Mister Slaughter
It is 1702, and 23-year-old Matthew Corbett and his colleague, Hudson Greathouse, professional problem solvers, are hired to escort mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter from an asylum in Philadelphia to Manhattan, where he will be deported to England and tried for his crimes. But, while en route, things go horribly wrong and it is up to Matthew to set them right, even if it means risking his life to do so.
This, the third in McCammon’s Matthew Corbett series, is by far the most action-packed. Matthew is less cerebral and has to frequently rely on his gut instincts and his fighting skills to survive. Matthew is also more mature, finally accepting that he must rely on others to help solve cases, especially this case. In Matthew, McCammon has created a hero who is clever, but young and sometimes impeded by his pride and his desire to prove himself.
While I always enjoy Robert McCammon’s masterful writing full of living metaphors and interesting historical tidbits, I found Mister Slaughter too violent and gory for my taste. However, those who enjoy, in McCammon’s own words, “the mystery and puzzles of Sherlock Holmes, the action of James Bond, the weird villains of Dick Tracy, and the atmosphere of the Hammer costume-piece horror films of the 1950s” will love the Matthew Corbett series, especially Mister Slaughter.
