Red Light

Graham Masterton is a master at crime and horror. This is the first book I have read of his that is a crime novel, I have read a few of his other works and really enjoyed them. I was drawn to the book because not only is it a crime novel that I love, but it takes place in Ireland, which I am obsessed with.

A man is found dead with his face horribly mutilated and missing his hands. DS Katie Maguire, of the Irish Garda is tasked with solving this crime. Identifying the man proves difficult but once she finds that the dead man was a pimp who exploited women and young girls in the sex slave market, she is more determined to find the traffickers. More men are getting killed by the Avenging Angel, as she calls herself. We are not supposed to cheer for the serial killer in novels, but after I found out why this young woman was killing pimps, I was actually hoping that she would get away with it. Revenge is a kind of wild justice they say but there are always consequences. This is also a sad story of the sex trade, how these girls and women are lied to and then made to believe that what they are doing is the only way for them to live.

This story is pretty graphic so if vivid descriptions are bothersome to you, well this may not be the type of story for you. I however loved every page of the book. This is a stand alone novel, but the third in the series. Great writing and believable characters make for a book that you don't want to miss.

One of my New Year resolutions was to read more Graham Masterton. I first discovered his writing a couple years ago but am still very far behind in catching up on his back catalogue. When I found a review copy of “Red Light,” I was quick to grab it and dig in.

There is a killer on the loose in Cork. A killer who slays in a very gruesome way. These victims are found with their hands cut off and their faces destroyed by shotgun blasts. The odd thing is that the killer is only focusing on those who are suspected of being involved in human trafficking for the local sex industry. Katie Maguire of the Irish Garda is put on the case and must try to stop the killer even though the victims are men she has been trying, and failing, to bring to justice.

Maguire is in hot pursuit of the killer, who calls herself The Avenging Angel, trying to not only save the lives of men she despises but also trying to uncover the secrets of their forced-sex ring to bring them down while juggling her tumultuous personal life as well. Along the way, she uncovers much more than she expects, including corruption inside the Garda itself, which puts her not only at odds with the killer but with the organization that she has devoted her life to.

I had never read any of Masterton’s Katie Maguire books before, of which this is the third, but now I know that I need to catch up with the series. I have been a fan of Masterton’s horror fiction for years now and was a little surprised to find that he can write a mystery novel that is every bit as smart and intriguing as one of his horror novels. “Red Light” grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me glued to the story until the end. I honestly did not know what to expect going in to the novel as it can be a bit of a risky proposition when a writer decides to cross genres but Masterton nails this mystery/thriller novel to near perfection. This just goes to prove that Masteron is quite simply a writer and not just a “horror writer.” He has the talent to transcend the genre boundaries that publishers try to shoehorn a writer into and can follow his muse whatever direction it may choose to lead him.

“Red Light” is a smart thriller and Katie Maguire is an intriguing character. In the hands of Masterton, that is a recipe for one of the better thrillers that I have read in a while. This is not just a superficial story meant to pass a couple hours but rather a story that is entertaining and that has some substance. It is easy to relate to the heroes and loathe the villains in this story and the novel reads like something that could really happen in real life. While I am a fan of mysteries and thrillers, it is rare for me to read a mystery that is more than just pure entertainment for me. “Red Light” rises above its peers to become a good novel rather than just a good mystery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story.

I would like to thank Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this review copy. “Red Light” is available now.