mrose21's review against another edition
5.0
A lot of things have happened since. 2014 Was a very hard year for myself so all the reviews are showing up on the same date. I can't explain why they are, if the ratings are justice or accurate I can also not say when I truly read these. I'm just going to say 2014 on the same day added just to keep the year right if not the month...
Do not remember this at all..
Do not remember this at all..
balthazarlawson's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in the Katie Maguire series. She is a Detective Superintendent working in Cork, Ireland, and she is faced with a series of murders of priests, all of whom have been previously accused of molesting children. She is not just battling to find the perpetrator of the crimes but also the church that seems to be hindering her every step. Looking at all the things that have happened to Katie Maguire and those around her you could easily think of here as a jinx. It's not easy being in her circle.
This is good read and has several shocking turn of events that show the fragility of live.
This is good read and has several shocking turn of events that show the fragility of live.
holies's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. The ending was totally unbelievable. Still too much graphic violence and bidimensional characters. And yet, it kept me on edge until the (sadly completely over-the-top) resolution.
seddso's review against another edition
5.0
Gruesome in parts , but a really good story, very well written- found it hard to put this book down. Think I've found my new favourite author
glens's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, and Torture
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Abandonment and Forced institutionalization
gaiusgermanicus's review against another edition
2.0
I'm just so annoyed he changed the MC's background.
canada_matt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Eager to continue this series by Graham Masterton, I hoped to remain just as impressed. A police procedural set in rural Ireland, Masterton uses all the elements of a stellar backstory to chill the reader as they forge through this tale of abuse and horrific torture. Then again, those who know his work would expect nothing less of Graham Masterton. A winner in a series that has me completely enthralled already!
In County Cork, Detective Sergeant Katie Macguire has been trying to create new connections for herself while remaining at the top of her policing game. She’s pulled into the middle of a new case when a local priest is found tortured and murdered. A little hunting around shows that he may have been involved in some horrific abuse of local orphans in the past.
When the forensics from the scene point to genital mutilation with a harp string, DS Macguire and her team are surprised. While there is no love loss for Catholic priests by many, this seems to be slight overkill. They push to learn more, as a second victim turns up, also mutilated and with a similar string left at the scene. Someone is hunting Catholic priests with a murky past!
All the while, a man lurks in the shadows, having captured these priests when they least expect it. He speaks to them about their heinous actors and tries to get them to confess, hoping that their absolution will help lull them into a false sense of relief. Referring to himself as the Grey Mullet Man, there’s something he seeks but he is not completely forthcoming with his victims. Still, he is on a mission and will stop at nothing for answers.
While DS Macguire tries to solve this latest case, she is pulled in other directions by a new man in her life. Not a local, this man has high hopes of getting Macguire to accompany him back to America, where she will be able to reinvent herself. However, the killer out there has kept Macguire from making many of the needed decisions and she is now facing a new crossroads where her future is concerned. Masterton does a stellar job keeping readers enthused by this piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed a previous series of Graham Masterton’s, spurring me on to try this one. After devouring the series debut, I could not wait to get my hands on this book. In a novel that tackles a number of personal issues, Masterton touches on all of them effectively, while providing her reader with a chilling set of murders that weave their way into the mix. Captivating, disheartening, and suspenseful all at once, Masterton has the perfect recipe for a police procedural that is sure to garner a great deal of attention for those who take the time to read his books. I cannot wait to se how things progress from here.
Masterton has a way with his writing that makes the reader want to learn more through his storytelling. He develops a narrative flow that provides a smooth reading experience, while offering some ghastly events throughout, sure to shock the attentive reader. There are strong characters that fill the pages of the novel, permitting the reader to live thought them at various stages of the story. DS Katie Macguire receives more character development throughout, essential for the protagonist, keeping the reader connected to all that she has going on in her life. There were again some well-developed plot twists in the book, as well as the underlying discussion of abuse by priests in the Catholic Church, but Masterton offers his own perspective, which ended up being highly unique. I devoured this book and am again eager to see what happens with everyone in County Cork, especially some of the happenings with DS Macguire.
Kudos, Mr. Masterton, for another series I will be spending the summer enjoying!
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seddso's review against another edition
5.0
Gruesome in parts , but a really good story, very well written- found it hard to put this book down. Think I've found my new favourite author
rhonaea's review against another edition
3.0
I think you have to suspend your disbelief, in the words of Marshall McLuhan. A pacy detective story which had plenty of extremely gory deaths breaking out in the Cork priesthood. One wonders how the epidemic of priestly murders would actually play out in Ireland, especially when mixed with the theme of child abuse. Aside from the detailed torture, it was readable and I would certainly look out another in the Katie Maguire series.