Thank you to the author Becky Masterman, the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

A very interesting retake on a murder case made famous by Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood". What if a third person had been involved? This novel is a relentless, exciting retelling of the famous story replayed today. It involves two already established characters, Brigid Quinn, a former FBI agent and her husband Carlo. It is the 4th book in the series, but still exciting as a stand-alone. I found the characters interesting enough that I will go back and read the first 3 books in the series.

It is a great true crime fiction book that will bring another generation into the fold of aficionados of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood".

Bridge Quinn, retired from the FBI, but as is often the case, winds up back on a case. I really liked this character as well as her husband! Carlos is a former priest and professor. It's also the first book in the series I have read. I was thrilled this book features an "older" couple. While I didn't feel that they were old, they are mature and interesting. Anyway, from Carlo's past, comes a message and suddenly a case with convicted murders might have missed a third killer. If a third killer was missed, is that person the one responsible for taking out another family?

I always like multiple points of view. This one has the killers, so they are very separated, but relevant. The twists were interesting enough and other than the book being slow to build up, I found it quite fascinating.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

I really wanted to love We Were Killers Once.

I tried to go back to this book several times, and finally DNF’d it at 36%.

I think I could like this book at a different point in my life, but as of right now it just doesn’t hold me attention the way a good thriller should.

I enjoyed the concept of a man who feels wrong accused, and a little girl who gets too much information from her cop dad, and his friends.

I think I’ll request this book from the library at some point down the road and give it another shot.

If you’ve read it, what did you think? I wanna know if you think it’s worth diving into again!

Although I haven't read the previous books in the serious, I enjoyed the book. The book overall has relatively slow pace with some build up of tension but did enjoy the bit of fact and fiction mixed together. Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

I have not heard great things about this book, so I'm DNF'ing this book. I'm also no longer interested in the content.

I could not get into this book. Did not like the author's style of writing. Others will probably enjoy it, but not me.

I hadn’t realized this was the 4th book in a series when I first started to read it, but found it to be perfectly ok as a stand-alone. I was also unfamiliar with Capote’s In Cold Blood but again, that didn’t cause any issues. I really liked both the storyline and the characters, especially the relationship Brigid has with Carlo and I truly liked her character. I will definitely be looking to read the previous books in this series because I’ve clearly been missing out on a fantastic set of books!!

We Were Killers Once


Becky Masterman


We Were Killers Once begins with a flashback to 1959: six-year-old Brigid Quinn sits on her father's lap as he and his police buddies recount the brutal murder of a Florida family just before Christmas. As the men sit in the kitchen drinking and smoking, they can't help but make the connection between the Walker murders and the equally gruesome killings of the Clutter family just a month before in Kansas. Their talk terrifies Brigid and though she outgrows her fear, the Clutter murders continue to obsess her for decades. As she tells the story of that long-ago night to her husband Carlo, she has no idea he is even more closely connected to the Clutter case than she is and that the past is about to come knocking on their door. Or to be more precise—to turn up in their backyard.


I never sat in my kitchen listening to stories about murder but I vividly remember my childhood fascination with In Cold Blood. The novel sat on our bookshelves, Truman Capote's name spelled out in an ominous shade of red. And like Brigid, true crime stories still rivet me, whether I'm listening to the latest “My Favorite Murder” podcast or reading another police procedural. So the retired FBI agent's character felt familiar from the very beginning of this novel, though I haven't read the other books in the series. I loved discovering an older female protagonist, especially one so different from the usual Miss Marple/Jessica Fletcher type (which I confess I'm also fond of). Brigid's character – cynical, no-nonsense, yet deeply loyal with a dry sense of humor – reminded me a little of Lehane's Patrick Kenzie, with a vulnerable twist. She is a genuine badass but is also insecure to the point of paranoia at times. I also liked that Masterman resists glorifying Brigid's violent qualities and dark past. Carlo – ex-priest, retired philosophy professor – makes that impossible, just as she forces him to realize how messy and untheoretical morality can be.


