Retriever of Souls
"...a gritty, compelling novel and a great start to a promising new series."
Synopsis:
Brought up believing that sex is the devil's work, a killer only finds release once he has saved his victim's souls. Abiding by his vision, he marks them as his. A gift to guide his chosen ones on the rightful path to redemption.
Detective Inspector Paolo Sterling is out to stop him, but Paolo has problems of his own. Hunting down the killer as the death toll rises, the lines soon blur between Paolo's personal and professional lives.
Background info: D.I. Paolo Sterling and D.S. Dave Johnson have been called out to a murder scene. This is the killer's second victim and the body is found by two boys out playing.
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Review:
This is the first book in a new police procedural series, featuring Detective Inspector Paolo Sterling… and what a cracking way to start a series! 'Retriever of Souls' is a real page-turner. I devoured it over two days and will be reading the next Paolo Sterling instalment as quickly as I possibly can. What sets this novel apart is Paolo himself. Troubled, flawed and trying to come to terms with a tragic backstory, he's a great character. As he struggles to deal with his ex-wife and his teenage daughter, the reader can't help rooting for him. And Paolo's 'will they won't they' relationship with Medical Examiner Barbara Royston is a very nice touch indeed. Parts of the story are told from the killer's point of view, and Mace does a great job giving a credible insight into this character's twisted mind. Mace doesn't shy away from writing gruesomely and graphically about how the killer treats his victims. It's a difficult read, at times, but the violence merely adds to the growing sense of menace as the killer and Paolo circle ever closer to each other. As the various plot threads and character stories came together at the end, I was racing through the final pages. This is a gritty, compelling novel and a great start to a promising new series.