A shocking murder has occurred in Southampton, and Sergeant Vincent D’Agosta doesn’t expect to do more than wrap yellow crime tape around the scene. Washed up and down on his luck, the last person D’Agosta expects to see is the FBI agent who has alternately mystified and awed him.

Special Agent Pendergast pulls D’Agosta under his wing and launches into the investigation of the so-called devil killings. Rich, eccentric men are found burned—from the inside out, and the devil’s hoof prints are found at one scene.

The mystery deepens as D’Agosta and Pendergast weave their way through high society, religious fanaticism, and Italian hillsides. Will the answers they find be worth the sacrifices they must make, or will the secrets be too terrible to behold?

In this innovative detective novel, Preston and Child not only lure the reader deeper into their tale, they grab hold and don’t let go until the last page. Even then, they keep the reader on a short leash in anticipation of the next installment.

With intricate plot twists that keep readers guessing, the writing is polished with the air of experience and passion. The characters are full of life; each has a distinctive—if enigmatic—past, agenda, and personality.

There is one subplot that seems to be unnecessary, but this may be addressed in the next two titles of this series.

This is a thrilling, gritty suspense, which will appeal to fans of the genre.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
6/5/2006

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