Scan barcode
b00kgrl's review against another edition
5.0
I was sucked in quickly but was lost soon after in all the details of the Catholic church. I stayed with the book during that short lull & was rewarded with a fantastic story! The characters were well described making it easy to lose myself in the book. The whodunit was quite the surprise!
rachel_brisson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bougainvillea's review against another edition
2.0
Not as bad as [b:Without Mercy|7109143|Without Mercy|Lisa Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275758059s/7109143.jpg|7368186], but still not really worth reading, especially not after books by [a:Lisa Gardner|18282|Lisa Gardner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1256576734p2/18282.jpg] and [a:Karin Slaughter|12504|Karin Slaughter|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202439539p2/12504.jpg]. Cliché expressions, stilted dialogue, loose strings left dangling at the end to get you to buy the next book... No, thanks.
jasmine256's review against another edition
3.0
The story is well-written, engaging and made me want to find out who did it. I just wanted to know more about the secrets hidden inside the walls.
Val and Slade made a great pair. We got plenty of info on their relationship and got to watch them work through their issues. Although the resolution of their problems did seem a bit rushed and just ok.
Assuming we never see these characters again. I'm disappointed. I never got to understand the motives behind the Mother Superior and Fr. O'Toole. They have secrets and we really don't get to find out what they are. Also, why did these novices join the convent, they seem to have a great history behind them before they came.
Val and Slade made a great pair. We got plenty of info on their relationship and got to watch them work through their issues. Although the resolution of their problems did seem a bit rushed and just ok.
Assuming we never see these characters again. I'm disappointed. I never got to understand the motives behind the Mother Superior and Fr. O'Toole. They have secrets and we really don't get to find out what they are. Also, why did these novices join the convent, they seem to have a great history behind them before they came.
nicolet2018's review against another edition
3.0
I pick this up on a spur and it sounded pretty interesting. When I begun the first few pages, it got good. I loved the intrigue and anticipation. This is my first book from Lisa Jackson.
But I think this book is an excuse to write about sex and desires. I loved the mystery and thrill of the novel but felt that it was sidelined by all the love story-ness of many of the characters. This could have easily been a book about different women characters with big problems in their love lives.
The story line that tied with the church was very scandalous. It is not often you come across a book exposing the imperfectness of those sworn to serve the good and religion. That could have been a great aspect of the novel. Bringing up moral questions such as those of the cloth are but human, despite their vows, they make mistakes as well. They have the same confusions as anyone. Can we cut them some slack or get upset because they chose this path for themselves and they should stay with it?
Also another bad point may have been the fact that the characters were too connected, making everything convenient.
I was expecting the killer to be a male and was surprised that it wasn't. There are tons of books and movies where the killer is actually a woman. Supposedly the weaker sex. It becomes clear that women can be as dangerous and depraved as the men. But looking at the heart of the killer, the reader sees someone who was always left out and felt this hate of the world and jealousy of others who seemed to get better than her. I felt sad but I can't pity how sick and cruel that person turned into.
Appearances are deceiving as this book so amply proves. Another sadistic killer is still on the lose and the story will definitely go on. Reading from the perspective of the killer, its hard to understand the twisted love he feels along with his sick way of murdering women.
Montoya was the tough bad boy cop and Bentz was the getting old soon partner. As usual add in the bad boy turned good and the ladies go blushing. I was not convinced with Montoya. Typical and boring. Valerie was a very confused woman who I wanted to smack at times. She couldn't seemed to make up her mind about her husband. And the twist in the story was the cherry on top.
This has flaws. It was a good try and I like the mystery and scandal. Ask me if I will read the previous books in the series and I will say "no".
But I think this book is an excuse to write about sex and desires. I loved the mystery and thrill of the novel but felt that it was sidelined by all the love story-ness of many of the characters. This could have easily been a book about different women characters with big problems in their love lives.
The story line that tied with the church was very scandalous. It is not often you come across a book exposing the imperfectness of those sworn to serve the good and religion. That could have been a great aspect of the novel. Bringing up moral questions such as those of the cloth are but human, despite their vows, they make mistakes as well. They have the same confusions as anyone. Can we cut them some slack or get upset because they chose this path for themselves and they should stay with it?
