I was literally gripped right from the start of this book. Literally starts of with a horrifying find by the police. And the storyline and gruesome-ness just keeps coming with this book!

I would never have guessed the ending and I was a bit heart broken (I won't say why as it will spoil it!)

I was so on the edge of my seat reading this book from start to finish, I REALLY enjoyed it. Thinking I may need to see what else the author has done!

THE ART OF DYING begs to be made into a movie. When and if a movie is made based on this book, it will be an instant Blockbuster. With the visual aspect of the killer's crimes, and the book's exceptional detail, it almost seems as if this book was written with a future movie script in mind.

I tried to think of books or other authors that I might be able to compare to THE ART OF DYING and the book that instantly came to mind was "Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris. That bestselling book has a creepiness factor that is often missing in contemporary horror novels. That "creepiness factor" is amped way up in THE ART OF DYING which makes it an unforgettable reading experience.

In fact, in trying to think of  additional comparisons, I was transported back to the first time I read "CARRIE" by Stephen King. The unexpected element of "Carrie" was probably the most haunting. In this, "The Art of Dying" actually surpasses "Carrie."

THE ART OF DYING is not just a scary book. It is much more than that. Horror is definitely the appropriate genre for this book. However, I do not want to mislead potential readers. This is NOT a Gore-Fest. (Although there are some extremely grisly details where the story demands them.) It is a meticulously plotted thriller and mystery and is a study in the intricacies of the depravity that can exist within the human mind.

The plot is fast-paced and will keep your heart racing throughout. The characters are dynamic and terrifying in equal measure and readers will be happy to know that they have not seen the last of Detective Ray Hanley.

This is a book that readers will remember for a very long time. However, if you are at all squeamish, you should probably pass on reading this book.

Once I started reading "The Art of Dying" I was unable to put it down. It hooked me instantaneously and, even more importantly, it held my fascination right to the final page.

I recently discovered that Author Derik Cavignano is hard at work on the next book starring Detective Ray Hanley and I am hoping to snag an early copy.

I rate THE ART OF DYING as 5+ OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

At first you get the impression that the author does not know where he wants to go with this, that he does not know whether he is writing a classic serial killer thriller, a detective story or a noir dealing with the mafia. Slowly and skilfully, the author weaves the various plot threads together without leaving any behind. The characters are well delineated and never excessive in their behaviour, they are never caricatures. Towards the end there is a little extra detail, necessary to take the protagonist where the author wants, but a little forced (another solution could have been adopted, in other words). The protagonist's "falling out" with his ex-girlfriend is also a bit forced, and there too, another solution could have been adopted. All in all, however, these are venial sins.
The occasional witty remarks in the text are very pleasant.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, the characters were great. It had everything that I was looking for in a horror suspense novel

I didn't expect much going into this but I wish I had enjoyed it more. It could have been good, because it was really grim, which I enjoy, but I found the writing style grating and didn't particularly like the characters. More of a 'me' thing, than a problem with the actual book/story.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The Art Of Dying is a police procedural thriller. There's some definite gore in there as well. The title and cover caught my eye immediately. I'm a sucker for dark books.

This book takes place in Boston. It involves members of the mob as well. It's a fast-paced book that easily kept my interest.

Well -written police procedural thriller, with a dash of gore.

Art of Dying features a creepy villain and psychologically deep characters residing in Boston - the story's setting.

When a member of the mob is murdered, a war begins between to mafia factions and the story starts thumping.

Highly Recommend for readers who enjoy both horror and police procedurals.

Description
A CRIME THRILLER REMINISCENT OF THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS AND THE DEPARTED.

When the bizarre death of a mob foot soldier sparks an escalating war between Boston's Irish and Italian mafia, Detective Ray Hanley's relentless search for the truth uncovers evidence of a serial killer obsessed with the art of human suffering. As the body count rises, Detective Hanley must navigate a minefield of crime families, dirty politicians, and crooked cops, while matching wits with a deranged serial killer. But temptation, betrayal, and death threaten to derail the investigation... and justice doesn't come without a price.

My Review:
Wow and definitely intense and disturbing all wrapped up in one. The Art of Dying is the first book I have read by this author and it was amazing. Definitely can't wait until the next book. Highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys an amazing detective novel.

the Art of Dying is a must buy and read. It is a fantastic thriller that pulls you into the book and you can't put it down. Well written and interesting characters.

A true cat and mouse thriller with a twist of horror.

