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Maggie O'Dell #0
Before Evil
International bestseller Alex Kava delivers a stunning prequel to her critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series.
From her small Quantico office, Special Agent Maggie O'Dell has profiled serial killers using Poloraids, faxed copies and scraps of evidence provided by homicide detectives from across the country. She's gained a reputation for successfully profiling killers and solving crimes without ever stepping foot at a real crime scene.
Then comes Albert Stucky, and nothing will ever be the same.
Stucky is a sadistic madman who enjoys his twisted games as much as he enjoys the kill. Pieces of victims start showing up in takeout containers, strategically left for unsuspecting bystanders to find. Sometimes the body is dumped near by. Others are never found.
Maggie is tasked with profiling the murders. Despite all her skills and talents nothing has prepared for this. For the first time in her career she’s seeing the gruesome crime scenes firsthand, because this madman has chosen the backwoods of Virginia as his killing grounds.
When Stucky discovers an attractive female FBI agent is part of the task force to stop him, he begins to taunt Maggie. He leaves notes and bits and pieces as if they were clues for a morbid scavenger hunt. Each step of the way he’s daring Maggie to catch him if she can, all the while planning to make her his next prey.
Let the chase begin.
From her small Quantico office, Special Agent Maggie O'Dell has profiled serial killers using Poloraids, faxed copies and scraps of evidence provided by homicide detectives from across the country. She's gained a reputation for successfully profiling killers and solving crimes without ever stepping foot at a real crime scene.
Then comes Albert Stucky, and nothing will ever be the same.
Stucky is a sadistic madman who enjoys his twisted games as much as he enjoys the kill. Pieces of victims start showing up in takeout containers, strategically left for unsuspecting bystanders to find. Sometimes the body is dumped near by. Others are never found.
Maggie is tasked with profiling the murders. Despite all her skills and talents nothing has prepared for this. For the first time in her career she’s seeing the gruesome crime scenes firsthand, because this madman has chosen the backwoods of Virginia as his killing grounds.
When Stucky discovers an attractive female FBI agent is part of the task force to stop him, he begins to taunt Maggie. He leaves notes and bits and pieces as if they were clues for a morbid scavenger hunt. Each step of the way he’s daring Maggie to catch him if she can, all the while planning to make her his next prey.
Let the chase begin.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2017
484 people are currently reading
1529 people want to read
About the author
Alex Kava
51 books2,584 followersALEX KAVA IS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the 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 the 2006 One Book One Nebraska. Published in over thirty countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. 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 International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
September 7, 2017
I loved reading about Maggie O'Dells first FBI case in the field...she is a very strong and determined woman. great book
November 26, 2018
Before Evil by Alex Kava is the prequel to the FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell Series.
My Synopsis:
This is the story of Maggie O’Dell and how she became the famous FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell. This is her back-story…those early experiences that shaped her into the tough and determined woman she is today.
We learn how her success in profiling and solving crimes behind a desk prepared her to go out into the field. We learn about her marriage. We learn a bit about her mentor Assistant Director Cunningham, and her budding friendship with Dr. Gwen Patterson. And we learn about Albert Stuckey – the sadistic serial killer that left parts of bodies behind, and who grew particularly attached to Maggie, so much that he lured her into his own trap.
My Opinions:
As much as I have enjoyed this series, this prequel fell short. It also confused me. The Stucky storyline is a lot different that it was when Maggie told Nick about it in the first book. That, and the fact that we really didn’t learn anything particularly earth-shattering that hadn’t been hinted at or outright said in subsequent books, led me to be really disappointed in this one.
I am still looking forward to a more current Maggie O’Dell book.
My Synopsis:
This is the story of Maggie O’Dell and how she became the famous FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell. This is her back-story…those early experiences that shaped her into the tough and determined woman she is today.
We learn how her success in profiling and solving crimes behind a desk prepared her to go out into the field. We learn about her marriage. We learn a bit about her mentor Assistant Director Cunningham, and her budding friendship with Dr. Gwen Patterson. And we learn about Albert Stuckey – the sadistic serial killer that left parts of bodies behind, and who grew particularly attached to Maggie, so much that he lured her into his own trap.
