A Killer Like Me by Chuck Hustmyre

By Andy Straka

In Chuck Hustmyre’s fast-paced new thriller A KILLER LIKE ME New Orleans homicide detective Sean Murphy and his partner Juan Gaudet track a ritualistic serial killer calling himself the Lamb of God.

Still-reeling a year after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, city officials want the murders kept quiet. With yet another hurricane lurking in the gulf, Murphy does his best to try to get inside the madman’s head and guess his next move.  But the Lamb of God is already one step ahead of him.  Before Sean knows it, the killer has learned his own secret—a secret that could send Sean to prison. The Lamb of God sees in Sean a worthy adversary . . . maybe even one of a like mind.

A native of Baton Rouge, award-winning crime journalist Chuck Hustmyre spent over twenty years in law enforcement in New Orleans, retiring as an ATF agent. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, New Orleans magazine, and Psychology Today, just to name a few.  His television appearances include “The O’Reilly Factor” and features on E! Network and the Discovery Channel, as well as several other Fox news programs.

The prolific author of over 800 published articles and two true crime books (KILLER WITH A BADGE and AN ACT OF KINDNESS), the multi-talented Hustmyre is also the author of a new collection of short stories, TWISTED: TALES OF MURDER AND MAYHEM, to be published later this year, not to mention  another thriller, HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN, for which he also wrote the screenplay.  The movie version of HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN, released last month by LIONSGATE, stars Dave Bautista, Amy Smart, and Danny Trejo.

Hustmyre uses his insider knowledge of New Orleans police culture to great effect in A KILLER LIKE ME.  The novel screams authenticity from the opening scene.  Hustmyre says he first caught the writing bug in college, but didn’t return to it until after many years as a cop.  He enjoys writing novels, but he also loves screenwriting, and the back-and-forth between script and book.  He is currently working on the screenplay for A KILLER LIKE ME as well as shopping other finished scripts and yet another thriller.  It looks like Hustmyre’s brand of gritty, realistic thriller will be addicting fans for years to come.

A KILLER LIKE ME will be released in paperback this August by Dorchester.  (Dorchester has also recently reissued HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN in paperback.)

*****

“A gut wrenching, pulse pounding non-stop cop drama. I almost expected the pages to leave bloodstains on my fingers!” –Edgar Award winner Burl Barer.

“A KILLER LIKE ME is a spellbinding thriller from the very first page. The pace never lets up. The action is convincing, and the twists and turns breathtaking. A truly original and compelling story of cops and killers.” –Edgar Award winner Harry N. MacLean

“Chuck Hustmyre understands the grittiness of the streets, and his characters come to life with an authenticity that grabs you. It is story telling at its very best!” –Kevin M. Sullivan, author of THE BUNDY MURDERS.

“Right from its first words, A KILLER LIKE ME is an absorbing noir thriller with strong characters and a page-turning pace, all told with colorful writing that captures the grit and romance of New Orleans. Top-notch!” –Ron Franscell, bestselling author of THE DARKEST NIGHT and DELIVERED FROM EVIL.

“Real. Raw. Unthinkable. Outstanding. Prepare for a non-stop adrenaline rush when reading this gritty novel from former ATF agent Chuck Hustmyre.” –Stacy Dittrich, former detective and author of MURDER BEHIND THE BADGE and the CeeCee Gallagher detective series.

*****

Chuck Hustmyre wrote the screenplay for the new LIONSGATE movie, “House of the Rising Sun,” which he adapted from his own novel. He also wrote “Killer with a Badge” and “Unspeakable Violence.”

To learn more about Chuck, please visit his website.