the spark which ignited this story. 

Those who enjoyed the movie Blink (1993) and Seven Pounds (2008) will be fascinated with A KILLER HARVEST — a new unique twist which keeps on spinning . . . 

Now back to the book. Cellular Memory Horror. Dark secrets. 

Poor Joshua Logan. He has had a run of very bad luck. A family curse. (I would say he is on to something here, for sure). 

His dad jumped in front of a bus a few months before Joshua was born. He did it to save a small girl he never met who had slipped away from her mother’s grasp and had stumbled into the street. 

A hero? A dad who was missing in his life. His mom was in his life for five months before meeting a bus of her own, in the form of a brain embolism. 

Predestination. 

Blind from birth. Biological parents gone. Joshua’s world is black. It has been his entire sixteen years. The curse made sure of that. 

Now his current father (his aunt and uncle), Detective Mitchell Logan is killed. On a case. The suspect construction foreman, Simon Bowers. What do a killer and a cop have in common? Eyes. 

Detective Inspector Ben Kirk (Logan’s partner) takes out Simon. However, before he takes him out, he needs to get answers to a few health questions. 

The clock is ticking. Mitchell and Ben wanted to improve the world. Taking organs from the evil to give to the good. 

The four best friends through high school: Mitchell (cop), Michelle (vet), Ben (cop), and Ben’s brother Jesse (teacher). 

A dad's promise. He wanted his eyes to go to his son, Joshua. 

Detective Vega, once again states his dad was a hero. No hero left for him. The guy that killed his dad was a bad guy and his dad makes sure that guy could not hurt anyone else. 

However, now there is Simon’s friend, Vincent who wants revenge. He is a nasty one as well. 

Joshua is the recipient of his dad’s eyes. He is hoping to be able to see the world his dad saw it. The new Joshua Logan is going to see for the first time, something he has wanted more than anything—just not at this price. The curse is not about balance. It takes and takes. 

However, there was a mishap by a technician. His dad’s eyes and the killer’s eyes were dropped. Switched in error. Now, Josh has one of each. 

The interesting twist is how he knows, or suspects. His mom says he owes it to his dad to be the best man he can. Was his dad a criminal as well? 

The Doctor: Twenty-eight years of harvesting organs. For the last five years, a doctor has been harvesting them from the likes of Simon Bower. 

Those killed in the commission of crime have had their names retroactively added to the database of organ donors whether they want to donate or not. 

From a cabin in the woods, abduction, dogs, torture, blood, a woman, death. Josh begins seeing things. A nightmare or is he seeing things from the owner of his new eyes? Will his eyes and cellular memory give him two perspectives in order to solve a crime? 

A vampire named Frederick in his books, to bullying, a partner in crime, danger, a serial killer, a girl named Ruby Carter, and a scar he has inherited. How many others are having weird dreams from their own donor?

Wow, Cleave knows how to create complex plot twists and intensity! Cellular memory takes on an evil twist (s) and no one does it better than Cleave. When the line (s) between good and evil are blurred.

The secrets of the past refuse to keep quiet in this razor-sharp, unputdownable, taut thriller. Readers will be immersed until the final page while never trusting a surgeon again in this lifetime. 

I am beginning to suspect Paul Cleave/Stephen King may be long lost, brothers. 

Looking forward to someone picking up his Cleave’s books for the wide screen. I want a front row seat! Also how about Cleave for a guest appearance on Younger (TV series) with Atria. 

A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an early reading copy. Once again, top book list for the year. 

JDCMustReadBooks

Praise for A Killer Harvest: 

"Starting with a macabre setup, Cleave keeps upping the stakes till any scrap of plausibility is left far behind and only an increasingly effective series of hair-raising thrills remains." (Kirkus Reviews)

“Edgar-finalist Cleave makes an implausible, but very creepy, premise work in this powerful, thought-provoking novel…impressive crime thriller." (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Cleave, a master of dark and compelling thrillers, puts a moral spin on this twisting, chilling tale with its disturbing finale.” (Booklist)

About the Author

 

Paul is an award winning author who often divides his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set.

