Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

This book revisits the case in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. I was expecting some excitement as a third killer is introduced. However, the writing style makes the book hard to follow. It started out very slowly and struggled with the pace after that. I appreciated another look at this famous crime, but the book fell flat to me.

First, a big thank you to the author, Becky Masterman, the publisher, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this one down. This is a brilliantly thought-out story, a "what if" in regards to the Clutter and Walker family murders in the late 1950s, memorialized by Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. But with so many unsolved pieces to those crimes, Masterman has brilliantly brought in a fictional 3rd character to sew it all up. The research and creativity involved in this is very impressive and I was loathe to put it down. In addition, the thriller-suspenseful movement is appropriately dotted with little, thought-provoking gems like:  "...marriage is about repeatedly forgiving the other person for not being us." These little philosophical musings, not only made one stop and think, but added to the reader's understanding of these characters. 

I did, however, find the writing somewhat inconsistent, with unnecessary repetitions and too much explaining that felt a bit condescending to the reader and broke up the pace. The author at times violated the 'show don't tell' rule and I would find myself disappointed because otherwise the plot is fabulous and I highly recommend this for anyone, but especially those who are fascinated with one of the biggest crime stories of the 20th century.

Jerry Beaufort has been released from prison after spending decades behind bars. He could quietly go on to lead his life but he is afraid there is a confession out there that could put him back in prison. In 1959 murders were committed and a book, In Cold Blood was written about them. The perpetrators were found guilty, but were there other people involved. Were there more crimes connected to the convicted killers? Jerry is afraid someone out there knows about his time spent with the 2 killers.

This is an interesting premise for a book. The story started out slow. We see the story from the point of view of retired FBI agent Brigid and Jerry. Some parts were in the first person which is not my favorite style of writing. I also had a problem connecting with the characters. This is a quick, fast paced read. If you are looking fo a beach read and you don’t mind first person this might be for you. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I loved this book. I was attracted by the cover and the link to In Cold Blood. What I enjoyed most about the book was that it linked to the recent capture of the Golden State Killer in answering the question of what goes through the minds of criminals, who for years have been safe in the knowledge that they will never be discovered. but are now at risked at being unmasked through developments in forensic science.

The characters were likable and dislikable in a pleasing way and I would read back in this series to spend more time with them. Beaumont, the released convict was incredibly creepy and plausible (I Googled the tune he hums and felt chills). As a Librarian, I can relate to the part where he asks for help in using the Internet and in setting up an email account - in the UK we have to apply for welfare benefits online and this is a priority for released prisoners. This also showed how non judgmental libraries are in helping people, so big thanks to the author for the positive representation!

Initially I felt uneasy about the use of real events and In Cold Blood as inspiration, given the mess that Capote made of it, but this was written with care and awareness for the authenticity of past events.

I thought this was a fascinating subject for a book, but the story just didn't connect with me entirely. The book felt a little long at times.

To be clear there is a lot of strong writing in this book and some great quotes like, "love isn't so much a feeling as it is a decision." The book toggles between the first person perspectives of our hero, Brigid, and the third person perspective of Jerry the killer (save for one incredibly jarring chapter where it switched between the two perspectives mid-page.)

Overall, I preferred the Brigid chapters over the Jerry ones. Her background in law enforcement was intriguing and her later-in-life marriage to Carlo was one we don't often get to see illustrated in stories.

I struggled more with Jerry chapters. Toward the end of the book we get a sense of how sinister and evil Jerry actually is, but up until that point, he's not exactly portrayed that way on the page. He's not a GOOD man, that much is clear, but he's not scary either (or at least he wasn't to me--perhaps it was all of the talk about how unintelligent he was). For the most point, he and Brigid seem pretty evenly matched. Actually Brigid seems MORE than a match for his schemes. In fact, I had no doubts about Brigid being in any sort of actual danger at any point in the book. Seeing as this was a classic cat/mouse kind of pursuit book, that ended up being problematic.

I see now that is book #4 in a series. I didn't know that going in. If you're in the same position, know that you won't be LOST per se in this book, but you will get the sense that you've missed out on stuff --kind of like being a stranger at a dinner party with old friends. There are references to past situations/cases tossed in here and there, that you may feel confused by.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A family murdered in 1959 who would think that this cold case would ever be solved. Well when ex-convict Jerry is released you would think all that he would want to do is live a plain life. Yet, as you will find out that isn't what will happen. He will find his self in the cross hairs of ex FBI agent Brigid Quinn when he enters their live and he will wish he never did. Jerry knows that someone knows the truth of what really happened all those years ago and he is determined to find it even if that means killing. It isn't like he is new to doing that. With the help of Gemma- Kate, Brigid will be able to put a stop to Jerry and uncover all what happened those years ago. We go between Jerry and Brigid's point of view and when the two worlds collide it is pretty good. We get to see just how dangerous Gemma-Kate can be. I did feel as though I may need to read the other books in this series before I read this one just so I can get more background into who Brigid was when she was an agent. I think the author did a great job with the characters and how they interact with others and handled situations. The way Brigid handled the car on the slope was super cool I am not sure I could have done something like that.

