This was an outstanding story seen through the eyes of Sheriff Lou Ford of the small, remote west Texas town of Central City.

Is he an easygoing, well-liked man and a respected citizen known for his quiet, gentle nature? On the inside, he has a dark side. He is a sociopathic killer who believes life is ruled by any means necessary, filled with both corny small-town friendliness and murderous psychosexual rage. He won't hesitate to eliminate his loved ones with brutal emotional detachment.

In the novel's discussion, he describes his perspective on life. "You're a square Joe," Johnny said. "Am I?" I replied. "How do you know I am, Johnny? How can a man ever really know anything? We're living in a strange world, kid, a peculiar civilization. The police play crooks, and the crooks do police duty. The politicians are preachers, and the preachers are politicians. The tax collectors collect for themselves. The bad people want us to have more money, and the good people are fighting to keep it from us. It's not good for us, you know what I mean? If we all had all we wanted to eat, we'd crap too much. We'd have inflation in the toilet paper industry. That's how I understand it. That's about the size of some of the arguments I've heard."

"There's a time of peace," I said, "and a time of war. A time to sow and a time to reap. A time to live and a time to die."

Jim Thompson creates a protagonist we come to like, yet he has a side we'd all hate. Thompson shows that the cliched view of 1950s America as a land of communal benevolence and white picket fences needs attention. It's paper thin, with a cancerous presence beneath the surface from the actions of "evil that men do." It's a mark of Thompson's skill that our identification with Lou, encouraged by his first-person narration, is never quite broken. While he seems to explain his actions, he doesn't fully understand why he takes that path. He tries to understand himself by quoting a psychology textbook.

"The subject suffers from strong feelings of guilt... combined with a sense of frustration and persecution... which increase as he grows older; yet there are rarely if ever any surface signs of... disturbance. On the contrary, his behavior appears to be entirely logical. He reasons soundly, even shrewdly. He is completely aware of what he does and why he does it..."

This was my first Thompson novel, and it made me seek out his other works. I found them all just as hard-boiled and compelling. The recent movie adaptation was good but had some brutal images.

Also on my webpage @http://more2read.com/review/the-killer-inside-me-by-jim-thompson/

Unforgettable Novel

The first first-person psycho novel that I have ever read - and it is truly the best.

From the very beginning, it grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The author's ability to create such a vivid and disturbing world through the eyes of the narrator is simply remarkable.

The story is filled with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly guessing what will happen next.

If you're a fan of thrillers, you're doing yourself a great disservice by neglecting this masterpiece.

It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller that will leave you thinking long after you've turned the last page.

Don't miss out on this unforgettable novel.

\\n  \\"It's always lightest just before the dark...\\"\\n

This is truly one remarkable tale, yet it is as vile as can be. Thompson appears to have profound Mommy issues. All the women in his stories, whether they are prostitutes or schoolteachers, are depicted as shrewish harpies. Moreover, he seems to hold the belief that a good beating is the only form of foreplay a woman should ever require. He is not the only one with this cringe-inducing treatment of women. It seems to be a prevalent problem that has truly irritated me in other books of this kind and is likely the primary reason why I don't read more noir. However, if one can overlook the rather literal female bashing in this story, it is an extremely intriguing and captivating one. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a psychopath.

It is not accidental that Kioumprick considered this particular writer a genius.

The book transports you to the United States of 1952, into a noir atmosphere where everything is possible.

The entire review at the Book Club:

http://www.λέσχη.gr/forum/showthread....

This work by the writer seems to have a certain charm that draws readers in. The description of the 1952 US setting with its noir ambiance creates a sense of mystery and anticipation. One can almost feel the shadowy streets and the seedy characters lurking around. The reference to the review at the Book Club gives readers an opportunity to explore further and gain more insights into the book. It makes one curious to know what others have thought about this work and whether it lives up to the expectations set by the initial description. Overall, it sounds like a book that could be a captivating read for those interested in the noir genre.

Possibly even better than Pop. 1280, yet essentially it shares the same conceit. It's a first-person, unreliable narrator who manipulates readers into feeling sorry for him while engaging in immoral business, in this case, numerous cold-blooded murders.

Fascinating and dark, Thompson's tale of good ol' boy Lou Ford grabs you and doesn't let go, even when the house is burning around you. Ford is more intelligent than those around him, but he has a dark secret in his past and a sickness in his head that forces him to stay in his small town his whole life, hiding his cunning intellect by playing the fool. He needlessly taunts people with corny buffoon acts, hitting them with sayings like "the way I look at it, a man doesn't get any more out of life that what he puts into it," and "it came to me out of a clear sky - the boy is the father to the man. Just like that, the boy is the father to the man."

It makes me wonder if half of the people I deal with in my bookshop are secretly psychopathic killers trying to wind me up or if they are truly that much of a buffoon. And that's a completely separate wonder from "just why was I identifying with that serial killer, is it because I too am capable of such savage and uncaring violence?"

