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39th out of 415 books
—
553 voters
A Perfect Evil (Maggie O'Dell #1)
by
Alex Kava
A killer is watching . . .
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill again.
Morreli...more
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill again.
Morreli...more
Mass Market Paperback, 461 pages
Published
January 1st 2006
by Mira Books
(first published 2000)
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This was the first Alex Kava novel I've read. I liked most of what I read, but there were disappointments as well.
Nick Morelli is the sheriff of the small community of Platte City Nebraska. Nick was elected to take over the office after his father retired, very big shoes to try to fill. When a young boys body is found, mutilated in a similar way to a killer who was put to death a few months prior, Nick fears they may have a copycat on their hands.
The FBI sends in one of their best profilers, Ma...more
Nick Morelli is the sheriff of the small community of Platte City Nebraska. Nick was elected to take over the office after his father retired, very big shoes to try to fill. When a young boys body is found, mutilated in a similar way to a killer who was put to death a few months prior, Nick fears they may have a copycat on their hands.
The FBI sends in one of their best profilers, Ma...more
on the one hand, this book had kept me on the edge of my seat while reading it. and O'delle was great- with her fears, her problems, her past and her professionalism.
then, what's the problem? i didn't take me long to realize who the murderer is. and i took me a long time to finish that book. it was(!) a good book, but at some point i felt like the end wasn't going to come. because it dragged.
i'll be the first to admit, when deciding whether i love a book or not it is a question of:
1. the char...more
then, what's the problem? i didn't take me long to realize who the murderer is. and i took me a long time to finish that book. it was(!) a good book, but at some point i felt like the end wasn't going to come. because it dragged.
i'll be the first to admit, when deciding whether i love a book or not it is a question of:
1. the char...more
Narrated by Richard Rowan
10 hrs and 45 mins
Some of the story felt like a Harlequin romance book. It was ok, but the writing was disappointing.
Publisher's Summary
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill aga...more
10 hrs and 45 mins
Some of the story felt like a Harlequin romance book. It was ok, but the writing was disappointing.
Publisher's Summary
The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What's worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill aga...more
Jul 07, 2009
Michelle Maas
added it
Ugh, I quit at page 127. By then Kava has given away the murderer's identity, his motive, his next victim, the love interest. The next 200 pages would reveal how the good guys finally (if ever) catch the bad guy, along with, I assume, more detailed descriptions of child sexual assault, misogynist torture, bludgeonings, drugging, strangling, stabbings, desecrations of corpses. Not my idea of a relaxing summer night's read. I wanted to read it because it was a writer setting her action in Nebraska...more
When I discovered I had won book 8 in this series in a Goodreads drawing, my usual inability to read a series kicked in... especially when I realized I had, in fact, already read book 3 in 2006. Yes, by itself and out of order! I don't know how I did it, or why, but I decided to rectify the situation. Thus, I acquired the entire series (except, strangely, book 3) and started at the beginning. And what a beginning!
Kava's series features Maggie O'Dell, an 8-year veteran of the FBI when A Perfect E...more
Kava's series features Maggie O'Dell, an 8-year veteran of the FBI when A Perfect E...more
May 18, 2010
Indiaskye
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
thriller-crime,
books-read-in-2010
"A perfect Evil" started out really good but tetered out pretty fast. Overall it was okay, but it's still nowhere near a very good thriller.
The story is pretty predictable --- even though there are several suspects thrown in throughout the story I daresay that anyone with half a brain will know after just a few chapters who the killer is.
The characters are okay (nothing special, though). One thing that I found kinda strange is that even though the book is called "A Perfect Evil - A Maggie O'Dell...more
The story is pretty predictable --- even though there are several suspects thrown in throughout the story I daresay that anyone with half a brain will know after just a few chapters who the killer is.
The characters are okay (nothing special, though). One thing that I found kinda strange is that even though the book is called "A Perfect Evil - A Maggie O'Dell...more
This audiobook was a random pick at the library, since I'd heard Kava's name before and the plot sounded like it could be interesting.
Five years earlier, a serial killer terrorised Platte City, Nebraska, targetting little boys. After three were killed, the cops caught Ronald Jeffreys, who promptly confessed to one of them. However, he claimed he'd had nothing to do with the other two. As the book starts, Jeffreys is executed.
