This turned out to be a very complex, and rather slow read. Told mainly by Maeve, but also through a second character. The complexity of the plot was nearly its undoing.

Someone is targeting paedophiles within a fairly confined geographic area, trying to get the truth out of them as they are slowly tortured and eventually killed. But what is the truth that the person is looking for? Is it about revenge or personal justice, or is he looking for someone? Eventually the killer makes a mistake and is caught, but then the second part of the hunt begins. A race against time to find at least two missing girls.

Maeve Kerrigan is assigned to a new DI who seems to regard her as decoration, not required to comment or use her brain. It goes right against how Maeve sees herself. ( )

***spoilers alert***

The book is interesting and I wish I knew before that not only one crime would be solved but more than one! It took me a while to pick up the book and actually read because I had no wish to read about pedophiles.

It is well written, intriguing and although the topic isn't exciting, but gross, the book was complex and unexpected turns would make the plot interesting, like a chain action - one by one, one plus one - it is more than the synopsis ever tells... It is written from two characters view points - Rob's and Maeve's, both detectives.
At the times I would be thinking - I am watching a movie...and the author has written that, she has picked up certain things for my attention, but yeah, most of the time I was so much into the story...glad I had the whole weekend for reading in few attempts.

I like the main character, Maeve Kerrigan, a detective constable, although, sometimes she acts first before thinking it through, there is smart, sharp tongue, lonely and this was the book where she had to fight her mind against her feelings....not an easy choice. This is the book where we get to know more of her private life outside work and how much she is annoyed by her mother and her family.

The book started with serial killer slaying down convicted pedos, the details of their death is awful but not more awful than their convicted crimes. someone is taking fast actions with each of next victim showing up within days time, the police starts to notice there is a leak within their team and it's a long go for finding "who" - I had couple of people I suspected, but none turned the exact one. Plus finding the killer...I can say it is a promising good read. ( )

I enjoyed this one a little less than the first in the series. Maeve starts off investigating the deaths of three convicted paedophiles and the descriptions of the violence meted out to them were hard to read. Then later the focus shifts to other gruesome cruelty inflicted on women, which was well... gruesome. On the other hand, I enjoyed Maeve's relationship with her new immediate superior, Josh, and her friendship with Liv and romance with Rob.

I found this to be the case with the previous book too, but the very ending just seemed unnecessarily drawn out. I do like loose ends to be tied up, but somehow it needs to be done in a punchier manner.

Still, very readable and convincing. ( )

From Amazon:

Three men are found murdered and mutilated in close succession, each tortured in an individual manner, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg here. The victims evoke less sympathy when all three are found to be pedophiles, making the killer seem nearly righteous in his motive. London DC Maeve Kerrigan, of the murder task force, chafing under the direction of brusque and opinionated DI Josh Derwent, saves the life of the fourth intended victim, which leads to an all-out search for a missing teenage girl. This turns into something bigger, with true psychopaths at its core and a spy within the task force. Meanwhile, perceptive but commitment-shy Maeve must deal with being a woman in a world of less-than-sensitive men and handle a romantic relationship with a fellow team member.

My Thoughts:

Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan is a very realistically portrayed female pursuing a career in a male dominated field. She not only has to maintain her composure in the midst of sexual bias, but also the prejudices against her Irish heritage. To say that she succeeds in every instance would not be true, but it is certainly realistic. She is not written to be made of steel, but to have a caring side to her nature which lends her a vulnerability that lets her be completely human. That being said... If you are interested in very realistic police procedural novels, this will certainly give you what you are looking for. ( )

Another excellent book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. I liked that the author is able to keep you guessing, and the story took several unexpected turns. The main characters are unique and interesting, and even the supporting cast is well-drawn and believable. ( )