A review by ieva13
A Terrible Beauty by Graham Masterton

4.0

This isn't my first Masterton book, but it's my first in the Katies Maguires series. The story is set in Cork, and I enjoyed the Irish slang throughout. The guide to Cork slang at the beginning of the book was a nice touch.

As with Masterton's other works, the action begins immediately. The discovery of eleven women's skeletons, killed in a ritualistic manner in 1915, sets the stage. Soon after, a woman is killed in a similar fashion in the present day. These chapters detailing the torture and killings are quite graphic and are definitely not for those who are squeamish. I had to put the book down and leave it for a few hours after the chapter with legs being cut off!

I admired detective Katie's character; she's remarkably strong, dealing with numerous disasters one after another. I don't know how she managed to stay sane! On the other hand, I despised her husband. I kinda think he got what he deserved.

While I felt the ending was a bit anticlimactic, overall, the book was engaging and kept me hooked. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series!