Mere weeks later, another little boy disappears from Platte City. The c...more
Five years earlier, a serial killer terrorised Platte City, Nebraska, targetting little boys. After three were killed, the cops caught Ronald Jeffreys, who promptly confessed to one of them. However, he claimed he'd had nothing to do with the other two. As the book starts, Jeffreys is executed.
Mere weeks later, another little boy disappears from Platte City. The c...more
Wow, what a pleasant surprise! I had encountered Kava twice before (James Patterson/Thriller and Lee Child First Thrills)in short story anthologies, one that was about our protaginist Maggie O' Dell (that I did not care for),and another that I liked very much. I really hadn't given that much thought to Kava since....but while browsing through a used book store I came across this and figured...what the heck I am vacation I will take this down to the pool and see if it holds my interest....man did...more
Mar 14, 2012
Katie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Katie by:
Dad
Shelves:
books-i-own,
collections,
dad,
me,
recommended-by-others,
series,
author-recommended-by-others
Upon the recommendation of my dad and the fact that Ms. Kava will be at the reading festival I am attending this weekend, I grabbed up this first in the Maggie O'Dell series. While I will not claim it as the best book I have ever read, it was a very good first in a series that had me guessing until the end, doubting myself over and over again.
There was the typical sexual tension between the leads but in an atypical way (trying to avoid spoilers here!) While I had an idea of where parts were goi...more
There was the typical sexual tension between the leads but in an atypical way (trying to avoid spoilers here!) While I had an idea of where parts were goi...more
Convicted killer Ronald Jeffreys is executed for the murder and desecration of three little boys. He wholeheartedly admits his guilt to one of the three, but goes to his grave professing his innocence for the other two murders. In three short months after the execution, another body of a young boy is found killed in a similar manner. Small town sheriff Nick Morrelli realizes he’s in over his head and lacks the resources to deal with an investigation of such a scale. He enlists the help of Maggie...more
This was an interesting, although cliche book. As the first book in a series I can give it the benefit of the doubt that Alex Kava is just honing her craft and there are bound to be some things that will be improved upon during the run of the series.
Her heroine is a jaded FBI agent with 8 years of experience and a chip on her shoulder from the last case she worked on. She stumbles onto a case in Nebraska dealing with small town mentalities, the church, and little boys being kidnapped. This nove...more
Her heroine is a jaded FBI agent with 8 years of experience and a chip on her shoulder from the last case she worked on. She stumbles onto a case in Nebraska dealing with small town mentalities, the church, and little boys being kidnapped. This nove...more
I kept passing this novel over and over for other more interesting reads, or so I thought. I kept looking at it thinking I wouldn't really enjoy it, but surprisngly I did.
From back cover:
"Sheriff Nick Morrelli isn't equipped to deal with this case that is terrorizing the small, close-knit community of Platte City, Nebraska. Knowing he needs help, he calls in one of the FBI's best criminal profilers, Maggie O'Dell. And with the help of a small town sheriff who is clearly out of his depths, Maggie...more
From back cover:
"Sheriff Nick Morrelli isn't equipped to deal with this case that is terrorizing the small, close-knit community of Platte City, Nebraska. Knowing he needs help, he calls in one of the FBI's best criminal profilers, Maggie O'Dell. And with the help of a small town sheriff who is clearly out of his depths, Maggie...more
Nov 22, 2012
Cláudia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009,
mystery-thriller-suspense
This book was highly recommended and couldn't wait any more on my bookshelf to be picked up.
It's the 1st in the Maggie O'Dell series and I'm seriously considering ordering the 2nd one right away.
The characters grabbed me from the start and the suspense is constant. Who the killer is may not be the main question throughout the book but that doesn't make it less interesting, we learn a lot of things from the "bad guy" point of view and that makes it all more bloody and graphic and at the same time...more
It's the 1st in the Maggie O'Dell series and I'm seriously considering ordering the 2nd one right away.
The characters grabbed me from the start and the suspense is constant. Who the killer is may not be the main question throughout the book but that doesn't make it less interesting, we learn a lot of things from the "bad guy" point of view and that makes it all more bloody and graphic and at the same time...more
Over all a decent book. Not the stellar writing I was expecting, but I did like the characters and plot line. I liked the ending.
I'm not a fan of books that jump around with sub-plots. I'm sure I'm not the norm regarding that opinion, though. It seemed to drag on. I would have like it to get to the point quicker...probably because I knew who the killer was so early. I kept wondering if there would be a surprise ending and the Ray line kind of led me that direction.