“The Artist” is lurking around murdering people. Wait... murdering isn’t quite the right way to describe it. He is making them exhibitions by moving around body parts. The first victim found has male genitalia sewn onto his face as his nose.

Ray Hanley and his partner Billy are the duo hunting “The Artist.” They have differing personalities but I liked them together. This is a suspenseful thriller with some family drama on the side involving Detective Hanley.

I enjoyed the book although it was a little too gory for me. I would definitely try another from Derik Cavignano.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Creepy, disturbing, and extremely suspenseful. The mannerisms and colloquialisms that the characters use are spot on for the setting in which they find themselves. I will be looking for other books written by this author.

I love books set in my adopted city of Boston. This one’s a crime thriller about a demented serial killer who kidnaps, tortures and murders those who had done him wrong in the past — and then displays their bodies in humiliating ways. He calls himself The Artist, and it’s Detective Ray Hanley’s job to track him down.

If this sounds a little like Hannibal Lecter, you’re not entirely wrong. But don’t let that stop you from reading this fast-paced, lean and mean 329-page thriller that also involves a bloody mob war instigated by The Artist — and a few laugh-out-loud moments that gave this reader a break from the tension.

Love this book! Thrilling until the very end with masterfully written twists and turns to keep you glued to the pages! The characters are engaging and the plot keeps you guessing what will happen next. Can’t wait to see what Derik Cavignano comes out with next!!

Thank you NetGalley and Derik Cavignano for this advanced reader copy edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

This is one intense, twisted, addictive, complex, insane, jaw-dropping novel! Not only is this a very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters, but the suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds.

#TheArtOfDying #NetGalley

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Dark Corners Press in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Ray and his partner Billy are chasing a truly creepy serial killer, one who is making art from human suffering. Ray is also having his own personal problems; an old girlfriend remains interested, even though Ray is happily married. Great police procedural. Well-written with engaging characters and a truly disturbing villain.

When I requested this one I thought I’d really enjoy it, but I found myself disinterested due to sickness of it so I was gutted that I couldn’t enjoy it and give it a Good review. I’ve no doubt that there are people who would love this but it was a step too far for me. Thank you for allowing me to read it as i do try to widen my love of books by trying different genres.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me a chance to read this book.

I enjoy books with murders and the detectives to solve them. Ray Hanley was a good character despite one not so good incident in this book. This book is fairly graphic with the details of the murders which were creative and disturbing. It starts with the police trying to find the killer who is called the Artist. The ending had a twist that I didn’t see coming. I had to finish the last 100 pages of the book because I needed to know who the Artist was.

I would recommend this to a reader who likes horror and crime.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

A solid thriller from beginning to end. I have read none of Cavignano’s books but its clear he knows how to write a book that is hard to put down. The plot is great and the characters are great because they are so well developed, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

To say that this book is thrilling is an understatement. The Art of Dying by Derik Cavignano is a novel of murders that are taking place in Boston. One the mob's foot soldiers died in a bizarre manner which escalates the war between the Irish and Italian mafia. A couple more men are murdered and a few people are missing. Are these instances related? That is what Detective Ray Hanley has to find out.

With a deranged killer out there, one of the bodies has his limbs cut off and spider legs in place of the limbs, the other one fished out of the water had his genital in place of his nose. Now that is one bizarre killer.

The reader reads about the killer, The Artist, a man who was upset with the people he kills or abducts because of a slight done to him in the past. Ray and his fellow cops have a hard task of finding who and why of the investigation. The FBI is involved with one of the witnesses and of course, there is tension. But what is The Artists identity?



Ray has a brother Jacob who shows up occasionally in the story especially when Ray has succumbed to temptation and he needs his brother. The other characters are portrayed as they should be, the mafia dudes are tough and violent.

Ray is a gentler kind of cop as opposed to his partner Billy who is close to retirement and can be a real jerk. Ray has a wife and children while Billy is a single man with a slanted view of the world, but their interaction is a good one and they work well together.

Beware that this book is a gory horror story. I enjoyed reading this book, I hope to read the next one in the series. If you love a good scary police procedural type of book, this one is definitely for you. I read it in two

THE ART OF DYING is the first book that I've read by Derrick Cavignano and I look forward to reading COLONY OF THE LOST.

Though I enjoyed the Horror aspect in the Crime Thriller, THE ART OF DYING, the storyline was a bit predictable and I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.