Customer Reviews

The Soul Catcher (Maggie O'Dell Novels)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Alex Kava has taken FBI/ATF standoff tragedies and written a compeling fictional story about a religious cult headed up by a character insisting on being called FATHER. Father is actually a miserable but fairly predictable pervert who preys on the lonely and disenfranchised. The story opens with a shootout in a cabin in Massachusetts where members of the cult are holed up and the FBI is trying to talk them out. The leader passes out sucicide pills, and all but one of the six die. One FBI agent is fatally wounded.

FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell is assigned to the case and as she begins her investigation, two murdered girls are discovered that seem to be linked somehow to Everett's church which is recruiting new members daily. As the story unfolds it is easy to assume that Everett is somehow behind the murders. Most of the characters, in the story, however have deep secrets or ghosts that they are battling including Agent O'Dell. Maggie's mother turns up a member of the cult and in danger. Maggie and her mother have had a difficult relationship since the death of Maggie's father. With each murder there is a rally being held. There are surprises as each character finally ties in to a relationship with members of the cult.

We first met O'Dell in A Perfect Evil when she solved a case, and met Nick Morelli. She is a likable character with a lot of baggage including a controlling soon-to-be ex-husband and a past with Morelli that she can't come to grips with. O'Dell and Morelli worked well together. Hopefully in books to come they will get back together. The Soul Catcher is a good read.

In Suffolk County, Massachusetts, the FBI and ATF agents have the secluded cabin surrounded trapping the six cult members inside with a large cache of weapons. "Father" informs the sextet that they must not allow Satan to catch them so they each swallow cyanide capsules just before the bullets fly. However, Eric Pratt spits out his capsule deciding life with Satan is better than no life. Six dead in all counting the hostage negotiation team agent.

FBI Special Agents Maggie O'Dell and R.J. Tully investigate the Massachusetts massacre and the related homicide of Ginny Brier near the FDR Memorial. Both are linked by a connection to the charismatic Reverend Joseph Everett. However, this case has personal implications for the two Feds heading up the inquiries. Maggie's mother is a member of Everett's church and Tully's daughter was with the victim of the FDR Memorial killing on the night of the murder.

THE SOUL CATCHER is a great FBI tale due to the strong secondary cast though one must wonder why the agents were not excused from the case due to conflicts of interest. Turning a Ruby Ridge-Waco scenario into a real drama works for this novel because the zillion of support characters seem so genuine leading to a plausible, exhilarating plot. Alex Kava transforms the imagery of a monolithic FBI and sheep-like cultists into a series of intelligent human beings who sustain a strong police procedural tale.

Harriet Klausner

I have to say.... I am really disappointed in this third outting. Every August I wait until Ms. Kava's books are out and this one was like no other wait. Unfortunately, it was not worth the wait. I fell inlove with Ms. Kava's two previous novels (A Perfect Evil and Split Second- both 5 star and above novels). Imagine my disappoinment trying to get through this book. Took me a week and a 1/2. Normally her books take a maximum of 3 days with me.
Maggie was a lush in this book with such a wall around her, you almost didn't care for her. And Greg!!!!! Get rid of him. Its a no-child divorce that should've been done with at the end of the last book. Heck, she has enough of her own money, so whats the hold up? I want more NICK MORELLI. This is too long of a tease. And the plot just seemed to drag on when I knew who the killer was half way through. Still, I eagerly await any other book Ms. Kava writes. She is on my list of faves and I am not giving up on her yet!

Wow. I could not put this book down. Maggie O'Dell is back. Two unrelated series of murders are finally connected together. Then Maggie realizes that her own mother may be in danger. Reverend Everett is the connection to both crimes. Is he just some minister? Or is he a madman out to overpower innocent people? Alex Kava, what can i say! Wow. This book is filled with twists and unexpected suprises. Go get it now!

What happens to the soul at death? Do some people lose their soul before death?

It has been seven months since our last encounter. In this tense beginning, reminiscent of Ruby Ridge and Waco, boys of a cult militia would rather take suicide pills than be captured by the FBI. What does this have to do with "Father" Joseph Everett and his Church of Spiritual Freedom? And who is brutally killing girls- including a US Senator's daughter? And how is Maggie's Mom involved in all this? And what is Nick Morrelli doing up there in Boston? It all comes together in the end.

Reading Alex Kava's first two Maggie O'Dell mystery thrillers: *A Perfect Evil* and then *Split Second* before this, her third, is recommended as it will add to your absorption into this spellbinding tale. Kava and her characters continue to grow, morphing into the well-worth-the-wait *Soul Catcher.*

Now, Columbo would say, "I only have one question." (Columbo actually is in no way involved in this series - but, nonetheless: Other than convenience to the storyline, what the Sam-hill is taking so long with Greg and Maggie's divorce? No kids = no custody fight. There are no major disputes re property division. C'mon Alex - get over it!)

If this were a "stand alone" book I would have given it a higher rating. It was an interesting plot line which held my attention even though I knew who the murderer was halfway through the book. And I really enjoyed Alex Kava's first two books.

