The Dreaming Tree by Matthew Mather

Crime novels are curious creatures to me. Some are procedural in nature, making them easier to read; others can be more horror than crime, making them more unsettling. This one is a good mixture of both, with a bit of psychological thriller thrown in for good measure.

This is a strange story of a man who, after a brutal car accident, is one of the first recipients of a full body transplant. Yup, you read that right... his brain, emotions, and personality, become attached to another man's physicality... with some residual memories thrown in the mix, not to mention the uncertainty of his connection and involvement with a serial killer, and how this man, and the detective trying to crack the case, are all intertwined.

This is an often haunting tale of the lengths modern medicine could go to create an even more inflated revenue stream, while also delivering the false hope of clean-slate do-overs to families who would otherwise lose their loved ones, but have enough money to pay for the gamble. The lines of morality walked and crossed throughout this book are murky in their best moments, and terrifying throughout the rest of the pages. The compulsion to finish reading is undeniable. The number of times you'll ask, "He didn't write that, did he?" will sneak into your brain like a slippery moment of clarity... gone too quickly.

The author does an amazing job keeping you turning each new page, even though you know, deep down, it's all wrong. But you've got to know how it ends... it does end, right? You'll have to see for yourself. Strap yourself in, this is a wild ride that might just leave you with more questions than answers... and in this genre, that's not entirely a bad thing.