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Maggie O'Dell #1
A Perfect Evil
A killer is watching . . .
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill again.
Morreli understands the urgency of the case terrorizing his community, but it's the experienced eye of FBI criminal profiler Maggie O'Dell that pinpoints the true nature of the evil behind the killings -- a revelation made all the more horrific when Morrelli's own nephew goes missing.
Maggie understands something else: the killer is enjoying himself, relishing his ability to stay one step ahead of her, making this case more personal by the hour. Because out there, watching, is a killer with a heart of pure and perfect evil.
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill again.
Morreli understands the urgency of the case terrorizing his community, but it's the experienced eye of FBI criminal profiler Maggie O'Dell that pinpoints the true nature of the evil behind the killings -- a revelation made all the more horrific when Morrelli's own nephew goes missing.
Maggie understands something else: the killer is enjoying himself, relishing his ability to stay one step ahead of her, making this case more personal by the hour. Because out there, watching, is a killer with a heart of pure and perfect evil.
461 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 17, 2000
574 people are currently reading
12098 people want to read
About the author
Alex Kava
51 books2,585 followersALEX KAVA IS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series and a new series featuring former Marine, Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs. Her stand-alone novel, One False Move, was the 2006 One Book One Nebraska. Published in over thirty countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 898 reviews
December 21, 2016
Ooh, almost Christmas time. Tis the season.... for murder! (make sure you say murder in a creepy voice in your head. What, you trying to tell me that you DON'T have a creepy voice in your head? Then, you are a liar!)
Now that I have thoroughly offended anyone who has actually stuck around to read this review, here's the dealio:
So, there's a serial killer who is killing kids in a small town. The town's sheriff is a good-ol-boy, a fuck-boy, and totally out of his league. Send in the FBI expert profiler, and obviously beautiful woman, Maggie O'Dell. Maggie and Sheriff Fuck-Boy are trying to solve the murder together now, and it's a pretty good story. They have great chemistry, but Maggie is married and Sheriff F.B. is still putting the moves on her.
smooth...
Now, Sherrif F.B.'s sister is a Dumb Bitch (D.B.). D.B. wants to make it big in the newspaper world - cuz newspapers are the future, right? D.B. keeps doing extremely slimy things to "get the story", like printing that a boy's body was found before Sheriff F.B. informs the family. Then, D.B.'s kid gets kidnapped (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb), and suddenly she has an attack of the guilts. Hey, D.B., maybe if you spent more time being a mother and less time being a D.B., you wouldn't have let your 10-yr old kid walk home alone in the evening when you know perfectly well that a serial killer is luring in boys faster than a video game system with gratuitous violence and sex.
Dammit, GTA! We have to drive on the road with these little maniacs when they grow up!
But, don't worry, kiddos, cuz Daddy comes to town to help his idiot son solve the murder. Only, Daddy is more interested in fame and camera time. He's Daddy Fame Whore. Daddy F.W. makes things so uncomfortable for his poor, stupid children. The only good thing about him appearing in the book is that it helps us understand why his kids are hot messes.
But, really, everyone is a hot mess. So, I guess it's just like real life.
Anyway, if you want some disturbing murder in your life, this is the book for you. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Now that I have thoroughly offended anyone who has actually stuck around to read this review, here's the dealio:
So, there's a serial killer who is killing kids in a small town. The town's sheriff is a good-ol-boy, a fuck-boy, and totally out of his league. Send in the FBI expert profiler, and obviously beautiful woman, Maggie O'Dell. Maggie and Sheriff Fuck-Boy are trying to solve the murder together now, and it's a pretty good story. They have great chemistry, but Maggie is married and Sheriff F.B. is still putting the moves on her.
smooth...
Now, Sherrif F.B.'s sister is a Dumb Bitch (D.B.). D.B. wants to make it big in the newspaper world - cuz newspapers are the future, right? D.B. keeps doing extremely slimy things to "get the story", like printing that a boy's body was found before Sheriff F.B. informs the family. Then, D.B.'s kid gets kidnapped (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb), and suddenly she has an attack of the guilts. Hey, D.B., maybe if you spent more time being a mother and less time being a D.B., you wouldn't have let your 10-yr old kid walk home alone in the evening when you know perfectly well that a serial killer is luring in boys faster than a video game system with gratuitous violence and sex.
Dammit, GTA! We have to drive on the road with these little maniacs when they grow up!
But, don't worry, kiddos, cuz Daddy comes to town to help his idiot son solve the murder. Only, Daddy is more interested in fame and camera time. He's Daddy Fame Whore. Daddy F.W. makes things so uncomfortable for his poor, stupid children. The only good thing about him appearing in the book is that it helps us understand why his kids are hot messes.
But, really, everyone is a hot mess. So, I guess it's just like real life.
Anyway, if you want some disturbing murder in your life, this is the book for you. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
August 2, 2020
2.5 Stars
Too bad, cause I really, really liked the heroine and the story in the beginning.
The killer couldn't be more obvious, the police couldn't be more incompetent and the romantic aspect couldn't be more disappointing...
Too bad, cause I really, really liked the heroine and the story in the beginning.
The killer couldn't be more obvious, the police couldn't be more incompetent and the romantic aspect couldn't be more disappointing...
March 10, 2016
I found this book to be a bit of a mixture and therefore not easy to review. On the one hand it was very readable and I never actually put it to one side and went off to read something else! On the other hand neither did I wave it in the air at the end and say what a good book it was. The characters were somehow too flawed and Nick in particular never really redeemed himself at all. But the biggest problem was realising who the murderer was far too early in the book and then watching the so called experts not being able to see what was under their noses. The author tried to put up a few false leads but they did not work for me. Nevertheless for a first book this was pretty good and I am looking forward to watching the main character and the author's skill develop as the series continues.
October 8, 2013
It's hard to know where to start with this one. I thought I was on the verge of kicking off a new, smart female-centric series that I could get my teeth into. What I ended up with was a sub-par, not very thrilling thriller with a ridiculous Mills & Boon-esque romance simmering, panting, and almost but never quite cavorting in the background.
