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bougainvillea's review against another edition
3.0
It was nice to have the Father Keller story tied up, but I'm not feeling the love for Kava these days. I also thought O'Dell should have "recognized" Sister Kate much sooner. What kind of profiler is she?
jonetta's review against another edition
4.0
FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell finds herself back in Nebraska after a priest is found murdered in the Omaha airport bathroom and it appears he's one of several being murdered around the country. She was pulled away from a case in Washington, D. C. where the heads of three women were found in different locations in the District. Unbeknownst to anyone, Maggie's friend psychologist Gwen Patterson is receiving communications from that killer, who she believes is one of her patients.
Maggie is actually doing quite a bit of profiling in this story, though still not as effectively as she could be. Both cases were initially very puzzling but it didn't take long to figure out who was committing both crimes. Father Michael Keller reappears in this story, finally drawing that storyline to a close. The cases were interesting, even though some of the science was a bit flawed. It was hard to square Gwen's behavior with how a psychologist would realistically have handled the situation, especially given her relationship with law enforcement. It rang hollow for me.
I enjoyed the story for the most part but thought it took too long to develop and the ending was rushed. I think my problem with Maggie is I've read other stories/series involving profilers who are much better skilled than I've seen her perform to date. I just wish the stories would focus more strongly on her as a profiler than all the other personal distractions. My rating, however, reflects my interest in the story and the strength of the secondary characters who made this compelling. 3.5 stars
Maggie is actually doing quite a bit of profiling in this story, though still not as effectively as she could be. Both cases were initially very puzzling but it didn't take long to figure out who was committing both crimes. Father Michael Keller reappears in this story, finally drawing that storyline to a close. The cases were interesting, even though some of the science was a bit flawed. It was hard to square Gwen's behavior with how a psychologist would realistically have handled the situation, especially given her relationship with law enforcement. It rang hollow for me.
I enjoyed the story for the most part but thought it took too long to develop and the ending was rushed. I think my problem with Maggie is I've read other stories/series involving profilers who are much better skilled than I've seen her perform to date. I just wish the stories would focus more strongly on her as a profiler than all the other personal distractions. My rating, however, reflects my interest in the story and the strength of the secondary characters who made this compelling. 3.5 stars
daisyreads31's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant read
I really enjoyed this story. As usual Maggie O'Dell is so well written and the story line of abusive priests is highly topical and well researched.
I really enjoyed this story. As usual Maggie O'Dell is so well written and the story line of abusive priests is highly topical and well researched.
possum_nz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Awesome read. I didn’t think it was fast-paced until the 70% mark, some chapters are more graphic than I was anticipating. But it’s the first book I’ve read by Kava.
Hence it’s lost some stars. There were some loose ends or arch’s that I wished were answered.
I didn’t find it an overly good thriller.
I knew who killed the women as soon as they were introduced as a character. It was painfully obvious that it wasn’t Rash. I also suspected Kate from the get go but there are still questions left untied.
Particularly, whether there were multiple killers. I really thought Gibson killed the first priest. I’m assuming that he did, hence why he received the email “I saw what you did”. I’m still confused. Also really would have been awesome if the game was delved into a little bit more. Where the other sisters in on it? I suspect this may perhaps be developed further.
Hence it’s lost some stars. There were some loose ends or arch’s that I wished were answered.
I didn’t find it an overly good thriller.
Particularly, whether there were multiple killers. I really thought Gibson killed the first priest. I’m assuming that he did, hence why he received the email “I saw what you did”. I’m still confused. Also really would have been awesome if the game was delved into a little bit more. Where the other sisters in on it? I suspect this may perhaps be developed further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Mental illness and Blood
A lot more gore detail and I wasn’t expecting detailed …. Scenes of the relationships between the priests and boys. Portions of the book made me feel really sick.thekindredreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
[4 Stars] A solid book in this series and I like that Maggie’s character is starting to really flesh out. It was suspenseful and overall pretty well done.
elvang's review against another edition
5.0
Oh good grief. I might as well retire my less than shiny super sleuth badge after reading A Necessary Evil. I have to give her credit,
Kava dragged me around by the nose and I still didn't see the true killer until the last couple of pages.
After stopping and starting and not giving this book it's due until the 70% mark, I am glad I picked up the pace to enjoy the roller coaster ending. Good job on Kava's part responding to her fan requests to deal with the Father Keller storyline from book #1. I also enjoyed more page time from Racine and Gwen. Good read.
Kava dragged me around by the nose and I still didn't see the true killer until the last couple of pages.
After stopping and starting and not giving this book it's due until the 70% mark, I am glad I picked up the pace to enjoy the roller coaster ending. Good job on Kava's part responding to her fan requests to deal with the Father Keller storyline from book #1. I also enjoyed more page time from Racine and Gwen. Good read.
belle505's review against another edition
3.0
Decent read. Always enjoy her books, just nothing over the top to make it more stars.
psalmcat's review
4.0
Priests are being murdered in the Midwest. Women are being dismembered in the D.C. area. How are these cases connected? Or are they? It's a bit of a stretch to say that they are, and although the end was kind of a feel-good ending, I can't help thinking about the housekeeper in Boston who was in the wrong place at the worst possible time. Still, an interesting puzzle, if a little too convoluted. I wasn't thrilled with the reader, but the story was good enough that I could see reading more by this author.
marblesonglass's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty good book. The ending was a partial surprise. I was able to enjoy it without reading any of the author's previous books in the series. I just wish I'd learned more about the Internet game, but you can't get everything.