Also another bad point may have been the fact that the characters were too connected, making everything convenient.
I was expecting the killer to be a male and was surprised that it wasn't. There are tons of books and movies where the killer is actually a woman. Supposedly the weaker sex. It becomes clear that women can be as dangerous and depraved as the men. But looking at the heart of the killer, the reader sees someone who was always left out and felt this hate of the world and jealousy of others who seemed to get better than her. I felt sad but I can't pity how sick and cruel that person turned into.
Appearances are deceiving as this book so amply proves. Another sadistic killer is still on the lose and the story will definitely go on. Reading from the perspective of the killer, its hard to understand the twisted love he feels along with his sick way of murdering women.
Montoya was the tough bad boy cop and Bentz was the getting old soon partner. As usual add in the bad boy turned good and the ladies go blushing. I was not convinced with Montoya. Typical and boring. Valerie was a very confused woman who I wanted to smack at times. She couldn't seemed to make up her mind about her husband. And the twist in the story was the cherry on top.
This has flaws. It was a good try and I like the mystery and scandal. Ask me if I will read the previous books in the series and I will say "no".
bookdarling1987's review against another edition
5.0
I have always loved Lisa Jackson's books and this one was no let-down. Lots of suspense, and the romance between Valerie and Slade was so sweet. Jackson is so talented at grasping the readers attention and holding it until the very end. She always leaves me guessing who done it; so you do not want to put the book down until the killer is revealed. At the end of this novel, there is another killer still out there somewhere, and I can not wait to read the next Bentz and Montoya novel to see who Father John really is. Way to go LISA!!! If you love suspense, romance and a really good who-done-it novel, then you must purchase and jump right into this story !!!
judythereader's review against another edition
4.0
There wasn't enough Bentz & Montoya. I'm always irritated when they are relegated to secondary characters. I really enjoyed the set-up for another book. I did like Valerie. Thought her husband was ok. Still, it was a good twisty story. The reader did an excellent job. I really appreciated it.
judythereader's review against another edition
4.0
There wasn't enough Bentz & Montoya. I'm always irritated when they are relegated to secondary characters. I really enjoyed the set-up for another book. I did like Valerie. Thought her husband was ok. Still, it was a good twisty story. The reader did an excellent job. I really appreciated it.
krisrid's review against another edition
4.0
4 months ago
This was a very good read. Complicated, multi-layered murder mystery with a number of interesting elements and plenty of excitement.
When one of the nuns at St. Marguerite's is found garroted on the alter of the cathedral, wearing an old and yellowed bridal gown, the New Orleans police detective who catches the case is stunned to discover he knows her - went to high school with her right there in New Orleans.
It soon comes out that not only was the nun pregnant, she had been having an affair with one of the priests at the same church.
The victim's sister, with whom there was a strained relationship, is also living in New Orleans, and since she's also a former homicide cop - though in Texas not New Orleans - she is determined to investigate the murder on her own to make sure the killer of her sister is brought to justice.
And underlying all this, is the spectre of a another killer of women in New Orleans - one everyone thought, prayed had been killed by the police, his body sucked down by the Bayou for the gators to finish off years ago. The method of the new killings is terrifyingly similar to the old killings. Copycat? Coincidence? or is "Father John" back from the dead and killing once again??
The book has a lot going on. There are a large number of characters and the story is told in rotating chapters from the varying perspectives of all the characters. The story is complex with a lot going on, but is well-constructed and easy to read and follow along. There is a high "creep-factor" as some of the chapters are from the killer's perspective, so you really get a 360 degree view of the story and it is an interesting approach.
One thing I should mention is that it is obvious this book is sort of the continuation of a previous book, and there are a number of references to the previous murders which were investigated by one of the cops investigating the new murders. The ending also leaves the door open for a continuation of the original murders, but the current book can and does stand-alone as its own self-contained story. The references to the previous book might whet your appetite to read it, but they don't impact your ability to read and enjoy this story all on its own.
Definitely a good read, recommended for those liking psychological murder mystery/thriller-type stories.