I was surprised to find alleged series lead Maggie O'Dell relegated to one of many POVs, with the bulk of the initial plot being driven by blander-than-bland good ol' boy Sheriff Nick who finds himself flailing incompetently when someone starts dumping dead kids in his patch. Enter Maggie and all her emotional baggage stage-left, and let the inappropriate thoughts of romance and jumping each others' bones begin. Seriously, that's all they do. Maggie conjures up a profile that everyone ignores (and no wonder really; for a crack-hot profiler, she comes up with a load of bloody rubbish you could get off the TV,) has occasionally traumatic thoughts about her traumatic past, and spends the rest of the time wondering why she's so incapable of keeping her mind off Nick's pert backside, or his piercing eyes, or his boyish good looks, or his...oh you get the idea. There's little to no forensic or technical detail, nothing to suggest that Kava did a hint of research, and hey, why use one adverb when you can use two? By the time the dog's breakfast ending of false tension and day-old-stupid police work rolled around, my despair was complete. Recommended for masochists only.
I was surprised to find alleged series lead Maggie O'Dell relegated to one of many POVs, with the bulk of the initial plot being driven by blander-than-bland good ol' boy Sheriff Nick who finds himself flailing incompetently when someone starts dumping dead kids in his patch. Enter Maggie and all her emotional baggage stage-left, and let the inappropriate thoughts of romance and jumping each others' bones begin. Seriously, that's all they do. Maggie conjures up a profile that everyone ignores (and no wonder really; for a crack-hot profiler, she comes up with a load of bloody rubbish you could get off the TV,) has occasionally traumatic thoughts about her traumatic past, and spends the rest of the time wondering why she's so incapable of keeping her mind off Nick's pert backside, or his piercing eyes, or his boyish good looks, or his...oh you get the idea. There's little to no forensic or technical detail, nothing to suggest that Kava did a hint of research, and hey, why use one adverb when you can use two? By the time the dog's breakfast ending of false tension and day-old-stupid police work rolled around, my despair was complete. Recommended for masochists only.
February 22, 2016
When a young boy goes missing and is found brutally murdered in Platte City Nebraska days later, Sheriff Nick Morelli is advised to get help from FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell, especially after it appears to match previous crimes of a serial killer who was executed months earlier. O'Dell, however, is still reeling from a harrowing capture of a vicious killer a month ago where she almost lost her life.
The case was extremely interesting and captured my interest immediately. However, I found the relationship between Nick and Maggie to be a distraction. She's a highly touted profiler but never really created a strong imprint on the case. Nick came across as supremely incompetent and vacuous. And, I think that was the intent.
What saved the story were the actual cases (especially the last abduction) and the points of view provided by the killer. They were chilling and well crafted. I wasn't fond of the ending as it left me floundering...it wasn't clever nor was it a compelling twist. It just felt unfinished. Since I think this story was a victim of what I consider "first-book-itis," I'm looking forward to continuing because there were quite a few elements that worked. 3.5 stars
The case was extremely interesting and captured my interest immediately. However, I found the relationship between Nick and Maggie to be a distraction. She's a highly touted profiler but never really created a strong imprint on the case. Nick came across as supremely incompetent and vacuous. And, I think that was the intent.
What saved the story were the actual cases (especially the last abduction) and the points of view provided by the killer. They were chilling and well crafted. I wasn't fond of the ending as it left me floundering...it wasn't clever nor was it a compelling twist. It just felt unfinished. Since I think this story was a victim of what I consider "first-book-itis," I'm looking forward to continuing because there were quite a few elements that worked. 3.5 stars
January 13, 2019
This is Alex Kava’s debut book, and my first time reading her. I always feel it’s best to start at the beginning of a series.
This is not a bad book for a debut, but it’s not great. I liked Special Agent Maggie O’Dell and Sheriff Nick Morrelli and their budding relationship. Other characters were less well developed and some were stereotypes. The plot left a lot to be desired; it was very predictable.
In spite of that, I did enjoy the book. I see lots of potential and will continue with the series.
This is not a bad book for a debut, but it’s not great. I liked Special Agent Maggie O’Dell and Sheriff Nick Morrelli and their budding relationship. Other characters were less well developed and some were stereotypes. The plot left a lot to be desired; it was very predictable.
In spite of that, I did enjoy the book. I see lots of potential and will continue with the series.
October 9, 2017
3.5 stars but not really good enough for 4.
A Perfect Evil is Alex Kava's first book in the series featuring Maggie O'Dell, a feisty and thorough FBI profiler. ODell is brought into a small town in Nebraska after a child murder bears the same signs of recent spate of seriel murders in the same town. The problem is that the murderer was executed. Is this a copy cat or did the town put to death the wrong person?
O'Dell encounters the new Sherrif who is the son of the Sherrif who captured the killer - of course he is. All of the original force is still around. But soon it appears that something isn't right in this town, in fact something is quite wring.
Much of the story is formulaic, including a short lived romance between the Sherrif and O'Dell, the stereotypical small town banter and behavior, etc., but there also were glimmers of good writing when it came to O'Dell. As the series progresses I think her character will grow as well.
In short, this was a good, enjoyable read and a solid start to a promising series.
A Perfect Evil is Alex Kava's first book in the series featuring Maggie O'Dell, a feisty and thorough FBI profiler. ODell is brought into a small town in Nebraska after a child murder bears the same signs of recent spate of seriel murders in the same town. The problem is that the murderer was executed. Is this a copy cat or did the town put to death the wrong person?
O'Dell encounters the new Sherrif who is the son of the Sherrif who captured the killer - of course he is. All of the original force is still around. But soon it appears that something isn't right in this town, in fact something is quite wring.
Much of the story is formulaic, including a short lived romance between the Sherrif and O'Dell, the stereotypical small town banter and behavior, etc., but there also were glimmers of good writing when it came to O'Dell. As the series progresses I think her character will grow as well.
In short, this was a good, enjoyable read and a solid start to a promising series.
December 3, 2016
A Perfect Evil is Alex Kava's debut novel and the 1st book in her Maggie O'Dell Series.
We are introduced to FBI profiler, Maggie O'Dell, who has been tasked with investigating the kidnap/murders of three young boys in the small town of Platte City, Nebraska.
Working with the town's sheriff, Nick Morelli, she becomes part of a very dangerous game when the devious and evil killer becomes obsessed with her and begins playing a cat and mouse game with her.
