A NECESSARY EVIL

Author: Alex Kava ISBN: 0778322742 2/2006 SUSPENSE Publisher: MIRA

As the killing spree continues unabated, it quickly becomes very clear to Maggie O'Dell -- the FBI profiler assigned to the case -- that more than one perpetrator is responsible. As she begins to drill down into the facts, Maggie discovers a disturbing Internet role-playing game for youths who have been victims of male authority figures -- including Catholic priests. With the first real lead in the investigation, Maggie wonders if this group has turned cyberspace justice into reality by dispensing their own brand of vengeance. As the ritualistic killings leave America's heartland reeling, Maggie gets a second lead -- one that leaves her stunned. For the past four years she has been driven by blind determination to find Father Michael Keller, the human monster whose acts of brutality continue to haunt her to this day. Sick and twisted, the priest seems to have vanished without a trace. But with an irony that only life can offer, now he has become a target. When Keller offers to help Maggie solve the crimes in exchange for protection, she has no choice but to ally herself with the elusive child killer -- the person she despises with a conviction that's almost religious in its fervor. Maggie must cross a dangerous line into a world of malevolence and evil from which she may not return unscathed. Maggie knows the bargain is a necessary evil . . . one that may be made in blood . . .

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Alex Kava is back with A NECESSARY EVIL, her sequel to the 2000 bestselling novel A PERFECT EVIL. Again we are reunited with FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell. This time she is working on a case that will put her face to face with Father Michael Keller (for those who read Ms. Kava's previous book, you know what kind of person he is). A NECESSARY EVIL is an edge-of-your seat-thriller that won't stop until you have read the last page.

Reading A NECESSARY EVIL was a lot like watching the television series, CSI. The characters are interesting, the case is intriguing, and you know you really have to watch the ending to see who did it and why. That's exactly what you get with A NECESSARY EVIL! Although it is not for those with a weak stomach, the story reaches out and pulls you in. You just have to know how it's going to end.

The whole basis of A NECESSARY EVIL is that there is someone murdering Catholic Priests. Maggie O'Dell's job is to determine what kind of person could be doing this, and why. While investigating the deaths, she uncovers an Internet role-playing game, which is attracting young people who have been abused by Priests. Could it be the person calling himself TheSinEater behind these gruesome murders? If that isn't worrisome enough, Father Michael Keller has returned virtually from nowhere to help her with this case, in return for protection—because he is the next target for this murderer. Maggie O'Dell agrees to protect Father Michael and has to accept everything that comes with that agreement.

Alex Kava's A NECESSARY EVIL, while at times a bit gruesome, was a fast paced, who-done-it suspense book! Fans of Alex Kava won't be disappointed with A NECESSARY EVIL. I would definitely recommend reading it!

Julie Kornhausl