3. Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Acceleration by Graham McNamee
ISBN: 0385731191
Wendy Lamb Books, New York, 2003
210 pages

Teaser: What would you do if you found a diary of a serial killer?

Summary: In this suspenseful thriller, Duncan's summer job in the dull underground stacks of the subway's lost and found suddenly becomes a bit too interesting when he discovers a chilling diary. It starts out with clippings and ramblings about pet mutilations, then starts talking about arsons. Eventually, the mysterious author starts talking about needing something bigger: murder. He is stalking three women, deciding who he will kill first. Duncan tries to tell the police, and is brushed aside. Determined to save the women, Duncan enlists the help of his friends to find the killer and prevent his murderous plans.

Evaluation: This book was a suspenseful read, and delightfully creepy. Duncan is haunted (metaphorically, not literally) by the death of a girl that he was unable to prevent. While Duncan has always loved the water, he now avoids it, constantly reminded of the girl who drowned, a girl he tried to save but couldn't reach in time. When he comes across the diary, he decides that the recurring dreams of being unable to save the first girl are a message encouraging him to save the other three women that the serial killer is stalking. Duncan does try to go to the police, but no one takes him seriously. Duncan eventually runs into the killer, and in the ensuing fight, chase that leads to the subway, and fall onto the tracks, the killer is hit by a train and killed, while Duncan ends up in the hospital. Following his recovery and release, Duncan finds that the ghost of girl who drowned is no longer haunting his dreams.
I was a bit leery of the premise at first. I have seen too many thrillers where "good guys" go around the law with no consequences, up to and including acting as executioner for the "bad guys" without any sort of acknowledgement that there was anything wrong with the "good" guy's actions. The danger of hunting a killer is often downplayed as well, making it seem like a fun game. Acceleration was pleasantly different. While Duncan's actions put him in danger, he was not particularly reckless until after the police refused to help. Combined with his guilt, Duncan's actions are understandable. Additionally, Duncan was not trying to act as a vigilante, but rather as a kind of amateur private eye, looking for evidence to make the cops realize he was serious. While the killer did die, Duncan was not responsible for the death, and was also injured in the process. I have to say that while I was prepared to dislike this book, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I'd gladly recommend this book to others.

Challenge issues and age recommendation: The main plot of this book is a teen trying to catch a serial killer. Parts of the diary are also very disturbing, and some readers might be uncomfortable with Duncan's recurring dreams about the girl who drowned. I would recommend this book for readers 14 and up.