The chemistry build up between Maggie and Nick is done in a very subtle way leaving us to wonder how that relationship will continue in the next book.
The author uses the small town setting extremely well....the tension and suspicions between the residents is palpable as they realize that the killer could be living amongst them.
A well-executed page turner that ends with a setup for the next book.
We are introduced to FBI profiler, Maggie O'Dell, who has been tasked with investigating the kidnap/murders of three young boys in the small town of Platte City, Nebraska.
Working with the town's sheriff, Nick Morelli, she becomes part of a very dangerous game when the devious and evil killer becomes obsessed with her and begins playing a cat and mouse game with her.
The chemistry build up between Maggie and Nick is done in a very subtle way leaving us to wonder how that relationship will continue in the next book.
The author uses the small town setting extremely well....the tension and suspicions between the residents is palpable as they realize that the killer could be living amongst them.
A well-executed page turner that ends with a setup for the next book.
March 1, 2016
I did like the story but it did have some issues. I liked the character Maggie O'Dell. It did have good character development. I did not like the ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I hear it is much better.
There is animal cruelty.
There is animal cruelty.
March 25, 2014
This books was truly terrible. I wanted to quit by the 10th chapter, but I usually finish a book once it's started. In this case it's a decision I deeply regret. Time in my life that I could have spent reading something good, is now gone forever.
None of the characters are at all likable and they are all downright stupid. The author had cops destroying evidence and bumbling around like fools. She somehow even made the poor little 10 year old victims stupid. Two children have been kidnapped and killed yet a 10 year old boy would not run screaming from a masked man talking to him? How insulting to ten year olds everywhere. And then for fun let's throw in as many evil people as possible in some sort of weird (and failed) attempt to confuse readers about who the murderer really is. This book didn't flow, didn't make me care, all it did was make me burst out in sudden fits of swearing at it's idiocy.
None of the characters are at all likable and they are all downright stupid. The author had cops destroying evidence and bumbling around like fools. She somehow even made the poor little 10 year old victims stupid. Two children have been kidnapped and killed yet a 10 year old boy would not run screaming from a masked man talking to him? How insulting to ten year olds everywhere. And then for fun let's throw in as many evil people as possible in some sort of weird (and failed) attempt to confuse readers about who the murderer really is. This book didn't flow, didn't make me care, all it did was make me burst out in sudden fits of swearing at it's idiocy.
May 7, 2017
3.5 Stars rounded up...
I liked this book and the author's writing style. I liked the potential of the Maggie O'Dell character. Maggie has come face to face with a brutal serial killer and the experience has left its scars both physically and emotionally. Now she is in the small town of Platte City, NE helping an inexperienced sheriff by profiling a kidnapper/killer of little boys. Maggie becomes more wrapped up in the case than just a profiler as another little boy has been kidnapped and killed and then a third boy is kidnapped and the clock is ticking. She is smart but she does do a few independent moves that can look a little TSTL. On the flip side, there really doesn't seem to be much support and capability coming out of the sheriff's office.
Nick Morelli, the Sheriff, is a drain on the story line. His character becomes almost unlikable due to his incompetence and playboy ways. I can definitely see where other reviewers had problems with his character. He has basically inherited the position from his father and let the department run itself pretty much without interference from him. His staff is partially good ole boys leftover from his dad. Although well liked (prior to the kidnappings) he didn't earn much respect. He definitely didn't have mine. He was much more interested in the woman of the month (well more like one night stands) then understanding his responsibilities as Sheriff. Although his character developed during the book, I found that I still didn't like him.
The plot of the kidnapped boys and their tie in to similar crimes committed during Nick's father's regime was a good one. However, when the victims of a serial killer are innocent children it's a little harder to read about. We don't get gory details (thank goodness) but there's enough information that's difficult to read. It might be because in reality there are people out there that would do this children and that's hard to stomach.
Although there is the basic resolution of this case, the ending leaves two major points open. I much prefer it when all the ends are tied up but there is a nemesis element that the author wants to keep open. I did like this book and really see the potential of this series and will continue with the next book.
I liked this book and the author's writing style. I liked the potential of the Maggie O'Dell character. Maggie has come face to face with a brutal serial killer and the experience has left its scars both physically and emotionally. Now she is in the small town of Platte City, NE helping an inexperienced sheriff by profiling a kidnapper/killer of little boys. Maggie becomes more wrapped up in the case than just a profiler as another little boy has been kidnapped and killed and then a third boy is kidnapped and the clock is ticking. She is smart but she does do a few independent moves that can look a little TSTL. On the flip side, there really doesn't seem to be much support and capability coming out of the sheriff's office.
Nick Morelli, the Sheriff, is a drain on the story line. His character becomes almost unlikable due to his incompetence and playboy ways. I can definitely see where other reviewers had problems with his character. He has basically inherited the position from his father and let the department run itself pretty much without interference from him. His staff is partially good ole boys leftover from his dad. Although well liked (prior to the kidnappings) he didn't earn much respect. He definitely didn't have mine. He was much more interested in the woman of the month (well more like one night stands) then understanding his responsibilities as Sheriff. Although his character developed during the book, I found that I still didn't like him.
The plot of the kidnapped boys and their tie in to similar crimes committed during Nick's father's regime was a good one. However, when the victims of a serial killer are innocent children it's a little harder to read about. We don't get gory details (thank goodness) but there's enough information that's difficult to read. It might be because in reality there are people out there that would do this children and that's hard to stomach.
Although there is the basic resolution of this case, the ending leaves two major points open. I much prefer it when all the ends are tied up but there is a nemesis element that the author wants to keep open. I did like this book and really see the potential of this series and will continue with the next book.
December 14, 2024
This is a part of my 2024 Cleaning Out the TR Closet challenge. This one has been on my TR list since Sept2022. Maggie kind of grew on me during the prequel and by the end, I really liked her. This installment takes place about a month after the end of the prequel. Like in the prequel, where the killer became obsessed with Maggie and started to target her, this killer also becomes threatened by Maggie and clearly wants to scare her off.
The book summary introduces the primary storyline of there being another murderer in Platt NE that appears to be a copycat to a killer who was recently executed. It’s very early in the story where it becomes obvious that is not the case and it’s the other way around. It also becomes kind of shocking of how that wasn’t known until Maggie and Sheriff Nick start investigating the killer who was executed.
