A notorious serial killer is back An edgy female police detective. An ambitious FBI special agent. Together they are at the heart of the ticking-clock investigation into a psychopathic murderer. The bond they forge in this crucible sets the stage for high-stakes suspense. Detective Kara Quinn is on an early morning jog in Liberty Lake when she discovers the body of a young nurse. The manner … the body of a young nurse. The manner of death reveals a highly controlled rage.
Word quickly reaches FBI special agent Matt Costa that this murder fits the profile of the elusive Triple Killer, who compulsively strikes every three years, targeting three victims, each three days apart. This time they have a chance to stop him. But only if they can decipher the meaning of his pattern to figure out who he is and where he is hiding before he strikes again.
The stakes have never been higher, because if they fail, one of their own team may be next…
Don’t miss Tell No Lies, the next page-turning thriller from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan!
more
Leave all the lights on… you’ll be turning the pages fast as you can. The Third to Die is the first in Brennan’s amazing new thriller series. Dive in and enjoy this nail-biter.
This book is riveting, terrifying, and simply fantastic. Brennan ratchets up the tension to the breaking point with her new FBI MRT team chasing a devious killer. This is classic crime fiction at its best. With deep characterizations and a truly scary villain driving the twisted plot, this is the start of a brilliant new series from the queen of the thriller.
The Third to Die by Allison Brennan is the first book in the Mobile Response Team series. I like how the story begins from the point-of-view of the killer. The POV switches throughout the book between the killer, Matt Costa, Kara Quinn and Catherine Jones. There is an extensive cast of characters in this mystery. We get introduced to Matt’s team, officers involved in Liberty Lake, Kara’s boss, Matt’s boss, town citizens and officers in Spokane. It was a little overwhelming at times. I like that we are given background on the main characters who have their foibles and troubles just like real people. Kara is a strong, intelligent female who has been working undercover in Los Angeles since she became a detective. She is aware of her surroundings and notices details that others miss. She is frustrated on administrative leave (bored) and happy to help the Mobile Response Team. The Mobile Response Team is a newly formed unit of the FBI with Matt Costa in charge. He is still assembling the team when the Triple Killer strikes in Liberty Lake, Washington. The Third to Die is an intriguing mystery with this mysterious killer who strikes three times every three years (has a thing for threes). There is plenty of action as they search for the murderer. It is a police procedural type of story with forensic details and a psychological profile (red tape too). There is also small town politics and jurisdictional problems included (police seem to dislike the FBI swooping in and taking over a case). The one downside of the switching POV is the repetition of case details as well as information on various characters. The author is a descriptive writer who includes the tiniest of details (did we really need to know what Kara was wearing while jogging down to the color of the stripe on her pants). I do want to let you know there an extensive amount of foul language. The gore and violence is to be expected with this type of book. With a little tweaking, The Third to Die would have been a home run for me. There is some romance (and intimate relations) as Kara and Matt work closely together to catch the Triple Killer (I wish the author had not ventured into this territory). The ending has us wondering what Kara will do next after an unexpected turn of events when she returns to Los Angeles. We will have to wait for the next Mobile Response Team novel to find out. The Third to Die is perfect for those readers who enjoy traditional suspenseful action mysteries. The Third to Die has a conniving killer, alert agents, petty politics, frustrating fatalities, a puzzled profiler, and a perceptive detective.
The Third to Die (Mobile Response Team Book #1) by Allison Brennan is the action packed first book of a new FBI thriller/romantic suspense series. This book grabs you from page one and does not let up.
LAPD Detective Kara Quinn is exceptional undercover, but there were some problems with her last case. She is put on leave for two weeks and returns to her hometown of Liberty Lake to spend time with her grandmother. While jogging, she discovers a murdered young nurse.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Mathias “Matt” Costa is working on setting up his new Mobile Response Team. They will travel the country to help jurisdictions with their special skills. Matt is notified that the murder in Liberty Lake fits an alert that is set for the Triple Killer. Even though his team is incomplete, he sets out to work the case.
The Triple Killer is meticulous. He returns every three years on March third to kill three times. This time, Matt and his team are out to stop him before he can kill again. Kara cannot stand being off work, so when she realizes Matt has limited manpower, she volunteers to help. Matt accepts and the two work against the clock to discover who the Triple Killer is and stop him before he disappears again.
