“Former FBI agent Brigid Quinn, with her trademark toughness, raw humor, and human frailty, is back and better than ever in Masterman’s latest novel. As Quinn is drawn into an infamous cold case with a possible link to the two killers immortalized by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, she finds danger closing in. A gripping premise, brilliantly executed–you won’t be able to put this one down!”… down!”–Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote’s masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?
Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo’s days as a prison chaplain–a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo’s old things–has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he’d like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he’ll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.
Becky Masterman’s unputdownable thrillers featuring unique heroine Brigid Quinn continue with this fascinating alternative look at one of America’s most famous crimes.
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We Were Killer Once is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. Brigid Quinn is a retired FBI agent and private detective, trying to enjoy the rest of her life with her former priest/ husband, Carlo. Tough as nails and a little snarky, Brigid has enough insecurities to go around involving her marriage but she is very good at her job. With a twist on Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Ms. Masterman introduces Jerry, ex-con with severe paranoia and a big time secret. After having a life sentence commuted, Jerry is out of prison and looking to hide his secrets and Carlo just happens to be in the way. Jerry will give you chills with his cold, calculated evilness and you will cheer Brigid on in solving the captivating mystery while serving up a cold dish of justice. I find the older protagonist in this story a breath of fresh air and the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat with a well researched and thought out plot that exist in the realms of possibility. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
This is the first book I have read in the series. I’m not sure if it would have helped to have read the first three books just for the character development. I was a bit put off by the mixture of a true crime/fiction story. It wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but it also wasn’t the best. I basically did not like the author’s writing style and had trouble staying engaged in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Becky Masterman is a very talented writer bringing us a tough retired female FBI agent in the second season of her life. Former FBI agent, Brigid, is retired and in her 60’s. A couple years ago she married Carlos, a widower, who was far removed from the world of death and deprivation she came from. Carlos was an intellectual and former priest. He left the priesthood for the love of his life. Brigid constantly fights an internal battle of jealousy of a ghost. Constantly wondering how does she compare to his perfect love he once had for someone else?
Beaufort, has just been released from 30 years in prison. Caught for the third time on drug charges he’s in for life. However, the three strike law is amended and the ones with non violent convictions are set free. What they don’t know is that Beaufort has a far more sinister past that he was never caught for. Worried from hearing a prison rumor about another killers death bed confession just before being executed he immediately sets out to make sure if it exists he destroys it.
He finds out that in Carlos past he was a prison Chaplin and could be holding this death bed confession. Beaufort needs to make sure if it exists it doesn’t surface, and he will do anything to ensure it. He sets out to make Carlos his friend and see if he can get the damning evidence. Brigid’s honed FBI skills senses BS, when suddenly by happenstance an innocent meeting over their back fence brings Jerry Beaufort into their lives. Something is off about him. Brigid Quinn is a tough ex FBI agent that Beaufort doesn’t expect. What she suspects is way off from what starts to unfold and both their lives are in extreme danger.
I recommend this book if you like mystery, true crime and romance of seasoned people. Thank you NetGalley and Becky Masterman for the opportunity to read and review this book. I’m a great fan of cold cases and true crime and love that you embellished to make it such an interesting read. This is my true unbiased review.
I didn’t know when I started this book that it was based on fact with authors right to embellish and add fiction to enhance the readers experience. I learned the second family murdered happened an hours drive from where I live. Two killers were put to death for the Walker family of four massacre in Kansas but did they get them all? And another whole family of four was murdered and in Florida very similar to the Walkers killing in the same time frame and that case remains unsolved. Truman Capote wrote about this Walker case after interviewing the two killers before their execution. It made the case famous it was called In Cold Blood. Could the same killers have done both? And was there a third member? The Florida case remains unsolved to this day.
We Were Killers Once
by Becky Masterman
This is my 1st by this author and I have got to say I was not disappointed! It is a quick good read and the author does a phenomenal job of weaving this story in with Capote’s In Cold Blood which I read many years ago, very interesting premise! Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for this book and leaving my review!
