Like 'Dexter' meets 'Zodiac' - but when Daniel comes for you, no one will hear you scream!
Daniel is back, and heās more evil than EVER!
Oakville is in another panic! The most hideous serial killer the city has ever known has returned with a new theme.
The murders are more violent. The deaths are more gruesome. Where will it all end?
Follow the clues that Daniel leaves at each crime scene, and try to unravel the Bloody Puzzle along with the perplexed detectives hot on his trail.
Are you ready for an insane new spree of blood and gore?
Like 'Dexter' meets 'Zodiac' - but when Daniel comes for you, no one will hear you scream!
Daniel is back, and heās more evil than EVER!
Oakville is in another panic! The most hideous serial killer the city has ever known has returned with a new theme.
The murders are more violent. The deaths are more gruesome. Where will it all end?
Follow the clues that Daniel leaves at each crime scene, and try to unravel the Bloody Puzzle along with the perplexed detectives hot on his trail.
Are you ready for an insane new spree of blood and gore?
I need to kill again. And soon! After all, itās been almost three months since I killed for the last time. After my triumphs as the āPerpetrator of Bloody Legendsā, I want to do something new. But I havenāt yet decided what my new theme will be. All I know is, itās going to be both bloodier and more enigmatic, since I have no intention of being captured.
But I need to kill! So until I decide, why not take the opportunity to honor the first serial killer in modern history who was never caught? That would be something new. And in addition, the methods and style of āJack the Ripperā will allow me to enormously enjoy every moment of what Iām doing.
Iāll choose Norwood for the locale, because thatās where I killed for the first time. I still remember the blood squirting out of that common little whoreās throat! But first Iāll to have to check and see if that alley is still as isolated as it was fourteen years ago. I believe it will be, since that neighborhood is predominantly industrial and itās still quite cold out, even though winter is almost over.
###
I drive my Jaguar slowly through the streets of Braxton, a picturesque suburb thatās famous for bars and cultural spaces with an eclectic mix of regulars of varied ages and social classes. The car draws attention and ensures that Iām always noticed.
I see three prostitutes standing on a corner. I stop the car and wait until one of them approaches. I offer her exceptionally good money to go with me to the Clover and stay with me until morning. She informs her friends of her plans, and then weāre on our way to the motel.
The Clover is a generic motel, frequented both by people who are married to their lovers and others who pay their companions. I think itās a dump, but it serves my purposes well.
The motel has only one floor. Many of the guests park on the left side, where itās more discreet. I always park right in front.
I pay with my own credit card, and choose one of the last rooms that faces the opposite side of the parking lot.
When we get settled in the room, I order the prostitute to do a striptease for me, like she would in a strip club. As she dances, I open a bottle of wine and fill two glasses. Without her noticing, I spike one of them with a strong sedative. Then I tell her to get into the bed, and we drink our wine. I eat her out while I wait for the drug to take effect. She fades too fast to fully appreciate what Iām doing.
I get up and empty whatās left in the wine bottle. Then I open another bottle, dump more than half of it in the sink as well, and pour a little into each glass. When the hooker wakes up, sheāll think we drank all that wine and thatās why she slept.
Then I change into some cheap clothes and put on my fake beard and gloves, which Iād brought in my backpack. I put my hood up and exit the room through a window that opens onto a dimly lit alley. I jump a wall and walk a few blocks to a bus stop. I ride the next bus to another neighborhood, where Iād earlier parked the old Camry I use on these occasions.
###
I drive to Dunster, another suburb known for crime and prostitution. In just a few minutes, I find a lone whore and hire her. Sheās young and beautiful, and she reminds me of the first whore I killed. Iāll never forget that expression of terror on her face, the look of surprise when I cut her throat, the blood splashing on my jacket, her despair as she tried in vain to contain the blood that gushed out between her fingersā¦ It was beautiful!
From there, I start driving us to Norwood.
āWhere are we going?ā the worried prostitute asks.
āNorwood.ā
āNorwood? Why? Canāt we just stay in Dunster? Why go so far?ā
āItās not that far. Itās less than a fifteen-minute drive.ā
āWell, Iād rather stay here in Dunster.ā
āLook, if you want to stay in Dunster, okay. Iāll drop you off and find someone else. Iām married, see, and I have kids, and Iām not going to stick around Dunster and risk being seen with a prostitute. So you decide.ā
The slut thinks about it. But luckily for me, these whores only really think about the money. She decides to go along with me.
###
I stop the car at the entrance to the same alley where I killed for the first time. When I came here last week, I was happy to see that it was exactly as it was fourteen years ago. And this time itās going to be even better, since Iām prepared and Iāll be able to take pictures of every detail.
