The John Wayne Cleaver Series of Dan Wells

I finally completed the John Wayne Cleaver series of Dan Wells. And wow, what a fantastic and brilliantly written series it is! Very highly recommended!

I wrote about reading the second trilogy last year before realizing that there was a first trilogy and a novella that came before it. I ordered those books on Amazon last year but I only got around to reading them this year. I read the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer, back in February but it was only last month that I got to read Mr. Monster and I Don't Want to Kill You. Then this month, I finally read the novella Next of Kin.

I am really happy that I chanced upon this series because I absolutely love it. I am such a fan of how it combines psychological and criminal profiling with the supernatural. I love how the protagonist, John Wayne Cleaver, struggles with inner demons while battling actual demons. John is flawed and imperfect, probably even more than most people, and yet he is written so exceptionally well that you somehow understand him and can't help but root for him.

One of my friends asked me what I felt the best book of the series is and I was unsure how to answer it because each book would probably good on its own but being part of a heptalogy just makes the value of each part even more significant. This is certainly a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of its individual parts. That said, I think the series is best read by starting logically with the first book, I Am Not A Serial Killer. I think The Devil's Only Friend is the most action-packed and Mr. Monster is the darkest.  I also love how we get to see a different perspective of storytelling in Next of Kin. I did find I Don't Want to Kill You to be the most emotional and maybe the most surprising. I remember reading the last few paragraphs and feeling this incredible sadness along with a whole host of rich and powerful emotions. (Now that I think about my friend's question again, maybe I Don't Want to Kill You is my favorite.)

If you have access to Dan Wells' John Wayne Cleaver series, whether via paperback or through e-books, I recommend that you read it. It is a bit of an investment time-wise since there are seven books but it is definitely worth it.