Author: Margaret Murphy
Narrator: Bianca Amato
Publisher: Joffe Books
Publication Date: July 2020
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: A serial predator on the prowl in Liverpool. Seven victims so far. And he’s already got his next victim.
The police can’t catch him. He leaves no trace of himself, and no one has been able to provide a reliable description of him.
Detective Cassie Rowan is working undercover and on his trail. But now he has Cassie in his sights.
Meet Detective Cassie Rowan
DC Cassie Rowan is a young policewoman who has been the main carer for her little brother Neil since their parents died. She has to balance this role with her demanding job. She is working undercover on the streets of Liverpool trying to find the ‘Furman’, a man who has been brutally assaulting sex workers. Cassie blames herself and another detective, Wicks, for not catching him sooner. Forensic scientist Dr. Ian Chan is on her side, but her boss Detective Chief Inspector Pat Warman thinks she is uncooperative and needs to work as part of a team.
My Thoughts: For the first book in a new series, this one doesn’t hold back and delivers some solid punches. The story moved a bit slowly for me as I worked through the introductions of all the characters and trying to figure out where to place them in the story. I would have preferred that there had been less secondary characters introduced before I got to know who the key players were.
I enjoyed the story overall; I thought Cassie was a great character, full of the frustrations, insecurities and emotions that make us human. I admired her grit and determination to bring in the monsters who hunt the innocent of Liverpool as well as the struggles she faces raising her little brother and the worries she tries to hide away from her family, friends and colleagues. She is a supervisor’s worst nightmare, however. On more than one occasion, she is brought to task and given a verbal smack-down for not following orders. We don’t know but she may be unemployed in the next book.
There were so many characters that could have been the baddie in this story that I found it difficult to keep it all straight. I felt a lot of frustration for Cassie when she figures out who it is and her chain of command don’t want to hear it, believing they already have the suspect in custody.
There are quite a few loose threads at the end that annoyed me. Specifically, Detective Wicks and what happens to him as well as Cassie’s friend, Tasha. Hopefully, the next book will pick up some of these threads and tie them up.
I enjoyed meeting Dr. Palmer, the psychoanalyst contacted by Cassie as one of his patients may or may not be the rapist. There is an interesting side story about him and his practice and family life.
The audio edition of this story made this story more intense for me and I enjoyed the narration by Bianca Amato. Her performance brings to life the frustrations, fears, pain and horror experienced by these characters, making the story more vivid and realistic.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a gritty and sometimes graphic thriller that might disturb some readers with its intense scenes. Fans of twisty thrillers, police procedurals and mysteries will enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Before He Kills Again from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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