The Bride Collector

By: Ted Dekker

Narrated by: John Glover

Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: Residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: The ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most "sane people" sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target. The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

©2010 Ted Dekker (P)2010 Hachette

This Ain't About Weddings!

Ted Dekker does an awesome job of hooking you right from the get-go. It is at first horrifying, while eventually it almost starts to seem logical. This story is very suspenseful and, at the same time, enlightening. I've recently learned that the true meaning of kindness is not just being nice to someone; but being nice to them while they are at fault, or at their worst. In a most grisly situation, Ted Dekker shows you kindness at every turn.

Very Strange

This is one of the strangest books I've ever read or listened to. It took me awhile to really get into it. I'm not crazy about male narrators trying to do female voices. However, the story FINALLY took over enough to make me forget the female voices. I think a lot of the stuff the main character had going on in his head could have been completely left out. I was not expecting Nicki to go like she did. I would recommend this to be read.

this book was awesome!

This book was "edge of my seat" good!!! It had me holding my breath.
Ted Dekker did not disappoint.

Ted Dekker at his best

What made the experience of listening to The Bride Collector the most enjoyable?

John Glover is a wonderful narrator.

What does John Glover bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

emotion, he brings a voice to your imagination

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

absolutely

Any additional comments?

Ted Dekker has an awesome way of blurring the line of sanity and insanity. He evokes emotion in his writing. And is wonderfully tasteful, intensely scary, and excitingly unpredictable.

Good not his best

No real plot twists. It's an okay story, I love some of the supporting characters. The diversity of voices was insufficient for the number of characters so many of the characters sound the same. Perhaps a female or a narrator with greater vocal range would have been better.

The Bride Collector

Loved the book. Loved the narrator. This was my first book by Ted Dekker but it won't be the last.

It keeps your attention

It is scary but you fall in love with the characters. I love Rowd. The story and is easy to listen to. It is scary so if you are sensitive, maybe not for you. I loved it!

Good Listen

I wouldn't rate this as Ted's best work, but its definitely intriguing. There were a few times that I found the circumstances in the book a bit... out of place in the overall flow of the storyline (In terms of the manner the villain acted)... but I still found the book interesting. You are thrown into the plot at the beginning and the rest of the book builds at a fast/slow pace. Quickly shifting from one to the other may cause fatigue for some listeners/readers, but overall worked out in the author's favor.

It's no Circle Trilogy or Showdown, but I'd recommend it to any core Dekker fans.

Not Dekker's Best

I usually enjoy Ted Dekker's books, but this was the exception. My husband and I listened to it while traveling. It was actually hard to finish. The characters would have conversations and say the same things over and over and over and........I suggest you skip this one.

The Bride Collector

I really enjoyed the story and I loved that Ted Dekker used some brilliant mentally ill adults in the story. However, I wish Ted had studied more closely the laws on hospitalizing mentally ill patients against their will, giving medication against their will, lying about what one is giving the patient and restraining mentally ill patients. I also found it highly offensive that the director of the facility where these patients were found called the patients her "children." Even if a professional is extremely fond of a patient, adults want to be respected as adults even if they have a serious mental illness. All that said, I still enjoyed the book very much and I appreciated how Ted brought out the uniqueness, brilliance and beauty in each of the mentally ill characters. It was mostly a delightful read.