This book has everything I look for in this genre! An edgy, individualistic and strong female lead with a hard-outer emotional shell, an alpha male FBI agent male lead and a group of secondary characters that play an important part in the plot and will be further fleshed and integrated in future stories. Ms. Brennan also always gives me an antagonist killer that is smart, intelligent and scary in their psychopathy.
I love these types of books and this is a definite winner. Ms. Brennan never disappoints me and I cannot wait for more Mobile Response Team books!
I have read many books by Brennan (i.e.Lucy Kincaid series) which are touted as ‘romantic thrillers’; however, even though they have ‘romance’ in them, it isn’t so detailed as to take away from the storyline of the thriller parts. This series, Matt Costa FBI/Kara Quinn LAPD Det, is a start to another strong female with counterpart of a strong male who butts heads, does their jobs, and have time to get to know each other while giving the reader a hard time finding a stopping point to ‘do real life’ 🙂
Read the synopsis at top of page for background. My review is just to tell readers that this is a good series to begin and look forward to the next installment. You’ll hate some of the characters, love others, and even have sympathy for some, but in the end it will be worthwhile use of your reading time.
Thanks for the entertainment and “Tell No Lies” is on my TBB list now.
The Review
Such a compelling and engaging blend of police procedural and serial killer thriller! This captured my attention immediately, as the author went about setting the haunting atmosphere of the killer’s actions in the book’s prelude. The insight into the killer’s mind and the investigation very much reminded me of J.D. Barker’s 4MK series, building the suspense and the cat & mouse element of the narrative slowly but surely, keeping the reader hanging on the author’s every word.
The character growth was definitely the major hook for this story. The killer’s motivations and thought process throughout his killings was complex, but it was the protagonists themselves, Costa and Quinn, who really added depth to this narrative. Their haunted backstories and the bond they form together keeps readers on an emotional rollercoaster as they follow this partnership through its highs and lows, until the book’s exhilarating final chapters.
The Verdict
A masterful, engaging, and thrilling new suspense novel, author Allison Brennan’s “The Third To Die” is a must-read thriller! Heart-pounding games between a killer and those chasing him really keep readers invested in this narrative, and the bond between the two investigators on the case will have readers ready and eager to dive into the next chapter of this series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Easy read and kept you wanting to start the next chapter. Even though I pretty much figured it out before the end it was an interesting plot and mystery.
Didn’t like the Spanish thoughts of the main character-thought they were distracting & would have been better if they weren’t translated. Overall good read-
This book was hard to put down. I am anxiously waiting for the next one.
Time we’ll spent.
Author always delivers a great read
Quinn/costa. Looking forward to reading more.
Loved the first in this new series by Allison Brennan. Great pacing, suspense and characters. Looking forward to the next installment.
My first book by Allison Brennan-it will not be my last! I enjoyed this story a lot. It didn’t take long for the author to set things in place and get the story moving. Great characters, lots of depth. I listened to this one and wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator at first, but she grew on me after a while. Looking forward to the next in the series.
The beginning of a new series by the one and only Allison Brennan!
Great new series by one of my favorite writers.
GREAT start to what I believe will be another great series by a great author! Allison knows how to introduce us to kick-ass leading ladies – I love Lucy, Max, and Kara.
There are a few different scenarios going on in this book, which makes for a lot of action, murder, and edge of your seat page-turning. I love all of the characters (good and evil), I cried, laughed, gasped, hollered, and even had a few oh no you didn’t moments.
While I knew this was the first in a new series, I expected a little more at the end, but that just makes me want the second book NOW!!!!
#ThirdtoDie #NetGalley #Kara #Matt #Andy #SmallTownCop #FBI #LAPD #
Listened to the audio book. Frist book “read” by this author – found it from a listing here of a new book. The story line wasn’t bad. It was kind of slow in places. Book could have been shorter by not repeating some of the things. I would read or listen to the next one in the series to see how the characters evolve. Would be interested in exploring some of her other books.
Wow!! Great book!
Excellent characters and story lines.