My Opinions:
As much as I have enjoyed this series, this prequel fell short. It also confused me. The Stucky storyline is a lot different that it was when Maggie told Nick about it in the first book. That, and the fact that we really didn’t learn anything particularly earth-shattering that hadn’t been hinted at or outright said in subsequent books, led me to be really disappointed in this one.
I am still looking forward to a more current Maggie O’Dell book.
September 6, 2022
This is a prequel to the Maggie O’Dell series, which I discovered was where the Ryder Creed series was spun off from. Having added the Ryder Creed series to my list, I thought I would check out this prequel to see if it interested me as well. I like stories about strong, competent, kick@$$ female FBI agents and Maggie O’Dell, sounded like a good MC. I also like prequels because they’re usually a quick read to get a glimpse of a character before committing to the series. At 338pgs, this book was neither a typical prequel nor was it going to be a quick read.
The book summary lays out the premise for one of the two storylines in the book so, I’m not going to repeat it here. What the summary doesn’t reveal is the second storyline, that of one of Stucky’s victims who is still alive and attempting to escape. For about the first half of the book, the story flips back and forth between the two storylines.
While Maggie, initially, doesn’t come across as a bad@$$ FBI agent (she vomits at the first crime scene she is invited on), her incredible analytical skills still make her a vital part of the team. After she is called out by Stucky and she realizes that she is a target, her inner bad@$$ steps up and she begins to become fearless in her efforts to work the case from an analytical angle, which is most certainly her strength.
The second storyline is about investigating where the victim was held and, unfortunately, finding more victims. Without getting into the nitty gritty details or any spoiler alerts, the final 20-25% gets very personal between Maggie and Stucky and the explosive ending comes quick with Maggie going full blown KICK@$$ BAD@$$!!!!! Yeah, I like Maggie and will be continuing the series.
The book summary lays out the premise for one of the two storylines in the book so, I’m not going to repeat it here. What the summary doesn’t reveal is the second storyline, that of one of Stucky’s victims who is still alive and attempting to escape. For about the first half of the book, the story flips back and forth between the two storylines.
While Maggie, initially, doesn’t come across as a bad@$$ FBI agent (she vomits at the first crime scene she is invited on), her incredible analytical skills still make her a vital part of the team. After she is called out by Stucky and she realizes that she is a target, her inner bad@$$ steps up and she begins to become fearless in her efforts to work the case from an analytical angle, which is most certainly her strength.
The second storyline is about investigating where the victim was held and, unfortunately, finding more victims. Without getting into the nitty gritty details or any spoiler alerts, the final 20-25% gets very personal between Maggie and Stucky and the explosive ending comes quick with Maggie going full blown KICK@$$ BAD@$$!!!!! Yeah, I like Maggie and will be continuing the series.
December 24, 2017
A great introduction to Maggie for those that haven't read the series. I have read all the books and still enjoyed Maggie's back story. A few annoying typos.
November 17, 2017
4.5 stars. A double wide trailer appears to be a slaughterhouse because of so much blood. FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell works the case as her first crime scene in the field. As the killer watches from a distance, Maggie stumbles outside the trailer and vomits. Thus, the killer feels Maggie appreciates his work and she becomes the center of his attention as he starts leaving her body parts as gifts.
Alex Kava is one of my favorite writers. I love both this series and the Ryder Creed books. I'd actually forgotten about the Collector from an earlier book. I enjoyed going back to the start of Maggie's career and seeing many of the relationships with her co-workers bloom. I've never been disappointed in any of these books and always eagerly await the next one.
Alex Kava is one of my favorite writers. I love both this series and the Ryder Creed books. I'd actually forgotten about the Collector from an earlier book. I enjoyed going back to the start of Maggie's career and seeing many of the relationships with her co-workers bloom. I've never been disappointed in any of these books and always eagerly await the next one.
September 11, 2019
Found this a really easy read and I wanted to go back to the beginning of when Maggie O’Dell came on the scene as I have just read the first two of Kava’s Ryder Creed novels and O’Dell was featured in those.
It didn’t take me by surprise when I found out who done it, so to speak but although it was a little gruesome, especially the first two killings, I found it an entertaining read that kept me engrossed as I followed O’Dells career move from the office to the outside world of serial killers, and how she wanted to be treated as ‘one of the lads’.
