Crucifying Angel

by P I Barrington

[Stephanie]

Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter

It would truly be a 3.5.
I struggled with this book for awhile and in several parts. There were just a few things that threw me off in this book and while it was a struggle to read it is clear that the author has great potential. I know for a fact that one of the issues I had is on a personal level and may not affect all readers the way it did me. There will be some major spoilers in this review. I’ve made them come across as white font so you must highlight with your mouse to read it. There will be a notation before any spoilers. Read at your own risk!


Payce Halligan must get used to having a partner again. After the terrible incident with her last partner Payce would have been happy to never have another partner again. She must learn to work with Gavin McAllister. Gavin also has ghosts that he is battling.


It’s not long before Payce and Gavin are thrown into the midst of a really big case. Someone is killing women and leaving their bodies in very public locations. They have been crucified and are left to hang upside down. It’s a race against time for Payce and Gavin to stop the person behind the murders. It’s a tough case to break until Payce is taken and her life is in danger.


The story line is a good one and is certainly engaging. It is fairly obvious in the beginning what group is behind the crimes but never entirely clear who the actual puppeteer is. The killer is truly horrifying and disgusting but I felt that understanding just how vile came at much too high a cost. Without revealing too much I can say that there is a rape scene. If this is something that can ruin a book for you by just containing it, please do not pick up this book.


SPOILER*************One of the major issues that I had with the book is the rape scene. The villain is punished his entire life for his mother’s death. She died while delivering him. To vindicate justice over his grandmother he rapes her multiple times and then kills her. The rape doesn’t go into great detail but it is told from the rapist’s point of view and made my skin crawl and my stomach churn. I don’t always look for this in books but I can deal with it if it doesn’t go into much detail and I feel really adds to the story.


After we learn about the villain the book really picks up its pace. The book is set in the future and it highlights our current technology as outdated and archaic. It’s actually a novelty to read the characters reaction to it. Payce and a civilian who has also been kidnapped try to outrace the man known as the Crucifying Angel. Gavin also ended up with the help of a civilian and without him, Gavin would never have gotten as far as he did. This leads me to the second big issue I had with the book.


MAJOR SPOILER****************When Payce and Edana are captured by the Crucifying Angel he starts the sacrifice and cuts Edana’s carotid artery. A cut like this will kill you if not immediately taken care of. Between the time her artery is cut Payce is saved by Gavin and James, Edana is clearly dead. James even mourns her but they must move on before the others catch them. Several things occur and it seems as if at least an hour goes by. At the end of the book Edana has gotten herself off the upside down cross and caught up with everyone in time to kill the bad guy at the end. Now how the hell did she do that? It’s never really explained.


I understand it’s a work of fiction and I should go with the flow but it really ruined the ending for me. I didn’t feel like it was a good resolution. The cliffhanger ending has me wanting to read the second one. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, the author shows a great potential! Look for the next review shortly!