She Treads Softly: Right Behind You

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Right Behind You

Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner

Penguin Publishing Group:1/31/17
digital review copy; 400 pages
hardcover ISBN-13: 9780525954583
FBI Profiler Series #7

Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner is a highly recommended police procedural/thriller due to be released 1/31/17.

Eight years ago, at age 9, Telly Ray Nash killed his drunken father before he killed Telly and Sharlah May, his 5 year old sister. Now Sharlah is 13 and about to be adopted by Pierce Quincy, retired FBI profiler, and his partner, Rainie Conner, an investigative consultant for the Bakersville County (Ore.) sheriff’s department. Sharlah hasn't seen Telly since that night. Although he was never charged with any crime, Telly and Sharlah entered the foster system separated from each other for her safety. "Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts on monsters."

When Quincy and Rainie receive a call about a double murder at a gas station and an armed suspect on the loose, it appears that the killer is Telly. Now 17, Telly was being fostered nearby. Quincy and Rainie need to keep Sharlah safe. But, why is Telly suddenly becoming violent and how far will his killing spree go? He saved Sharlah years ago, but is she still safe from her brother now?

Gardner does an exemplary job keeping the pace steady while tension incrementally increases until the action is accelerated to a breakneck clip in this thriller. The plot twists mount and increase toward the end as more information is revealed. The plot twists were a surprise this time and I didn't see the end game at all. She always does an excellent job with character development. The chapters from the children's point of view are illuminating and significant, since these are two kids that don't say what they think.

I read this in one sitting as I was so involved in the plot I couldn't put it down. There was one little plot element that I couldn't quite accept, but can't discuss since it is very spoiler-ish. I found it hard to believe that it would happen with the subsequent results, but you'll have to read this excellent novel to see if you feel the same way. 4 stars

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the Penguin First to Read program.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.