It really makes a mockery of the hype surrounding Bret Easton Ellis to see such incendiary material of far superior literary quality, written long before American Psycho, without all the bells and whistles.

I think this works as a fine companion piece to Charles Willeford's Pick-Up. However, there's a chance that after reading both in quick succession, you may want to take a holiday with unicorns and rainbows and long walks on the beach. That, of course, will be the result of the overdose of prescription painkillers and gallons of hard liquor working on you after you decide that life isn't worth living anymore.

Jim Thompson must have had noir coursing through his veins instead of ordinary red blood cells.

This dark first-person story has the remarkable ability to make the reader fully inhabit the mind of a killer in a way that most authors can only dream of achieving. It is deeply disturbing, sending chills down your spine, and is without a doubt one of the finest pieces of crime fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Lou Ford, a small-town sheriff’s deputy in West Texas, presents himself as a good-natured, not-too-bright, good-ole-boy. He often speaks in a series of clichés, to the point where it can be annoying or boring to whomever he is conversing with. However, Lou’s persona is merely a mask, carefully crafted to hide his true self and keep what he refers to as ‘his sickness’ in check.

When Lou is dispatched to give a warning to a call-girl named Joyce, what should have been a routine encounter quickly escalates into a confrontation that unleashes Lou’s sadistic side. To his shock, he discovers that Joyce is a willing partner in his depravity. Allowing his darker impulses to run wild soon leads Lou down a path of more violence, and then into a lengthy and intense cat-and-mouse game with the local power structure as he attempts to cover up his crimes by skillfully blending his dimwitted persona with even more bloodshed.

Reading this novel is truly a strange and captivating experience. At times, you find yourself inexplicably rooting for Lou to somehow get away with all the heinous acts he has committed. But then, at other moments, you feel an overwhelming urge to scream at the other characters, “Run! He’s freaking crazier than a shithouse rat! Get out of there before he murders you all!”

I was simultaneously horrified and amused by the malicious joy that Lou takes in ‘needling’ people under the guise of playing the fool who just can’t seem to stop running his mouth. He has an uncanny knack for annoying and insulting people while pretending that he has no idea what he is doing. That is just one of the many insidious ways that the evil within Lou manages to get under your skin and leave a lasting impression.

Pues... podría haber dado más de sí. Hubo un montón de cosas que no terminaron de quedarme claras y aunque empezó bien, fui perdiendo el interés conforme pasaban las páginas.

**Alerta Spoiler!!**

1. - La historia. Lou Ford, parece un tío normal, pero no lo es. Tiene "la enfermedad", y por eso no tiene problema en ir cargándose a todo el que se le cruza por el camino. Porqué sí, o por venganza, o porque le viene bien... Y cómo está muy seguro de sí mismo y de que no hay pruebas contra él, sigue con lo suyo. Porque él es la pobre víctima, claro que sí... XD
Lou Ford is a complex character. At first glance, he appears to be an ordinary guy. However, he suffers from "the disease", which makes him毫不犹豫 in eliminating anyone who gets in his way. Whether it's for no reason, out of revenge, or because it suits him. He is so confident in himself and believes there are no proofs against him, so he continues with his actions. Of course, he sees himself as the poor victim... XD

2. - Los personajes. O más bien el personaje. Lou, el tío plasta normal, el típico vecino del que piensas que no sería capaz de hacerle daño ni a una mosca. Porque es bueno, porque es tan majo que es tonto. Pero... no. Es un monstruo. No tiene empatía, todos los sentimientos que dice tener son pura fachada. No tiene remordimientos. Es sádico... Una joya.
The characters, or rather the character. Lou, the seemingly normal guy, the typical neighbor you would think couldn't harm a fly. Because he is good, because he is so nice that he is stupid. But... no. He is a monster. He has no empathy, all the feelings he claims to have are just a facade. He has no remorse. He is sadistic... A gem.

3. - La pluma, la trama y demás. Historia corta de capítulos cortos contada en primera persona. La pluma no está mal, aunque tampoco es nada del otro mundo. La trama a veces es liosa y deja cabos sueltos, asuntos pendientes y sin una resolución clara. O no tan clara como a mi me hubiera gustado...
The writing, the plot, and other aspects. It's a short story with short chapters told in the first person. The writing is not bad, although it's not extraordinary either. The plot is sometimes confusing and leaves loose ends, unresolved issues, and without a clear resolution. Or not as clear as I would have liked...

4. - El final. Bien. Acorde, supongo. Cerrado, aunque de forma precipitada. Quiere sorprender y sorprende, pero un poco para mal.
The ending. Well. Appropriate, I guess. Closed, although in a hasty manner. It wants to surprise and it does, but a bit in a bad way.