His works have been bestsellers that been translated into over a dozen languages and have sold over a million copies. He’s won the Ngaio Marsh Award, the Saint-Maur book festival’s crime novel of the year award, has been shortlisted for the Edgar and the Barry and the Ned Kelly.

When he’s not at home with the stereo cranked up loud and working on his next novel, he can normally be found on a tennis court, a golf course, or throwing a Frisbee somewhere. Trust No One, a stand-alone about a crime writer suffering from Alzheimer’s, is his latest novel. Read More 

Note: While this is Book 4 in the series, it works pretty well as a stand alone. There are some reveals about what happened to certain characters in previous books. Also, this series is part of the bigger overall Christchurch murder mysteries, which has intersecting timelines. Have you ever read a headline about some horrible crime and thought, ‘Well, the victim or their loved ones should get five minutes alone with the culprit!’. That’s the central plot to this book. A convicted rapist turns up dead and the Christchurch (New Zealand) cops aren’t too enthusiastic in investigating who might be responsible. Still, they have a job to do. Get ready for an intense cat and mouse game between avenging killer and reluctant yet dedicated detectives. Wow! This book was super intense! I really enjoyed it and it was difficult to put down in order to sleep for a few hours before picking it up again. Theo Tate is back on the force, having been sober for a year. He’s the king of second chances, as some call him. He’s messed up plenty of times and yet he always means well. His new partner is Rebecca Kent, who recently recovered from her own injuries which she received while on duty. They catch the the case involving the recently released convicted rapist and aren’t too excited about it. Meanwhile, Carl Schroeder, who also recently recovered from a serious injury, just isn’t the same. He’s no longer on the force but he’s got his own work keeping him busy. His story arc for this series is the most interesting so far! I’m really impressed with Cleave’s writing on this one! Schroeder was the guy that helped keep Tate on the side of good (most of the time). Now, Schroeder may be the one needing Tate to act the conscience for him. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Tate’s wife had a significant role in this book. If you’ve read the earlier books, then you know she has been mostly out of the picture. Now her presence brings Tate both joy and anxiety. I don’t want to say too much because I do my best to avoid spoilers. Just know that Cleave is upping his game by bringing Bridget into the mix. There’s also Warren the spider, a kind of pet to one of the characters. His cheeky remarks provided some humor to this dark and gritty tale. I was a little sad to see that Warren will probably not be in further novels. The plot was intense! I now, I already mentioned that, but I really mean it! There was never a dull moment. As the reader, we know right away who this mysterious avenging killer is. At first, I was rooting for this person, but as the story unfolds, this vigilante makes mistakes and good people start dying. With the first accidental death, I was ready to forgive the vigilante, because, hey, we all make mistakes. But the bodies kept piling up and it became obvious that this type of justice has a cost. Cleave is clever in that he doesn’t stop there. Instead, through these gripping characters, he asks the question of whether this cost is less or more than the cost society and victims pay under the current justice system. The cat and mouse game continues as each of our main detectives have to weigh the answer for themselves. This was an excellent murder mystery turned thriller. I really wasn’t sure where Cleave would take the story on the final stretch. In the end, I was very satisfied, feeling that a kind of justice was meted out while staying true to overall feel of the book. I look forward to seeing what he does next. Theo Tate already needs plenty of therapy. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Audiobook Jukebox. Narration: Paul Ansdell did a pretty good job. His individual voices started off crisp and distinct, though well into the book Tate and Schroeder started to sound the same. From there forward, it was off and on with the clear distinction between these two. However, the text is often very clear about who is talking, so that made it easy for most of the book to keep things straight. Ansdell has believable female voices unless they are sad and anguished. His voice tends to drop several notes when he mimics a woman in deep sorrow or distress. For the purposes of the story, that doesn’t really matter. Ansdell does a great job imbuing the characters with emotion.