David Jackson's "Resident"

 

You can find this book here.

Who wants Thomas Brogan living in their loft (or attic)? No one. 

Brogan is a serial killer who is on the run from the police. He finds an abandoned home with a loft that has a secret: the loft joins to three other houses. This of course will make a lot of fun for a serial killer no one knows is living up there. Oh, the games he intends to play with the neighbours!

The book is a first-person narrative; though most of the conversation Brogan has is with the voice in his head. To be honest, without this element, the book would be a boring read because most of the book is him watching and playing games to gauge reactions from the people below him. 

The perspective of a serial killer was interesting. You slowly find out about Brogan as the novel goes on and possibly motivations for why he does what he does. But since he talks to a voice in his head, you also know he's not sane. 

Because the book focusses on a very restricted environment, there is a sense of claustrophobia to it. There is enough information to attach yourselves to the characters in the book; though whether you grow sympathetically to Brogan's situation or not is up to you when you read it. 

Watch out for the black humour; and though the reviews on the cover suggest it is a thriller, I found it a slow burn and not very creepy. This is good though, because it builds tension rather slowly, shows you the state of Brogan and other characters and possibly even the claustrophobia they feel, even though they aren't stuck up in an attic. 

It wasn't terrifying, but it was a little bit of fun.

Links for you:

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Please be aware that I have chosen these read-a-likes because their point of view (POV) of the main character is that of the killer, stalkker, etc.

You and Hidden bodies

Caroline Kepnes

Dexter: an omnibus

Jeff Lindsay

American psycho: a novel

Brett Easton Ellis