A serial killer bent on revenge . . . and striking too close to home. Teagan O’Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She’s slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She’s listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she’s never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be … might be a victim.
Until now.
A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels.
Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she’ll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God’s “tough love” he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he’ll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out.
As Teagan, Max, and Teagan’s police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .
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I’ve read many of this author’s books, mostly Amish, this one is so different, and wow, most I didn’t see coming.
Evil, but who is this horrible individual, I was sure guessing, but I was fooled all the way to the end. Got part of it right, but I really didn’t know.
Kelly Irvin has given us a Suspense Novel that will have you looking over your shoulder, you will never see or know whom the next victim is. The big question is why? There are hints as to who, but then that becomes impossible, a copy cat, or more.
We are given a young court reporter, along with a young man who is crazy about her, and her wonderful family that surround her with love.
Don’t get to comfortable here the killer has no regard for life, sadly!
I received this book through Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
If you want to enjoy a thrilling, riveting and suspenseful story about a serial killer that is holding the city of San Antonio, Texas hostage, this is the book for you! I haven’t read anything by this author before so I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed her characters and her crafting of the drama that kept me wondering what was going to happen next! The heroine, Teagan, is a court reporter and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about that occupation before. It was very interesting! Her whole family is in law enforcement but she went a different route and now, when a serial killer starts targeting her, she is very glad that she can turn to her family! I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a serial killer fixate on a person and start killing the people I’m involved with! The guilt alone would destroy a person! There’s nothing you could do about it either! Teagan is beside herself, and for good reason! She wants this person stopped! Her best friend, Max, is always there to support her but he’s been in love with her forever and he wants more. I certainly felt for Max and I kept hoping that he’d stick around until Teagan made up her mind about him! But he also wants to help her catch the killer, along with the police. So many possible suspects but not enough time – will they catch the killer? Check out the book!
An edge of your seat mystery that kept me guessing till the end. Tegan is used to violence as a court recorder. But she has been able to tune that out as she works. It’s another thing when the violence is happening around her. Those near to her are being murdered. She turns to Max, her best friend, for help. Max would like to be more than friends with Teagan. He fears his history is something that she can’t accept. But he will do everything in his power to keep her safe. Even as the risk of his own life. This is a fast paced book and one that I didn’t want to put down. I recommend this book to mystery buffs.
I was given this book by Thomas Nelson Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way
Closer Than She Knows is my first read from Ms. Irvin, but it won’t be my last. This easy-to-read book caught my attention from the first page and kept it through the exciting, satisfying end. This suspenseful story focuses on the life of court reporter Teagan O’Rourke. A psychopathic serial killer is coming after her, mentally torturing her, and no one in her life is safe! As the author puts it: “The violent, ugly evil permeated every part of her life.”
Ms. Irvin masterfully melds romance, mystery, and faith into one exciting read. The characters are well-developed and relatable. Even though I guessed the identity of the killer early on, I was not sure because there was not even a hint of a motive until much later in this skillfully-crafted plot. Vivid descriptive language and imagery such as this add to the enjoyment of the read: “The truck lights illuminated a crazy, tilted view of thick juniper branches dripping with green pollen.” The faith element permeates the narrative as Teagan learns that “faith is believing God is good even when bad things happen” and learns to trust God with her life and the people she loves.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
This was a unique Christian suspense book because it dealt with the perspective of a court reporter. That woman happened to have many family members in law enforcement who were definitely a bit overprotective. The cases do not seem to connect at first, but then when all is revealed, that intensifies the plot. I really liked how the many characters related to each other. Teagan had some strong beliefs, and through the book, her motivations and reasoning were revealed. And how could a reader not appreciate Max – a man looking for a second chance and a new start?
Topics dealt with: divorce, grief, alcoholism, kidnapping, deceit, serial killers. So this is not exactly light-hearted reading. Yet the characters are compelling – the story was still enjoyable to read. While I did figure out parts of the ending, I definitely did not guess several key elements. The author did a really good job of weaving the storyline together. This is a book that I am glad to recommend to anyone looking for a well done suspense book. But it is intense and not for those who are looking simply for a cozy mystery.
Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
An intense and emotional read:
I enjoyed reading this action packed book. The mystery and suspense was well done and there were plenty of twists and turns. However it was rather heavy going, especially in the first half, due to the serial killer subject matter and because the story line was so heavily focused on the case with very little downtime. It was interesting exploring about court reporters and the role that they play in the justice system. I however found that many of the internal dialogue ‘transcripts’ that Teagan “typed” were confusing and unnecessary for the advancement of the story.
I liked that the characters were flawed and had real issues to work through. Teagan has determined that the world is full of evil and is no place to bring a child into and thus decides she can’t pursue a romantic relationship. In the meantime Max loves her and wants to have a family with her. I enjoyed seeing how they worked out their issues and came to rely on Christ to guide them. I also appreciated the reminder that despite living in a fallen world, we are called to trust God and by His grace, live with joy and hope.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I always enjoy Kelly Irvin’s suspense novels, and this one was no exception. “Closer Than She Knows” got my attention from the first page! This is a great suspense-filled, clean novel, which I always love!
This novel centers around Teagan O’Rourke. Teagan is a court reporter so she knows what it’s like to be surrounded by crime. But this time, she’s much closer to the crime than she would like. Her very good friend, Max Kennedy, and family (who are part of law enforcement) come along side her to try to help her find out what is happening.
I definitely recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys good, clean, suspense-filled novels. Kelly Irvin is a great author to follow!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.