Publishers Weekly
04/01/2019
Inspired by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Masterman’s intriguing fourth Brigid Quinn thriller (after 2017’s A Twist of the Knife) supposes that Dick Hickock and Perry Smith didn’t act alone when they killed the Clutter family in Kansas in 1959. For Brigid’s upcoming wedding anniversary, her husband, Carlo DiForenza, has the perfect gift, a memento from his days as a prison chaplain—a sketch by Hickock. Retired FBI agent Brigid has been obsessed with the notion that Hickock and Smith were also guilty of murdering a family of four in Florida a month after the Clutter slayings, a crime that was never solved. Brigid discovers a letter hidden behind the sketch that leads to a written confession by Hickock implicating a third person, Jerry Beaufort, who was 15 at the time. Now nearly 70, Jerry, who was recently released from prison after serving time for trafficking and drug possession, decides to track down a detective and others involved in the Clutter case. Fearful that modern-day forensics could expose his role in the murders, he’s prepared to kill anyone who could implicate him. After his research reveals Carlo’s link to Hickock, Jerry sets out for Arizona to silence Carlo. Masterman keeps the tension high throughout this page-turner. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
"The book is stunning, best villain in a decade. The plot is mesmerizing, with a narrative that shocks as it enthralls. Fantastic."—Ken Bruen
Praise for Rage Against the Dying:
“Pulse-quickening...scorching...invigorating.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“When the nominations are made for the best crime-novel debut of the year, we should be hearing [Masterman's] name again.” —The Washington Post
“One of the most memorable FBI agents since Clarice Starling.” —Publishers Weekly (starred, Pick of the Week)
“Wow. An absolute pleasure. Chilling, smart...and what a voice.” —Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
“Masterman lives up to her name in this masterly combination of compelling character and plot.” —Library Journal (starred review)
AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Kate Harper is the new voice of the Brigid Quinn mysteries. In this thriller, which can be listened to as a stand-alone, two storylines converge. The first involves the relationship between ex-FBI agent Brigid and her husband, a professor, and the second follows a drug dealer just released from prison. This is no ordinary ex-con, however; when Jerry was a teen, he spent some time with Perry Smith and Dick Hickok, the killers profiled in IN COLD BLOOD. Harper chooses a slow pace for the audiobook, matching Brigid’s incremental discovery of Jerry’s past and why he has befriended her husband. Although her portrayals of the women outshine those of the men, overall, Harper’s delivery is natural and expressive. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
