A Rose from the Executioner by Edward Izzi

Vigilante serial killers, dark sacred secrets, and painfully true history collide in A Rose from the Executioner, the gritty new novel from author Edward Izzi. A devious idea to collect life insurance policies by killing off pedophile priests appears to become a horrific reality in Chicago, throwing a Catholic cop onto a tangled trail of mobsters, monsignors, and rose-signed murder scenes.

Despite being a work of fiction, the story is laid on a very real foundation, which ups the narrative stakes from the very beginning. Interspersing the detective’s first-person investigation with expositional chapters and victim/criminal backstories results in a heavy and emotionally demanding book, but with a page-turning pace. Some of the more sensational aspects – global conspiracies and secret societies – give this thriller a guilty edge of excitement, but it’s hard to forget about the disturbing real-world context of this novel.

This intense plot spills out at a rapid clip, with short, powerful chapters, well-structured perspective shifts, and realistic dialogue. While the terse language gives the book a pulp fiction feel, the descriptive and visceral language is limited; Chicago is a visual, imagery-inducing setting, particularly with the organized crime elements of this plot, but the story never feels entirely immersive. That being said, unique weaving of narratives sustains the tension in a steady climb, and the character development is subtle, but effective.

Unabashedly tackling the sinister subject of Catholic priests’ chronic abuse, cover-ups, and impunity, Izzi has delivered a disturbing but gripping thriller.