But---as a continuation of Maggie O'Dell it was a bit of a bust. It was hard to feel any connection with, or sympathy for her. A. With no issues to fight about, why aren't Maggie and her smary, controlling husband divorced yet? Get it over with already! And why is he even a character in the book--who needs him? B. What is with Maggie and Nick Morelli? They had a relationship started, then she tells him she doesn't want to see him until her divorce is over? It's not like she's involved with her ex so what's the deal? She doesn't see Nick for months, or talk to him in weeks. Yet she seems to expect him to hang around, hundred of miles away, pining away for her until she decides to give them a chance? If I were him I'd tell her to hit the highway! C. Maggie is always whining about her mother's drinking and then is always [drinking] up the Scotch herself. Talk about glass houses! D. With all Maggie's emotional problems how is she still an FBI agent. You'd think someone would have noticed and she'd be on leave and in some serious counselling.

While this is a fairly decent book I wish I'd waited for the paperback! I'll definitely do so with her next book. And if it's still about Maggie and isn't an improvement, it will be my last.

Maggie O'Dell returns in this latest thriller from the talented Ms. Kava. Maggie is assigned to investigate the strange relationship between a holdout of a religious cult, and the seemingly unrelated murder of a girl in Washington, DC ... Maggie joins her friend Gwen Patterson, partner T. J. Scully and policewoman Julia Racine in an attempt to catch the culprit. It appears that a serial killer is on the loose.
I liked this book, in spite of some of the things I found either annoying or incredulous. First of all, the annoying. Kava proves that the youth of our society have listened to too many adults and have adopted profanity as their main vocabulary. Almost every other word uttered by the teen boys is "F", and no wonder, since many of the adults use it proliferously too! Not a prude by any means, but there came a point in the book that it became overbearing and annoying to the plot ... Nick Morelli was also underused in this novel. And what about Ben Garrison, the seemingly self-centered, death-obsessed photojournalist. Could he really get away with the photographs he takes and sell them for money?
The characters are stock, but still worth spending a few hours with ... However, some of the relationships revealed do come as a surprise. All in all, this is still a good series ...
RECOMMENDED.

Wow! Alex Kava has done it again. Soul Catcher keeps you on the edge of your seat! Kava's characters are so real yet very diverse. I was unable to put it down! Maggie needs to be careful that she doesn't turn out like her mother.

I really enjoyed reading the O'Dell series by Alex Kava. I can't wait until A Necessary Evil comes out. This is a great book, all of them are great reads. If you do read them make sure you read them in order: A Perfect Evil, Split Second, Soul Catcher, At The Stroke of Madness, and coming in February 2006 A Necessary Evil. These are page turning books that you just can't get tired of reading. They were so good, I read all four within a month!

SOUL CATCHER continues the saga of FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell. This time she and her partner, R.J. Tully are assigned a case where a serial killer's latest victim is a senator's daughter. The daughter just happened to be at a religious gathering in Washington D.C. so the investigation has to tread lightly when the cult closes ranks. When a few bits of evidence don't add up, so begins the journey of O'Dell and Tully as they blunder through more killings.

Alex Kava had the makings of a great mystery but it was clouded with glimpses into the personal lives of Maggie O'Dell and her relationship with her mother. Also tossed in is the tumultuous relationship of Tully with his daughter and ex-wife. Another subplot is the Reverend Joseph Everett and his band of followers who are reminiscent of other cults in the near past, e.g. Waco, Jim Jones, Ruby Ridge, etc. It was a bit too much to have that many correlations in one group - Kava should have chosen one of two, not a slew of them to immulate. All of these subplots took focus off of the murders and left me feeling confused as who what direction this book was going.

Between bouncing between all of the subplots, a lot of the meat is lost and the book is tedious until about two-thirds of the way through. That's when Kava picks up the action and the tale becomes entertaining. Even though it was entertaining in the last few chapters, it was very predictable and calling it a mystery is a stretch.

Character development was at times very well done and at other times lacking. There were so many of Everett's followers that I became confused as to which young person was who. Maggie's mother continues to be described as an alcoholic who's self destructive behavior could finally do her in. Descriptions of her and scenes in this book left me shaking my head and wondering how Maggie could become so successful being raised by someone like Katherine. Tully's ex-wife on the other hand needs a dose of reality. When she runs into him at a revival, and he's one the job, her tantrum about how he's following her and trying to ruin her life was just too much. Someone slap her out of her hysteria, please! The other characters are numerous and none really grabbed my attention. It was almost as if Kava threw them all in to confuse the reader. Didn't work with me - I knew the killer's identity almost from the beginning.

And Maggie's love interest - the drop dead gorgeous hunk from Nebraska was merely mentioned in this book... when will we see more of him? I think Maggie needs to have some personality brought forth and no personal life in this book makes for a very dull Maggie O'Dell!

I thoroughly enjoyed Split Second and A Perfect Evil (the first two books in this series) and am hoping Alex Kava returns to that kind of performance. This one was mediocre at best.