A Necessary Evil

From Amazon:

When a monsignor is found knifed to death in a Nebraska airport restroom, FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell is called in to profile the ritualistic murder of a priest, the latest in a series of killings. Maggie soon discovers a disturbing Internet game that's popular among victims of abuse by Catholic priests. With this first real lead in the investigation, she wonders if the group has turned cyberspace justice into reality. Then Maggie gets a second lead—one that leaves her stunned. For the past four years she has been obsessed with finding Father Michael Keller, whose brutal acts against children continue to haunt her. Now, it seems, he has become a target. When Keller offers to help Maggie solve the ritual killings in show more exchange for protection, she decides to ally herself with the elusive child killer, stepping into a world of malevolence from which she may not return unscathed.
Maggie knows the bargain is a necessary evil…one that may be made in blood.

My Thoughts:

Priests are being mysteriously killed all over the country. All killed in public places in a similar manner...all are linked, so we find. Back home in the Washington area we have a series of heads being found; all young women. The bodies are missing. Two mysteries in one. While Maggie O'Dell is off chasing the priest killer, here best friend, Dr. Gwen Patterson is acting strange and has become extremely involved with the D.C. killings. There are a lot of characters from the previous novel mentioned above...even Nick, one of Maggie's old love interests is involved and is even dumber in this novel than in previous works...I am not sure why the author keeps this character around as the guy is as dumb as a box of rocks. An old villain appears from out of Maggie's past complicating the story in a good way. I did love the ending of this one. show less

Fifth in a series, but works well as a stand-alone.

Kava weaves together two waves of frightening murders -- a series of young women whose decapitated heads have been found in the Washington, D.C. area, and a series of murdered priests who have all been involved in pedophilia scandals.

The observant reader will probably identify the Master Villain fairly early on, as Kava is generous with the clues and doesn't clutter things up with too many red herrings. At the heart of the novel, however, is a moral dilemma, dealing with the essential conflict between the law and true justice.

A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
Book #5 in the Maggie O’Dell series
4 Stars

Synopsis:
The one that got away...
FBI profiler, Maggie O'Dell is on the trail of two separate killers. One is leaving the decapitated heads of his victims all over the District and the other is killing priests in public. O’Dell has few leads when she receives an offer of assistance from a most unlikely source – her prime suspect in book one. Are these cases connected and will O’Dell accept the deal offered by a killer?

Review:
Another enjoyable addition to the series. While the plot starts off quite slow and there seem to be too many perspectives, the threads soon begin coming together in an intriguing way and the story comes to an extremely satisfying show more conclusion – I even found myself chuckling with glee at the end.
I enjoy books where the reader can follow the clues and work things out but become frustrated when the hints are too obvious and the killer predictable. This was not the case here. The signs and evidence build up and while it is possible to figure out the killer’s identity, it takes some time and is not immediately clear.
As always, the character development is superb, especially Gwen Patterson’s and it was delighted to see the return of Nick Morelli, who has been suspiciously absent from the past few books. Maggie and Nick’s relationship is particularly engaging and it was great seeing their reunion and interaction.
Recommendation: An excellent thriller with all of my favorite elements: an intelligent plot, excellent characterization and no skimping on the gory bits. So beware as this book is not for the squeamish. show less

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?

This was my first time with this author and I was very pleased. A serial killer of young boys who may be connected with the Catholic Church. I am surprised that the author didn't get booted out by the Vatican. A real page turner and keeps your attention right to the end ... and the end ... well, let's say it was a surprise !!

This book had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. The story was action upon action leading to a climatic conclusion. This was awesome!!

I have a new favorite author. Alex, you keep me on the edge of my seat. This book had so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was an unexpeted situation arises and then I have no clue. Keep them coming.