Ms. Caroll weaves her plot through the viewpoints of many of the characters, drawing them together to interact and then separating them to explain different facets of the action. The characters were complete with hangups and flaws as well as expertise, and the chemistry between them, romantic and otherwise, was downright pliable.
This is no comfortable little whodunit. There is no "tada" at the end when the culprit is discovered. Instead, the reader learns of the identity a little at a time and grows to intensely dislike the person by the time the story reaches the climax. Furthermore, the subject matter made me squirm. I found more than once that I had to stop reading and give my eyes a thorough drying!
But then, this type of book isn't supposed to make the reader comfortable. It's supposed to keep the reader on the edge of the seat and Deliver Us From Evil did that for me from the very first page! I also enjoyed learning about some of the research topics that Ms. Caroll shared in the book. She even added Bible Study or Book Study discussion questions to the back of the book and a website research guide for all of her topics!
However, the romance between the two main characters was contrived and very lustful. I found their encounters (kisses, embraces) to be a little cliche, but what led up to the encounters displayed a purely physical relationship. I guess it matched the intensity of the plot, but I was disappointed that there seemed to be nothing between them besides their attraction and heat. It seemed a little out of character for them both.
So what books are you reading right now and what do you think of them?
