Savage Rage: A Mystery
“. . . a masterful piece about street crime and the psyche of the men and women who work for the Toronto Police Department, Savage Rage offers up a skillful portrait. . . . Mr. Pilkey is quite adept at writing about police procedures and daily goings-on in that environment, creating highly believable characters with interesting personal lives in the process. Readers who are fascinated with the realities of the inner workings of a police division will greatly enjoy Savage Rage.”
After a particularly grueling night working the rugged streets of Division 51, the worn and weary police officer Jack Warren is having difficulty putting the events of the evening behind him. There is a particularly gruesome sight on one emergency call that is shocking by any standards, let alone on the streets of Toronto.
Upon their arrival, a young woman in complete panic tells officers that her girlfriend has cut herself and is locked in the bathroom. As Jack and his partner Manny break down the bathroom door, he is horrified at the sight inside. The walls and entire shower are drenched with blood that covers the young girl’s clothes. The blood is warm and slick as he notices that she has severed both breasts. Miraculously, she is alive—but just barely.
As he checks in with the dispatcher before heading back to the station, author Pilkey sums up Officer Warren’s feelings about the events of the evening with these words: “A small number of stars peered down, their gaze cold and indifferent. Their companions hid behind clouds, invisible in the night sky, as if they cared not to view the wretchedness that was humanity and had drawn a veil to hide the night.”
Savage Rage is the second one in the Rage Series; the first book Lethal Rage transpires in the same police Division 51 and revolves around the same fascinating and complex character, Officer Jack Warren.
It is clear that Brent Pilkey brings to bear his 22 years on this very police force to inject realistic drama into Savage Rage. The book often feels like a nonfiction, true crime experience; however, it is also abundantly clear that Mr. Pilkey is able to intuit the reactions of both the “coppers” (as they refer to one another) as well as the criminal mind.
As a masterful piece about street crime and the psyche of the men and women who work for the Toronto Police Department, Savage Rage offers up a skillful portrait. If a reader is expecting a blood curdling, gritty crime thriller there may be some disappointment. But Mr. Pilkey is quite adept at writing about police procedures and daily goings-on in that environment, creating highly believable characters with interesting personal lives in the process. Readers who are fascinated with the realities of the inner workings of a police division will greatly enjoy Savage Rage.