I will read more as I liked the characters, especially as there weren’t any alpha males trying to take up the limelight and the personal lives of the main characters didn’t over shadow the crimes.
The ending was a little weak and rushed but overall a decent read.
It didn’t take me by surprise when I found out who done it, so to speak but although it was a little gruesome, especially the first two killings, I found it an entertaining read that kept me engrossed as I followed O’Dells career move from the office to the outside world of serial killers, and how she wanted to be treated as ‘one of the lads’.
I will read more as I liked the characters, especially as there weren’t any alpha males trying to take up the limelight and the personal lives of the main characters didn’t over shadow the crimes.
The ending was a little weak and rushed but overall a decent read.
May 12, 2019
Alex Kava comes through again. The story is good. Maggie O'Dell is an interesting character. She is a tough female as well as a smart independent character. As always, a really good read.
June 20, 2024
Maggie O’Dell w akcji. Znana w świecie policyjnym profilerka zwykle tworzyła profile psychologiczne morderców na podstawie zdjęć policyjnych oraz dowodów, które były odnajdywane na miejscu zbrodni. Tym razem główna bohaterka, by móc skutecznie pomóc w sprawie musi wejść na teren zbrodni. Kiedy pojawia się na miejscu to zastaje makabryczny widok, a co gorsza - morderca sobie upatrzył ją do swojej gierki.
Pióro Alex Kavy nie jest mi obce, ponieważ swego czasu przeczytałam pięć książek jej autorstwa i wiem na co ją stać. W zasadzie poza pierwszym tomem, któremu dałam 3 gwiazdki, pozostałe tomy były wyłącznie 4-gwiazdkowe. Tutaj nie będzie wyjątku. Autorka pisze bardzo solidnie, świetnie buduje fabułę oraz tworzy wszystko w chwytliwy sposób. Kiedy sięgam po jej książki to czuję się spokojna i przekonana, że to będzie dobrze spędzony czas. Tym razem cofamy się do samych początków kariery Maggie oraz jej pierwszego spotkania z największym czarnym charakterem tej serii czyli Kolekcjonerem. Rozdziały pisane są raz z perspektywy Maggie, a raz Kolekcjonera. Tożsamość mężczyzny nie jest żadną tajemnicą, bo znaczna część czytelników najpierw zaczęła serię od "Dotyku zła" i poczytała trochę tych tomów, a dopiero potem wróciła do "Przedsmaku". W tej książce możemy skupić się przede wszystkim na tej zabawie w kotka i myszkę oraz mamy szansę porównać sobie jaka z początku była Maggie w stosunku do tego co dostaliśmy w późniejszych tomach. Taki typowy prequel, napisany po wielu latach. Ogólnie czytałam tę książkę w trybie błyskawicznym i zdarzały się momenty, kiedy sobie mówiłam, że muszę przeczytać jeszcze jeden rozdział, bo muszę wiedzieć co się stało z tą czy inną postacią. Pomysł na zostawianie w publicznych miejscach styropianowych opakowań na żywność, z pewną niespodzianką w środku - punkt dla autorki za pomysłowość.
Dlaczego odstawiłam na tak długi czas książki Kavy - nie mam zielonego pojęcia. Jednak zdecydowanie trzeba będzie przysiąść i dokończyć tę serię.
