The Christopher Killer (Forensic Mystery)

Terrific YA Forensic Mystery Series Begins Here

The Christopher Killer is one of a series of forensic mysteries with a young adult woman eager to be working as a medical examiner as the protagonist. She is knowledgeable, however, she has no experience. She is intelligent and clever at seeing things

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that others may overlook. She persuades her Dad to hire her as an assistant in order to get the experience she desires and to help her father, who is the coroner for the county in which they live and could really use the help.

This book is on the Summer reading list of my granddaughter, as she loves to get ahead of the curve and is reading most of the books through the Summer on the list for her freshman year of high school. It is classified YA or Teen fiction, but, it held my interest as the suspense, plot and writing are all very good. I will likely read more in this series by Alane Ferguson because I enjoyed this one so much.

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I am so proud of myself for reading outside of my normal genre. The Christopher Killer is a realistic forensic murder mystery… A far cry from my normal fantasy books. Even though this is not my usual type of read, I enjoyed it.

One of the things I noticed right away about this book was the level

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of detail that went into developing the plot. If I were writing a forensic mystery novel, I would base my entire content off of what I saw on CSI and Law and Order. Seriously. The author spent a lot of time doing her homework to make sure that her details and facts were accurate and believable. That really made the difference in this book.

The plot was well developed and had a nice twist at the end that I am anxious to see develop more in the remaining books. The characters complimented one another nicely and were believable. Cammie was not perfect, which made her perfect. I love reading about smart main characters, but it’s not believable when a seventeen year old knows everything about life. Those of us that are over the age of seventeen know how ridiculous that concept is. But Cammie wasn’t like that. She was super smart and crafty, but she also thought with her emotions. She was conflicted, which made her a great main character.

There really wasn’t much of a relationship aspect in this book between the characters (at least not romantic relationships). Cammie’s family dynamics were interesting. I’m sure that will continue to develop in the future books, adding to the complicated subplot in the book(s). I am also curious to see what happens between Cammie and Justin (if anything). There seem to be sparks, so I hope my gut is right!

If you are the type like always gravitates towards contemporary reads, you’ll enjoy this book. It’s not a mushy summer romance book, but it is 100% believable (and that’s scary). If you’re like me and tend to stick with one specific genre, it’s time to branch out and try something new. Live on the edge! You’ll enjoy The Christopher Killer.

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This is an interesting concept for a series, and the story was fast-moving and intriguing. I admired Cameryn's smart, strong and determined character. However, I am not a fan of CSI-type shows or medical examiner mysteries, so the idea that a 17-year-old girl would be allowed to view her murdered

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friend's autopsy (coroner's assistant or not), was a little much for me - as were some of the details describing the first dead body Cameryn encountered. The book also seemed a little far-reaching to me. In trying to develop the characters and set up situations for the next book, the author has introduced many storylines at once. Along with grieving a loss, solving a murder mystery (almost becoming the next victim herself), and dealing with an overprotective grandmother, Cameryn was also suddenly forced to examine her feelings for her long-lost mother, and a possible romantic interest in the town's new deputy. Not your typical day in high school!

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This book was a can't put down. It kept me intrigued until the end when the killer was revealed. There was just enough forensic information so as not to overwhelm those of us who know nothing about it.

Cameryn Mahoney is a 17 year old, pretty girl. Unlike many other girls in her age, she is not spending her time at parties but she is studying complicated science-facts. She loves to read books and has much knowledge about many different things. Her decision is made; she wants to become a forensic

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pathologist. To gain her first Job-experiences she convinces her father, the county coroner of Silverton, CO, to hire her as his assistant. Never could she have imagined what follows then. The latest victim of a serial killer is none other than her good friend Rachel Geller. For Cameryn is clear she has to find the murder no matter the cost, she will do everything possible to achieve this goal also when it means putting herself in danger of becoming the fifth victim of the Christopher Killer.

This is a great story. It is an enjoyable novel which reads like an episode of CSI. For everyone who likes crimes and mystery.

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This is the first book in a series about Cameron, the daughter of a coroner in a small town. Cammie has decided she wants to follow in her dad's footsteps, and, despite her grandmother's protest, her dad takes her on as his assistant. Cammie quickly discovers the brutality of death when her

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co-worker, Rachel, is found murdered. The neighboring town's coroner looks down on Cammie because of her inexperience, but Cammie is determined to find Rachel's murderer. This is a suspense-filled book with a very dark mood. It's an easy read, and the character is likeable. I can understand why the author has won so many Poe Awards for her writing.

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Cammie convinces her dad, the county coroner, to hire her as his assistant. She goes on her first case to pick up a bathtub floater. After psychic, Jewel, makes a prediction about another body uncovered by the Christopher Killer, a girl shows up dead and meets the killers profile. Cammie shows her

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insights and determination throughout the mystery peppered with lots of medical insights and forensic science.

