Title:The 4th Man
Author:Lisa Gardner
Series:Quincy & Rainie, #6.5
Published:January 2017, Dutton
Format:ARC E-copy, 47 pages
Source:Netgalley via Publisher
FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy and Officer Rainie Conner return in a baffling cold case in this exclusive eBook short story by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner.
A
young woman is found strangled in the stairwell of a college library,
only her sneakers missing. With no physical evidence, no signs of sexual
assault, and no witnesses, all the police have to go on are the three
men who were in the library with her: her boyfriend and two campus
security guards . . . all of whom have secrets, none of whom can be
proven guilty.Five years later, ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincy
and his wife, former police officer Rainie Conner, agree to consult on
the still-unsolved case, delving into deep background to comb for any
clue that will lead to the woman’s murderer. But with no leads and the
case colder than the body, will they be able to build a case against one
of the three suspects, or is there a fourth man out there? And if the
killer has eluded the police this long, how far will he go to ensure
justice is never served?With Gardner’s singular ability to delve into the minds of criminals and law enforcement alike, The 4th Man is a shocking look at the reasons for taking a life . . . and just how far profilers need to go to learn them.
My thoughts:I’ve been a long-time fan of Lisa Gardner’s Detective D.D. Warren series and her Tessa Leoni series, but I have never read any of her Quincy and Rainie series – the FBI Profiler series, until now! While The 4th Man is not the first in the series – and if you know me, I do like to start series at the beginning – it’s been a while since Lisa has written a book for this series, so I felt it was a good time to jump in and see if I liked it. Plus being that it was a short story, I thought it would give me the perfect little taste of what this series is all about.
I loved that Detective D.D. Warren happens to be in this short story. While I’m sure she isn’t in all the earlier books, having her in this one – my first foray into this series – was a great way to meet these new characters.
I loved the straight-forward way this case was presented – Detective Warren had a cold case she wanted solved, so she called in Quincy and Rainie. But what I love more is how Lisa Gardner gives us the behavior behind the crime – she not only gives us a “who-dun-it” book, but a “why-they-dun-it” book. While this is a short-story, there is a lot packed into it – and it’s based on a real-life case!
I am very eager to read the full-length novel coming out in February, Right Behind You, and get to know Quincy and Rainie a little more. And then I’ll go back and read the earlier books – I love Lisa Gardner’s writing and characters and have a feeling that Quincy and Rainie are going to be new favorites just like D.D. Warren and Tessa Leonie!
Books in this series:
1. The Perfect Husband
2. The Third Victim
3. The Next Accident
4. The Killing Hour
5. Gone
6. Say Goodbye
6.5 The 4th Man
7. Right Behind You – due out Feb 2017
I've had Lisa Jackson on my TBR shelf for so long and this one sounds so good! I hope to start this series in January in terms of the full length novels but thanks for the tip on this short story! I think I might just have to read this before the end of the year.