This is one of those crime thrillers that give you nightmares. I should never have read it before going to bed as I lied awake envisioning psychopaths coming after me.

Brigid Quinn, the main character, is a badass former FBI special agent on the cusp of retirement with her fairly new philosopher husband. She's looking to simplify her life but can't walk away from an innate inquisitive nature.

In this book, she's up against a psychopath that finds ways to justify his killing needs. He's on a killing spree to try and eliminate a written death row confession. As it so happens, Quinn's husband is at the end of the chain that may possess that confession.

"We Were Killers Once" will be well received by crime thriller readers with an interest in fast action suspenseful prose.

In exchange for my opinion and review I would like to thank NetGalley again for a copy of this book. It started a bit slow but got me interested more and more. It is a good book of a crime that happened in the past with the main events happening in the present. Go read it and judge for yourself

I enjoyed taking my time reading this one. It did start off a little slow but maybe that was the point; as I kept wanting to know about the characters.

Would recommend to others.

I hesitated on reading this book because I had loved in the area, and had read the book that inspired this idea. Would the story, even though fiction do justice to the real story? I would say the answer is both yes and no.

First I will start out with why I say that this was a highly enjoyable and absolutely imaginative concept for story. Not all of the dots in any true crime are 100% connected. And it always leaves that little tiny inkling of what if. This story almost perfectly sets up a plausible, realistic, and believable what ifs. There were times during it that I had to stop and remind myself that this was a work of fiction. You get sucked into the story from multiple characters and it really creates almost a faux reality where you are watching these events actually unfold, versus reading a piece of fiction. The details that are used make the story very readable and very believable. Down to the aged character struggling to learn tech.

Now, for the parts that I really struggled with. I love the fact that They started the villain out very young with a believable backstory. Unfortunately, what I did struggle with was the main events of the book happening in present day. The age of the possible third man by the late 2010s makes some of the things that he does and the level of quick violence that he can attain fairly unrealistic. I can understand keeping contacts west incarcerated, but most of this would have occurred criminal was in his almost mid-70s. This is also the age of my in-laws, and I just can't see either of them doing some of the things he did. Had to spend set in the late '90s, or even mid-2000s I feel it would have been a little more plausible and believable for his contacts to be as quick and able to at a moment's notice create a hit.

My only other qualm about the story is the fact that the author had we're tired on quickly giving him a back story, I felt like a lot of that time he was serving was glossed over. And what truly was the motivation for some of the crimes he committed? It was like oh I'm riding in a car, and I'm going to kill a bunch of people. I just wish it would have gone more and depth into that part of him. One of my nagging questions is there a parallel between this killer and the actions of a certain relative in the Quinn family?

All and all, it is a good book. A fantastic work of fiction that was inspired by one of the nations most heinous crimes of that period. It gives away a closure to some crimes that are still unsolved today. I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to pre-read this story in exchange for my non-biased opinion and review.

I loved everything about this book. The references to In Cold Blood was the icing on the cake for me. There were discrepancies from the Truman Capote book so the extra character in this book actually made a lot of sense. I would definitely recommend to anyone who has read In Cold Blood and is looking for an added piece to the puzzle.

We were Killers Once
Jerry Beaufort is being released from prison after spending decades locked up on drug charges. He just needs to tie up some loose ends before he can start a new life for himself. While he has been in prison, law enforcement has been making strides in DNA technology. Jerry needs to find out if his DNA has been linked to a decades old, infamous case.

While trying to track down info on DNA and the murders made famous by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Jerry learns that there may be a signed confession that implicates him. And so begins a journey involving a cold case detective, a dying priest, a former priest, a former FBI agent and her niece who is likely a psychopath.

This is book #4 in a series and while it is not necessary to this story to have started the series at book #1, it might be helpful in terms of the main characters. Brigid, Carlo and to a smaller degree, Gemma-Kate are the main characters in the series and like walking into a room where everyone is acquainted, it seems as though you are missing the inside information to make them seem believable.

We were killers once is a very intense look into mind of a killer. Lots of drama and incite into minds of all the characters involved in this story. I found it slow at first , but then it picked up the pace.

Every so often you come across a book that from the moment your eyes fall upon the first sentence everything else in your life from e-mails to household chores is put on hold. Novels like these are reminders not only of why we read but also of just how a talented writer can make a story whose details we think we know new and exciting.

