Becky Masterman

Becky Masterman's latest book, We Were Killers Once, is the fourth in her Brigid Quinn series, but can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.

Masterman has come up with an absolutely fascinating premise for We Were Killers Once. What if.....there were three men at the Clutter killings? Yes, those murders - the ones that inspired Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood.' And what if that third man is freshly out of prison - and determined to make sure that the evidence he knows it out there is destroyed. show more And what if Brigid and Carlo end up in this killer's path......

Brigid and her husband Carlo are seemingly opposite personalities. The relationship between the two is well written and believable. As individuals, they are written with lots of depth. Brigid has a most interesting background - and a fascination with killers that served her well in her FBI career. She's now retired n- I like that she is an 'older' lead character. Carlo is a former priest. They are light and dark - and prove to be excellent foils for each other's thoughts, leanings and actions.

I loved Masterman's idea of this third person. He too is very well drawn - ruthless, though he doesn't believe so. His ideas of how to blend and behave gave me chills. We Were Killers Once is told in two voices - the killer and Brigid. The reader is aware of what is going to happen, but can only helplessly turn pages, keeping up with the cat and mouse game being played. (And I had a moment where I wanted to flip ahead.....but didn't) But who is the cat and who is the mouse? Again, this was my first introduction to Brigid - and I am very, very intrigued. She's a complex protagonist - on the side of the law, but with very dark thoughts and tendencies. Her niece Gemma-Kate seems to have the same, umm, personality.

Masterman's writing is excellent, driving the reader forward with each new chapter. There's action, but there's also some thoughtful bits exploring the relationship between Carlo and Brigid, as well as some philosophical discussions.

The plot moves along at a good pace, culminating in a final scene that was just right. My only question was whether this antagonist would have pursued this elusive piece of evidence, having his role in the killings go unnoticed for many, many years.

I enjoyed We Were Killers Once and I will indeed be looking forward to further work from Masterman. show less

On a slight variation on my seemingly unstoppable opening jibber, I did NOT receive this book as part of a GoodReads drawing. However, my delightfully erudite fiancée DID receive it in a drawing and was kind enough to pass it along to me for afters. Despite the generously kind consideration of both my fiancée and the publisher, I give my solemnly sworn opinion below.

To sum up the story without diluting any edge of mystery, our protagonist is a retired FBI agent who never quite caught her show more man. What should have been the pinnacle of her career ended with rather a whimper a few years ago and as the book begins she finds herself once again ensnared in the case that didn’t quite close.

From the very, very beginning, Masterman takes her readers by the frontal lobe and hurls them at break-neck pace through a uniquely suspenseful story line. The real hook of the story is set within the first eight pages and after that one is exceptionally disinclined to put the book down for any reason. Our author renders her characters with great skill that invokes disgust, pity and hatred with just a few words. For a debut novel this one shines quite brightly.

In addition to the skill with which the characters are rendered, the story just has a very real feel to it. With many first novels there are times at which credibility hits a brick wall but not so in ‘Rage Against the Dying’ as one could very believably read this same story in a newspaper. Masterman paints a picture that is at once horrifying, graphic and creepily believable. One almost wants to buy a security system after reading it.

To summarize, I often judge a book by the pool of people to whom I would consider passing it next. Given the VERY dark and graphic nature of this book, that pool is fairly small. Anyone offended by vivid portrayals of pure human evil would be well advised to keep their distance. Contrarily, this is one of the few books I’ve read in the past couple years that made good material for reading while on the exercise bike. It’s gripping enough that a fairly substantial workout will vanish between its gory and primitive depths, a wonderful and gritty debut for a budding author. Brava! show less

In "A Twist of the Knife," by Becky Masterman, sixty-year old retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn travels from her home in Arizona to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to visit her seriously ill father and distraught mother. As if this isn't enough to occupy her mind, Brigid becomes involved in the death penalty case of Marcus Creighton, thanks to her former colleague, Laura Coleman. Laura works as an investigator for William Hench, an attorney who does pro bono work on behalf of felons on Death Row. show more Creighton, who has been in prison for fifteen years, has little time left. If no new exculpatory evidence comes to light, he will soon be put to death by lethal injection for murdering his wife, son, and two daughters. Laura believes that Marcus is innocent, and is working with Hench to gather information that she hopes will earn the doomed man a stay of execution. Brigid goes over the case notes and agrees to assist Laura in any way she can. When another victim's body turns up, Brigid suspects that the latest murder is linked to the Creighton inquiry.

Not only must she cope with her father’s decline, but Brigid is also the target of her mother’s resentment. The three Quinn siblings have not been not dutiful children; in fact, Brigid is the only one who visits her hospitalized father regularly. However, her relationship with her mother is prickly, and Brigid has no desire to engage in verbal sparring during this difficult time. When she is not at the hospital, Brigid is busy tracking down anything she can learn about the Creightons: She interviews the detective who was in charge of the case; studies the transcript of the trial testimony; speaks with Marcus; and wrangles with a woman named Alison Samuels, who is a passionate advocate for missing and exploited children. Alison wants Creighton to pay the ultimate price for his crimes.

This is an intense novel that deals with such themes as the pros and cons of capital punishment; the often contentious relationship between parents and children; and the tragic consequences of the terrible mistakes people make, the secrets they keep, and the lies that they tell. The darkly humorous dialogue is terrific; the forensics are fascinating; Masterman wisely avoids sentimental contrivances; and the characters are, for the most part, flawed human beings whose good intentions do not prevent them from making horrendous decisions. This is an engrossing entry in a quirky series whose heroine hides her goodhearted nature behind a tough and sarcastic façade. Brigid Quinn uses her considerable intellect, common sense, and blunt but effective communication skills to help uncover the truth at last. show less

Fear the Darkness by Becky Masterman is a 2014 Minotaur publication.

Becky Masterson takes full advantage of the momentum and foundation she established with Brigid Quinn in the first book in this series.
When Brigid’s sister-in-law dies after a lengthy illness, she reluctantly takes in her niece for a while, before she begins college.

Unfortunately, things get off to a very rocky start when her niece participates in some ghoulish behavior, then one of Brigid’s dogs becomes ill, quite show more suddenly, and then Brigid, herself, begins experiencing the hallmark symptoms of a serious illness.

Meanwhile, a local couple asks Brigid to investigate the alleged accidental drowning death of their son, who was not popular amongst his classmates.

If you read the first book in this series, you will have noticed that Brigid seems almost mellow in this installment, by comparison. But don’t let that fool you- Brigid still has her edge- it’s just taking a small sabbatical while Brigid is wading through the heaviness of her symptoms, and facing the possibility of her own mortality in a way she never has before.

There is a lot going on in this novel- but many of the key shifts are quiet and may even go unnoticed at first. I wouldn’t let my guard down, if I were you, as the last quarter of the book hypnotically weaves all the threads together to reveal a huge surprise and a riveting conclusion.

I am definitely all in with this series and am eagerly anticipating Brigid’s next adventure!!

4 stars show less