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 leadβone 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 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 evilβ¦one that may be made in bloodβ¦.
From Publishers Weekly
In bestseller Kava's derivative fifth thriller to feature Maggie O'Dell (after 2003's At the Stroke of Madness), the beautiful FBI profiler and recovering alcoholic suspects that more than one killer is involved in a spate of nationwide murders of Catholic priests. When Father Michael Keller, himself a serial killer, becomes a target, he tries to strike a bargain with Maggie in order to save his life. Their relationship will remind many of that between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter, just as Maggie's drinking problems sound a lot like those of the better realized heroes of James Lee Burke or Lawrence Block. The book's most original concept is an online computer game run by a not-so-mysterious figure called the Sin Eater that allows young victims to "kill" the priests who abused them. Heavy-handed clues, a tacked-on love interest and characters who behave less than credibly won't deter Kava's fans, who'll find the usual graphic gore, from the requisite maggots to autopsy details like "that sucking sound when the brain is pulled out after the top of the skull is sawed off."
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Review
"Alex Kava has created a suspenseful novel and created a winning character in Agent O'Dell." -- Washington Post Book World on A Perfect Evil
"Kava uses a strong supporting cast to provide Scarpetta-like authenticity and the psychological insights of Alex Delaware." -- Publishers Weekly on The Soul Catcher
"Kava's tight writing and superb timing create suspense throughout Madness." -- Omaha World Herald on At the Stroke of Madness
"Maggie is gutsy and appealing as an FBI agent facing constant danger." -- Library Journal on A Perfect Evil
"That Kava writes well cannot be denied. Her prose is crisp and her dialogue is sharp and realistic." -- Mystery News on Split Second