Thick Skin

A new book about a movie-obsessed killer keeps the body count high. Richard Montanari's new thriller, The Skin Gods, is all about a serial killer who recreates grisly murderous scenes from movies like Psycho and Fatal Attraction. It's a page-turner designed to keep you up at night, not to win a highfalutin' book award. "It's like a big sandwich," says Montanari. "It might not be the most elegant meal, but you feel full."

Because Montanari — a Cleveland Heights resident — used to write movie reviews for a living, The Skin Gods' many references to film classics don't come off as a gimmick. They're clever plot devices that make the tale all the more intriguing. "I brought a knowledge base to it," he says. And you can't help but admire, just a little, the book's canny villain, who videotapes the murders and inserts the scenes into copies of rental tapes. "You have to The Skin GodsunderstandThe Skin Gods what motivates these killers," says Montanari.
Thu., March 23, 7 p.m.