StalkedAllison BrennanLucy Kincaid returns as a killer’s obsession.IN THE GAME OF CRIMEA new trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Lucy Kincaid has already seen more than her share of murder and mayhem. Still reeling from the sex-crime case that sealed her reputation, she’s found a true friend and mentor in Agent Tony Presidio. No matter what goes down at the Bureau, Tony’s got her back until … Presidio. No matter what goes down at the Bureau, Tony’s got her back until he’s called to New York to help investigate the murder of a reporter with ties to Lucy.
NEVER PLAY THE VICTIM
But the reporter may not be the first victim of a patient killer with a penchant for revenge, and she’s definitely not the last. Connections between closed cases, a missing person, and Tony himself lead Lucy to fear for those she cares for most. When the FBI is rocked by the death of one of their own, Lucy seeks the help of her boyfriend, private investigator Sean Rogan, to help put together the puzzle and puts her career in jeopardy. But the harder she pushes for answers, the clearer the truth becomes: There’s a killer inside Quantico. Watching her every move. Waiting to kill again
“Brennan knows how to deliver ” Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author
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The twists and turns in the story made it a great mystery. I was truly surprised by the ending. Sean Rogan is back helping Lucy, which I like because he’s a great character, but I would really like to see Lucy do things for herself. She is more than capable and needs to stop doubting herself.
Lucy’s classmates at Quantico are a diverse group and I really hope we see them in future books. It was nice seeing Lucy interact with someone another than Sean, her family and other law enforcement at crime scenes.
Lucy learns some upsetting news and does not handle it well. Hans Vigo is back and he tries to explain to Lucy the why behind the information she received. If Lucy had just taken a minute to process what Hans told her, I don’t think would have acted as she did. She takes things very personally and shuts people out.
My favorite part of the book, why I gave it 5 stars, was the way Lucy handled her issue with the instructor that was watching her and making her doubt herself. She did her research, with Sean and Noah’s help, and confronted him with confidence and respect. It was a great scene that showed how well Lucy is going to do in the FBI.
New FBI agent in training Lucy Kincaid has finally made it into the Academy and things are going well. She’s become friends with a group and developed a great mentoring relationship with Supervisory Special Agent Tony Presidio who teaches one of her classes. When Presidio is contacted by an agent in New York regarding the murder of a true crime reporter who was researching one of his old cases, he includes Lucy as she had connections as well. What started out as something that felt like a routine inquiry turns into something highly sinister, threatening the Bureau from within.
Lucy’s finally at the Academy but she’s not home free yet. This story had a lot of tentacles and angles that were confounding at times. There were lots of explosive revelations and surprising events I never saw coming. No one seemed to be sacred and I was truly concerned about the well being of some major characters. One of the old cases was extremely interesting and the point of view of one of the family members certainly heightened that interest. FBI Special Agent Suzanne Madeaux from an earlier story has a critical role in this one, which was a plus for me as I’d hoped we see more of her.
I really enjoyed this story for its complexity and depth. Lucy is challenged by one of her instructors and it just made her stronger and more resilient though it took her a while to get there. The mystery was challenging to resolve and the climax was exciting. Those surprises rattled me, threw me off balance, which is a good thing. Kate Udall delivered another great performance, making me further committed to listening to the rest of the series. Her pacing and storytelling enhanced my reading experience. Lastly, this isn’t a series to read out of order as Lucy’s growth and evolution is a critical aspect of the stories.