āGet out of the car,ā I order her. āWeāre going over behind those boxes.ā
āDo you think thatās a good idea?ā
āIf I didnāt, I wouldnāt tell you to go there, would I? Go on.ā
āLook, I donāt really like being here. This alley is too dark.ā
āNonsense. Thereās enough light for us to see what matters.ā And for me to see every little thing as I gut you!
āBut thereās no one in sight anywhere.ā
āRight. Thatās the idea.ā
āI think itās too isolated.ā
āOh, do you want to put on a show? We can go someplace where thereās a crowd.ā
āOf course not! But Iād feel better if we went to a motel or something. Or at least to a less isolated place. Thereās no one around.ā
āListen here,ā I abruptly interrupt, to indicate impatience. āNot that itās any of your business, but as Iāve told you, I have a family, and I canāt risk my wife finding out that I go around with whores. Look,ā I say, taking her full payment out of my pocket and handing the cash to her, ātake this right now. Then you can rest assured that youāre being paid for your services.ā
āNo, itās not that,ā she says, taking the money nevertheless and putting it in her bag. āI wasnāt suspicious of you, Iām just scared. After all these crimes that have happened, we need to be careful, donāt you think?ā
And yet youāll get into a strangerās car and prostitute yourself. Very smart!
āI understand. Of course you should be careful. But look at me. Do I look like a killer? Do you think Iām the āPerpetrator of Bloody Legendsā?ā I ask her with a disarming smile.
She smiles back and says, āNo, of course not. I just... Oh, all right, I guess Iām just being silly.ā
She opens the door and gets out of the car. She starts walking toward the boxes, and I follow right behind her. This time, I leave the carās headlights on, to shine a little more light on the place where Iām going to eviscerate this bitch.
###
Despite the cold, sheās wearing only a short tight dress, a cheap leather jacket, and those very high heels that prostitutes usually wear.
She turns around and asks me what I want her to do.
āTake off your jacket and put it on the boxes.ā
āBut itās cold tonight!ā
āIf youāre as good as you look, things will soon get hot. Wonāt they?ā I say, smiling salaciously. āCome on, come on, I want to feel something. You know what I mean!ā
Of course, what I really want is for her to take that damn jacket off so I can subdue her more easily.
She sets her purse on top of one of the boxes, takes off her jacket, and places it carefully on top of the bag. Then she raises her eyes and stares at me, waiting for my next order. I like that.
āLetās see what you can do to make me hard,ā I say, laughing.
āDonāt worry, youāll see. Iāll give you your moneyās worth.ā
āI know you will,ā I say with a dirty look and smile. Itās just not going to be in the way you think.
Then she kneels, opens my zipper, and starts to work. I have to admit, the girl knows what to do with her tongue. After some of that action, I put on a condom while she lifts her dress and pulls down her panties.
When I finish fucking her, I take the condom off, drop it on the ground, and zip up. As she bends down to pull up her panties, I take advantage of her vulnerability and throw her across the boxes. Sheās taller than my first whore was, but itās still easy to dominate her. I pull her arms up and back, holding onto them with one hand while I get the plastic zip ties from my coat pocket. She starts screaming, but I donāt care. Actually, I like it better that way. I lay her over the boxes, zip-tie her wrists together, and turn her over so she can face me.
āSo, you donāt think Iām the āPerpetrator of Bloody Legendsā? Thatās interesting,ā I sneer.
āPlease, please, no, you donāt look like him! Are you a cop?ā she asks me through her tears.
I laugh.
āWho, me? What kind of stupid question is that? Of course Iām not a cop. I am the Perpetrator of Bloody Legends!ā
Now her eyeballs look like theyāre about to pop out! She screams and cries so much, it seems like she might drown in her own tears while begging me to let her go. But why would I do that? The more terrified she is, the more pleasure Iām going to feel.
āWhat legend of mine did you like the most? Do you have any idea what legend youāre going to be a part of?ā I say with a sadistic laugh.
āNo, please donāt kill me! I have children!ā
āReally? I always wonder why people like you procreate. Why have kids if you canāt afford to raise them?ā
āPlease, theyāre just little!ā
āAnd why should I care about that?ā
āPlease... Please, I beg you, donāt kill me!ā
āSo, do you want to guess which legend I chose for you to die in?ā
āNo, no, no, no, no! Please donāt!ā
āBut your death will be epic!ā
She starts screaming even more desperately now.
āPlease, I beg you! My kids are so young!ā
āI told you, I donāt give a shit about that. Donāt you know that I kill kids, too?ā I say, without disguising the pleasure I feel as I recall the children I killed in the execution of some of the legends.
āThey have no one but me. I beg you, donāt kill me!ā
āDamn you!ā Sheās trying to kick me now. āIām sure your kids will get much better care in a foster home, no matter how crappy it is or how abusive the people are, than if they continue to be raised by a lousy mother like you.ā
I punch her in the face and grab her neck with the same hand. I squeeze it hard, until she almost faints. Then I throw her to the ground and put zip ties on her feet, too.
