I enjoy this series, will read more ( )

I'm enjoying this series, likely more than I should. It's a beach read, albeit a rather blood-soaked one. But Katie is a fun character to follow.

Thankfully, while this book had all the trademark Katie Maguire details, extremely gory killer, ongoing issues with boyfriend John, and the various other returning characters Masterton has built into her world, as well as the standard sex scene (which, thankfully, wasn't as cringe-worthy as the ones in the second novel).

Curiously, Masterton seems to have to put in a hint of lesbianism into every one of these books, which I simply scratch my head at. It truly adds nothing to either the plot, or to Maguire's character, so I have to assume they're in there simply for titillation's sake. Oh, and there's also the standard at least two males compliment Maguire on lookin' so damn fine scenes.

Still, each novel brings the horror of death, and that's what I pay my money to read, so, I'll keep reading them. ( )

Set in Cork, Ireland, this story of female trafficing and enforced prostitution follows a good standard formula for a mystery. There are the nasty bad guys, a beautiful vigilante killer (who is known early in the book), a dedicated cop trying to save the young girls. There aren't any surprises, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. One of the more intriguing things is the liberal use of Irish idioms and words. That added some much needed interest. ( )

The third book in the Katie Maguire series, and the topic this time is sex trafficking and prostitution. While I found this installment to be less gory than the previous ones, it was far more emotional because of the poignant stories of the girls/women affected. It wasn't as suspenseful as the previous books as there was no real mystery to the whodunit, and the plot was fairly simple. Despite of that, Masterton managed to create another very engaging story that was difficult to pause once I've started listening to it. I adore Caroline Lennon's narration now that there are no American accents involved.
Things I didn't like: there's the now obligatory lesbian attraction again. That's becoming too repetitive now. The other recurring thing that became a bit boring was the mention of the ringtones.
On the positive side, Masterton stayed away from cringe worthy sex scenes involving Katie this time.
I was a bit conflicted about the ending. I think I would have preferred to see justice being served in a different way. I hope the plot about some of the characters will be picked up in the next book, as there were several things left unresolved. ( )

Graham Masterton is a master at crime and horror. This is the first book I have read of his that is a crime novel, I have read a few of his other works and really enjoyed them. I was drawn to the book because not only is it a crime novel that I love, but it takes place in Ireland, which I am obsessed with.

A man is found dead with his face horribly mutilated and missing his hands. DS Katie Maguire, of the Irish Garda is tasked with solving this crime. Identifying the man proves difficult but once she finds that the dead man was a pimp who exploited women and young girls in the sex slave market, she is more determined to find the traffickers. More men are getting killed by the Avenging Angel, as she calls herself. We are not supposed to cheer for the serial killer in novels, but after I found out why this young woman was killing pimps, I was actually hoping that she would get away with it. Revenge is a kind of wild justice they say but there are always consequences. This is also a sad story of the sex trade, how these girls and women are lied to and then made to believe that what they are doing is the only way for them to live.

This story is pretty graphic so if vivid descriptions are bothersome to you, well this may not be the type of story for you. I however loved every page of the book. This is a stand alone novel, but the third in the series. Great writing and believable characters make for a book that you don't want to miss. ( )