Roth trilogy

By far the best books I've read this year (and even last year, for that matter), Andrew Taylor's Roth trilogy (The Four Last Things, The Judgement of Strangers and The Office of the Dead) traces the psychological development of a serial killer, back to her years as a young girl. The books go back in time, each narrated by a different person, and interweaving the lives of two families. Well, three families really. Layered onto the main story is the mystery of Francis Youlgreave, a mad poet-priest who died 50 years before Angel, the serial killer, was born. Yet, his life is intertwined with hers. It is a masterful approach, like nothing I've seen before. The final pages of the last book will leave you stunned. Rating: A+++