I run back to the car. I quickly remove my gloves and beard and toss them in the back seat. Then I open the trunk and get some items Iāll need. While Iām doing that, I look over at the whore and see that sheās crawling, trying to get out of the alley. I start to laugh. I pick up everything I need and go back to her.
āWhat do you think youāre doing? Do you really think youāre going anywhere, bitch?ā
āPlease... ā she tearfully begs again.
I put on surgical gloves and a leather apron in deference to Jack. After all, the Ripper was also nicknamed Leather Apron for a while. I turn her over again and sit on her pussy, with my legs astride her to hold her still on the ground.
āCan you feel that Iām still excited? You really are worth what you charge,ā I laugh evilly.
As I think about everything Iām going to do with her, my excitement increases. I planned everything carefully so I could reproduce as faithfully as possible his attacks on the victims known as the āCanonical Fiveā, the five of the eleven Whitechapel Murders that everyone agrees were committed by the Ripper ā and of course, so I can make the most of it before my victim dies. I breathe deeply and rejoice in the sound of her screams. She has no idea how important her screams are at this moment.
To exacerbate her despair, I first show her my beloved Ka-Bar. Then I make a deep cut on the left side of her face, from cheek to chin. Her flesh opens and blood begins to run down her face. She screams even louder, causing the blood to flow more rapidly.
Then I lay the knife along the region below her right ear and pull it, making a straight tear to the mouth. Her face begins to become seriously disfigured. But still, the hooker wonāt stop screaming. Even better! I like it this way.
I tear her clothes off and move alongside her. I watch her naked body as she struggles, trying to free herself. Then I stick the knife in her womb.
āYou said you have children. There are no scars, so I can see they were normal deliveries. How about trying a C-section this time?ā
I make an irregular cut along her lower abdomen. Almost like what Jack did to his first victim, but not too deep, so she wonāt lose too much blood and die too fast. I always allow myself some poetic license for my amusement. What fun would it be if she died right away? I also start to make small cuts to her neck, chest, and arms.
When I realize that sheās becoming dangerously weak and her death is imminent, I start making deeper cuts in her abdomen. And then I finally start to gut her. She dies a few minutes later while Iām extracting her kidneys and uterus. I pull her intestines out, and make two cuts that rip her throat open. Then I finish tearing her face apart, and at the end, I remove her heart.
I get up and linger, leisurely enjoying the gruesome scene. Then I pick up a towel and clean my hands. I take several pictures and then put my heart in a glass jar with formaldehyde, since the heart of the Ripperās last victim was never found. Iāll also take the hookerās shoes, as theyāll make a perfect relic. I remove my apron and gloves and leave them by the body. Finally, I cut all the zip ties off her and put everything Iām keeping in my bag in the trunk of the car.
Iām sure Detective Evans will know it was the āPerpetrator of Bloody Legendsā who did this. I can even see him trying to figure out what legend Iād performed.
Yes, Detective Evans, youāll know I committed this crime. Just wait patiently for me. Iāll be back soon!
Bloody Puzzle: The Bloody Series Book 2 is a unique tale of horror that provides the reader with a delicious concoction of gore, suspense, and sleuthing. The book follows Daniel - the most hideous serial killer Oakville has ever known - as he wreaks havoc on the town once again. But this time, Daniel's killings follow a new theme, and the detectives chasing him are forced to piece together the clues that he leaves behind with help from the reader.
Bloody Puzzle is part of The Bloody Series, but I read it as a standalone novel. It was enjoyable on its own, and I became hooked with Daniel from the beginning. Andrea Merchak's distinctive voice combines the best elements of a slasher horror with a police investigation that carries with it the air of a black comedy. Throughout my reading of the novel, I could see how Merchak was inspired by the television show "Dexter"; however, they took this inspiration and made it their own. I adore horror novels that incorporate elements from other genres, such as mystery, and Merchak did so seamlessly. I found Daniel to be an irresistible antagonist, and I loved to hate him. As a serial killer he reminded me of Hannibal Lecter in his pursuits, which contributed to my infatuation with the story. Merchak's presentation of gore played out as though I was watching a slasher flick, and it made my imagination run wild.
If you are a fan of horror novels featuring serial killers and the detectives that seek them, then you are going to adore Bloody Puzzle. It is perfect for fans of "Dexter", "Zodiac", and Hannibal Lecter. Andrea Merchak incorporates the best elements of extreme horror with a witty and comedic storyline that is sure to blow you away. While Bloody Puzzle is reminiscent of some of the most classic serial killer stories, it stands on its own. With such a unique voice in the horror genre, you are going to be hooked on Andrea Merchak's writing!