ABOUT THE BOOK
A mutilated body. No witnesses. The only clue, a message, "Those who I have made suffer will become saints and they shall lift me up from hell."
Winter, 1945. Munich is in ruins, and a savage killer is stalking the city.
U.S. Army investigator Mason Collins enforces the law in the American Zone of Occupation. This post is his last chance to do what he loves most—being a homicide detective.
But he gets more than he's bargained for when the bodies start piling up, the city devolves into panic, and the army brass start breathing down his neck.
Then the murderer makes him a target. Now it's a high-stakes duel, and to win it Mason must bring into deadly play all that he values: his partner, his career—even his life.
MY REVIEW
Holy cow! A brutal serial killer is loose in post-World War II Munich. I wanted a change of pace and Mr. Connell's first book in the Mason Collins series had me engrossed right from the start.
U.S. Army investigator Mason Collins and his investigative team unravel the disturbing mystery behind a series of gruesome ritualistic murders. With the top brass throwing impossible deadlines and little manpower on a seemingly unattainable serial killer, Mason is thrown a number of curveballs to find the madman. I admired Mason's dedication to the mission and his intelligent ways of skirting the bureaucratic red tape and post-war flak to get the information he needed. Add in the growing tension among the Germans and Americans in a city that has been destroyed, and it's a race against time to catch the killer before he strikes again.
The book also delves into the chilling mind of a serial killer, offering a disturbing glimpse into the depraved psyche behind the heinous crimes which adds an extra layer of intensity to the story.
The author does add lighter moments through Mason's quick-witted partner, Warrant Officer Vincent Wolski. Also, a budding romance is started between Mason and a beautiful reporter which provides a welcome reprieve from the tension and serves to humanize the characters.
I was particularly drawn to the vivid and haunting picture of the aftermath of war. The revealing descriptions of the desolate landscape, overflowing with displaced individuals and orphaned children, suggest a deep sense of hopelessness and despair. It was a bleak reality that was faced by both civilians and soldiers in the aftermath of war.
I recommend this cat and mouse mystery to those who enjoy compelling characters and action and adventure in war-torn landscapes. I look forward to seeing what Mason has in store in the next installment.
Trigger warning: The story contains descriptions of war atrocities and features explicit depictions of murder scenes, so readers sensitive to such themes should approach the book with caution.
Mason Collins Series
1. Madness in the Ruins (2015)
aka Ruins of War
2. Haven of Vipers (2016)
aka Spoils of Victory
3. Bones of the Innocent (2019)
4. To Kill A Devil (2020)
5. Where the Wicked Tread (2021)
6. Upon A Bloodstained Land (2022)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John A. Connell is a 2022 ITW Award and 2016 Barry Award nominee and the author of the Mason Collins series. He was born in Atlanta then grew up in Ohio, New York and Virginia before ending up in Atlanta again at the age of 13. He has a BA in Anthropology, and has been a jazz pianist, a stock boy in a brassiere factory, a repairer of newspaper racks, and a printing-press operator. He then moved to Los Angeles to be a cameraman for film and TV, and worked on such films as Jurassic Park and Thelma and Louise and on TV shows including NYPD Blue and The Practice. John and his wife spend their time between the U.S. and France.
Follow John on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.
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