En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque prometía y en eso se quedó, en la promesa de un psicópata.
In the end, 2 stars out of 5 because it promised and that's where it stayed, in the promise of a psycho.

A man who you knew from the beginning was going to be a murderer. Can he escape the consequences of the murders he committed? You are reading to find out. The reason why he committed the murders remained very ambiguous. A character was described whose view on women we would have difficulty accepting. In some places, I wondered what was being said, but it was not a difficult book to read. I could have not read it. I had also bought the other two books of Ithaki's Shadow Series and I hope they are not like this.

Ever attend a party and encounter someone who seems really cool at first glance? Only to have them let something inappropriate slip and you suddenly realize they might actually be completely crazy? That's precisely the case with Lou Ford, the protagonist of The Killer Inside Me. I even have a suspicion that Jim Thompson, the author, might have had some similar traits as well.

The Killer Inside Me tells the story of Lou Ford, a small town sheriff who appears a bit slow and rather boring. Or at least that's what he wants you to believe. Lou Ford spends a great deal of his time trying to keep "the sickness" within him under control. The truth is, Lou is a sociopath and has committed multiple murders in the past. He attempts to get revenge on a man he suspects of killing his brother and ends up getting himself deeply involved in a criminal investigation. The question is, can he manage to murder his way out of this mess?

The story itself is relatively straightforward. Ford devises a plan to smear the good reputation of the Conway family, and chaos quickly follows. What makes this book truly effective is Jim Thompson's writing. Just as in Population 1280, Thompson employs an unreliable narrator and takes full advantage of it. The writing is dark, powerful, and deeply unsettling. As I mentioned earlier, Thompson writes about sociopaths a little too convincingly for comfort. There are times when you find yourself wishing you could somehow warn the characters that Lou Ford is like a runaway train and they are unwittingly standing on the tracks.

From start to finish, this was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. If you're a fan of noir literature, it doesn't get much more noir than this.

"You've got forever; and it's a mile wide and an inch deep and full of alligators."

A small-time sheriff in a Texas oil boom town believes that his hunky dory dumb hic routine has transformed him into a loveable idiot. However, there is a hidden side to Lou, a dog-like nature lurking within.

Look, Jim Thompson was delving into the hottest trends of the newest science of psychology back then, so some of the ways Lou is portrayed might seem archaic. But let's be honest, Patrick Bateman pales in comparison to the charismatic showboat that is Lou Ford. Both are cognizant of their mental sickness, but Lou actually acts on it, for better or worse!

Jokes aside, this cold-blooded thriller has numerous tricks up its sleeve. Everyone has their motives and desires, seeking something from someone else, yet not everyone knows the right way to obtain it. Thompson does an excellent job of blurring the lines towards the end, leaving some questions unanswered. I would still suggest checking out The Grifters or perhaps watching the Kubrick movie "The Killing" first to determine if this is your cup of tea.

Poe, Bierce, Thompson - there is an invisible line that unites the three of them despite not being contemporaries; genius.

The Killer Inside Me is a masterpiece of the genre, a major literary exercise by an author who already amazed me with 1280 Souls.

Just like in that novel, the protagonist is a law enforcement agent in a small, decaying town in Texas. And in the same way, deaths will occur one after another at an unstoppable pace, driven by the homicidal instinct of its protagonist. But the novel is much more than the plot it tells. It speaks to us of child abuse and its future consequences, of gender violence, of misogyny, of the impossibility of love, of endemic racism, of ignorance, and above all, of the enormous social inequalities.

It is a novel to read and reread.

Worthy of special mention is chapter 18, which begins like this:

"I killed Amy Stanton on Saturday, April 5, 1952, just before nine o'clock at night."

In this chapter, Thompson shows a narrative control, an uncommon mastery. It is an absolute delight.

What a wonderful writer!

I've delved into what might be regarded as an eerie quantity of non-fiction books centered around sociopathy.

Titles like The Sociopath Next Door, Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work, and The Mask of Sanity all strive to provide an understanding of the minds of those among us who lack a conscience and skillfully "play human."

Many of these books, especially The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker (rumored to have been recommended by Oprah), attempt to assist the average, non-sociopathic individual in identifying and evading such people. The essence of the advice is that there's a certain gut feeling one should trust.

However, Jim Thompson takes it a step further. He allows you to enter the mind of your neighborhood sociopath in a truly satisfying manner.

Lou Ford, the deputy sheriff and extraordinary creep, is engaged in a game with the world around him.

That’s what I was going to be; I was going to have to live and get along with rubes. I wasn’t ever going to have anything but some safe, small job, and I’d have to act accordingly.

He bores people with platitudes just to observe them squirm, and (perhaps I shouldn't admit this) I couldn't help but find myself laughing along with him. This book offers a generous helping of sick satisfaction... and I adored it.