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This one follows a young girl named Cameryn, whose father is the cororner in a small town out west. Cameryn’s dad asks her to be his assistant when his workload starts to pile up, since Cameryn dreams of growing up to be a forensic scientist (like my friend, Christina, once did). But things start

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to get tricky for Cameryn when a serial killer’s latest victim turns up in her town … and it’s someone she knows.

Now, I should say, I’m a huge fan of crime shows like Law & Order, CSI, Dexter, etc. So when I started reading this book, I thought I had the killer pegged just a few chapters in. After all, I thought, it’s just YA lit; how tricky can it be? Well, I should have known. I had it all wrong. The ending surprised me, and left me with a little bit of a cliffhanger, to boot. So, I’m adding its sequel to my list: The Angel of Death.

I like Cameryn; she’s not an idiot, and she puts her desire to solve the crime ahead of her bouts of nausea and fear. She’s a strong character, who still resembles a normal teenage girl but without uber-levels of drama. Overall, a quick and good read.

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Cass McBride's father is the coroner of her town. Cass knows she wants to be a forensic investigator when she gets older so why not start now. Working beside her father at crime scenes, Cass gets the chance to investigate murder stories but what happens when her next victim is one of her best

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friends?

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I really like this character, and obviously others have, too, since there's already a sequel. Well written.

Cameryn Mahoney really wants to be a forensic examiner like her dad, although her grandmother, Mawmaw, has very different feelings about Cameryn's future. When Cameryn finally convinces her dad to let her help him, she's thrilled. The first case involves a dead man in a hotel bathroom and the sight

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of the maggots crawling out of his eye sockets and into his nose and mouth are almost more than she can stand. Cameryn perseveres, however. The second body turns out to be a girl, her age, who she knows; Rachel, who was a server at the restaurant where Cameryn works. The description of the autopsy on Rachel is pretty descriptive, but someone interested in that kind of career would appreciate the detail. They determine that Rachel is the victim of the Christopher Killer, a serial killer who has three other victims. Cameryn is determined to find the killer to avenge Rachel's death, and the subsequent possible subjects prove to be very interesting. This is a very well written mystery which I would recommend to older readers. There is a sequel I will definitely read called Angel of Death which is the nickname Cameryn has earned for herself.

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A little predictable, but the "forensic" part of the mystery was great. If you like CSI, you'll like this book.

Good forensic story for teens. Some graphic material at a mild PG-13 level. Portrays a strong female character for teens, but male teens will probably enjoy it too.

Camyrn, daughter of the county coroner, wants to be a forensic pathologist, and is thrilled when her father takes her on as his assistant. When one of Cammie's friends is found in the woods, the victim of a serial murderer known as the Christopher Killer, she becomes involved in the investigation;

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as well as the assertions of a psychic that he has spoken to the spirit of the dead girl.

This book just didn't work for me. I think it tried to do too much, and spent too much time setting up the series elements. Camryn's mother, the hippy-dippy best friend, the weird goth loner, the hot but mysteriously unlikeable deputy. When it is focused on the actual science of things, this book is very tight, which made reading it frustrating, because the kernel of a great book is in here.

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17 year old Cameryn Mahoney wants to follow in her father's footsteps as the county coroner. Now on the payroll as an assistant, Cameryn must use her knowledge of forensic pathology to catch her best friend's killer, someone who leaves a Saint Christopher's medallion on each of his victims. The

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autopsy scenes are graphic, and some of the adults seem unrealistically obtuse when confronted with obviously important clues to solving the crime. This could easily spawn several sequels, and will appeal to high school students who want to 'do the CSI thing', as several of my students have said when asked what their career pathways might be.

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CSI fans will like Ferguson's forensic mystery, the story of a girl whose father is the local coroner. Cameryn knows she wants to study forensics, so she talks her dad into maker her his assistant - a great way to get some real experience. The job gets interesting in a hurry when a high profile

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murder is committed in their little town - a town that hasn't seen a murder in Cameryn's lifetime. Cameryn's new job puts her right in the middle of the investigation, much to the chagrin of the medical examiner and her grandmother.

There are enough twists & turns in The Christopher Killer to make it a good mystery, and the forensic details may appeal to those who aren't fans of typical mysteries. Less gory than CSI (maybe - depends on how good your imagination is) but definately more detailed than the average mystery, The Christopher Killer is the first in a new series that is recieving acclaim from authors & forensics experts both.
I couldn't put this one down until I was done, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Angel of Death, which is already out. The mystery kept me guessing for most of the book, and I enjoyed the exploration of Cameryn's relationship with her family. The family dynamics are what will make me, and other readers, rush to pick up the next book.