I liked Nick as the flawed ma...more
I'm not a fan of books that jump around with sub-plots. I'm sure I'm not the norm regarding that opinion, though. It seemed to drag on. I would have like it to get to the point quicker...probably because I knew who the killer was so early. I kept wondering if there would be a surprise ending and the Ray line kind of led me that direction.
I liked Nick as the flawed ma...more
This is the first book that I've read by Alex Kava - I received off of PaperBackSwap.com based on comments and reviews that I had seen. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.
Maggie O'Dell is an FBI profiler whose last case has left physical and emotional scars. Her marriage is growing distant and her husbands wants her to quit his job at the bureau. Maggie gets asked to head to a small town in Nebraska where a boy was found murdered - the case bears striking resemblence to one that ha...more
Maggie O'Dell is an FBI profiler whose last case has left physical and emotional scars. Her marriage is growing distant and her husbands wants her to quit his job at the bureau. Maggie gets asked to head to a small town in Nebraska where a boy was found murdered - the case bears striking resemblence to one that ha...more
I bought this book when it first came out over a decade ago, and left it at my grandmother's house. I picked it up again when I was there this summer and, remembering how much I loved it, decided to re-read it -- particularly since I noticed that there are now 8 books in the series. It didn't grab me nearly the same way this time. Perhaps it's because I remembered the ending from the very start of the book, and because I realized that the writing wasn't particularly good. There were a lot of cli...more
This book fits the bill just nicely when someone wants a traditional, easy to understand mystery. Nothing overly complicated in terms of jargon or terminology that'd send readers to frantically Google search. The plot was easy to follow, even for folks like myself that aren't used to reading mystery novels. As for the plot, the Author tries to keep the reader guessing on who the real killer is, and fails miserably at their attempt at confusing us. The "usual suspects" are easy to rule out, and y...more
The first book in the Maggie O'Dell series of romantic suspense ... although there really isn't much romance. I've read the first four books in the series, and so far Maggie has met, been attracted to, and deflected at least two very handsome and charming men. I like these books because the suspense is quite well done, and the mysteries are intriguing. Maggie's self-destructive behavior in the first three books was less attractive, but, aside from her serious issues with personal relationships,...more
I liked the book a lot. If you want a great mystery, then you should probably bypass this one though. It's very clear who the killer is and I normally never know until the end. That being said I loved Maggie albeit the POV never stayed with her for long. That was something to get used to. I liked all the short chapters - It made it less confusing when switching POV's imo.
I'm hoping Maggie gets more of the spotlight in the next book. I want to know more about her and find out what makes her tick...more
I'm hoping Maggie gets more of the spotlight in the next book. I want to know more about her and find out what makes her tick...more
This book was one that I picked up on a boring family road trip to keep myself entertained, I really never planned on reading the whole thing, but I loved it and couldn't put it down. The story is so so good that it sucks you in and you just have to keep reading to see what happens. I was about 14-15 when I read it and I remember it being very volgar amd having some pretty sexual parts to it, but nothing too bad, I think if I were to read it now, I bet it wouldn't catch my attention like it did...more
The first in the Maggie O'Dell series, "A Perfect Evil" by Alex Kava was .... thrilling.
Already a fan of the genre, I found "A Perfect Evil" packed a suckerpunch as it seemed all the more brutal, evil and graphic than most crime thriller novels. Perhaps it was the fact it told a tale of a serial killer who targets and attacks young children. Either way I found myself flinching during the first part of the book. What great writing!
There were so many things I liked about "A Perfect Evil". The (m...more
Already a fan of the genre, I found "A Perfect Evil" packed a suckerpunch as it seemed all the more brutal, evil and graphic than most crime thriller novels. Perhaps it was the fact it told a tale of a serial killer who targets and attacks young children. Either way I found myself flinching during the first part of the book. What great writing!
