Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross

Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross is a prequel to the hit BBC series created and written by Cross. He is the sole writer for the TV show, but his pure brilliance shines through in this crime novel. It is a gripping novel about a detective that is enjoyable to read about right up to the very end.

Book Description

“A brilliant crime novel and prequel to the acclaimed BBC series by the show’s creator and sole writer 

Meet Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. He’s a murder detective with an extraordinary case-clearance rate. He’s obsessive, instinctive, and intense. Nobody who ever stood at his side has a bad word to say about him. And yet there are rumors that Luther is bad—not corrupt, not on the take, but tormented. After years of chasing the most depraved criminals in London’s gritty underworld, he seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things any other detective wouldn’t and shouldn’t do. 

Luther: The Calling, the first in a new series of novels featuring DCI John Luther, takes us into Luther’s past and into his mind. It is the story of the serial killer case that tore his personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice—beyond fury, beyond vengeance, all the way to the other side of the law. Is Luther a force for good or a man hell-bent on self-destruction? Edgar Award–winning writer Neil Cross has created one of the most compelling characters in modern crime fiction. Luther: The Calling is a compulsively readable novel by the writer hailed by The Guardian as Britain’s own Stephen King.” – Luther: The Calling

My Thoughts

Luther: The Calling is an extremely well written novel. I hadn’t seen any of the mini-series before reading this book, so I had no expectations or prior knowledge with any of it. I enjoyed it, and found the characters and storyline to be well developed, engaging, and held my attention throughout the story. It also made me want to go find out more about this TV series, and start watching it.

The main character, John Luther is a murder detective. He is very intense, a bit obsessive, and dangerous. He isn’t really a good guy, but is secretly tormented and has these bouts of fury that makes him go into a rage and do things he normally wouldn’t. Actions that are definitely not things he should do as a detective.

This isn’t a novel for the faint of heart, and especially not for those who don’t like graphic crimes written for you to see as you read about them. Some of the crime scenes are quite grotesque and disturbing. Cross is an excellent storyteller, so don’t be surprised by what you read in a novel about crime. If you can handle such stories, I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Luther: The Calling, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.