You never know how much lack of human interaction can affect someone until they go on a murder spree down the East Coast. New York native Tucker Reasons is one of those people, constantly agitated by the way those around him — women in particular — treat him… or so he perceives. Authored by Xavier Cabrera, Tucker’s Reason puts us inside the head of someone whose anger and need for control takes over, leading to nothing but death along the I-95 corridor.
One man’s fresh start is another man’s death sentence.
Tucker’s Reason, Amazon
Serial killer in the making, Tucker Reasons, makes his way from New York to Florida to start fresh. Following the murder of his parents and years of being ignored and passed over by beautiful women, he finds that his only solace is to kill those he thinks have wronged him, leading to his sudden move. Trying to stifle his urges and provide some sort of alibi, he picks up a hitchhiker, Nelson, but soon finds out that that plan will only do more damage in the long run.
You can tell a lot by how a person writes. The first thing you read is a short author bio about Cabrera, explaining his background and his introduction into writing. Cabrera being a native New Yorker who himself had moved to Florida really comes through in Tucker’s Reason, which would make sense since the character does the same. While driving down south and in between murders, Tucker explains the cities he passes through, the kinds of nature he sees, and even describes the makeup of the highway. Having driven myself all up and down the East Coast (via 95) I could picture exactly what he was talking about. I know where the highways get wider. I know what the rest areas look like. I could see it all in my mind.
And when I tell you I could hear Tucker’s accent, you’d better believe it. Cabrera writes exactly how someone would talk. It was like reading a string of thoughts straight out of our main character’s brain. Now that isn’t normally how books are written so Tucker’s Reason might come across as an odd writing style, but keeping in mind the storyline and who the author is, this hits the nail on the head. Being able to picture Tucker’s thought process and excuses for his actions made complete sense, and it felt like a window into the mind of a serial killer — which, I guess it kind of was!
Storywise, Tucker’s Reason made me feel two ways: angry/disgusted at his actions, yet anxious at wondering if he would get away with his crimes. The book takes you through the day-to-day of everything from working out and getting dressed, to painstaking detail of a kill. Reading Tucker’s incel-heavy thoughts about women was a hard pill to swallow, making me really want to jump in the book and judo-chop him myself. But on the other hand, I was worried about the presence of stranger Nelson and how soon — if ever — the cops would be on his tail. Two or three moments went by where I was going through all of the possible scenarios of how Tucker would get out of a situation.
At the end of the day, Tucker’s Reason was a quick read that continuously switched back and forth from action to malevolence. For someone who reads both works from mainstream authors as well as those who are self-published, Tucker’s Reason had this humble quality that — even though the content itself was heavy — found a way to gradually lead you into the unknown.
Tucker’s Reason is available to purchase on Amazon. Follow author Xavier Cabrera on Instagram or more.
