Red Dragon

Thomas Harris

Editions

Review

It was the sequel to this book, The Silence Of The Lambs pbk £5.99, which made Hannibal pbk £6.99 Lecter, psychiatrist and cannibal, a superstar of crime fiction.  Dr Lecter appears here in an extended cameo, but the focus of the story is Will Graham, a former FBI investigator who is persuaded to return to his work to track down a serial-killer, whose next attack is expected within a couple of weeks.

Distinctive bite marks left on the victims’ bodies (yes, it’s one of those books  - there is quite a high gore factor, and I don’t mean recounts in Florida) earn the killer the initial nickname of ‘The Tooth Fairy’.  Graham begins the task of profiling the killer, and soon ends up a target himself.  It is a thoroughly absorbing story, and for those of you who were disappointed by Harris’ later Hannibal, this is well worth reading.  The characters are believable and the plot is ingenious, with a few real shocks.  The idea of making a serial-killer a central character has been copied many times subsequently, but not many of the copies can match this original thriller for intensity, intelligence and excitement. - review by Dan Fenton