There were so many things I liked about "A Perfect Evil". The (m...more
Recommended by a friend who gave me the entire hard back series except for this first one and the very last one. So I got this from the library and will be reading the rest at my leisure. It's so much nicer when you don't have a return date on a book, as mine always come in at the same time... So far, I think I have figured out the killer and I do like that the chapters are short, so it's easy to put it down and then pick up again. Thank you Cathy.....Well, I'm done and I was right. Didn't like...more
This is the first Kava book I have read. It kept calling to me & finally I picked it up & read it. I started it early one evening & couldn't put it down til early the next morn! Not sure if it was the story or that it was the short chapters that kept me from putting it down. I wasn't sure if I liked her writing @ first but it grew on me real quick & I gobbled it up. I was a little frustrated w/ the "relationship ending" but the ending was so enticing I was looking up the next boo...more
I like this series. Kava's Maggie O'Dell is an FBI profiler with a degree in psychology and a troubled childhood. She's new to the FBI and has difficulties getting to know people. Fortunately, her new partner is friendly and outgoing. In this first in the series, Maggie is chasing a dangerous serial killer, who escapes and comes back to threaten her again.
The books are somewhat formulaic, but Maggie, the stories, and the other characters are interesting enough to make me want to read the rest of...more
The books are somewhat formulaic, but Maggie, the stories, and the other characters are interesting enough to make me want to read the rest of...more
Apr 10, 2013
Black Butterfly
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
ADULTS
Recommended to Black Butterfly by:
AMAZON
Shelves:
suspense-thriller,
mystery-romance
I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WOULD BE GOOD, BOY WAS I WRONG. THE LAW ENFORCMENT COMMUNITY SHOULD BE OUTRAGED THEY WERE DEPICTED AS BUFFOONS OR KEYSTONE COPS. I KNEW WHO THE KILLER WAS BY 15% OF THE BOOK BUT THE COPS SURE DIDN'T. THE BOOK DRAGGED ON AND ON I WANTED TO STOP READING BEFORE 45% BUT I CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE TRYING TO COMPLETE IT. THIS BOOK IS A SERIES SO WHEN I GOT TO THE END I GOT CLIFF-HUNG. I WILL NOT BE READING ANYMORE IN THIS SERIES, DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ANYMOE STUPID COPS OR ALMOST R...more
This was an okay book, but I found that I had a good bead on the plot early on. There weren't really any surprises, aside from the fact that the author felt the only way to generate sexual tension between characters was to have the male protagonist 'accidentally' brush a breast or thigh. Often. Like every time the two protagonists were together. That got old fast and felt a little juvenile. I've been in a book drought lately though, so it filled the empty space on my shelf for now. I might try a...more
Een Alex Kava-thriller, het woordje thriller had meteen mijn aandacht! Het genre waar ik zo hard van kan genieten. Vol overgave stortte ik mij dan ook op de beginpagina's. Reuze-spannend, tot op een bepaalde bladzijde waar ze letterlijk weggeven wie de dader is en je gewoon verder leest omdat je meer te weten wil komen over de relatie tussen bepaalde personages (maar ook daar ligt het er dik bovenop hoe het gaat verlopen!!) . Teleurgesteld blijf je toch doorlezen, omdat je het motief wil kennen...more
"Nick Morrelli is the Platte City, Nebraska, sheriff who must be smarter than he appears, since there's a framed Harvard law degree hanging on his wall. Not that appearances don't count. The reader is treated to a number of descriptions of his sexy, lady-killer looks and his charismatic effect on even the most hard-bitten woman character in this somewhat muddled, serial-killer thriller. Nick is investigating the kidnap-murders of two young Platte City boys when FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell shows
When I read the last page of A Perfect Evil, I wanted more. No...scratch that....I needed more. And I found myself frustrated that I didn't have the second book sitting right there ready to be read. Because obviously I didn't know that I was going to NEED to read the second book instantly especially when the beginning of this book didn't really blow me away. But by the end....oh the end just left me wanting to continue on and keep reading. But I'm getting ahead of myself so let me tell you what...more
I discovered Alex Kava back in 2007 when my husband bought it randomly as a birthday gift. I was always into mystery and suspense novels so I knew I would probably like it, but I had no idea I was going to love it this much.
Maggie is an FBI agent - a profiler - who's on the hunt for a serial killer. It sounds like your average murder mystery I know, but no it's really awesome! This is the first book in the Maggie O'Dell series, but it doesn't read like one. The writing is great and the characte...more
Maggie is an FBI agent - a profiler - who's on the hunt for a serial killer. It sounds like your average murder mystery I know, but no it's really awesome! This is the first book in the Maggie O'Dell series, but it doesn't read like one. The writing is great and the characte...more
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| Who do you like more? | 7 | 43 | Nov 06, 2012 07:22pm |
Alex Kava is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her two dogs Miss Molly and Scout.
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Nov 18, 2011 08:43am