I love this series of books. The story moved at a great pace. I could not put this down. Thanks for the Arc NG

**I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
*I have not read the other books in this series*

In this book, Becky Masterman explores the possibility of there being a third person involved in the Clutter murders detailed in Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD.

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn has a new neighbor in town who seems a little too eager to ingratiate himself into her and her husband Carlo's quiet life.... And she's right. Told in dual perspective we get both Brigid and Jerry's POV. At times, I found that this POV flipped flopped mid chapter and without page breaks, leading to confusion on my part and a general sense of whiplash as I tried to figure out which perspective I was in. Hint: Brigid's POV is first person, his is third.

The pace builds steadily throughout the book, but I found the writing style, half removed and rather passive, to take away from the tension and really pull me from the story at times. It's my personal opinion, but I am not a fan of the 'come sit on my knee here and I'll tell you a story' style. I like my thrillers to be a little more immersive, but hey, that's my two cents.

The characters were fully fleshed out and I liked Brigid's struggle to come to terms with her husbands truth from his previous marriage where he was left widowed. I also like how the tables turned and he found himself having to reconcile his idea of his new wife with her reality. It's one thing to know something about a person's past, and quite another to watch it. Watching this inner journey unfold was hidden pleasure and I loved that the main character was a little older than the average hero, with white hair and fine lines to boot.

The story was fun to read and the author did a good job mixing her fiction with the facts from Capote. I appreciated she didn't hold back from the violence the book required, but she didn't go into too much detail either. It was a nice balance.

I would recommend reading a sample of the book and if you enjoy the unique writing style, then i think you will enjoy reading this book.

This was a great read. Almost like a cold case file that moves to modern day. I little history of the past and history of the main characters to pull it all together. I would recommend anybody to give it a try

Free copy given to me for my review!!

I am not a series person much but I may go back a few. Nice story wrapping the "In Cold Blood" piece around a sixty year old lead character. Finally an author knows there is life after you get old, injured, and no longer have abs!!!

Playing off of true crime story Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the narrative alternates between former FBI agent Bridgid and recently released criminal Jerry, looking to prevent his incrimination for an old crime.

It’s classified as a thriller but everything felt a bit lukewarm. There was no mystery, no suspense, no real stakes... everyone was who they appeared to be. It was written well but I kept getting bored and the ending didn’t really hit hard enough to make up for the lackluster beginning and middle.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but it didn't really matter. I quickly got into the creepy story and am curious to go back and read the other books as well!

"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

I didn't realize when I started this that it was a part 4 in a series but it inspired me to get the first 3 from the library. Quinn reminded me of the character D.D. Warren from Lisa Gardner books. Thank you #netgalley for showing me a new favorite author!

Ms. Masterman has created an excellent portrayal of a killer’s mind in this riveting story. Jerry Beaufort is paranoid that someone will find out about his past that never came to light even though he was in prison 30 years for a different crime. When he is finally released after serving his time he sets out on a path to find the Priest and the incriminating evidence he knows exists. He is quite willing and able to murder his way to success.

Former FBI agent Brigid Quinn is adjusting to married life with her new husband, Carlo, a former Priest and current university president. She is unwittingly dragged into a murder case when a Priest and former mentor of her husband dies suddenly.

Jerry Beaufort thought that the now dead Priest had the evidence, but he soon decides that Carlo is probably the Priest that has the written confession of his former partner in crime. Jerry then establishes a new identity and persona, proceeds to wrangle his way into the lives of Brigid and Carlo, and sets them up for destruction. Little does he realize that Brigid is a formidable adversary.

Jerry is not as smart as he thinks he is, his relationship with his live-in girlfriend is cringeable. Brigid makes many dumb moves, and Carlo is imperfect as a warm and caring husband. But put them all together and you have an intriguing and very readable novel that pulls you in.

Thank you, NetGalley, for offering me a free advance copy of this novel for my honest review.

Number 3 in the saga of Brigid Quinn. A man is released from prison. A true crime murder/story - In Cold Blood - unknowingly connects Brigid and Carlo. A series of events uncovers the threads connecting it all. Along the way Brigid uses her skills and connections to investigate a new friend (who may have ulterior motives). The story also addresses Carlo's first wife and how he left the priesthood. I enjoy seeing the relationship between Brigid and Carlo develop as she learns to let someone close after 50 years of disconnection.

Another action packed story!

Very good book with twists and turns shocking you. Good depth to characters. and interesting that several parts are true stories in real life.