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cameryn mahoney, who is the assistant coroner of silverton, is devastated when only on her case as assistant she finds herself in the middle of another murder victum by the Christopher Killer but the bad is it was her racheal who was killed. she must learn to hold back her emotions to find out who

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did this and prove that whoever it was wasnt her newly found friend Adam. i loved this book. like the other book it kept me turning the page anticipating who the murderer actually was. this book is a real thrille

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This book is great for anyone who loves a good mystery. The Christopher Killer is the first of four books in it's series. This book also has love that carries on through out the series with conflicts and happy endings. This book has it all-romance, suspense, and mystery. I loved this whole series

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of books- the christopher killer, the angel of death, the circle of blood, and the dying breath. Anyone looking for a page turner this book is for you!!!!!!

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When she takes a job with her father, the town's coroner, in order to pursue her interest in forensics, Cameryn gets a hard dose of reality when the first case she works on is the murder of her friend, Rachel Geller, and the fourth victim of a serial killer in her hometown area.

Characterization:
*

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Not fully developed but part of a series

Storyline:
* The murder isn't the only mystery here


Pacing:
* Reads like a CSI episode - great for CSI junkies and reluctant readers
* Suspension of belief is easy with the well researched forensic tidbits

Booktalk angle: created a Jeopardy Game in Powerpoint - it is posted on the Intranet

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Cameryn is fascinated with forensic science, despite her grandmother's insistence that it's a depressing thing for a 17 year old to be reading about. But her dad is the coroner in their little town, and he agrees to take her on as his assistant. It's harder than she expected. It's one thing to read

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about maggots and the smell of a decaying body - it's another thing to experience it first hand. But she's still excited for her job - until the second corpse she has to work on belongs to a friend. And Rachel was murdered.

It seems to be the work of a serial killer. The media is everywhere, including a psychic that Cameryn's best friend swears is the real thing. But this is much harder than Cameryn expected, between being at the autopsy, dealing with her grandmother's resistance, her feelings for the new deputy, the death of a friend, and now her long gone mother's sudden desire to be in her daughter's life again.

I liked this story. Cameryn is an appealing character, despite her rather unusual career choice, and she mostly acts her age. In fact, she makes some very silly moves which made me want to shake her! Didn't she ever read Nancy Drew? Snooping in the suspect's bedroom never pays off! And hiding under the bed? Really? But I'm willing to give the series another chance. 3 stars for this one, but I hope the series improves as Cameryn settles into her new job.

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This is my second read. I forgot when I first read it.

Still a good read.

In The Christopher Killer, Cameryn Mahoney is hired by her father to become his assistant county coroner because of her interest in forensics and pathology. She proves herself quickly, but finds that this job may be more than she bargained for. When one of her friends is killed by a serial killer

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who leaves St. Christopher medals behind as his calling card, Cameryn realizes that the last thing she can do for her friend is to help find out who killed her. The suspects are many including a so-called psychic who has been tracking the case and the new county deputy who seems to have some kind of connection to Cameryn's estranged mother. Secrets upon secrets make this an interesting mystery, but it is not for the faint of heart. The forensic details presented in the story seem accurate but are also graphic. This is the first of a series of books by Alane Ferguson, and overall, is a very good middle grade mystery.

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On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.

Goodreads Synopsis: Fascinated by forensics, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney persuades her father, the county coroner in sleepy Silverton, CO, to take her on as his assistant. But she never expects her first case to involve the death of a friend! Rachel Geller, a beautiful young waitress, is

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found strangled in a field with a Christopher medal around her neck—clearly marking her as the fourth victim of a serial killer. Cameryn is determined to help find Rachel’s killer, and attending the autopsy gives her the first clue. But as she follows her instincts and gets closer to the killer, Cameryn suddenly finds herself on the verge of becoming his fifth victim!

My Review: I'm going to be completely honest here and say that I actually kinda liked this book. Although, the Christopher Killer didn't act like I thought a serial killer would. Although he was measured and strange, he didn't actually think through his actions and that's just not going to do. Although it was an exciting book, I also didn't like the big shocker at the end. It just came out of no where and although I was expecting something shocking, that was a little much. Nothing in the whole book even hinted towards it, and it kinda felt like it was just in there because it was thought of last moment. I mean, this book was good, and there are just always things that I don't and wont like about books. Cameryn's just an average teenage girl with an interest in forensic science and that's pretty cool. The people in this book could be people I know in real life, and that's a good thing. The book kept me wondering who the real killer was, and although I was wrong, I liked reading it. I read this book for a class, to be honest, and I'm glad I did. It's exciting, it's confusing, and it's a little strange at times, but there are real facts in this book, and it's a good read. Definitely check it out if you like forensics. Thanks for reading!

(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

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