The Good Lie: a killer has been caught or has he?

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre is a crime mystery thriller as a killer has been caught or has he? Six teens have been abducted and found murdered. The last victim manages to escape and return home where he names his abductor. Defense attorney Robert Kavin is still traumatized after his teenage son was one of the six victims. However, when he sees that a victim has escaped and names a local school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor, he is convinced of Thompson’s innocence and takes his representation. While the evidence against Thompson is damning but Robert is still convinced they have the wrong man. He hires psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore, to create a psych profile of the killer. Gwen is an expert on killers. She spent a decade treating some of the most depraved predators and learning their motives. As Robert and Gwen work together, growing closer, the investigation raises more questions than answers. 

A.R. Torre is known for crime mystery thrillers and I was expecting a story of twists and turns and continued guesses until the final reveal. As a student of psychology, I enjoy the deep dive into why criminals, especially killers, follow the patterns that they do. The story started out interesting as I knew the named suspect was not the killer. However, as I read I felt the story slowing down and that the story dragged too much especially with Gwen and Robert’s relationship. It was more their relationship than the investigation and trial. I started to skim in order to just find out who the killer was and felt a little disappointed at the reveal. Some of the reveals were definitely surprising but underwhelming. Overall, the story wasn’t bad but I wasn’t wowed by the story or the characters. If you are a fan of crime mystery thrillers, you may enjoy The Good Lie. 

The Good Lie is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Dark Corners: a monster hiding in plain sight?

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin is the second Rachel Krall book. This story picks up after the events of Night Swim (2020). Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering. He has been a suspect in the abduction and murders of at least six women. In the six years he’s been in prison, he has only gotten one visitor. Maddison Logan is a young social media influencer who goes missing hours after visiting Bailey. Is her disappearance connected to Bailey? The FBI investigation hits a wall, Special Agent Joe Martinez seeks out Rachel’s help. Hoping for a break, Rachel reluctantly agrees. Going undercover as an influencer, Rachel attends BuzzCon where she discovers rivalries that might have turned deadly. When a link between a victim and Bailey raises a chilling possibility: did he have an accomplice? An accomplice who is hiding in plain sight? 

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Goldin’s Night Swim and Stay Awake, I looked forward to reading Dark Corners. I like Rachel as she doesn’t scare easily and has a strong sense for justice, she is able to get information that some cops couldn’t get. Overall, I enjoyed Dark Corners and I look forward to more of Rachel’s adventures. However, it was a bit overwhelming with the sheer number of chapters and the switching between Rachel, Joe, the past and the killer. I was able to figure out some of the twists and the final “battle” with the killer was very fast. Despite all this, Dark Corners was fast paced and I was able to finish it in a few days. Readers do not need to read Night Swim to follow the story of Dark Corners, however, it is a story I highly recommend. If you enjoy crime suspense, I recommend Dark Corners. 

Dark Corners is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Once Gone: a fast paced mystery

Once Gone by Blake Pierce is the first book in the Riley Paige series. When women are turning up dead in rural Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, the FBI are stumped. With a serial killer on the loose, they know there is only one agent who could possibly crack the case: Special Agent Riley Paige. But after an encounter with the last serial killer, Riley is on paid leave, suffering from PTSD. When the FBI calls, reluctantly asking for her help, Riley comes aboard, needing to battle her own demons the only way she knows how: catching the bad guys. As she chases every clue, she realizes that the killer is far more twisted than she thought and when another woman disappears, she is in a race against time. Pushing herself to her limit, putting her job on the line and losing her fragile hold on reality, she refuses to quit. Will she find the woman before it’s too late? Will the killer slip away once again? Can she catch him before she completely snaps herself? 

I’ve been a reader of Blake Pierce for quite awhile and usually they are good thrillers. However, lately, I’ve noticed that the stories are becoming formulaic. Once again, a strong woman is the only brains in law enforcement, the only one who can catch a killer and the men who stand in her way. While I enjoy Blake Pierce’s books, they are fast and engaging reads, but it’s easy to figure out The mystery formula of “arresting one wrong guy after another and the men rushing to close the case despite the objections of the main character” gets old fast. Overall, I enjoyed it. I was engaged. And there was a nice hook at the end to intrigue the reader to get the next book. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Riley and her teenage daughter, April. And Riley’s struggles with PTSD and the memories of her last case felt very real. If you haven’t read any of Blake Pierce’s books, I recommend checking them out. They are entertaining, even if you begin to sense a pattern in her books. 

Once Gone is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Silent Crime: bad crime story

Silent Crime by WL Knightly is the first book in the Hangman series. WL Knightly is the writing team of friends, Lexy Timms and Ali Parker. Detective Jake Thomas of the Spokane Police Department is on his way out. He is tired of the corruption and evil that seems to fill the streets. He is given one last case in order to train his replacement, Officer Jo Calloway, and what he doesn’t realize is that this case will affect more personally than ever before. There is a serial killer known as the Hangman who likes to torture his victims with a deadly game of hangman before killing them. Can Jake train his replacement and catch the Hangman before he kills again?

When I picked this book, the title and cover page caught my eye and I love a good detective story. It was on my To Be Read list for months until recently when I slowly made my way to it. I eagerly opened the first page and was shocked. This was not the book I thought it was. The language was way too vulgar for me. I’ve read some gruesome crime stories, but this book had no real style to it. It had no suspense and even with the “cliffhanger” of an ending, there was no real hook to keep me onto the next book. It was only recently when I read other reviews, did I realize that you must read all six books in the series to get the complete story. So, you have to labor through six books to have any resolution? I don’t think so. The characters aren’t even likable enough for me to try to continue the series. Jake is too much of a misogynist and the first time the reader is introduced to Jo, she’s the dumb blonde popping her gum. Really?!?!? A cop that is going to take over homicide cases?!?! It isn’t even well written or researched. The police procedures are a joke. I do not recommend Silent Crime.

Silent Crime

is available in paperback and eBook