There is also another storyline of Nick’s sister, Christine, who is tired of being a food writer for the local paper and gets a break to cover the story of the murder of one kid and disappearance of another kid. Lastly, there is sort of another storyline of Nick and Maggie and their growing attraction to each other while working together. Nick is the hometown, former high school, star quarterback and proverbial good-looking, playboy, pushing 40 and Maggie is the quintessential beautiful, smart, sexy, FBI agent with a troubled and deteriorating marriage.
Most of the story revolves around Nick’s and Maggie’s investigation with the other storylines weaved in. It’s in the second half that a new character is introduced, Nick’s father and former Sheriff, Antonio Morrelli. I didn’t like this guy from the moment he entered the story based on not only because of what Nick had already said about him either. While Nick is a grown man now and is responsible for his own life, I still felt sorry for him for having such a crappy father. It’s not long before I figured out who the killer was, but it was still a really scary and intense ending finally catching the killer.
The continuing character development of Maggie was good and the development of Nick and Christine were good too. The development of the killer was not bad, just a little unreliable. The rest of the cast of characters were more like talking heads. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline interesting, though disappointing and disturbing (see TW). I’m not sure what to say about the writing. I’ll just leave it at that. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.3 that I will be rounding down to a 3star review.
I won’t be continuing the series. I checked out the book summaries for several installments and many of them seem to have storylines with religious subject matter, with much of the series having a religious overtone to it. There’s even one installment about victims of the Catholic church sex abuse crisis/scandal. Kind of makes me wonder if Kava is possibly apissed-off disillusioned (maybe former?) Catholic. JMHO The trigger warnings were enough for me.
TW: child molestation, animal cruelty
The book summary introduces the primary storyline of there being another murderer in Platt NE that appears to be a copycat to a killer who was recently executed. It’s very early in the story where it becomes obvious that is not the case and it’s the other way around. It also becomes kind of shocking of how that wasn’t known until Maggie and Sheriff Nick start investigating the killer who was executed.
There is also another storyline of Nick’s sister, Christine, who is tired of being a food writer for the local paper and gets a break to cover the story of the murder of one kid and disappearance of another kid. Lastly, there is sort of another storyline of Nick and Maggie and their growing attraction to each other while working together. Nick is the hometown, former high school, star quarterback and proverbial good-looking, playboy, pushing 40 and Maggie is the quintessential beautiful, smart, sexy, FBI agent with a troubled and deteriorating marriage.
Most of the story revolves around Nick’s and Maggie’s investigation with the other storylines weaved in. It’s in the second half that a new character is introduced, Nick’s father and former Sheriff, Antonio Morrelli. I didn’t like this guy from the moment he entered the story based on not only because of what Nick had already said about him either. While Nick is a grown man now and is responsible for his own life, I still felt sorry for him for having such a crappy father. It’s not long before I figured out who the killer was, but it was still a really scary and intense ending finally catching the killer.
The continuing character development of Maggie was good and the development of Nick and Christine were good too. The development of the killer was not bad, just a little unreliable. The rest of the cast of characters were more like talking heads. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline interesting, though disappointing and disturbing (see TW). I’m not sure what to say about the writing. I’ll just leave it at that. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.3 that I will be rounding down to a 3star review.
I won’t be continuing the series. I checked out the book summaries for several installments and many of them seem to have storylines with religious subject matter, with much of the series having a religious overtone to it. There’s even one installment about victims of the Catholic church sex abuse crisis/scandal. Kind of makes me wonder if Kava is possibly a
TW: child molestation, animal cruelty
October 10, 2017
The greatest mystery twist of this book is why my father foisted a library copy on me in the first place. I was mystified through out with a "Why, oh why, would you give this book to anyone to read but a family member on top?" ringing in my head. It also seemed reaaaaallly unlike him, since this book is 90% incompetent buffoons thinking lusty thoughts about each other while the other 10% (rape & murder of pre-teen altar boys) is taking place. It's virtually a romance novel. of the lightest PG-13 sort, interspersed with graphic child rape.
I am not even kidding. During the autopsy of one of the victims, in which the hopelessly incapable FBI agent discovers that the even more incompetent coroner missed the holy oil all over the kid--also blame gets awarded to the maintenance and security staff in the building for leaving the morgue unlocked leading to multiple incidents of evidence tampering and corpse snatching, the studly town sheriff, who got the job which he is almost completely uninterested in of sheriff because of his good looks, name, and quarterback reputation, faints, because flayed dead child. He is brought to with a cold pepsi on the back of his neck and boobs to the face, earning this book (and that scene in particular, amongst many many WTF moments in this book) a special dubious award for inappropriate.
The Three Investigators would have cracked the case by page 10, which is roughly when you learn who the killer is--it's BLATANTLY obvious throughout the whole book, but nah, why investigate little kids getting snatched and ritualistically killed when you can petulantly focus on your whiny sister getting scoops in the local newspaper and the hot new thing in town. It gets dragged out through the whole book--no, the priest can't be the killer of young boys, who all happened to be his altar boys, no it's a coincidence that the art work throughout his house perfectly resembles the crime scenes, so what if his car matches eyewitness statements and chloroform was found in the front seat, just one of those things that there were other children murdered in exactly the same way in his previous parishes--annnnd
I checked pretty early on to see if man or woman wrote this and was mildly surprised Alex Kava is a woman. Then grew slightly less surprised once the wave of "Not the time, nor the place. Aren't you supposed to be hunting a serial killer?" chapters followed filled with dewy thoughts. But this really read as a fucked up romance novel, with a gruesome procedural shoe-horned in. However, I have been reminded of the fact that this is this author's first book. My father swears her latest books are fantastic and said in his defense he never read this one. I am not sure if this series gets better--hopefully, but with the way this one ended, I also kind of doubt it.
I am not even kidding. During the autopsy of one of the victims, in which the hopelessly incapable FBI agent discovers that the even more incompetent coroner missed the holy oil all over the kid--also blame gets awarded to the maintenance and security staff in the building for leaving the morgue unlocked leading to multiple incidents of evidence tampering and corpse snatching, the studly town sheriff, who got the job which he is almost completely uninterested in of sheriff because of his good looks, name, and quarterback reputation, faints, because flayed dead child. He is brought to with a cold pepsi on the back of his neck and boobs to the face, earning this book (and that scene in particular, amongst many many WTF moments in this book) a special dubious award for inappropriate.
