"Wounds" by Alton Gansky

"Wounds" is a very emotional book. The story centers around Dr. Ellis Poe, a professor at a small seminary in southern California. Poe is tormented by a memory that he hasn't been able to escape since the event happened almost 30 years ago: witnessing the murder of a high school classmate. Poe was too scared to go to the police. But the fear was quickly replaced by crushing guilt - guilt that he has worn like an enormous burden for nearly three decades.
Meanwhile, homicide detective Carmen Rainmondi is on the trail of a serial killer. The murders have all been bizarre and brutal, with no obvious connections and no useful evidence. Each victim is ruthlessly tortured before death. What's more, the killer appears to be taunting the homicide team. Can Dr. Poe finally put his conscience to rest, and will Detective Rainmondi catch the killer before his grand finale?

I have the utmost respect for our law enforcement officers and investigators. Sure, there are dirty cops just like there are corrupt politicians and hypocrite pastors. But these men and women behind the badge do a tremendous service for our society. (Can you imagine what our nation would be like without them?) Alton Gansky did a great job of painting the law enforcement community as a tight-knit family (not without internal conflict) with a high regard for justice. He also took me inside the tormented mind of the homicide detective: a person who sees the worst crimes but looks beyond the gruesome to find the killers. These behind-the-scenes heroes are often overlooked and under-appreciated.

The main characters were well-developed and fairly realistic, but at times the book took on an almost "dark sitcom" feel. There may have been a tad bit too many lame jokes between cops. (But then again, I'm not a cop. Perhaps they need to have a macabre sense of dry humor in order to keep their sanity intact while viewing mutilated bodies day in and day out... If I ever meet one, I'll ask them.)

It was a very engrossing novel. I could feel the evil emanating from the pages when I was reading about the murders and the killer. My heart ached for the families that learned of their losses. I wanted to give Dr. Poe a hug and tell him that God had forgiven him. These are the kind of emotions and feelings that only great authors can elicit from us. And I believe Alton Gansky is a great author.

I have no major criticisms of this book. The story was over a little too fast (the good ones always are), and I would have liked a little more resolution and closure. However, without the resolution I am left with "tastes" of the book in my mind long after I am finished reading it - instead of merely closing the book, saying "that was good," and promptly forgetting about it. Perhaps that was one of Gansky's objectives? If so, well done, sir. I am still pondering it even though I finished it two days ago.....