A Necessary Evil

by Alex Kava

MIRA Books

February 1, 2006

ISBN-13: 0778322742

Available in: Hardcover

A Necessary Evil
by Alex Kava

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."



Alex Kava's Bio

ALEX KAVA is the New York Times, USA Today and Amazon best-selling author of the award winning, critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series and a new series featuring former marine, Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs. Her stand-alone novel, One False Move, was chosen for the 2006 One Book One Nebraska and her political thriller, Whitewash, was one of January Magazine’s best thrillers of the year. Published in over thirty-four countries, and selling 6+ million copies, Alex’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. She is also a co-author of the novellas Slices of Night and Storm Season with Erica Spindler and J.T. Ellison. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and a founding member of International Thriller Writers. Alex divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.