What a great book, and a page turner. It was really awesome how the author incorporated the story of In Cold Blood into your story. I have never read this author before but I’m sure I will be reading her again. Thanks for the great book!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Truman Capote’s masterpiece In Cold Blood details the murders of the Clutter family in 1959 and gives a comprehensive look at the killers (Hickok and Smith) behind the massacre. Absolutely chilling classic.
There has been a recent publication, In Colder Blood: True Story of the Walker Family Murder by JT Hunter, which makes the case for Hickok and Smith also being behind the massacre of the Walker family in Florida. The two were in the area, and there are eerie similarities to the Clutter murders. Circumstantial evidence, but a very interesting read nonetheless. The book is short, well-written and mostly speculation, but it will leave you wondering. It is not in the same class as Capote’s book, but it was still a worthy read.
My hope was that We Were Killers Once would continue along the same vein, introducing the possibility of a third killer into the mix. While I made it halfway through the book, I decided I needed to skip to the end, but I couldn’t even finish it. First, I had a very hard time with the writing style. It is told from two perspectives, Brigid Quinn and the Jeremy Beaufort/Jerry Nolan, the third killer. It becomes convoluted when first person and third person for each is used interchangeably. Second, the characters were extremely flat. Brigid is a retired FBI agent who comes across as hardboiled and childish at the same time, her husband, Carlo, is a former Catholic priest who she likens to a saint, and they two just don’t mix. There are some crass marital encounters thrown in, which just seemed so out of place in the context of the story. Jeremy/Jerry has spent most of his 70 years in prison, and while he was in prison and out of society, he comes across as naive and unworldy. Third, the plot line just didn’t ring true. Jeremy/Jerry is looking for Hickok’s deathbed confession, naming Jeremy/Jerry as the third killer. Problem is, he made this confession to a Catholic priest. I found it hard to suspend belief that the priest would have kept a written confession, that he would have kept it for so many years and that he would have passed it along to someone. Fourth, there are so many coincidences in the story it gets to be old. It seems like it is much easier to explain it away by coincidence than actually write a storyline. Fifth, this moved so slowly. It was not thrilling in the least.
My recommendation is to pass on this one.
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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher for an honest review. Please read the complete review here: http://bit.ly/RAPTReviewKillers.
I found We Were Killers Once to offer an interesting alternative to Truman Capote’s true crime novel, In Cold Blood. What if a third person had been involved? Although there were some moments of lingering and a slow start, in the beginning, I found this twist to be intriguing. For the lulls mixed about, Masterman was successful in developing her third murderer, Beaufort, while not forgetting to showcase her strong female lead, Brigid Quinn, and bringing Quinn’s husband, Carlo, into the triangle.
I was on the wall between 3 or 4 stars because although I enjoyed the link to true crime author Becky Masterman created, I am not one for chatter in my reading that doesn’t have a purpose. With that said, I do think readers that like a bit of “what if” will enjoy.
There is often a fine line between the psychopathy of violent criminals and frontline law enforcement. The characters here seem to confirm that. There is the somewhat unusual mix of a petite ex-FBI agent (Brigid Quinn), a twice-married former Catholic priest (Carlo DiForenza) and an ex-con (Jeremiah Beaufort) who thinks he is ever so much smarter than anyone else. Brigid Quinn and Jeremiah Beaufort are both killers. Brigid’s husband Carlo is the fulcrum upon which they are balanced.
There are nuggets of backstory distributed here and there throughout the book to let you know that it’s part of a series. They are intriguing enough to make me want to backtrack and read them all. It is usually difficult to start reading a series in the middle, but I found that WE WERE KILLERS ONCE is a compelling read on its own.
The murder of the Clutter family, in Holcomb, Kansas, in November 1959, was immortalized by Truman Capote in his non-fiction novel IN COLD BLOOD. From that book, three movies and a miniseries have been made. Even if you don’t immediately know the name Clutter, chances are you read or know about the book IN COLD BLOOD. In 2016, a novel, IN COLDER BLOOD, by J. T. Hunter, in which the possibility that Richard Hickock and Perry Smith killed the Walker family, in December 1959, in Osprey, Florida, is put forth.
