Dr. Travis Roan hunts ordinary bad people when there's a dearth
of Nazis, but Travis finds himself in small-town Kansas on the
trail of a Nazi. In 1951, former concentration camp
administrator Rudolph Bormann entered the US as Rudy Goodman.
He'd had no intention of changing his ways, he remained a
racist, but being struck by lightning twice came as a divine
inspiration. Kansas State Trooper Skottie Foster had moved back
to her home town with her daughter Maddy six months ago after
her marriage disintegrated; they find it a bit difficult to
adapt, and Sheriff Kurt Goodman doesn't seem very helpful.
Travis and Skottie's paths crossed fortuitously, but when
Travis's witness is found dead, and other mysterious deaths
occur, they join forces to stop an evil that seems to have come
out of nowhere.
I much enjoyed Alex Grecian's Scotland Yard's Murder
Squad series, set during the Victorian era. I enjoy
thrillers pertaining to the Second World War, but I was a bit
apprehensive as most of THE SAINT OF WOLVES AND BUTCHERS is set
in the present. It is a pleasure to say that Alex Grecian is as
comfortable writing about Jack the Ripper as modern age
villains: this book is sensational! The narrative smoothly
alternates between the present and from 1951 onwards; there was
something a tad unusual about the timeline, and I wonder what
the purpose was. Mr. Grecian understands the precise
moment when to switch timelines, building the suspense while
feeding us information. Mr. Grecian's writing is supremely
efficient: clear, and sharp with the right amount of details to
establish the setting and the environment, and vividly create a
subtly unsettling atmosphere.
Skottie is African American and is
basically you and me: an ordinary woman, a caring mother, and a
conscientious police officer. She is so beautifully and
concisely described that I knew exactly what she looked like
right away. Travis is an extremely attractive character and a
complete enigma. We know precious little about him, I liked him
a lot, and I cannot wait to know more, because THE SAINT OF
WOLVES AND BUTCHERS is the first book of a new series, and it
will be fabulous; Skottie and Travis will make a superb team.
Travis' dog, Bear, has to be my favorite canine character ever;
he is a brilliant creation, without being over the top, and
even he has a fascinating backstory!
THE SAINT OF WOLVES AND BUTCHERS is cleverly paced. The story
starts slowly, which does not mean sluggish, then when
everything is set in place, barrels toward the ending. The
pace was frenzied, I could hardly keep up. I must also mention
the absolutely flawless editing! I was held entirely captive
throughout the whole book because Mr. Grecian understands
timing like few authors: I couldn't wait to read what had
happened in the past, what would happen next, and at some point
who were the villains. The atmosphere crackles with tension,
and even when it seems nothing is concretely happening, the
wheels are set in motion and a feeling of impending doom
descends, then a flurry of startling plot twists careen towards
a stunning conclusion. Is there a better feeling when reading a
suspense novel?
Travis Roan and his dog, Bear, are hunters: They travel the
world pursuing evildoers in order to bring them to justice.
They have now come to Kansas on the trail of Rudolph
Bormann, a Nazi doctor and concentration camp administrator
who snuck into the U.S. under the name Rudy Goodman in the
1950s and has at last been identified. Travis quickly learns
that Goodman has powerful friends who will go to any length
to protect the Nazi; what he doesn’t know is that Goodman
has furtively continued his diabolical work, amassing a
congregation of followers who believe he possesses Godlike
powers.
Caught between these men is Kansas State Trooper
Skottie Foster, an African American woman and a good cop who
must find a way to keep peace in her district—until she
realizes the struggle between Roan and Bormann will put her
and her family in grave peril.
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