Sign of Evil by T.J. Brearton
A Shannon Ames Thriller #3

Dark, gritty, gruesome, and painful to read…this story’s serial killer is not easy to determine till late in the story. An intriguing killer with a motive that is difficult to unearth and even more difficult to understand. What a read this one was!

What I liked:
* Shannon: her belief in the good she does working for the FBI is tangible; and her willingness to tackle difficult jobs seems to be known/expected by her superiors. Perhaps she is a bit too gung-ho? At times I wondered what anchored her…perhaps her faith, as it is referred to from time to time, but what else keeps her steady and balanced?
* Luis Cardoza: he doesn’t show up much in this book but he seems to be a dedicated NYPD officer, loving father, divorced man that stands on the side of right and keeping the world safe. His humanity shows in his response to one case mentioned that he dealt with. I like him but wonder if he and Shannon will be able to stay together throughout the series.
* The creep-horror factor of the killings and then contemplating how one person could do what was done to those that were killed.
* Bufort: as Shannon’s backup this colleague is intriguing…I would like to see more of him in the future
* It seemed real and utterly believable
* That it included the idea that not everyone can be saved no matter how much one might want to save them.
* The darkness of drugs, prostitution, the sex trade, abuse, and all the rest
* Wondering about what will happen in the next book and who will show up to work with and be part of Shannon’s next case.

What I didn’t like:
* The baddie…even the backstory didn’t legitimize the killing…
* Knowing that there are real “working girls” out in the world and that their lives are just as difficult and even more difficult than the ones in this book.
* Having to wait for the next book to be written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )