jjares reviewed on 4/2/2019 + 3307 more book reviews

William Heffernan has an older series about an NYPD police inspector who answers only to the mayor. Because I enjoyed THE DEAD DETECTIVE and THE SCIENTOLOGY MURDERS so much, I decided to try this series with Paul Devlin. It's just as good as the other books. However, there may be some folks angered by the subject of this novel. It is about the Opus Dei organization within the Catholic Church. Although raised a Catholic, I was not aware of this group. The book prompted me to google the subject and learn more. And isn't that the purpose of reading; to learn new things?

This is a controversial group. Because it is still contentious, the author was able to use the group as the backdrop for his entertaining novel. Unlike some other reviewers, I wasn't offended by the subject matter. Because the author has used the indoctrination of new members in both this book and THE SCIENTOLOGY MURDERS, I felt he was showing the worrisome aspects of any closed group that seeks to control its members.

The author made a point of telling the reader that children who join cults generally grew up in families where a church was not a focus in their family life. Most of them grow up in homes where the parents valued money and acquiring things. These middle-class children are seeking something to put into their lives to give it more meaning. I think the paragraphs on page 64 are profoundly correct about the pull of cults and closed societies.

This is a complex story with great plotting and dialogue. I plan to look for more in this series.

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