This is my first crime novel by Becky Masterman and I'll definitely read more of her. Very intense, suspenseful, and well paced. I'm new to reading crime dramas so I was a bit squeamish with some of the descriptive violence.

It reads a bit of a reimagined events revenge novel. I struggled at the beginning to make sense of the characters - I haven't read In Cold Blood so I did stop and do some quick research so that I was more familiar with the case. Once I did that, everything clicked into place and it was a quick read.

The novel is a fictionalized account of the Clutter/Walker family murders in 1959 in Kansas and Florida bringing in a potential third person who was responsible for the Walker case which remains unsolved to this day. The book goes back and forth between the perspectives of retired FBI Agent Brigid Quinn and newly released from prison, Jeremiah Beaufort. The character development is so good and the plot is fast-paced.

This is full of thrills, chills, and the hair on the back of my neck stood quite a number of times. I recommend this book for true-crime lovers, or for those who love a delicious mystery. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read this.

Apparently this is the 4th in the Brigid Quinn (ex FBI agent) series but it is the first time I have come across Brigid and her ex-priest husband, Carlo.

The whole premise of the book is bound up with In Cold Blood by Truman Capote who wrote about the murders of the Walker Family in 1959 for which Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed. Masterman’s book examines whether the murders of the Clutter family (a month later) were carried out by the same perpetrators and Brigid investigates this cold case.

In the course of her investigation she suggests that there may have been a third killer, Jerry Beaufort, 15 at the time of the murders but now 70 and finally released from prison. Jerry is a psychopath who thinks he is incredibly smart and is concerned about all the ‘new’ forensics and what he needs to do to protect himself. This aspect of Jerry I found to be particularly interesting and I liked the way this was portrayed - his awareness (and sometimes lack of it) and the increasing suspicion that Brigid and Carlo thought something was ‘off’.

Without going into too much detail (spoiler) there were a couple of issues I struggled with – mainly the idea of Carlo being hoodwinked so easily and Brigid acting as a fully paid up member of the FBI when in fact she was retired. That said, it was an exciting read and I was certainly surprised by the plot development (in a good way) and enjoyed the employment of a real crime combined with fiction.

Thoroughly recommend for an intriguing plot.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. No spoilers!

I requested this book because I'm a true crime fan and the plot featuring the Clutter family murders (of In Cold Blood fame) intrigued me. Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me. The characters are one dimensional and feel straight out of central casting and the plot was very predictable.

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series so I was missing a little of the backstory on the characters, but there wasn't enough in this book to compel me to read the other books. The main character was whiny, insecure and self-absorbed. The husband is portrayed like a saint, so trusting and honest to his own detriment. And the niece character is just odd. I was interested to learn about the inconsistencies in Capote's account of the killings and I will explore the additional materials the author referenced.

I received a free ARC from #NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

#WeWereKIllersOnce is the fourth book in the Brigid Quinn series. I have NOT read the other titles, but for the most part that did not cause me any difficulty. There were brief mentions to other situations, other deaths, other cases but knowledge of them was not necessary to understand this plot.

Brigid Quinn is a former FBI agent and old enough to qualify for a senior citizen discount. Her age, however, has not lessened her deductive, kick-ass skills. She is now married to a former priest who personifies patience and calm, qualities which Brigid really doesn't have. Her marriage is really the only thing that Brigid worries about; Is she good enough for Carlo? Is she a poor replacement for his former, now deceased, wife? Their marriage brings a softness to Brigid's character that makes her far more appealing.

In contrast, readers see Jeremiah Beaufort, a now elderly man being released from a near lifetime in prison. But, Jeremiah has secrets that could land him not just back in jail but on death row. He is determined to eliminate any clues that might bring the police to him. Despite eons in jail, Jeremiah manages to click with old contacts, learn about the Internet, and plot his way across the country. (Love that Jeremiah used public libraries!)

So here is the part that I didn't like. How many coincidences can one novel have? Brigid grew up in Florida where her policeman father spoke of the Walker family murders which had occurred nearby. These conversations were seared into the memory of the young Brigid. Suspects included the two men, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who were convicted of the Clutter family murders in Kansas. The two men were in the area at the time the Walkers died and many believed there were similarities between the two crimes. Masterman makes frequent allusions to Truman Capote's In Cold Blood which will prove difficult if a reader is unfamiliar with the work. So Brigid and Carlo now live in Arizona and, what-do-you-know, Carlo the former priest has some connection to the prison where Smith and Hickock were housed in Kansas. Carlo's mentor was also a priest who had contact with Hickock and may have heard his final confession. And just what is Beaufort's connection to these crimes from decades earlier?

