Series: (Purgatory #1)
Author: J. Costa
Review Format: Audiobook
Length: 3hrs. 37mins.
Publisher: Audible Inc.
Rating: 5 Stars
Dave - a serial killer, is tortured by memories of his lost love, Mya and by his obsession for the beauties of life. In 1997 he travels to East Texas with ill intentions for a priest responsible for the relocation of clergy guilty of child molestation. Kidnapping the guilty priest he nicknames "Judas", he persuades him through threats and a hollow promise, to help him locate and punish the deviant priests, thus avenging the innocents who could not defend themselves.
Dave's recklessness leads them on a convoluted journey across the country. As Dave drags Judas to what he feels is their final destiny, these two drastically different individuals begin to see they are more alike than not. Dave appears to be imprisoned in his past, as he claws away at his present. Judas thought he was at peace with his past actions, only to discover through his conversations with Dave that he is just as tortured.
An unlikely pact develops between the serial killer and the priest. Haunted by the loves and sins of one another's pasts, the two form a strange bond as their personalities dangerously influence one another.
To say that as a reviewer, I have read a great number of audiobooks. Or, have had them read to me, depending upon one's perspective, would be quite the unremarkable understatement. What one would be surprised to learn however, would be the surprisingly small number of these readings that would in my opinion, qualify as my having "experienced" the book in question.
Until now.
Author J. Costa and his cast, take readers on a vengeance fueled hell ride through the thoughts and actions of Dave. A man driven by loss, pain, grief, guilt, and trauma, to do the unthinkable.
Yes, Dave kills and kidnaps priests.
Yes, Dave has a relationship with his lost love, Mya, in his head.
Yes, Dave would be the first to admit that his actions could never be considered "right".
He would also be the first to say that he does "have his reasons".
Reasons that the dying priests, the hostage that he refers to as Judas, the reader, and even Dave come to understand, as the story progresses.
Reasons that bring the characters and the reader face to face with the terrifying knowledge that civilization really isn't all that civil.
That we are all just people. One maybe two tragedies away from our own version of Dave.
The biggest reason that we as readers are able to make the leap into Dave's world has to be the all encompassing style of audio employed by Mr. Costa. Who wisely chose to dramatize his work in the style of 1920's radio works. Complete with sound effects, dialogue, and narration. Achieving a near perfect balance between emotionally compelling character interaction, a dark, complex, and highly involved plot, and an overall story that is unafraid to address issues which are both socially relevant and disturbing on both conscious and unconscious levels. This is a story that must be read, seen, discussed, pondered, talked about and experienced.
About J. Costa
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