The Soul Catcher

I wanted to give this another Star, for the story overall was pretty gripping. However, the plot errors were just enough that I couldn't. There are some humorous bits that I would like to put in highlights, but can't do that with library books

The Soul Catcher (2002) by Alex Kava. I understand this is the third book in a series starring FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell and I assumed, rightly so, that these are written in the form of stand alone reads. To me this was a good thing because I found the amount of Maggie’s insecurity and her ability to endlessly dwell on her personal problems including her relationship with her mother. This book starts with a weird police standoff to introduce the “Preacher” and his disciples. We are then off to D.C. where, during a gathering of the “Preacher’s” followers a young girl is found murdered in a wooded area.
The mystery of who the killer is gets buried for a while when Maggie has to come to grips with some of her personal show more problems including the antics of her alcoholic mother, but finally we get to a gripping ending. It is slightly unfortunate that the identity of the killer is telegraphed fairly early at the beginning of the middle of the book, but if you don’t understand Morse Code you should Have a fine time. show less

While I could figure out the situation pretty early on, it's the way Kava unveils the details and dangles red herrings that make the book worth reading.

An FBI agent tries to tie two cases together and realizes the connection is the reverend of her mother's church. Graphic.

An okay thriller, but not very special, quite predictable to be honest.

What I liked best and what me kept reading, is reading about Maggie's relationship with her mother and her mother's struggle to stay sober, to belong, to cope with the past.

En una cabaña aislada de Massachusetts, seis jóvenes dispuestos a morir se atrincheran esperando el asalto de agentes del FBI.
En una zona boscosa de Washington, cerca del monumento a Franklin D. Roosevelt, aparece el cadáver de la hija de un senador.
Para Maggie O'Dell, agente especial del FBI encargada de la investigación, estos dos casos están lejos de ser rutinarios. Experta en la elaboración de perfiles criminales, Maggie aporta un enfoque psicológico en casos en los que intervienen presuntos asesinos en serie. De ahí que no acabe de entender por qué se le asigna la investigación de dos crímenes sin relación aparente.
Sin embargo, a medida que Maggie y su compañero, el agente especial R.J. Tully, se sumerjan en la show more investigación, descubrirán que ambos casos están unidos por un vínculo: el reverendo Joseph Everett, líder carismático de una conocida secta religiosa.
¿Es Everett un psicópata que utiliza su influencia para escenificar crímenes horrendos? ¿O es tan sólo la cabeza de turco de un asesino más astuto y retorcido que él? show less