Blue Baby (Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 4)
By Carolyn Arnold
Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.
Published: Sept. 25, 2015
ASIN: B010KSYE7G
Amazon Synopsis:
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...
At the heart of every human being is the need--and the desire--to be happy. For many, happiness is elusive, but for one killer, it’s something to be created. But it’s not as easy as it seems at first, and this “creator” is determined to get it right at least one more time, no matter how many tries it takes ...
It’s been exactly a year since Cheryl Bradley was found dead in her bathtub, dressed in a wedding gown with her ring finger severed. With no leads and no more evidence, the case had gone cold. That is, until another young woman is found murdered and posed in the same fashion.
Now, FBI agent Brandon Fisher and his team have been called in to catch the killer before another innocent life is taken. As Brandon begins to pull at every possible loose thread, the idea that the killer’s method of operation is all that connects the women begins to unravel. This serial killer isn’t just out for blood; this is a murderer on a mission.
But the closer Brandon thinks he’s getting to a resolution, the more evident it is that the killer is losing control and slipping up, making the trail even more difficult for the FBI to follow. And unless Brandon and his team can catch up to the killer, the bloodbath will continue to overflow.
At the heart of every human being is the need--and the desire--to be happy. For many, happiness is elusive, but for one killer, it’s something to be created. But it’s not as easy as it seems at first, and this “creator” is determined to get it right at least one more time, no matter how many tries it takes ...
It’s been exactly a year since Cheryl Bradley was found dead in her bathtub, dressed in a wedding gown with her ring finger severed. With no leads and no more evidence, the case had gone cold. That is, until another young woman is found murdered and posed in the same fashion.
Now, FBI agent Brandon Fisher and his team have been called in to catch the killer before another innocent life is taken. As Brandon begins to pull at every possible loose thread, the idea that the killer’s method of operation is all that connects the women begins to unravel. This serial killer isn’t just out for blood; this is a murderer on a mission.
But the closer Brandon thinks he’s getting to a resolution, the more evident it is that the killer is losing control and slipping up, making the trail even more difficult for the FBI to follow. And unless Brandon and his team can catch up to the killer, the bloodbath will continue to overflow.
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All he wanted to do was make them happy. He took such care in how he left them, carefully doing their make-up and putting a smile on their faces, dressing them in their wedding gowns, putting on their wedding rings, arranging their hair, carefully positioning them in the bathtub and cutting off their ring finger. He never left a trace of his presence.
This is one of the strangest cases that FBI agent Brandon Fisher and his team have been on. Two murders exactly one year apart and the killer has left no evidence of his presence. They can’t even find anything to connect the two women.
As the frequency of the murders escalates the hunt for the killer intensifies. This fast-paced novel will have you up late into the night as you try to work out who could be the killer. Just as you think you have it solved, another twist is thrown into the mix and you have to re-evaluate everything all over again. The author will have you guessing right until the end of the book.
I enjoyed this novel because the twists and turns felt realistic and not conveniently coincidental. The plotline was well thought out. The characters felt three dimensional. This is the fourth book in this series and I started with this book so I missed all the character building from the other three books but I felt comfortable with Brandon and his team and could sense the underlying currents of past interactions affecting their present behaviour. Now I want to go back and read the other three books to see what I missed.
The author seems to use the book as a way to examine the mind of the killer. Why is he doing this to women? Why does he think this is helping them? Why does he think they will be happier if they are dead? Obviously these are questions related to the murderer’s motivation but as we are led through the thought process that’s how we come to discover who the killer is.
I have read several of Carolyn Arnold’s cozy mystery series books, but this is the first serious crime novel of hers that I have read and I must say that I found it an outstanding read! I look forward to spending many more happy hours reading her crime novels. I give Blue Baby a rating of 5 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
About the Author:
CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.Carolyn was born in a small town, but that never kept her from dreaming big. On par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives outside Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
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Thank you for the wonderful review, Kathryn. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed BLUE BABY.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
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