The hero of The Poet and The Scarecrow is back in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly. Jack McEvoy, the journalist who never backs down, tracks a serial killer who has been operating completely under the radar–until now. Veteran reporter Jack McEvoy has taken down killers before, but when a woman he had a one-night stand with is murdered in a … one-night stand with is murdered in a particularly brutal way, McEvoy realizes he might be facing a criminal mind unlike any he’s ever encountered.
Jack investigates–against the warnings of the police and his own editor–and makes a shocking discovery that connects the crime to other mysterious deaths across the country. Undetected by law enforcement, a vicious killer has been hunting women, using genetic data to select and stalk his targets.
Uncovering the murkiest corners of the dark web, Jack races to find and protect the last source who can lead him to his quarry. But the killer has already chosen his next target, and he’s ready to strike.
Terrifying and unputdownable, Fair Warning shows once again why “Michael Connelly has earned his place in the pantheon of great crime fiction writers” (Chicago Sun-Times).
A Kirkus Best Book of 2020
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This is the third in the Jack McEvoy series with Jack writing for a website, Fair Warning. He is questioned in regard to the murder of a women he once knew and needs to prove his innocence. Despite being advised to leave it alone, Jack investigates, inviting danger to his door and the help of an old friend to solve the mystery. This latest episode is full of great characters and is a thrilling ride with the tension building to a crescendo. A unique Connelly thriller with a four-star must read rating.
“Veteran” reporter Jack McEvoy returns, now working for an online news organization, FairWarning. A woman he had a singular date with over a year ago is murdered. The police pay Jack a visit. His curiosity peeked, Jack launches his own investigation.
His path quickly closes in on a DNA company and the bulging DNA industry. Along the way, Jack hooks up with Rachel Walling, his former lover and, he admits, the only woman for him. They have a complicated relationship, as McEvoy was partially responsible for tanking her career with the FBI.
If you want a straight whodunit, it’s hard to beat Connelly and Fair Warning is no exception. He keeps the reader turning the pages, and that makes for a quick read. Connelly, whose background is journalism, writes in that style. It is best to approach his work with that in mind.
Journalist Jack McEvoy, returns in Fair Warning by Michael Connelly to track down a serial killer who is picking his victims through DNA testing. It’s an intriguing look at the world of DNA collection, storage, use, and sharing. The plot was enough to scare me away from the do-it-yourself through the mail tests, to search for long-lost relatives. Cheers Lynda L. Lock (Isla Mujeres Mysteries)
Michael Connelly has done it again, this is why he is the master. It’s amazing how he can keep up with current affairs, the progress of technology, produce a highly popular tv series, and come up with a high concept for a great novel. High concepts are difficult to dig up—think of—and even more difficult to execute. He did a bang-up job with this one. The concept was intriguing and kept me interested. The beginning was a little slow as Connelly established the motivation for the story. If I had not been a major Connelly fan I might’ve bailed out in search of a thriller that honks-on at a faster pace, but I was definitely glad I hung on. In this story there are three sources of conflict. The main plot line is one and could double in a futuristic Sci-Fi novel, but the future is now. The main plot line also addresses a huge moral issue in our society today that has gone unnoticed. Brilliant piece of writing and creativity. I would go into more detail, but I don’t want to spoil the story. The ending was very gratifying.
I highly recommend this one.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Great Read. Michael Connelly will now be able to write a few more books with Jack McEvoy as his protagonist. Fair Warning
The third book in the Jack McEvoy series definitely leaves room for a sequel. Once again, Jack and his on-again-off-again love of his life, Rachel Walling, are working together, though this time Rachel is no longer with the FBI and Jack is working for a consumer advisory site called FairWarning. The hunt is on for a serial killer who targets his victims based on DNA submitted to a lab by women looking for ancestry links. A largely unregulated industry, the premise is a clever one, and it seems that FairWarning is the real deal and something Connelly himself supports as part of the Board of Directors.
Once again, this is an easy read and while it can be read as a standalone, I’d definitely suggest reading in order, starting with The Poet.
Nobody does it like Connelly. This man entrances me with every one of his stories. This is a frightening subject matter and totally made for these days of 23 and Me and all those DNA websites.
What a page-turner.
4. 5 stars rounded down for a fast moving book that I couldn’t put down. I read 105 pp the first day and the rest of this 396 page book on the second day. I have read 34 books by Connelly and enjoyed every single one. In this book, reporter Jack McEvoy is questioned by LAPD detectives because a woman that he met in a bar 1 year ago has been murdered. Jack investigates and believes that she was murdered by a serial killer. There is a connection to a consumer DNA company. He does solve the mystery, with help from Emily Atwater, another reporter at Fair Warning, the online newspaper where he works, and ex FBI agent Rachel Walling.
The book refers to incidents in previous books and I recommend that you read them in order.
Always been a fan of Michael Connelly’s work, this one does not disappoint!
The characters are great, the plot is great, haven’t talked to anyone that doesn’t like his work.
i give 4* for the writing but 5* for the idea because it is brilliant and very disturbing at the same time. the idea is if by given a dna test randomly the technicians can find out certain things about you that can be used against you.
the plot is good. Jack Mcevoy, a journalist find out that a woman he dated only once was murdered. more women find the same fate. the connection is that they all gave DNA check in certain company. a killer is on the loose finding his victims due to these tests. intriguing, strong writing.
I couldn’t put it down. The premise is out of the newspaper and quite believable. If you have never read Connolly this is a great place to start. Whether it is Bosch, haller, or this guy the stories never disappoint
I love Michael Connelly, always can depend on him keeping me involved in the story. This one was like a train, picked up speed as it went and was just explosive at the end. Thanks for the ride!!!
Disclaimer, I love Michael Connelly. This book was like a freight train, picked up speed as it went along with his signature ending that makes you go “Wow!”. I also learned a lot about DNA, confirmed my feeling that putting too much info out is a huge mistake that you can’t take back.
Took too long to get to the point. Boring, slow read. I was surprised that a Michael Connelly book would be this boring.
This is the first Michael Connelly book I didn’t finish. I read about 75 pages and wasn’t engaged by any of the characters or the plot. Sooooo disappointed.
Connelly delivers reliably again.
Jack is back! McEvoy that is. Our crime reporter/detective is back with a new job and a new case to solve/report on. A good detective story which also contains some commentary on the working/state of the newspaper/news media industry.
What do you know about DNA testing? After reading this novel I’m not so sure that it is a good thing to do. Who has access to your results? What studies can be done with the results? Just how private are they? Does our government protect you from unethical uses of your private information?
Jack McEvoy a seasoned reporter, starts to link murders of young women who all had DNA tests done. His actions alert the bad guys and not so bad guys.
The story moves along well. It’s as good a read as “the poet”, another one of Connelly’s novel.
I’ve never read a Michael Connelly book that isn’t great, this is no exception. A like able character from one of his first books. Entertaining