Red Dragon is probably best known as the book that introduces Hannibal Lecter. But really Lecter has a pretty small part in it and the focus is on the hunt for the serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy. The search is led by Will Graham, the man responsible for capturing Lecter. Much like in Silence of the Lambs, the best resource to get into the mind of a serial killer is to consult with Hannibal Lecter.The book seems like it would be a fairly standard thriller but the Tooth Fairy (or as he calls himself the Red Dragon) is such a weird and fascinating character that the book is a step above the usual crime novel. In the middle section of the book we get the history of the killer's childhood and it almost makes us feel bad for him... but then we're reminded that he is a totally crazy killer.
I rarely say this about a book, but I wish that it were longer! The story moves along very quickly and the climactic encounter between the main characters is just a few pages long and too short to build as much tension as it should have. After reading it I want to re-watch the first film version - Manhunter, and finally see the remake too (and read the sequel). It gets an A-.
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