Ackerman is a serial killer who loves his work. Williams is also a killer an ex homicide detective. One good and one bad. Now imagine if they have to work together to catch a very ingenious killer. Now begins a heart stopping game of cat and mouse. From the first page WHAM I was hooked. A really clever and original premise which which kept me reading late into the night. A real page turner which got my heart racing and tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker. Loved it and so highly recommended.
Thanks to Aria Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is really a 4.5 but I've rounded it up because I'm still thinking about it a day after finishing, and I've spoken to people about it - which only really happens if I've not enjoyed a book and need to vent, or if I have completely enjoyed a book and need to get my thoughts out of my brain! This book falls under the latter.

I Am The Night introduces us to Francis Ackerman Jr. - a prolific serial killer, who is questioning his existence and the reasons why he is what he is - and believes in destiny. The murder scenes are detailed and somewhat gory, but I like that because I enjoy horror as a genre, so I’m not bothered by that sort of imagery, but it may be too much for some. Plus, it is an internal part of who Francis is, and the writing drew me into his character straight away – I’d even go so far as to say that I liked Francis more than the other main character in the book! He is intriguing, honest, downright insane, but he’s amazingly real.

Marcus Williams is our other lead character, and as much as I thought he was great, for some reason I didn’t completely connect with him. I think this may be because of the way he reacts to the situations he finds himself in – and there are a lot of situations in this novel! Marcus is an ex-cop, who moves to a ranch, left to him by a recently deceased relative, to get a fresh start. Unfortunately, he gets a lot more than he bargained for when Ackerman murders someone in the town and he discovers the body. Before long, Marcus finds himself embroiled in an inconceivable conspiracy that leaves him fighting to survive and hoping beyond hope that someone will believe his tale.

As events conspire and our two lead characters are brought together, the questions of destiny, good and evil, life and death, purpose and morality are all explored before culminating in a dramatic conclusion that I didn’t see coming at all! The twists and turns in this novel keep you hooked until the last page. I literally could not stop reading - I was so intrigued as to what was happening and every time I thought I’d got it figured out Cross threw another curve ball into the mix.

I found Ethan Cross’s writing style easy to read, and the pace flowed brilliantly with the storyline. I could easily see this as a movie or a mini series as it really has that feel to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am very much looking forward to what I hope is an inevitable sequel.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: while it is not a gore-fest, there are moments of gruesome violence in the book.

I’m giving this book 3 stars like I did the first time I read it. The story is good but it all comes across as a bit messy and ‘spaghetti western’. It is over the top and there is too much introspection by both of the leads. However, in the way of these things the author hones his craft and the following books are much better. How do I know this? Because I’ve read the whole series. This book was first published in 2011 as The Shepherd. At the end of the story where the author’s other books are listed, I see that The Shepherd is included. I would be disappointed if I bought this having read the earlier publication as they are identical.

And in a note to the publishers - while it is fine to ‘booby-trap’ review copies so they are very obviously review copies and therefore less likely to be shared around, the way this was done, by removing groups of letters (ff, fl, fi, and some of the th) made it difficult and frustrating to read, breaking up the flow in many cases. There are better ways of booby trapping.

Wow. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I have been completely gripped by this captivating and addictive read.

It's no secret, I love a true crime watch/read, this book has reminded me of those. What's better than a compelling serial killer who enjoys inflicting suffering on their victims. Ackerman reminds me so much of famous cases like Bundy.

With that said, I have found the murders in this one completely chaotic and unpredictable which as a reader has kept me completely hooked and constantly guessing where the author was taking this one.

This is my first read by this author, it definitely will not be the last. This book has definitely converted me as a fan of this author. This is a fantastic read which I highly recommend. A definite five star rating from me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview I am The Night by Ethan Cross. This is a terrifying novel - I was scared and could not put this book down.
This is my first taste of these novels and if there are more, I am going to read them.
Cross introduces the reader to two men - Marcus Williams and Frances Ackerman - both are violent men - one good and one bad. When both men are drawn together, two world collide. Ackerman is a serial killer and the opening introduces you to the violence and unrelenting killer instinct he possesses. Marcus is an ex-cop who moves to Colorado because he has inherited a home. Marcus has a past that haunts him so he is seeking some solace in the mountains of Colorado, but finds a murdered woman in the house next to his. Although he notify s the police, Marcus feels that something is off, feels like he is being watched, and quickly learns that things are not what they appear.
A cat and mouse game begins when Marcus soon faces a killer, Ackerman, that has no conscience and he kills just to kill. But Marcus feels akin to this killer and knows that if he doesn't stop him, many people will die and it could be the ones he is starting to care about. As he is drawn into a game he doesn't want to play, Marcus knows that someone is going to die and he will use all his skills to keep them alive.
Fast read, violent, and soooooo good. 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

I chose this book, as I feel like it had the makings of a good thriller, and within the first few pages you are quickly plunged into a cat and mouse game.

Unfortunately, I struggled to finish the book, and this is why; within the first paragraphs, I noted that there were several letters missing from words ‘th’ missing from most of ‘the’, and all of the ‘f’s. I’m not sure if this is only on the kindle format, or whether or not it carries over, but it’s really distracting having missing letters with huge gaps in words. If I’m reading a book I don’t want to be trying to work out what the words are supposed to be. It made the reading a chore, and not an enjoyable experience at all and put me off finishing the book.

This is a shame as I feel like the book has promise, but the publishers/editors need to work on this.
I may try again In the future to see if this has been corrected, but if I’d bought the book, I’d have been returning it for a refund.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria for providing me with an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Francis Ackerman Jr. is one of the most compelling serial killers I've read in a long while. Though he is a merciless killer who enjoys inflicting drawn-out suffering to his victims, his level of moral consciousness adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to his character. Unlike other serial killers who are defined by their grizzly acts of violence, Ackerman's self-awareness that makes him more than just a crazed murderer.

In "I Am The Night," Ackerman and ex-detective Marcus Williams become mixed up in a conspiracy involving the highest order of US government. Both characters are drawn into a world of bloodshed and violence that forces them to question the qualities that connect them and make both killer and cop more similar than dissimilar.

This was truly a chaotic book that was easily unpredictable due to its twists and turns and so frightening that the fear Ackerman's victims experienced became my own. I highly recommend this novel to those who love suspenseful crime and captivating serial killers who are absolutely terrifying in their deliverance of death.

I've read several Ethan Cross books and find them easy to read and very fast paced. This one is no exception. I really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end. I highly recommend this book.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend

What a fascinating and chilling premise! Nearly non-stop action, and enough twists and turns to guarantee a wild ride. Loved it, and highly recommend.

*My thanks to the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. It's greatly appreciated!*

I chose this as have already read the Francis Ackerman books and was excited to see another one in the series. It soon became clear after a few chapters that this is a re-release of the first in the series under a separate title. That said, this is an excellent book with a fearsome serial killer on the loose and the shady organisation challenged to hunt him. Great twist at the end which I never saw coming, highly recommend.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately the proof copy I read had major flaws in that and word with "fl" or "th" was missing those letters. Such a shame and although I persevered I was unable to carry on.

A really creepy thriller with two psychopaths characters. This story takes crazy turn after turn but it’s great x