A Perfect Evil
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4.2 • 6 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
“O’Dell could be Reacher’s long-lost twin.” —Lee Child
Rediscover where it all began for Maggie O’Dell in this intense thriller by New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava.
On July 17, a convicted serial killer, Ronald Jeffreys was executed for three heinous murders. He went to his grave with a terrible truth no one would listen to.
Three months later another body is found killed in the same style as Jeffreys’ victims.
Sheriff Nick Morelli knows he isn’t equipped to handle the killer who is terrorizing his small Nebraska community. He’s grateful when the FBI sends one of their best criminal profilers, special agent Maggie O’Dell. Maggie quickly recognizes this is someone who has killed before.
When another victim is found dead and a third kidnapped, Nick and Maggie realize they’re running out of time. And the terrible truth becomes clear. Ronald Jeffreys may have been convicted of crimes he didn’t commit.
Originally published in 2000
“Meet Kava’s FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell. But beware—it could be the start of a new addiction.” —Peterborough Evening Telegraph, UK
“Kava’s writing is reminiscent of Patricia Cornwell in her prime.” —Mystery Ink
“This debut thriller pumps the suspense out. Maggie is gutsy and appealing as an FBI agent facing constant danger.” —Library Journal
“Kava proves her mastery of the thriller.” —BookPage
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A serial killer eludes an FBI profiler and a smalltown Nebraska sheriff in Kava's engaging debut, which manages to remain entertaining despite a fairly conventional plot line. As the story opens, recently appointed Sheriff Nick Morelli is as relieved as the rest of the citizens of Platte City that his predecessor, who also happens to be his father, has captured the child killer who plagued the town. But after the killer is executed, another child is discovered dead, and Morelli realizes that the convicted man was in fact a copycat killer, leaving the original criminal still on the prowl. Morelli gets some much-needed help in the investigation from FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell, but the hunt gets complicated when Morelli's sister, a journalist, leaks info to the media. Things become even stickier when O'Dell unearths a couple of unlikely suspects who've been dismissed by the police, and the search takes on a new level of urgency when Morelli's nephew is abducted and appears to be the next victim. Kava keeps her prose simple, but she does a nice job of setting up the chemistry between O'Dell and Morelli while balancing the various family issues Morelli faces in the investigation. She also makes good use of the smalltown milieu, tightening the tension by establishing that the killer is part of the fabric of the community. The result is a well-crafted page-turner involving the reader in the specter of murder in an intimate and disturbing fashion, with a plausible setup for a sequel.