The Three Investigators would have cracked the case by page 10, which is roughly when you learn who the killer is--it's BLATANTLY obvious throughout the whole book, but nah, why investigate little kids getting snatched and ritualistically killed when you can petulantly focus on your whiny sister getting scoops in the local newspaper and the hot new thing in town. It gets dragged out through the whole book--no, the priest can't be the killer of young boys, who all happened to be his altar boys, no it's a coincidence that the art work throughout his house perfectly resembles the crime scenes, so what if his car matches eyewitness statements and chloroform was found in the front seat, just one of those things that there were other children murdered in exactly the same way in his previous parishes--annnnd
I checked pretty early on to see if man or woman wrote this and was mildly surprised Alex Kava is a woman. Then grew slightly less surprised once the wave of "Not the time, nor the place. Aren't you supposed to be hunting a serial killer?" chapters followed filled with dewy thoughts. But this really read as a fucked up romance novel, with a gruesome procedural shoe-horned in. However, I have been reminded of the fact that this is this author's first book. My father swears her latest books are fantastic and said in his defense he never read this one. I am not sure if this series gets better--hopefully, but with the way this one ended, I also kind of doubt it.
August 22, 2019
Hah. İlk defa bir serinin ilk kitabına denk geldim. Karşınızda Maggie O’Dell serisi.
Maggie bir FBI ajanı ve profil uzmanı olarak Platte City’e gönderiliyor. Şansa bak ki kasabanın şerifi aşırı derecede seksi ve fit bir adam: Nick. Hemen aralarında kıvılcımlar uçuşuyor. Keşke yer yazar başrolleri bir kadın bir erkek yapınca işin içine cinsellik katmasa. Bu artık can sıkıcı olmaya başladı.
Kasabada ergen çocuklar kaybolmaya ve vahşice öldürülmeye başlanır. Cinsel taciz yoktur ancak çocukların dinsel bir ayin töreniyle öldürüldüğü ortadadır. Son kurban olarak Nick’in yeğeni kaçırıldığında ortalık karışır. Ellerindeki şüpheliler ile sonuca ulaşmaya çalışırlar.
Sonundan bahsetmeyeceğim, sürprizi kaçmasın. Sadece daha iyi olabilirdi diyorum. Ama kötü müydü? Değildi, gayet güzeldi. Sadece çok ters köşe değildi diyelim.
Ortalamanın üstünde güzel bir polisiye. Seveceksiniz. 👍🏻
Maggie bir FBI ajanı ve profil uzmanı olarak Platte City’e gönderiliyor. Şansa bak ki kasabanın şerifi aşırı derecede seksi ve fit bir adam: Nick. Hemen aralarında kıvılcımlar uçuşuyor. Keşke yer yazar başrolleri bir kadın bir erkek yapınca işin içine cinsellik katmasa. Bu artık can sıkıcı olmaya başladı.
Kasabada ergen çocuklar kaybolmaya ve vahşice öldürülmeye başlanır. Cinsel taciz yoktur ancak çocukların dinsel bir ayin töreniyle öldürüldüğü ortadadır. Son kurban olarak Nick’in yeğeni kaçırıldığında ortalık karışır. Ellerindeki şüpheliler ile sonuca ulaşmaya çalışırlar.
Sonundan bahsetmeyeceğim, sürprizi kaçmasın. Sadece daha iyi olabilirdi diyorum. Ama kötü müydü? Değildi, gayet güzeldi. Sadece çok ters köşe değildi diyelim.
Ortalamanın üstünde güzel bir polisiye. Seveceksiniz. 👍🏻
December 27, 2013
I finished 5 chapters. Then I said profane things for a while because I am disappointed that yet another book with good reviews, turned out to be such a cop out. Where do I even begin?
Oh yes, the beginning. There we are, getting introduced to a man who raped and killed a little boy and is about to be put to death. Kids, do you know what time it is??
It is confession to Jesus time!!
Dialogue(he strangled the boy): "I waited until he was dead before I cut him. He didn't feel a thing"
Dead people don't feel things?? SHUT UP!!
Other than a few eye rolls, this supposed bad guy elicited no reaction from me. Hannibal Lecter, now that is a well written character. Reading about that guy didn't make me wanna say "Aww, alright, you are horrible. I am scared of you".
Whatever.
Then we introduce Nick Morelli, our charming, good-hearted whoremonger Sheriff who can't seem to get it up right then.
Then reporter hottie, Christine Hamilton, who uses her wily wiles and leggy legs to get information on her first time reporting. She happens to be, we learn later, our Sheriff's sister!!
OMG OMG OMG, right?? (Hint : No.)
Then, of course, Maggie, high-profile criminal profiler who was forced to watch 2 women butchered in front of her by a madman. But of course, she got right back to work. And she never told her husband about how she cleaned blood and brains off herself one night. Because he was away and he would lecture her about the perils of the job (that is the actual fucking reason).
Also because, hey, profilers get kidnapped everyday and are forced to watch murders. That shit never makes it to news. Nor is her husband capable of seeing/hearing it.
I stopped reading after that. As far as this book goes, I slide with Jay-Z over here
Jay-Z don't want. I don't either. F u.
Oh yes, the beginning. There we are, getting introduced to a man who raped and killed a little boy and is about to be put to death. Kids, do you know what time it is??
It is confession to Jesus time!!
Dialogue(he strangled the boy): "I waited until he was dead before I cut him. He didn't feel a thing"
Dead people don't feel things?? SHUT UP!!
Other than a few eye rolls, this supposed bad guy elicited no reaction from me. Hannibal Lecter, now that is a well written character. Reading about that guy didn't make me wanna say "Aww, alright, you are horrible. I am scared of you".
Whatever.
Then we introduce Nick Morelli, our charming, good-hearted whoremonger Sheriff who can't seem to get it up right then.
Then reporter hottie, Christine Hamilton, who uses her wily wiles and leggy legs to get information on her first time reporting. She happens to be, we learn later, our Sheriff's sister!!
OMG OMG OMG, right?? (Hint : No.)