Pióro Alex Kavy nie jest mi obce, ponieważ swego czasu przeczytałam pięć książek jej autorstwa i wiem na co ją stać. W zasadzie poza pierwszym tomem, któremu dałam 3 gwiazdki, pozostałe tomy były wyłącznie 4-gwiazdkowe. Tutaj nie będzie wyjątku. Autorka pisze bardzo solidnie, świetnie buduje fabułę oraz tworzy wszystko w chwytliwy sposób. Kiedy sięgam po jej książki to czuję się spokojna i przekonana, że to będzie dobrze spędzony czas. Tym razem cofamy się do samych początków kariery Maggie oraz jej pierwszego spotkania z największym czarnym charakterem tej serii czyli Kolekcjonerem. Rozdziały pisane są raz z perspektywy Maggie, a raz Kolekcjonera. Tożsamość mężczyzny nie jest żadną tajemnicą, bo znaczna część czytelników najpierw zaczęła serię od "Dotyku zła" i poczytała trochę tych tomów, a dopiero potem wróciła do "Przedsmaku". W tej książce możemy skupić się przede wszystkim na tej zabawie w kotka i myszkę oraz mamy szansę porównać sobie jaka z początku była Maggie w stosunku do tego co dostaliśmy w późniejszych tomach. Taki typowy prequel, napisany po wielu latach. Ogólnie czytałam tę książkę w trybie błyskawicznym i zdarzały się momenty, kiedy sobie mówiłam, że muszę przeczytać jeszcze jeden rozdział, bo muszę wiedzieć co się stało z tą czy inną postacią. Pomysł na zostawianie w publicznych miejscach styropianowych opakowań na żywność, z pewną niespodzianką w środku - punkt dla autorki za pomysłowość.
Dlaczego odstawiłam na tak długi czas książki Kavy - nie mam zielonego pojęcia. Jednak zdecydowanie trzeba będzie przysiąść i dokończyć tę serię.
August 23, 2017
I have to remind myself that this is a prequel. But I'm still disappointed. It is a good story and it does its job by giving us background on Maggie O'Dell and the villain we love to hate, Albert Stucky. But I wait for the Alex Kava novels and buy whatever she writes. It was far too much money for an e-book. However, an Alex Kava book always rates a four or even a five. I am always so satisfied when I read an Alex Kava novel. This one....not so much. The denouement was more of an anti-climax. It ended too soon after that. In short, I did like it but I expected so much more. Alex, you are so much better than this!
June 1, 2023
świetne
June 14, 2025
This was the prequel to the Maggie Odell series. It was fun to go back in time and see the MC as a new agent and her beginning relationship with her co workers. One thing that made the book great is that her colleagues all treated her with respect instead of having the macho guy treating the new girl like crap. The back story of Stucky was a good mystery and is referred to in future installments. I loved the book and it makes me want to reread the series. Highly recommended!!
December 16, 2017
Read this book so I was current on series, wasnt really interested in the back story of Maggie. I know her well enough from the books in the series. Maybe if this came out earlier in my reading of the series I would be more interested in her back story. It gives us a hint of the dog handler who has his own series now, how she met Glenn, what happened in her marriage and her relationship with her co workers in the bureau. All stuff not really important to my reading .
June 9, 2023
3.75/5.00
The biggest complaint is how flat many of the characters were. However, the villain, the cat and mouse chase, and the second half were very entertaining. If you burn through books like I tend to, I’d still recommend it as a fun quick read.
The biggest complaint is how flat many of the characters were. However, the villain, the cat and mouse chase, and the second half were very entertaining. If you burn through books like I tend to, I’d still recommend it as a fun quick read.
August 27, 2019
I loved this novel! If you are a Maggie O'Dell fan you will not want to miss reading "Before Evil". This novel is actually the prelude to the entire Maggie O'Dell series. You actually get to read how she took down "The Collector" Albert Stucky, who is mentioned several times in other of her novels.
You also learn how she and Gwen Patterson became friends, how her marriage broke up and how her mind works. A terrific read!
You also learn how she and Gwen Patterson became friends, how her marriage broke up and how her mind works. A terrific read!
February 12, 2018
I'm pleased my days of running in the forest and night clubbing are behind me. How do I get through the rest of my life without opening the door?
Alex Kava's books are wonderful but scare me witless.
Alex Kava's books are wonderful but scare me witless.
November 8, 2023
Alex Kava, kawał dobrej roboty. Agentka Maggie O'Dell jest wykreowana perfekcyjnie.
December 20, 2017
I have never read any other Maggie O'Dell books so to pick this book up was a bit of a gamble. Even without any of the backstory though I really enjoyed this read and didn't feel like I was disadvantaged being slow to jump on the bandwagon. I did find the ending a bit far fetched and it did put a dampener on my feelings towards this book but overall it was fast paced, intriguing and full of interesting characters
December 15, 2024
Before Evil by Alex Kava is the prequel to the Maggie O'Dell series. FBI profiler Special Agent Maggie O'Dell hunts a serial killer who is taunting investigators by leaving body parts in takeout containers and becomes fixated on Maggie. A superb start to the series. Maggie is being pulled in various directions with a partner who is not supportive of her career choice. She seems to make quite a few poor choices despite her success. It will be interesting to see how she manages the conflicts going forwards.
