A Necessary Evil (Maggie O'Dell Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Alex Kava (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007 | Series: Maggie O'Dell Novels

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 lead—one 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 evil…one that may be made in blood….

Editorial Reviews

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."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Mira (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778324346
• ISBN-13: 978-0778324348
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ALEX KAVA's two stand-alone novels and seven novels featuring FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell have been published in more than twenty countries, appearing on the bestseller lists in Britain, Australia, Poland, Germany, and Italy. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Alex divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida.
Photo credit Deborah Groh Carlin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOLY TERROR, February 8, 2006

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Necessary Evil (Maggie O'Dell Novels) (Hardcover)

Alex Kava pulls off a nifty shocker with lots of twists in this latest Maggie O'Dell offering. Kava deftly handles two seemingly unrelated serial murders: Maggie is investigating the gruesome decapitations of young women in the DC area when she is called back to Nebraska to profile the serial murderer of Catholic priests. Meanwhile, Maggie's best friend and mentor, Dr. Gwen Patterson, is acting strangely and we find early on that Gwen is receiving notes from the DC killer--a killer who just might be a patient. In Nebraska, Maggie is paired with Omaha PD's Tommy Pacula, and of course she runs into her boyfriend from the first novel, Nick Morelli, who is now engaged to be married. Lo and behold, who else should be involved but Father Michael Keller, the ruthless killer from the first novel who finds himself targeted by the priest killer. There is a possible tie-in with young boys who have started a new game on the Internet, with their leader only known as The Sineater. Maggie works hard to establish the connection before time runs out, and in doing so must make a deal with the devil Keller.

A NECESSARY EVIL is great fun, and Kava effortlessly interweaves these storylines with a good ironic ending.

Fans of the series will rejoice and if you're new, go back and pick up the other O'Dell books--they are very well done.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exhilarating O'Dell thriller, February 1, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Necessary Evil (Maggie O'Dell Novels) (Hardcover)

In DC and in Nebraska someone is killing men who have abused power with an emphasis on priests. Though the M.O. is similar and the victims all tainted, FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell begins to think two different perpetrators are at work with a common bond. That assumption leads her with the help of her mentor Dr. Gwen Patterson and Detective Julia Racine to search for the link between the killers, which she believes, is an Internet role-playing game for those who have suffered abuse at the hands powerful males.

As Maggie worries about her friend Gwen who is acting strange and wants distance from Julia, the case takes a weird spin when the man she hates most in the world, brutal Father Michael Keller, is forced to return based on a package he received while hiding in a remote part of South America, with an offer to help her stop the killings in return for his ability to vanish once again in Venezuela. Maggie debates making a Faustian deal with the child killing devil while vengeance continues.

Alex Kava's latest exhilarating O'Dell thriller showcases the profiler struggling with a complex case made more difficult by the actions of her beloved teacher Gwen, whose fears of field work hampers her ability to help. The fast-paced story line for the most part contains the two subplots that move back and forth between Omaha and DC before tying together in an exciting action-packed tale. Fans of the series will enjoy Maggie's dilemma as to whether to deal with A NECESSARY EVIL or not.

Harriet Klausner

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good thriller..., February 16, 2006

By 

Tracy L. (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Necessary Evil (Maggie O'Dell Novels) (Hardcover)

I have read all of Alex Kava's books and have enjoyed them. This one was no exception. Kava does a great job building the story and keeping the suspense. While she does not bog the story down with a lot of unnecessary description, she does, however, have her characters offer a little too much personal introspection.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have not read any of Kava's previous books, do not start with this one. I had a hard time remembering some of the incidents that occurred in prior books that tie into this story. Start with A PERFECT EVIL. It will make reading this one that much more enjoyable.