Absolution

Beth at the Murder By Type blog recommended Caro Ramsay‘s Absolution (2007), and although it took me a while to get to it, I finally did and will definitely look for more of Ramsay’s books.

Set in Scotland (and you know I love Scotland), the story begins with a police constable, Alan McAlpine, falling in love, or becoming obsessed with, a pregnant woman who fell victim to an acid attack and lies in the hospital, blind, mute and alone. In the midst of family tragedy of his own, McAlpine crosses the line with this unknown woman.

More than 20 years later, McAlpine is sent back to his old station in Glasgow, now a DCI and married, in neither case happily. Despite what he now knows about her, he still pines for the mystery woman of his youth, even though he’s now in charge of solving a dreadful series of murders by what the press have dubbed the Crucifixion Killer, who disembowels his victims and leaves them posed with legs crossed and arms spread wide. McAlpine’s life begins to spin completely out of control and he looks for the serial killer, confronts the past, and seeks absolution for all that he’s done. Meanwhile, a supporting cast of police — my favorite was the woman, DS Costello — move forward on the case in the expected tradition of the police procedural.

Much like rain-soaked Glasgow, this story is stark and bleak. There are some indications that this is a debut novel. But it’s different from other books I’ve read — most serial killer story lines, for instance, aren’t less interesting than the investigator’s personal life — and beyond just wanting to know what would happen, I cared.

Buy the book:

Book #2 in the Thriller and Suspense Challenge