One More Kill

One More Kill by Carolyn Arnold brings depravity, action, and pulse-pounding moments to a gripping crime thriller and police procedural. The setting is mainly in and around Huntsville, Arkansas and is the ninth book in the Brandon Fisher FBI series.

The story is told from multiple points of view, but the transitions are smooth and don’t detract from the flow. Instead, they allow the reader to get greater insights into the characters. The bodies of a husband and wife have been found in a patch of woods in rural Arkansas by a neighboring farmer. The murder method is like that of the first case that Supervisory Special Agent Jack Harper saw as a rookie FBI agent. Brandon and Jack along with the rest of the field team, Paige Dawson and Kelly Marsh, head to Arkansas to find the serial killer before he disappears again while analyst Nadia Webber stays at headquarters to provide support.

Readers get great insight into the characters of Brandon, Jack, and Paige as well as learning how the killer thinks. While the FBI agents are intelligent, fit, and fast thinking, they also have flaws and struggles that make them seem realistic. Their working relationships and interactions with each other and the secondary characters provide additional insight into their personalities. The other supporting characters provide additional conflict or support. While they don’t have the depth of the main characters, the level was appropriate for their roles in the story.

The novel starts with a vivid and brutal chase scene that immediately pulls the reader into the lives of the characters. The author does a great job of showing the dark and gritty reality of a serial killer at work and the devastation one leaves behind as they move on to the next victim. The plot is suspenseful, full of anticipation of identifying and stopping the killer, and interspersed with some riveting action. The story flowed well and the transitions between points of view worked well. Who is the killer? Why does he kill? Is it even possible to discover the killer who leaves behind no DNA and is a skilled actor who can get close to people and earn their trust? Themes include murder, relationships, infidelity, secrets, corruption, and more.

Overall, this novel was gripping, engaging, and atmospheric as well as being very alarming in places. This is the third book that I have read by this author, but the first I’ve read in this series. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Brandon and his team. I recommend this to those that like dark and gritty police procedurals and serial killer thrillers.

Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc. and Carolyn Arnold provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently expected to be October 19, 2021.