Good morning! I am back with another discussion post. Today I will be writing about a main character from In the Company of Killers. This is a dark thriller/crime series that is still ongoing. Sarai's first appearance was in Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski. I first discovered this author after reading one of her earliest novels, The Edge of Never. That one is a contemporary romance, so it’s way different from In the Company of Killers. This series is so compelling and unputdownable. The books also made me impressed with Redmerski’s talent; she handles two completely different genres so well.
Killing Sarai is the origin story of Sarai Cohen/Izabel Seyfried. She’s a young woman of almost twenty and is perhaps the series’ most important protagonist. Back when I first read Killing Sarai, it was part of a duology. I didn’t know it would turn into such a successful series. In the Company of Killers may not be extremely popular, but it still has its ardent fans. A big reason may be how well the characters are written and how rich their stories are. Sarai in particular is so enthralling. Her years as a child are bleak and painful, but she ends up finding her own brand of success. I’m not going to bore you with details here (this isn’t a book review). You must know that Sarai used to be held captive as a sex slave by Javier Ruiz, a ruthless Mexican drug lord. She managed to escape when a mysterious man visited Ruiz’s compound.
This man ends up changing Sarai's life irrevocably. He's Victor Faust, a contract killer working for one of the biggest and most successful organizations of its kind. Sarai knew Victor was American when she saw him, because she also is. The two wound up falling in love. It was totally unexpected for Victor, a guy who'd been trained to kill since he was a child. He thought he'd left his humanity and emotions behind. Sarai wasn't as far gone as him, though, despite what she went through. Victor also didn’t think love was meant for him to have. This tells you a lot about these two broken characters. Victor is a man past redemption, and Sarai is way too damaged to live like a regular person. This gave her a desire to become a contract killer like Victor. She wanted to put a definitive stop to evil people like Javier Ruiz. Sarai chose to become Izabel Seyfried after Victor accepted her into his new Order.
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| I think Esme Creed-Miles would be really suited for a portrayal of Sarai/Izabel. |
Izabel may not be evil, but she isn’t exactly one of the good guys anymore. I mean, she kills bad people without remorse. Izabel definitely isn’t a woman you’d want to take home to meet your parents. And even less so if they’re religious. Good thing Victor doesn’t have a family. Being what he is, loved ones would be a huge liability. Izabel still had a relative, but (MODERATE SPOILER AHEAD) she passed away during the events of Seeds of Iniquity. After that book ended, Izabel had no one left in the world apart from Victor and his Order. She was ready to be on her own, though. Although Izabel didn’t train to be a killer from childhood, she proved herself to be as good as any of the other members of the Order. Izabel does have a bit of a taste for killing, but she’d never be so far gone as to start going after people who don’t deserve it. Izabel lived as a victim for too long to ever put anyone else through that.
Characters like Izabel make me wonder if it's okay to root for them. If she were a real person, you'd want nothing to do with her. You would most likely call the cops on Izabel so they put her in prison. It doesn't matter that she's the most human of the Order members, because you wouldn't know. But as a fictional character, it's different. This is why I'm a big fan of Redmerski. She has an ability to write layered, memorable characters. It takes a talented author to make you like characters as screwed up as Victor and his Order. Izabel is so full of darkness it's a good thing she's not a villain. She’d probably be more unstoppable than the series’ actual main antagonist. And although Izabel’s actions are wrong, she has good intentions.
I wonder where Izabel’s journey will go next. The way Spiders in the Grove ended left so many questions. It also changed the status quo in such a big way. Izabel will have to rely on her wit and her skills even more than ever. The ending looks like it’s approaching, and Spiders in the Grove seems to have set it up. I really look forward to reading the next books in this thrilling series.
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