Review: Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner

Title:Right Behind You

Author:Lisa Gardner

Series:Quincy & Rainie, #7

Published:January 2017, Dutton

Format:ARC E-book, 400 pages

Source:Netgalley via Publisher

 

Is he a hero?
Eight
years ago, Sharlah May Nash’s older brother beat their drunken father
to death with a baseball bat in order to save both of their lives. Now
thirteen years old, Sharlah has finally moved on. About to be adopted by
retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner,
Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts
on monsters.

Is he a killer?
Then the call comes in. A
double murder at a local gas station, followed by reports of an armed
suspect shooting his way through the wilds of Oregon. As Quincy and
Rainie race to assist, they are forced to confront mounting evidence:
The shooter may very well be Sharlah’s older brother, Telly Ray Nash,
and it appears his killing spree has only just begun.

All she knows for sure: He’s back.
As
the clock winds down on a massive hunt for Telly, Quincy and Rainie
must answer two critical questions: Why after eight years has this young
man started killing again? And what does this mean for Sharlah? Once
upon a time, Sharlah’s big brother saved her life. Now, she has two
questions of her own: Is her brother a hero or a killer? And how much
will it cost her new family before they learn the final, shattering
truth? Because as Sharlah knows all too well, the biggest danger is the
one standing right behind you.

My thoughts:I’ve been reading Lisa Gardner for a while now, but I have not read any of her Quincy & Rainie Profiler series until I read the prequel/short story that Lisa wrote introducing this latest book. What intrigued me most was that a favorite character of mine was in that book, so after reading that one (and loving it!) I decided to give this one a chance…and I’m so glad I did!

First things first…as many of you know, I’m a stickler for reading series in order. Yes, I started this series at book 6.5 (with the prequel, The 4th Man) and then this one, but let me tell you, while I didn’t have the complete background on the characters, I didn’t feel all that lost. Lisa Gardner does a really good job of giving us just enough backstory so that those of us new to the series have a pretty good feel for who Quincy and Rainie are and what drives them. And, this is a good time to jump in as it’s been a while since there’s been a book out in this series – 8 years to be exact. So, don’t be weary if you haven’t read the previous books – now‘s a good time to jump in – you won’t be sorry!

This book hooks you from the start and keeps you frantically flipping the pages until the very end. Every time you think you have it figured out, think again – nothing is as it seems, for good or bad. The characters are all well-drawn and I loved that not only do we see into the minds of both Quincy and Rainie, but also young Sharlah and Telly. It shows the connection made between the characters and to me, that’s just as important as the action going on and the mystery waiting to be solved. 

This book definitely has me wanting to go back to read the earlier books in the series…I need more of Quincy and Rainie…and now that Lisa Gardner has written a new book about them…hopefully that means there’s more to come for them! Lisa Gardner has three series out there and now I’m a fan of all three!

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