We Were Killers Once is a great title.

This is my first by this author and is a twist on Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, which I've not read but somewhat know the story. This is a book that true crime fans will thoroughly enjoy. Thank you NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A solid entry in the Brigid Quinn series. It's been quite a while since I read In Cold Blood but I liked how Masterman set these stories on top of one another. A greater look into Carlos also, which we rarely get.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Having not read any other books in this series, it did not lessen a great experience for me. It is centered around murders that happened 30 years ago. Two men were executed for those murders... but maybe there is a third person involved. There was never a dull moment in this story!

For you true crime aficionados out there. Do these names ring a bell?

The Clutter family, Perry Smith, Richard Eugene Hickock.

No? Let me add one more name: Truman Capote. Bet you know now.

Those were the primary subjects of Capote’s In Cold Blood. But this isn’t a retelling or some new twist to what remains one of the most visible slaughters of our time. Buried within Capote’s book and the various archives of the crime is one little remembered detail. When Smith and Hickock were driving the 400 miles across Kansas to the Clutter home, they picked up a 14yo boy and his ill grandfather who were hitchhiking to Colorado. It’s this little bit of karma that Masterman jumps on.

The boy is one Jeremiah Beaufort. A very troubled boy. when he was about 10 years old, he an his annoying little brother were messing around with their dad’s shotgun. You can guess what happens. Said it was an accident but he got sent to juve detention for a couple years. When he got out, his parents told him to get lost. Ended up with his grandfather and the eventual cross-country trip. They’d been gathering bottles for the deposit to buy food. Jeremiah sees some glittering in a field. Smith/Hickock pull over and let the kid out. Takes his very ill grandfather by the arm, walks toward their treasure, sits his grandfather down, and leaves him there.

Smith/Hickock are spooked, but not enough to dump the kid. So the kid is now perp #3 and participates in the robbery and killing of the Clutter family. Now all three are on the run. To Mexico. To California. To Florida. To Miami. To Sarasota. To Tampa. On the drive to Vegas, Jeremiah takes off. While in Vegas, the FBI finally catch up with Smith/Hickock.

They are, of course, charged with the Clutter murders, but also a family named Walker from Sarasota because the M.O. was the same and they were in Sarasota at the same time. But they didn’t do it. And the Walker case was never solved.

So much for history. It’s now 55 years later. Beaufort had been caught up in the three strikes and you are out for a series of drug trafficking crimes in Florida. But his sentence was commuted, and he was released. He has been panicked for quite some time. In all the hubbub about the Clutter case (multiple revisions of confessions), apparently Hickock requested a priest to hear (and read) his confession prior to his execution. In it, he straightened out a number of misconceptions, including the truth behind the Walker killings. If that written confession gets out, Beaufort will be facing execution.

The priest who heard the confession is dying from cancer. Upon his death, a sealed envelope was to be delivered to a protégé of the priest, Carlo, now a retired philosophy professor living in Tucson.

Through his own doggedness, Beaufort tracks down Carlo and plots how to find out if he does indeed have the forgotten confession. But he runs into a buzz saw of an opponent: Carlo’s wife is Brigit Quinn, retired FBI (and her own ghosts and demons). Being a suspicious sort, she notices a number of things about Beaufort that simply don’t add up. Now two are looking for the same thing, and while Quinn is a whole lot better at the looking part, Beaufort is a whole lot better at the stealing-hostage taking-killing part.

I have to admit. About a third of the way into this book, I was ready to put it down and just move on. Not only does Masterman jump back and forth between Beaufort and Quinn, but also across time for Beaufort from his days in prison to his intersection with Smith/Hickok to his history as a child and his search for the hidden confession. Got to the point where it was hard to keep straight who and when. For me, I would’ve liked each chapter to have had a heading (who) and a date (when).

But I struggled on. The 2nd half had less bouncing around and the story became (mostly) linear (helpful for my aged brain) and much much more exciting. The last third, as both close in on Hickock’s confession, downright flew in overdrive as Masterman brought all the loose ends together to a breathless end. This is the 4th in her Brigit Quinn series. I think I might be trying to find #1, Rage Against the Dying. Here's hoping the library has a copy.

ECD

This was one of the best thriller mystery books I've ever read! It deals with murders that happened 30 years ago and even though two men were executed for those murders, what if there had been a third person. And what if one of the executed men left a final confession finally pointing the finger at that third person? There was never a dull moment in this story! Very fast paced and we'll written with very fleshed out and believable people. I loved it and I'm so thankful that I received an ARC from #Netgalley