Keep in mind that WE WERE KILLERS ONCE is a work of fiction that is based upon the actual murders of two families. Becky Masterman has woven a very believable story around those events.
3.5 stars
WE WERE KILLERS ONCE is the fourth book in Becky Masterman’s retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn series, but it is my first experience with Brigid. Not having read the previous books in the series did not hinder my enjoyment of the book, and there is enough back-story provided, without ruining other books, so that I was not at all lost. Masterman builds the tale on the premise that a third killer was involved in the 1959 family murder made famous by Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD. It is an interesting and entertaining read.
The book starts out a bit slow and never quite gets to the level of excitement I wished. There are a lot of coincidences and tenuous connections that are somewhat unbelievable. Brigid just happens to be interested in the decades old killings. Carlo’s mentor just happens to be the priest that has a confessional letter pointing the finger, supposedly, to Jerry Beaufort involvement in the killings. Jerry, who has been in jail for most of his life, just happens to have the skills and connections to find out what he needs to despite his lack of technological skills and intelligence. The story does move along at a logical pace, but it is all more than a bit farfetched. That said it is quite engaging if not for the faint of heart.
My favorite aspect of the book is the complex relationship between Brigid and her priest-turned-professor husband Carlo. Talk about opposites being attracted to each other. I love that Brigid is an older protagonist, one who is definitely still a bad ass. Carlo is endearing if far too much in his own head. Jerry is evil at his core with no redeeming qualities.
WE WERE KILLERS ONCE has whetted my appetite for more Brigid Quinn.
With much gratitude, I received an ARC of this title from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
We Were Killers Once drew me in with the In Cold Blood angle, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The slow beginning made it hard to get into, so much so that I set it aside several times for something that would hold my interest. To be fair, I haven’t read the earlier books in the series, so I was completely unfamiliar with these characters. That said, the author does give enough back story to get a decent feel for the characters and their relationships. As the story progresses it relies on coincidence more than I cared for and it does require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. In the end, the cons outweighed the pros, and I liked the idea of this book more than the reality of it.
2.5 stars (rounded up) We Were Killers Once had me excited. I love true crime and thought the book’s premise of a real crime that was then written up by Truman Capote and linked to another similar crime drew me in and made me want to experience this book.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel the story shone as brightly as the synopsis did. So many parts dragged and Brigid’s husband Carlo seemed like the least aware person in the world. I wanted to shake him and say something like wake up! Hello? Do you not see these HUGE warning signs? Some people may argue that he was a priest, but that was quite some time ago and he has had plenty of time to get more savvy to the world and people in it.
Being new to the series, I would say this book could definitely be read as a stand alone. The only thing I wondered is why Brigid was so hung up on Carlo’s now deceased wife. That may have been covered in a previous book in the series, but I don’t know.
As always, if you’re interested in this, give it a try. It might be the perfect book for you. It just wasn’t for me, but not every book works for every person.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. My thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.
Former FBI agent Brigid Quinn, with her trademark toughness, raw humor, and human frailty, is back and better than ever in Masterman’s latest novel. As Quinn is drawn into an infamous cold case with a possible link to the two killers immortalized by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, she finds danger closing in. A gripping premise, brilliantly executed — you won’t be able to put this one down!
Six-year-old Brigid learned of murder and rape while sitting on her daddy’s lap. That may have warped her psyche just a tad.
Jeremiah Randolph Beaufort is an evil old criminal, but they let him out of prison all the same. He carries with him a great fear of forensic science and the kind of evidence such stuff produces. What starts as just an Internet inquiry to make sure everything he is afraid of is still hidden turns very scary. Those old fears have already drawn the attention of the police. Nothing that will get him arrested yet, but a detective who specializes in cold cases is interested. However, so far Beaufort’s connection to Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Smith, the two murderers of “In Cold Blood” fame, has not been brought to light. If it ever is, They will send “Jerry” to Death Row. He can’t take a chance on that.
