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canada_matt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Eager to continue this series by Graham Masterton, I hoped to remain just as impressed. A police procedural set in rural Ireland, Masterton uses all the elements of a stellar backstory to chill the reader as they forge through this tale of abuse and horrific torture. Then again, those who know his work would expect nothing less of Graham Masterton. A winner in a series that has me completely enthralled already!
In County Cork, Detective Sergeant Katie Macguire has been trying to create new connections for herself while remaining at the top of her policing game. She’s pulled into the middle of a new case when a local priest is found tortured and murdered. A little hunting around shows that he may have been involved in some horrific abuse of local orphans in the past.
When the forensics from the scene point to genital mutilation with a harp string, DS Macguire and her team are surprised. While there is no love loss for Catholic priests by many, this seems to be slight overkill. They push to learn more, as a second victim turns up, also mutilated and with a similar string left at the scene. Someone is hunting Catholic priests with a murky past!
All the while, a man lurks in the shadows, having captured these priests when they least expect it. He speaks to them about their heinous actors and tries to get them to confess, hoping that their absolution will help lull them into a false sense of relief. Referring to himself as the Grey Mullet Man, there’s something he seeks but he is not completely forthcoming with his victims. Still, he is on a mission and will stop at nothing for answers.
While DS Macguire tries to solve this latest case, she is pulled in other directions by a new man in her life. Not a local, this man has high hopes of getting Macguire to accompany him back to America, where she will be able to reinvent herself. However, the killer out there has kept Macguire from making many of the needed decisions and she is now facing a new crossroads where her future is concerned. Masterton does a stellar job keeping readers enthused by this piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed a previous series of Graham Masterton’s, spurring me on to try this one. After devouring the series debut, I could not wait to get my hands on this book. In a novel that tackles a number of personal issues, Masterton touches on all of them effectively, while providing her reader with a chilling set of murders that weave their way into the mix. Captivating, disheartening, and suspenseful all at once, Masterton has the perfect recipe for a police procedural that is sure to garner a great deal of attention for those who take the time to read his books. I cannot wait to se how things progress from here.
Masterton has a way with his writing that makes the reader want to learn more through his storytelling. He develops a narrative flow that provides a smooth reading experience, while offering some ghastly events throughout, sure to shock the attentive reader. There are strong characters that fill the pages of the novel, permitting the reader to live thought them at various stages of the story. DS Katie Macguire receives more character development throughout, essential for the protagonist, keeping the reader connected to all that she has going on in her life. There were again some well-developed plot twists in the book, as well as the underlying discussion of abuse by priests in the Catholic Church, but Masterton offers his own perspective, which ended up being highly unique. I devoured this book and am again eager to see what happens with everyone in County Cork, especially some of the happenings with DS Macguire.
Kudos, Mr. Masterton, for another series I will be spending the summer enjoying!
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seddso's review against another edition
5.0
Gruesome in parts , but a really good story, very well written- found it hard to put this book down. Think I've found my new favourite author
rhonaea's review against another edition
3.0
I think you have to suspend your disbelief, in the words of Marshall McLuhan. A pacy detective story which had plenty of extremely gory deaths breaking out in the Cork priesthood. One wonders how the epidemic of priestly murders would actually play out in Ireland, especially when mixed with the theme of child abuse. Aside from the detailed torture, it was readable and I would certainly look out another in the Katie Maguire series.
nicolet2018's review against another edition
4.0
Wow Graham Masterton's crime thrillers are really addictive! I found this one particularly interesting because it involved the church in Ireland and misconduct among priests.
Similar to previous books, this one had excitement, thrills and chilling scenes. Especially those where the victim is with the murderer. I really cannot imagine how someone can to this kind of things to others or for a person to be able to endure so much pain.
The motive seemed expected at first but Katie McGuire proves it wrong as she delves into the secrets and cover ups of the diocese in Cork. The scary thing is, it feels very real. The story ramps up and things never seem to slow down for Katie as she faces drama in her personal life and at work. She has tough decisions to make and I wonder how she can stand it sometimes. I was racing to the end to find out what actually had happened.
What irked me was that like other books, many people seem to be romantically interested in Katie. In this book alone there were two or three. Seems odd to me and a little unrealistic.
Another well written crime thriller. Recommended!
Similar to previous books, this one had excitement, thrills and chilling scenes. Especially those where the victim is with the murderer. I really cannot imagine how someone can to this kind of things to others or for a person to be able to endure so much pain.
The motive seemed expected at first but Katie McGuire proves it wrong as she delves into the secrets and cover ups of the diocese in Cork. The scary thing is, it feels very real. The story ramps up and things never seem to slow down for Katie as she faces drama in her personal life and at work. She has tough decisions to make and I wonder how she can stand it sometimes. I was racing to the end to find out what actually had happened.
What irked me was that like other books, many people seem to be romantically interested in Katie. In this book alone there were two or three. Seems odd to me and a little unrealistic.
Another well written crime thriller. Recommended!
gaiusgermanicus's review against another edition
2.0
I'm just so annoyed he changed the MC's background.
ntrlycrly's review against another edition
4.0
I was intrigued enough by the main character in this series to keep going. This second novel gives more insight into the mind of a vigilante group/killers being hunted--similar to the "Dexter" novels in that the murder victims are not characters that draw much sympathy. There are enough graphic descriptions of violence that you can tell this author gained his fame writing horror.
petra_reads's review against another edition
4.0
In Broken Angels, the second book featuring County Cork DI Katie Maguire, Graham Masterton focuses the plot on religion and beliefs. It picks up 18 months after the end of White Bones, when Katie is investigating the murder of a priest who has been castrated. While this could be a very obvious story line if you think about possible motives, it was anything but. I admit I found the brutal torture scenes in this one more disturbing than in book 1. Listening to the graphic descriptions actually made me squirm, which is highly unusual for me. But the scene with the rat really was horrendous. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted!
The police procedural blends well with the plot line about Katie's personal life. But there were several inconsistencies that really should have been picked up by an editor. Those were details regarding the content that made no sense and were contradictory. And my last bit of criticism, please Mr. Masterton no more of those Katie sex scenes. I don't mind them at all if done well, but in this instance, there was just so much wrong with them. I also hope the recurring lesbian attraction angle will be dropped now.
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this very much and I think a lot of it was due to the absolute perfect 5 stars audio book narration by Caroline Lennon.
While the above may actually sound rather negative, I still think this was a terrific thriller, and I really liked it despite my points of critique. On to book 3.
The police procedural blends well with the plot line about Katie's personal life. But there were several inconsistencies that really should have been picked up by an editor. Those were details regarding the content that made no sense and were contradictory. And my last bit of criticism, please Mr. Masterton no more of those Katie sex scenes. I don't mind them at all if done well, but in this instance, there was just so much wrong with them. I also hope the recurring lesbian attraction angle will be dropped now.
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this very much and I think a lot of it was due to the absolute perfect 5 stars audio book narration by Caroline Lennon.
While the above may actually sound rather negative, I still think this was a terrific thriller, and I really liked it despite my points of critique. On to book 3.
rhonaea's review against another edition
3.0
I think you have to suspend your disbelief, in the words of Marshall McLuhan. A pacy detective story which had plenty of extremely gory deaths breaking out in the Cork priesthood. One wonders how the epidemic of priestly murders would actually play out in Ireland, especially when mixed with the theme of child abuse. Aside from the detailed torture, it was readable and I would certainly look out another in the Katie Maguire series.
ninatch's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25