Unexpected assistance arrives in the form of Fr. Anthony Fowler, a former U. S. Air Force intelligence officer turned Catholic priest. It seems that Fowler has been quietly investigating Victor Karosky, an American priest whose nightmarish childhood spawned his evolution into a child-molesting, diabolical monster with a history of violence and a penchant for mutilation. The information supplied by Fr. Fowler, combined with the profile developed by Paola Dicanti, leave little doubt as to the identity of the serial killer. Victor Karosky is a Hannibal Lecter type of character whose intelligence and charisma provide him with the ability to taunt the authorities and elude capture as he goes about his demonic mission.

The Pope’s funeral has Rome awash with political dignitaries including the heads of state of most major countries in the world. Imagine the nightmare of providing security for all these extremely high-ranking government officials when there are hundreds of thousands of foreign mourners clogging the streets. Police resources are taxed beyond the limit, and no support is available to assist in a simple homicide investigation.

Gomez-Jurado wrote this book in Spanish, but the translation is excellent, leaving only the most subtle hints that it was not written in English. The author does a masterful job of bringing the reader a clear visual image of the scenes and characters. He adds believability to the plot by incorporating the actual U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the intrigue surrounding the murders. He handles the ending in a compelling way, building a crescendo through the later chapters and wrapping up the story quite neatly.

It’s an awfully good book.