Then, of course, Maggie, high-profile criminal profiler who was forced to watch 2 women butchered in front of her by a madman. But of course, she got right back to work. And she never told her husband about how she cleaned blood and brains off herself one night. Because he was away and he would lecture her about the perils of the job (that is the actual fucking reason).
Also because, hey, profilers get kidnapped everyday and are forced to watch murders. That shit never makes it to news. Nor is her husband capable of seeing/hearing it.
I stopped reading after that. As far as this book goes, I slide with Jay-Z over here
Jay-Z don't want. I don't either. F u.
May 12, 2018
Read: April-May 2018
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
What I liked:
- The well-rounded main characters; Nick, Maggie and Christine were all complex and likeable.
- The writing style; I found A Perfect Evil easy to read and looked forward to picking it up whenever I had the chance.
- The bad guy(s); there were a couple of candidates for the killer and Kava kept me guessing almost to the very end.
What I didn't like:
- There were a couple of moments when characters made stupid decisions that didn't feel realistic and instead only happened to move the plot along.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
What I liked:
- The well-rounded main characters; Nick, Maggie and Christine were all complex and likeable.
- The writing style; I found A Perfect Evil easy to read and looked forward to picking it up whenever I had the chance.
- The bad guy(s); there were a couple of candidates for the killer and Kava kept me guessing almost to the very end.
What I didn't like:
- There were a couple of moments when characters made stupid decisions that didn't feel realistic and instead only happened to move the plot along.
December 30, 2014
I finished reading Alex Kava's new book, "Breaking Creed" last week and was immediately taken with character Maggie O'Dell. Super-excited to discover a new series that I haven't read yet, just enjoyed "A Perfect Evil", the first in Kava's Maggie O'Dell series.
The book was okay, but I knew who was culpable for the heinous murder of the little boys by chapter 4 or 5. By the final chapters, things were pretty convoluted and bad guy gets away-cue the music for a follow-up book featuring this dastardly baddy.
It was interesting to see Maggie O'Dell's marriage disintegrating, but it seems like soon to be ex hubby was an ass anyway, so no loss there. She seemed to rebound pretty quickly into Sheriff Nick's arms. There was a lot of heavy petting, but nothing really graphic. My glasses steamed up a couple times, but I'm none the worse for wear.
I'm going to start Kava's second book in the series, "Split Second". If it turns out that Maggie is a serial lap jumper I'll lose interest in Kava's books pretty quickly. Call me a judgy prude, but I don't need a main character falling all over a new love interest in every book. That's just how I roll.
The book was okay, but I knew who was culpable for the heinous murder of the little boys by chapter 4 or 5. By the final chapters, things were pretty convoluted and bad guy gets away-cue the music for a follow-up book featuring this dastardly baddy.
It was interesting to see Maggie O'Dell's marriage disintegrating, but it seems like soon to be ex hubby was an ass anyway, so no loss there. She seemed to rebound pretty quickly into Sheriff Nick's arms. There was a lot of heavy petting, but nothing really graphic. My glasses steamed up a couple times, but I'm none the worse for wear.
I'm going to start Kava's second book in the series, "Split Second". If it turns out that Maggie is a serial lap jumper I'll lose interest in Kava's books pretty quickly. Call me a judgy prude, but I don't need a main character falling all over a new love interest in every book. That's just how I roll.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
I enjoyed this audiobook and the characters. The ending has me wanting to read the next in the series without waiting too long. I read a lot of books like this so I can’t say this is a completely new idea or standout from the rest (although it was published in 2000 so I may have felt differently had I read it then), but it is entertaining and enjoyable. And I think the series has great promise. A great debut novel.
May 18, 2010
"A perfect Evil" started out really good but tetered out pretty fast. Overall it was okay, but it's still nowhere near a very good thriller.
The story is pretty predictable --- even though there are several suspects thrown in throughout the story I daresay that anyone with half a brain will know after just a few chapters who the killer is.
The characters are okay (nothing special, though). One thing that I found kinda strange is that even though the book is called "A Perfect Evil - A Maggie O'Dell Novel" there is actually surprisingly little of Maggie O'Dell in the book. She's supposed to be the lead character, but I felt there were a lot more chapters written from the perspective of the other characters (Sheriff Nick Morelli, his sister Christine, her son Timmy, the killer, and some others) than there were from Maggie's perspective. Also, we don't learn much about what kind of a person she is in this book.
Some parts of the story were quite implausible and/or unbelievable, and some of Maggie's actions are just plain stupid. You'd think a FBI profiler - even a young one - would be pretty smart, but she really doesn't come across as all that smart. But then again, we don't learn enough about who she is and how her mind works to really know whether or not she's smart.
I will probably read the next book in the series at some point (hopefully there will be more character development in that one) if I come across it somewhere but it's definitely not a priority for me.
The story is pretty predictable --- even though there are several suspects thrown in throughout the story I daresay that anyone with half a brain will know after just a few chapters who the killer is.
The characters are okay (nothing special, though). One thing that I found kinda strange is that even though the book is called "A Perfect Evil - A Maggie O'Dell Novel" there is actually surprisingly little of Maggie O'Dell in the book. She's supposed to be the lead character, but I felt there were a lot more chapters written from the perspective of the other characters (Sheriff Nick Morelli, his sister Christine, her son Timmy, the killer, and some others) than there were from Maggie's perspective. Also, we don't learn much about what kind of a person she is in this book.
Some parts of the story were quite implausible and/or unbelievable, and some of Maggie's actions are just plain stupid. You'd think a FBI profiler - even a young one - would be pretty smart, but she really doesn't come across as all that smart. But then again, we don't learn enough about who she is and how her mind works to really know whether or not she's smart.
I will probably read the next book in the series at some point (hopefully there will be more character development in that one) if I come across it somewhere but it's definitely not a priority for me.
September 9, 2011
I discovered Alex Kava back in 2007 when my husband bought it randomly as a birthday gift. I was always into mystery and suspense novels so I knew I would probably like it, but I had no idea I was going to love it this much.
Maggie is an FBI agent - a profiler - who's on the hunt for a serial killer. It sounds like your average murder mystery I know, but no it's really awesome! This is the first book in the Maggie O'Dell series, but it doesn't read like one. The writing is great and the characters are flawed and haunted by their pasts; It feels like we were thrown into an already lived-in life. Maggie is a real kick ass character with a lot of guts - I adore her! I love how we get glimpses into her past, what happened to her, what scarred her. The secondary character and love interest, Nick, has a very sexy edge and their romance is sweet.
