The good
- Hannibal Lecter is one of the most interesting villains in all fiction. And this book focuses almost exclusively on him (unlike Red Dragon, where he’s mostly on the sidelines).
- The other characters in this story are unique and memorable, too: Clarice, Barney, Mason, Margot.
- Some startling, dark, disturbing scenes that burn themselves deep into your brain.
- Decent mix of action and suspense.
The not so good
- Although we get to see a lot of Lecter’s background and interests, we don’t get to see enough of him doing clever, brilliant things.
- The ending is a total WTF. Felt completely out of character for everyone.