What if Smith and Hickock weren't acting alone that night? What if they left the third man out  of their confessions because of some sick allegiance and Capote never uncovered it? (If you haven't read In Cold Blood this is where I tell you to do so immediately.) We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman re-imagines that there was a third man at the Clutter Farm the night that the family was brutally murdered and that this man alone committed the atrocities at the Walker home a few weeks later. Enter Jeremiah 'Jerry' Beaufort who has recently been released from his second stint in prison on a commuted sentence. Fearing that the truth about that night at the Clutters' farm and the Walker murder (which has remained unsolved but attributed to Smith & Hickock) will come out he starts his own investigation to find out exactly what the police know. And that's when Brigid Quinn, retired detective, stumbles onto the scene through the unlikely link of her new husband, an ex-priest and philosophy professor. (Yes, this does sound like a bad joke.) With just enough facts, this fictionalized  story has enough twists and turns to keep the pages flipping while the reader wonders if Quinn will get to the truth before Beaufort gets to her. True crime lovers will love this book especially if they've had the pleasure of reading Capote's book beforehand (it really is best read back-to-back I think). And it turns out Masterman has more novels starring Quinn so if you really dig this book you can check those out as well. :-) 9/10 

What I'm Currently Reading: Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

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.

I love a good thriller and Fear the Darkness is one of the better ones I have read in awhile. Brigid Quinn is retired FBI and now she teaches self defense at a woman's shelter. Married to an ex-priest they have a happy life in Tucson Arizona. Brigid's sister in law dies from a long illness, requesting that her daughter Gemma-Kate come live with them until she starts college.

Brigid is asked by a family to investigate the death of their son, he drowned in their pool and the mother does not believe it was suicide. Things start getting strange with Gemma-Kate, Brigid's dog is poisoned and the investigation starts taking a turn for the worse. To maintain her sanity, she spends a lot of time with a long time friend Mallory. People at a church gathering start feeling ill and Brigid also starts feeling ill, hallucinations and weakness. She starts suspecting Gemma-Kate of poisoning her. Brigid's quiet life is not as tranquil as it had been, before Gemma-Kate. Is someone trying to kill her? and why? Are things happening because of her investigation? 

Fear the Darkness is the followup to Rage Against Dying, which I need to read, I always seem to read books in the wrong order but it did not take away from the story at all. The author tells a terrific story and I loved the main character Brigid, a strong woman, I never expected the ending, totally surprised me. I totally enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

A VERY good debut novel. I especially liked that the main kickass character was an older woman. Some parts were a little slow but for the most part a wild ride with a serial killer anxious to find stand ins to take his fall.

Immediately engaging, this book really surpassed my expectations. Masterman’s debut novel was a strong one. Brigid Quinn, 59 and retired from the FBI made for an older (but no wiser) narrator for the genre. The case that consumed her for years - a serial killer dubbed the Route 66 Killer - drew to a close and quickly pulled Quinn into a more active role closing the case once and for all. Quinn’s narration, full of hard edges and bad decisions felt surprisingly fresh. It gave the book a very new feeling - which was all the more impressive considering the plot’s serious nod to The Silence of the Lambs. And though Masterman acknowledged the movie-version in the beginning of the book, its influence felt quite evident. Accordingly, some elements of the plot fell into rather predictable lines. And though Quinn’s choices felt rather inauthentic for someone of her background, she somehow maintained an overall vibe with an intriguing and genuine edge. She was an interesting narrator, and despite some plot holes, I had a lot of fun reading this. I look forward to seeing if Masterman will write a follow-up novel as a direct sequel or feature an entirely new cast of characters.

While I didn't think this book was as good as the author's debut as it was a little slow to begin with, I did end up really liking it. While the poisoning of the do bothered me, it lived, I realized later that poisoning was the main theme of the book.

I still live the fact that this series is an older kick ass woman who had a great career and was able to still hold her own! Yeah I'm older. Ha!

I gave this 4 stars because the ending was good and one I did not see coming. I also feel the author has the ability to keep them coming and keep them interesting. It was just the first part of the book, after the first chapter, that was, I feel, below par.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.