Brigid Theresa Quinn, former FBI agent, is a tough broad. Moreover, she is genuinely in love with her husband Carlo DiForenza, who was once a Catholic priest. A calling he soon left for the halls of academe and his first marriage to Jane. Brigid calls him “Perfesser” because he once taught philosophy at the local college. It is a strange pairing; the woman of action, able to kill with her bare hands and the contemplative teacher who wants to turn the other cheek. Carlo also worked with the last priest to hear the confession of Richard Eugene Hickock. That information will draw the two of them into danger as sure as a magnet will attract a steel tack.
On the plus side, this is a story of violence and evil that will lay “hands” on your attention and not let go. The characters are realistic to a fault and all a bit unusual; one of the “good guys” is a psychopath, and another is a bit sadistic. On the minus side, if I were writing the next book in this series, I would make Brigid, and Carlo get a divorce. They are too different in their morals and experience to last a month, let alone, “til death do part.” All considered I liked the action sequences but found Brigid’s hand wringing over hubby’s first wife and Carlo’s contemplations/stupid reactions very unappealing. Rating: Recommended with reservations.
My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an advance galley for review.
It is so refreshing to see a retired couple who are still in love and active sexually that is well written about with love. Brigid and Carlos are two opposite sides of a coin who fit perfectly. He is the gentleman scholar who sees good in everyone and she is the tiny burst of fire who sees the potential of everyone to be evil. As a retired priest and psychology professor he reaches out and thinks deeply. She has spent years with the FBI working undercover with the worst of humanity. When a new player in the form of Jerry, an ex con, comes into their life it is up to her to find out why and keep them all safe.
The author has created an exemplary pierce of work that will keep the reader turning the pages and tuned it to the last. The psyche of the characters is very detailed and realistic. You will instantly become a fan if this is the first book you have read.
As a young girl, Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD, both the book and the movie were chilling! I looked forward to reading WE WERE KILLERS ONCE. I thought the premise of what if there was a third person involved in the Clutter family and this third person killed the Walker family in Florida. When Jerry is released from prison after a life-time sentence based on the three strike law, Jerry is determined to go after a priest who heard the confession of one of the Cold Blood Killers and destroy any evidence that might lead to him. Here is where the story fell apart for me, He should have disappeared and lived his own life. The priest was already on his death bed and no one knew about the connection. He gave Carlos Quinn a sketch and a confession written by Hickok when Carlos left the order years ago. Carlos had no idea he had a confession letter hidden behind the sketch. He had became an ethics professor and married Jane who passed away after a long marriage. Carlos then married a retired FBI agent, Brigid Quinn. I put this book down many times as it just moved too slowly and did not seem believable.
I received an ARC of this story from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure how well I would like this book since it combines fiction with the well known Kansas murders of the Clutter family from 1959 as written about in the book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I was really surprised at how well I became so engrossed in this story and I really enjoyed it. I loved this author’s style of writing and her added wit/humor was all in the right places. I have not read any of her previous books but this book works well as a stand alone. I especially loved the character of Brigid Quinn and hope to go back and read more of this author’s books. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this very suspenseful book.
Clear your calendar, put out your Do Not Disturb Sign and fasten your seat belt!!!
We Were Killers Once is a chilling story based on the book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote that told his version of the killers of the Clutter Family
Brigid Quinn is right in the middle of the tale along with her husband Carlo and the story implies there was a third killer in this crime that rocked the world.
Brigid is a retired FBI agent (4th in the series but you could read as a stand alone) and I would love to have her on my side and have her strength.
This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Please take time to read the Author’s notes.
Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s press for the opportunity to devour We Were Killers Once. Can’t wait to get my paper copy. Not many books I would read twice but this is one of them !!!!!!
This is a great read. I didn’t realize it was a series but as it went along I felt like I was missing something. The book is about a killer from 1956 that has been released from jail and now is worried about being convicted again with the DNA he left behind in 1956 with the new technology in the modern day testing. I feel like u need to start from book 1 to read book 4. Not a stand alone.