We Were Killers Once: A Thriller

by Becky Masterman

Overview

"Former FBI agent Brigid Quinn, with her trademark toughness, raw humor, and human frailty, is back and better than ever in Masterman’s latest novel. As Quinn is drawn into an infamous cold case with a possible link to the two killers immortalized by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, she finds danger closing in. A gripping premise, brilliantly executed—you won’t be able to put this one down!"—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo's days as a prison chaplain--a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo's old things--has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he'd like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he'll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.

Becky Masterman's unputdownable thrillers featuring unique heroine Brigid Quinn continue with this fascinating alternative look at one of America's most famous crimes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466886230
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Series:	Brigid Quinn Series , #4
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

BECKY MASTERMAN, who was an acquisitions editor for a press specializing in medical textbooks for forensic examiners and law enforcement, received her M.A. in creative writing from Florida Atlantic University. Her debut thriller, Rage Against the Dying, was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of 2013, the ITV Thriller Award, as well as the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony awards. Becky lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband.

BECKY MASTERMAN, who was an acquisitions editor for a press specializing in medical textbooks for forensic examiners and law enforcement, received her M.A. in creative writing from Florida Atlantic University. Her debut thriller, Rage Against the Dying, was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of 2013, as well as the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony awards. She won the Tony Hillerman Fiction Award for A Twist of the Knife. Becky lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

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)

Publishers Weekly

"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)

From the Publisher

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

AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile