July 22, 2004
Southampton Sergeant Vincent D’Agosta, FBI Special agent Pendergast and New York’s police captain Laura
Hayward become the homicide (team) to investigate the gruesome murders of Southampton art critic Jeremy Grove and New York
music entrepreneur Nigel Cutforth.
Both murders appear to be of supernatural origin with the victims being charbroiled from the inside out. Additionally,
the crime scene reeks, as if the devil himself had come and taken these souls.
Progression in solving these murders is hindered by lack of physical evidence, difficulty with interviewing potential
suspects, publicity, policies, as well as attempts to assassinate D’Agosta and Pendergast. Not to mention, motive seems
to be nonexistent. The aforementioned problems prompt D’Agosta and Pendergast to follow clues that take them from New
York’s ritzy estates across the ocean to Italy – D’Agosta’s native home.
In Italy D’Agosta and Pendergast discover that the only way to retrieve evidence needed is to get a conviction
for these heinous crimes, and the only way to accomplish this, is to accept a dinner invitation from the killer. Once inside
the suspect’s castle, they soon realize that not only are they trapped, but also that one of them must make the ultimate
sacrifice to save the other.
This novel is filled with intrigue, murder, suspense, and mystery. Not only does it hold the reader’s interest,
but also peaks curiosity in the existence of supernatural phenomena. I was thoroughly engrossed by its twisting plot and ending.
So much so that I must have other novels mentioned on the cover to add to my library.
Reviewed by Juanita Reynolds
