Ronald Jeffreys has been executed for his crimes. Yet three months later the murders continue.

The murders of three boys had rocked the town six years earlier. And now it is happening again in Alex Kava’s debut novel, “A Perfect Evil.”

Sheriff Nick Morrelli finds himself in over his head when the first body is found. He is now forced to live up to his father’s image, the former sheriff who captured Jeffreys.

The slayings were all done in a ritualistic fashion and the latest victim was killed in the exact same manner. These details were not made known to the public.

That means the recent murder could not have been the work of a copycat. The real killer is back.

FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell is sent in to assist the Platte City, Neb. police. Her rocky marriage and professional struggles are the catalyst for a possible romance between her and Sheriff Morrelli. Add to that the fact that O’Dell was recently involved with the traumatic capture of bad guy Albert Stucky, and she is more driven than ever.

The case is thrown into more turmoil as the killer starts to accelerate his crimes. This leaves Morrelli and O’Dell with a nearly impossible situation: trying to catch the “perfect” killer.

Kava has constructed a nontraditional story outline for “A Perfect Evil.” Most stories will start slow and then build to a climax. But the narrative of this story starts with very high action and appeal. From there it falls to a low point that drags throughout the middle section of the book. Kava then turns the book around and finishes with a flourish.

Maggie O’Dell has been made a signature character for Kava, similar to James Patterson’s detective Alex Cross.

Much of this book is dedicated to building up the background and personality of O’Dell, which will be the basis of future books.

Kava has also established the ultimate evil villain in Albert Stucky. At first Stucky seems to be a poor copy of Hannibal Lecter. But lines such as, “You’ll still be alive when I start eating your intestines,” make one realize that Stucky maybe superior to Lecter.

The book introduces Stucky in flashbacks, which leads to confusion, as the reader has to separate the past from the present.

Look for Stucky to be the primary antagonist in future Kava novels.

Kava has established herself well with a strong debut novel.

In fact, her second novel, “Split Second,” has hit bookstands in hardcover already.

Her writing style is similar to James Patterson and her content is similar to Thomas Harris, author of “Silence of the Lambs” and “Hannibal.”

“A Perfect Evil” delivers suspenseful scenes, but lacks mystery when it comes to who the killer is. With practice, Kava will improve and her novels will continue to deliver a good read.