April 9, 2019
I read the whole series a while ago so I can't remember everything but reading this "prequel" about Stucky and Maggie was great. Who she is now compared to when she went to her first scene was interesting. Maggie's non existent married life was sad. Stucky is evil and what he did for who knows how long was horrendous.
September 19, 2017
Love the Maggie O'Dell series! This one did not disappoint! Stucky is so creepy!!!
October 22, 2018
A good book but no surprises for Maggie O'Dell fans. Would advise new readers to treat this as the first book in the series (which of course it is). Still nice to be back with O'Dell.
October 18, 2021
Oh, it was really great to first meet Maggie, and watch her deal with this investigation, since this guy seems to really have affected her!
February 20, 2018
What a rush to head back in time to meet Maggie O'Dell at the beginning of her career. Loved meeting the whole cast as they gathered clues to find Stucky. I might have to begin the whole adventure again.... Could be fun! Thanks Alex Kava for all that you write!!!! You are the bomb!!!
February 25, 2025
To jest prequel. Wydarzenia stad były wspominane w pierwszej części. Tylko czemu niektóre z tych wydarzeń się różnią???? Tam to brzmiało ciekawiej, chciało się to czytać. Nie wiem co tu się wydarzyło. Czy autorka nie przeczytała co już sama wymyśliła? Specjalnie wprowadziła te zmiany czy to przypadek?
Bardzo pośpieszone zakończenia. Dałabym wyższą ocenę (pewnie 4), gdyby nie to. Na małe zmiany mogłabym przymknąć oko, ale to już przesada.
March 24, 2018
Agentka specjalna FBI Maggie O'Dell już od jakiegoś czasu pracuje jako konsultantka przy zabójstwach. Szczególnie tych bardzo okrutnych lub z podejrzeniem seryjnego mordercy. Jej umiejętności zyskują jej coraz większą renomę, a co za tym idzie - jeszcze więcej próśb o pomoc ze wszystkich stron kraju. Do tej pory wszystkie sprawy badała jedynie na podstawie przysyłanych zdjęć i dowodów. Jednak jej przełożony postanawia, że Maggie powinna w końcu zobaczyć miejsce zbrodni na własne oczy. Nie przewidział jedynie tego, że pierwsze morderstwo, w sprawie którego O'Dell będzie brała bezpośredni udział będzie aż tak okrutne. Ani tego, że ktoś inny będzie ich w obserwował na miejscu tamtej zbrodni. Ktoś, komu zadawanie bólu i zabijanie sprawia przyjemność. Ktoś, kto będzie chciał uczyć Maggie jedną ze swoich ofiar i w tym celu nie cofnie się przed niczym.
Całość recenzji dostępna pod adresem: http://zapach-ksiazek.pl/alex-kava-pr...
Całość recenzji dostępna pod adresem: http://zapach-ksiazek.pl/alex-kava-pr...
May 31, 2018
You can never go wrong with Alex Kava and Maggie O'Dell. It was nice seeing Maggie back in action in this prequel that also allowed us to revisit some favorite characters we hadn't seen in a while. Another winning entry into the series. Recommended.
February 13, 2019
Interesting story line, but the extremely short chapters of 2-4 pages throughout the book drove me crazy. Close to 100 chapters over just 300 pages. The writing is very basic, too, no real depth, so if the story line wasn't pretty good I never would have made it through the book. Not planning to read any more books by this author. There were also a lot of typos in the book, misspellinga as well as grammatical. As a professional proofreader and editor I just wonder who worked on this book before publication?
On to my next book.
On to my next book.
August 13, 2017
I've been a fan of the Maggie O'Dell character for years and so even knowing how things ended from the first and second books was still interested in how things turned out. It was a solid read and did the main character justice without taking anything away from her.
May 20, 2019
Decent plot, let down by dreadful typos. Use a proofreader!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews