Smaller and Smaller Circles

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Mystery & Thrillers
Author:	FC Batacan

Once upon a time, a friend saw me reading this in our org office-slash-tambayan more than a few months ago. He remarked that this was an engaging read. I had to take his word for it: he was a former Literature major.

He was right. It *is* an engaging read. The fact that this novel is also detective fiction makes it all the more interesting. I mean, you don't really get to read a lot of Pinoy detfic books out there, do you?

Gus Saenz the protagonist exudes this charisma of sorts that makes him...attractive. The fact that he's a priest also makes it pretty cool. You don't really hear of priests doing dirty forensic work--and in the Philippines, no less.

Jerome, his assistant, is somewhat typecasted as the typical hotheaded sidekick, but he has a mind of his own. He doesn't hang on to Saenz's every word. And he complements Saenz's cool.

The killer wasn't creepy enough, but his handiwork was. I swear, I was kinikilabutan as badly as I read Edgar Allan Poe back in sixth grade. Vivid imagery and all that. This is probably what I like best about this book.

It's a good buy, too, for just Php130. I haven't gotten myself a copy yet, but I know I will.