Those who share the view that rural communities often (though not always) hide the commitment of vile deeds beneath a quiet and peaceful veneer will find much to love in The Saint of Wolves and Butchers. They will especially appreciate the ending, which ties up just enough plot lines to make this volume complete in itself while leaving a couple of matters open in the event that Grecian wants to revisit Paradise Flats and this unforgettable cast of characters. I loved every word of this book. It’s perfectly paced, nicely detailed, and terrifying and tender by turns in all of the right places. At a few points, it reminded me of a collaboration between Stephen King and Lee Child.
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.
A breathtaking thriller with plenty of action and some very clever twists, this is one of those stories where just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do; but the grimly satisfying conclusion makes it worth it for both characters and readers. Fans of David Baldacci and John Grisham will enjoy the unpredictability and unrelenting suspense.
All the characters are either very likeable or very unlikable. The character that stole all the scenes was Bear, a Tibetan mastiff who understands Esperanto and became mute after poachers cut off his vocal cords ... An interesting aspect is that the Nazi was hit by lightning, not once, but twice, while in Kansas, and lived to talk about it ... Readers will yearn for the next book to see how Grecian flushes out the characters’ backstory, especially Travis Roan, whose mysteriousness is intriguing. Hopefully, this does become a series, because of the unique characters and storyline.
This predictable thriller from Grecian (the Murder Squad series) focuses on the hunt for a Nazi concentration camp commander ... None of the characters lingers in the memory, and the early appearance of Skottie’s precocious daughter, who instantly bonds with Bear, presages a climax that veteran genre readers will find unsurprising.
While Skottie is a believable and sympathetic character, both Roan and Bormann/Goodman are extreme examples of their types. Roan is calm, intellectual, unfailingly polite and correct, and seems at times omniscient, while Bormann is the very model of cruel sadism and belief in his own racial superiority, and despite his age, he manages to continue his grisly hobby. Grecian’s narrative also overindulges a bit in its presentation of the varieties of Nazi wickedness, as if every imaginable outrage needed to be included. A solid if unsurprising thriller in need of some restraint.