We Were Killers Once examines some of the same ground covered by Truman Capote in IN COLD BLOOD. While Capote covered the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Kansas by two petty felons who were later executed – it dismissed out of hand their involvement in a second identical murder of a Florida family named Walker. Capote also briefly mentioned a hitch-hiking boy picked up by the murderous duo in his book, but did not pursue the possibility of the hitch-hikers involvement in either event.

Becky Masterman’s re-examination of the murders of the Clutter family in Kansas and the Walker family in Florida as well as the “hitchhiking boy” picked up by the murderous duo combines real life murders, a detective story( featuring a former FBI agent and her ex-priest husband) and a plethora of psychological suspense in a blended tale that is certain to draw readers into this dazzling odyssey that takes them into the mind of a man who will do anything to keep his secrets ---even as he searches for answers.

I don't know what I was expecting when I downloaded the book, but it wasn't this. I don't know what you are expecting when you set out to read this book, but I bet it won't be what you find. Read it and find out. It will be worth it.

We Were Killer's Once is a quick paced exciting book that is part of a series, but can be read a standalone. This is the first I have read by this author and I will go back and read the others in this series.

Wow... this was one great thriller! Such an amazing novel. I cannot wait to read more from Becky Masterman! She completely help my attention from the very beginning. Absolutely fantastic. The characters were brought to life from the very first page. A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur books and the author for an advanced copy of this thriller that is slated to be released on the 4th of June, 2019.

I rarely (if ever) start any kind of book series in the middle but the fictional premise of this book lured me right in. There was a third person that assisted Hicock and Smith of "In Cold Blood"that killed the family in Kansas and then what really happened to the Walkers in Florida ?

Brigid Quinn is retired FBI and newly married to former priest Carlo who also happens to be linked to Hicock through a former spiritual mentor. Jerry Beaufort is released from prison, an old man, due to a long history of drug dealing and wants his involvement to remain secret.....

There are no real twists and turns in this novel but rather we have the story told through Brigid's and Jerry's perspective and how their two lives collide or rather explode !!

The writing is fairly simple and quick and easy to read. There is a logical story arc. There is also enough back history of both the murders and the detective so that it can be read as a standalone.
The action moves at a fairly quick clip and is mostly interesting throughout. The dialogue is mostly pretty natural. I struggled, however, with the psychological congruence of both Brigid and Jerry and I felt that at times their motives and decisions needed to be more carefully constructed. Gemma-Kate, who is Brigid's niece, is a sociopath-savant and I did not find her very believable but to be fair I have not been privy to her development in previous installments. The ending was also very quick and very tv detective drama and rather unsatisfying.

All in all, I am very glad to have read this one despite my reservations. I am not sure however if I will read any earlier installments or tune into any future ones.

Good for a beach vacation but somewhat lacking as a serious and exciting thriller.

If you have ever had even a passing interest in true crime and alternative interpretations of past evens or obsessed over Truman Capote's book In Cold Blood, pick this book up immediately. Masterman has expertly woven Capote's original account of crimes that happened decades ago into her newest book featuring Brigid Quinn. While I have not read any of the previous novels in this series, the characters and pertinent past events are explained more than well enough to make this a standalone book.
When the book begins, ex-con Jerry is introduced as he is released from prison. The extent of his crimes is not revealed until much later, but it's obvious from the get-go that he isn't someone you'd want to be on the wrong side of. Like a true sociopath, he is able to explain away his actions to alleviate himself from feeling any guilt. During his reintroduction to the world, he learns about new technology in place to help with past cold cases. Understandably, he begins to go over his past actions with a fine tooth comb, searching online to see if any evidence may have been left behind that could now link him to these unsolved crimes. During his search, he is unwittingly brought into contact with ex FBI agent turned PI Brigid, her husband Carlo, and not quite right niece, Gemma-Kate.
The events quickly unspool, with the pacing picking up speed faster than a runaway roller coaster. The last fifty or so pages were especially tense and action filled. My only qualm is that the characters felt a little one note, but since the plot is action driven, this was only a small gripe.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy and I look forward to reading more about Brigid in the future (and hopefully also Gemma-Kate!).

I love the kind of book that Ms Masterman wrote--historical fiction--which in this case is from not that long ago. This story is about an aspect of the Clutter/Walker murders fictionalized in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. We learn of a possible third party involved and that is the character and those he interacts with that is fictionalized in this thriller. I thought the characters of the ex-FBI agent and her husband, a college philosophy professor, were perfect for this and they were extremely well-developed, so much so that I thought I had missed the first novel of a series. The action was taut and everyone seemed to behave as you would imagine them too but there were still surprises throughout the story. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of #wewerekillersonce ahead of publication.