The romance doesn't play a big part in the book, at all, so don't go reading it as a romantic suspense. It's an authentic page-turning thriller. It has a fast pace and Kava doesn't shy away from gory details and I would even say uncomfortable scenes. Especially when the POV switches to the killer - which was very great at building tension.
What I love most about this whole series is that we get inside the heads of the serial killers. Being a profiler, that's what Maggie does. From really subtle clues she can find out an immense amount of details about the killer. Know their motives, what drives them, why they become who they are. It's very fascinating.
I really recommend this series for any thriller lover!
Maggie is an FBI agent - a profiler - who's on the hunt for a serial killer. It sounds like your average murder mystery I know, but no it's really awesome! This is the first book in the Maggie O'Dell series, but it doesn't read like one. The writing is great and the characters are flawed and haunted by their pasts; It feels like we were thrown into an already lived-in life. Maggie is a real kick ass character with a lot of guts - I adore her! I love how we get glimpses into her past, what happened to her, what scarred her. The secondary character and love interest, Nick, has a very sexy edge and their romance is sweet.
The romance doesn't play a big part in the book, at all, so don't go reading it as a romantic suspense. It's an authentic page-turning thriller. It has a fast pace and Kava doesn't shy away from gory details and I would even say uncomfortable scenes. Especially when the POV switches to the killer - which was very great at building tension.
What I love most about this whole series is that we get inside the heads of the serial killers. Being a profiler, that's what Maggie does. From really subtle clues she can find out an immense amount of details about the killer. Know their motives, what drives them, why they become who they are. It's very fascinating.
I really recommend this series for any thriller lover!
June 13, 2011
When I discovered I had won book 8 in this series in a Goodreads drawing, my usual inability to read a series kicked in... especially when I realized I had, in fact, already read book 3 in 2006. Yes, by itself and out of order! I don't know how I did it, or why, but I decided to rectify the situation. Thus, I acquired the entire series (except, strangely, book 3) and started at the beginning. And what a beginning!
Kava's series features Maggie O'Dell, an 8-year veteran of the FBI when A Perfect Evil starts. She is not the only POV character, but Kava pulls off the multiple POV thing seamlessly. Not many seasoned writers can do this, yet Kava wrote like a pro even in this, her first published novel. I'm so impressed by how much this book does not read like a first book, not just because Kava's writing is so good (and it is), but also because Maggie is already a fully formed character when we meet her, with a history that has led to psychological, emotional and physical scars that are revealed slowly over the course of the book. And the novel's ending lets the reader know that Maggie's past will continue to play a major part in the character's future and in at least one more book in the series.
Bucking stereotypes of female authors of crime novels, Kava doesn't shy away from graphic detail or seriously violent scenes. She handles the tough parts of her story with as much skill as the more emotional, "girly" parts.
I'm looking forward to diving into book 2 this very morning, and I strongly recommend you jump right in, too.
Kava's series features Maggie O'Dell, an 8-year veteran of the FBI when A Perfect Evil starts. She is not the only POV character, but Kava pulls off the multiple POV thing seamlessly. Not many seasoned writers can do this, yet Kava wrote like a pro even in this, her first published novel. I'm so impressed by how much this book does not read like a first book, not just because Kava's writing is so good (and it is), but also because Maggie is already a fully formed character when we meet her, with a history that has led to psychological, emotional and physical scars that are revealed slowly over the course of the book. And the novel's ending lets the reader know that Maggie's past will continue to play a major part in the character's future and in at least one more book in the series.
Bucking stereotypes of female authors of crime novels, Kava doesn't shy away from graphic detail or seriously violent scenes. She handles the tough parts of her story with as much skill as the more emotional, "girly" parts.
I'm looking forward to diving into book 2 this very morning, and I strongly recommend you jump right in, too.
Read
July 7, 2009Ugh, I quit at page 127. By then Kava has given away the murderer's identity, his motive, his next victim, the love interest. The next 200 pages would reveal how the good guys finally (if ever) catch the bad guy, along with, I assume, more detailed descriptions of child sexual assault, misogynist torture, bludgeonings, drugging, strangling, stabbings, desecrations of corpses. Not my idea of a relaxing summer night's read. I wanted to read it because it was a writer setting her action in Nebraska. Thought it would be fun.
On the hilarious side, none of the main characters can experience strong emotion without feeling nauseous or actually vomiting. Someone gets nauseous or vomits every 6 pages. NOT the child victims, mind you, who endure kidnapping, drugging, terror and death without a single upset tummy! NO, it's the adults who have upset tummies every half day or so. Kava may have invented a sort of Nouveau-Victorian literature, in which at the first whiff of strong emotion people throw up instead of faint.
On the hilarious side, none of the main characters can experience strong emotion without feeling nauseous or actually vomiting. Someone gets nauseous or vomits every 6 pages. NOT the child victims, mind you, who endure kidnapping, drugging, terror and death without a single upset tummy! NO, it's the adults who have upset tummies every half day or so. Kava may have invented a sort of Nouveau-Victorian literature, in which at the first whiff of strong emotion people throw up instead of faint.
June 16, 2021
I realize this is the first book of a series, so may be willing to read two or three more titles to see if the quality of the storytelling improves.
Although I've tagged it as a police procedural, there is little procedure involved in the story. If the protagonist, Maggie O'Dell, didn't have her FBI procedure to follow, there would be no procedure involved.
There wasn't sufficient character development to bring much interest. If the victims hadn't been children, it would have been difficult to muster much sympathy for them.
The author seemed torn between writing a suspenseful story and a romance novel, doing neither much justice.
Although I've tagged it as a police procedural, there is little procedure involved in the story. If the protagonist, Maggie O'Dell, didn't have her FBI procedure to follow, there would be no procedure involved.
There wasn't sufficient character development to bring much interest. If the victims hadn't been children, it would have been difficult to muster much sympathy for them.
The author seemed torn between writing a suspenseful story and a romance novel, doing neither much justice.
November 4, 2014
I've just discoved the show "Criminal Minds" and it's become one of my very favorites. So when I picked up this book featuring Maggie O'Dell and she is a criminal profiler for the FBI I just jumped for joy.
