Tell My Dad

Tell My Dad by Ram Muthiah
Waimea Publishing: 6/16/17
eBook review copy; 282 pages
ISBN-13: 9780997390667

Tell My Dad by Ram Muthiah is a recommended thriller featuring a vigilant killer trying to eliminate pedophiles.

It becomes increasingly clear that there is a serial killer on the loose. Only this killer is targeting the pedophiles and writes "Stay Away" or "Stay Away from Little Girls" on the foreheads of his victims.  While the authorities are struggling trying to solve the recent rash of abducted girls in the San Francisco Bay area, a monk wearing a red robe and a mask has no problem finding the culprits - and he is doling out deserved justice, violently, to those who are guilty.

The plot of the story was based on real events which provided the author impetus to write Tell My Dad. Clearly the subject matter, rescuing young girls from harm by abductors, makes this a compelling novel where you are cheering for the serial killer because the abductors deserve to die (painfully). Muthiah provides a backstory for the vigilante later in the narrative that helps make sense of his reasons for seeking justice, at all costs, and how he acquired the skills to do so. It is a quick read and the action moves along at a fast pace.

So, the subject matter is gripping, which can account for the many high ratings; however, the actual quality of the writing is simply okay. Parts of the novel do not flow smoothly and feel choppy, especially at the beginning. The dialogue doesn't feel natural. There is a part later in the novel with an FBI intern that, well, no spoilers here but even I can't stretch my credulity that far.  I was even unsure if I would finish it at one point, but I did want to see how Muthiah would conclude his novel.

In my final analysis, I will concede that if you don't take notice the quality of the writing and simple want a thriller with action the moves along swiftly, Tell My Dad fits the description.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Waimea Publishing.