November 14, 2013
Absolutely, truly enjoyed this book. Captivating, twists and twisted, difficult subject matter, very well written, really likeable characters, and a cliff hanger to boot!
Alex Kava knows how to write a book and keep your attention - the killer wasn't always that obvious, she makes you think and second guess yourself - love it!
A bit of romance, just enough and not over done - like that about this book. I don't need graphic sex in my reading - that is what your imagination is for if it is that much of a necessity - just saying.
Since I really like the TV show "Criminal Minds", it's no surprise that I really like Maggie O'Dell - FBI profiler :)
I highly recommend this series, it's worth every page. 5 Stars and 2 thumbs up - can't wait to start "Split Second" - the 2nd in the series - if only I didn't have to work, sadly I still have one year and 6 months left of running on the hamster wheel!
Alex Kava knows how to write a book and keep your attention - the killer wasn't always that obvious, she makes you think and second guess yourself - love it!
A bit of romance, just enough and not over done - like that about this book. I don't need graphic sex in my reading - that is what your imagination is for if it is that much of a necessity - just saying.
Since I really like the TV show "Criminal Minds", it's no surprise that I really like Maggie O'Dell - FBI profiler :)
I highly recommend this series, it's worth every page. 5 Stars and 2 thumbs up - can't wait to start "Split Second" - the 2nd in the series - if only I didn't have to work, sadly I still have one year and 6 months left of running on the hamster wheel!
April 10, 2013
I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WOULD BE GOOD, BOY WAS I WRONG. THE LAW ENFORCMENT COMMUNITY SHOULD BE OUTRAGED THEY WERE DEPICTED AS BUFFOONS OR KEYSTONE COPS. I KNEW WHO THE KILLER WAS BY 15% OF THE BOOK BUT THE COPS SURE DIDN'T. THE BOOK DRAGGED ON AND ON I WANTED TO STOP READING BEFORE 45% BUT I CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE TRYING TO COMPLETE IT. THIS BOOK IS A SERIES SO WHEN I GOT TO THE END I GOT CLIFF-HUNG. I WILL NOT BE READING ANYMORE IN THIS SERIES, DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ANYMOE STUPID COPS OR ALMOST ROMANCES. GROAN! SO NOT WORTH IT.
August 13, 2013
More of a romance book than mystery. No strong female character but one distracted by this forbidden romance - give me a break!!
July 3, 2025
I have had this book on my shelves now for several years and finally got around to reading it. My wife had read another in this series and had wanted to read more but she put aside most of her reading so this one has been lingering. Anyway, this is the first book in the Maggie O'Dell series by Kava. It's about a very evil serial killer who has been killing young boys in the small town of North Platte, Nebraska. The murderer appears to be a copycat killer who is killing in the same style as an executed killer named Ronald Jeffreys. But is he a copycat or was Jeffreys framed for some of the killer's victims? The sheriff in North Platte, Nick Morrelli is not prepared for this case so calls in an FBI profiler named Maggie O'Dell. Maggie puts together a profile of the characteristics of the killer but is she on point or is the killer someone completely different from her profile?
I was kind of mixed overall on this one. The story kept me turning the pages but in the end I was somewhat disappointed. The killer was obvious from early on in the story. I kept waiting for some kind of twist that would point in another direction but it never came. And then the ending was a cliffhanger with some loose ends. Will these be resolved in the next book in the series? Also the characters in the novel were for the most part flawed, especially Sheriff Morrelli who seemed clueless along with the rest of his police force. I admit this was overall a suspenseful read but it's doubtful that I will be reading more in this series.
I was kind of mixed overall on this one. The story kept me turning the pages but in the end I was somewhat disappointed. The killer was obvious from early on in the story. I kept waiting for some kind of twist that would point in another direction but it never came. And then the ending was a cliffhanger with some loose ends. Will these be resolved in the next book in the series? Also the characters in the novel were for the most part flawed, especially Sheriff Morrelli who seemed clueless along with the rest of his police force. I admit this was overall a suspenseful read but it's doubtful that I will be reading more in this series.
January 15, 2016
When a Death Row inmate awaiting execution confesses that he didn't kill two of the three boys he was convicted of murdering, Father Francis was not surprised. He had already heard the confession of the other killer.
A few months later, a young boy disappears. Sheriff Nick Morrelli knows he and his deputies are not prepared for the situation and when the boy's body is found and another child disappears, he contacts FBI Criminal Profiler Maggie O'Dell to put together a picture of the killer.
This was an interesting debut novel from Alex Kava. The story kept my attention. I thought the villain was obvious, though the author did throw in a couple of red herrings. I didn't care for the romance between Nick and Maggie. It felt like an afterthought to the story and probably could have been edited from the story without any difficulty. I've heard the stories improve with each book, so I'm looking forward to trying the next book in the series. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
A few months later, a young boy disappears. Sheriff Nick Morrelli knows he and his deputies are not prepared for the situation and when the boy's body is found and another child disappears, he contacts FBI Criminal Profiler Maggie O'Dell to put together a picture of the killer.
This was an interesting debut novel from Alex Kava. The story kept my attention. I thought the villain was obvious, though the author did throw in a couple of red herrings. I didn't care for the romance between Nick and Maggie. It felt like an afterthought to the story and probably could have been edited from the story without any difficulty. I've heard the stories improve with each book, so I'm looking forward to trying the next book in the series. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
November 21, 2013
I love a book that keeps me up late reading and gets me out of bed early to grab just a few more pages before I start my day. Kava has done a stellar job building characters and settings and her Maggie O'Dell is my kind of strong if tortured protagonist.
I liked the fast pace of this thriller. If the sign of a great book is that you feel like you are scrambling along a cold muddy river bank running and hiding for your life along side the victims and hunters then this is a great book. There are the requisite red herrings but not so many as to leave the reader feeling let down that they were not part of the crime solving team.
Great start to the series.
I liked the fast pace of this thriller. If the sign of a great book is that you feel like you are scrambling along a cold muddy river bank running and hiding for your life along side the victims and hunters then this is a great book. There are the requisite red herrings but not so many as to leave the reader feeling let down that they were not part of the crime solving team.
Great start to the series.
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