The plot in We Were Killers Once springs from two questions. What if a third person was involved in the Clutter murders? And what if that person served as the link with the Walker murders? Told from alternating points of view, the novel gives readers a glimpse into the mind of long-time con Jerry Beaufort and into Brigid's growing suspicions about him. While the plot can be slow in places and there are a few aspects of the story that stretch credibility, Masterman's writing skills are strong enough that this didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. In fact, I found myself reading the entire author's note at the end (which I rarely do) and googling the Walker murders. I was surprised at the depth of research that went into writing the mystery. Though Beaufort is an imaginary creation, many of the facts in the book about the Walker and Clutters murders are true. I look forward to reading some of the texts Masterman used as references, as well as catching up on the first three novels in the series.


Much thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The fourth book in the Brigid Quinn series picks up in Tucson. The book is written from two POV which is Beauforts, the killers and Brigid's. As the book progresses a third POV enters. This book goes back to a cold case murder that happened in Florida in 1959 and draws on the murders written about in Cold Blood. I have not read the first two books in the series, which I plan to do, but I have read the third one and this one. The plot questions what if there was a third killer in these murders. Some of the book seems a bit far fetched but overall it was very enjoyable and I plan to continue reading this series.

A Fascinating book and a good read. The cover really catches the eye, and the synopsis draws you in. Thank you Netgalley for approving me! I don't believe you need to have read the previous books in this series to understand and enjoy it. I'll be looking into the other Brigid Quinn books!

A fictional account of the cold case for Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood full of what ifs. What if there was a third killer? What if they were also responsible for the murder of a family in Sarasota, FL? What if there was a written confession? A retired FBI agent who has been following the case since she was a child discovers that her husband may have a major clue that can help solve the case. As she follows the bread crumbs, she becomes suspicious of a stranger who is imposing upon her quite life. An interesting concept, but it fell a little short. 3.5 stars overall.

We Were Killers Once would be a great book for another reader. I'm not a huge thriller/true-crime/mystery novels and only attempt a handful a year. This book is part of a series, which I didn't realize when I started. I'm sure it didn't matter if I had been rapt by the book, but it hung over me like a shadow.
I won't be posting this on my website as I don't think I'm giving the book the chance it deserves.

The story is based on Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, which is based on actual events. There have always been rumors that there was a third person present at those murders and that there were additional victims in FL. This novel is a what-if of those murders, well researched and the premise is plausible. 

Once the story gets going it has great pacing and some very interesting characters. 

I didn't like that the connections that move the plot forward seem to come out of thin air and only hold up if you don't think about them for too long while twisting your head to the side, looking over your glasses and squinting.

When I realized this was the fourth in a series, I had to read the first three because that’s the way I like to do it. While this novel, and any of the others, can be read as a stand-alone, I think you get a better sense of the characters, their behavior and thought process of you read them all in order. This particular novel relies more on an “outside” case that is very well known, making it perfect to read on its own; however, the behavior, idiosyncrasies and hang-ups of the characters, especially the main, Brigid Quinn, is much more exemplified in this book which may or may not be better with some background. Either way, the Brigid Quinn novels were a welcome surprise for me and even though this was my least favorite of the series thus far, it is still a great investigative thriller and a must read!

I thought it might be hard to catch up as I've started with the fourth in the series, but it didn't take any time at all to fall right in to the story and its cast of characters.
Brigid Quinn, is a tough as nails, aggressive former FBI agent, who has found love late in life. Her domestic situation is the perfect set up for conflict as her husband is a former Catholic Priest with a passive nature and a heart of gold. Brigid has neither of those qualities which makes for some moral and ethical dilemmas as she finds herself in the middle of a legendary murder case.

The murder is one that was made famous by Truman Capote, in his book "In Cold Blood". But this is not the only past murder that this book focuses on, it also focuses on the unsolved murder of the Walker family, who were murdered in a similar fashion as the Clutter family.

A well written book, with great characters. I can't wait to go back and read the first three novels in this series.

I didn't notice until after I had requested this one, but it is #4 in a mystery series. However, that did not detract from the story as it worked just fine as a stand-alone. Brigid Quinn is a retired FBI agent who has always been haunted by a set of murders that happened when she was a child. One night, her husband has a chance encounter with a "neighbor" that leaves Brigid unsettled, she doesn't know what to make of this newcomer. As the story unfolds, Brigid is pulled back into investigating and finds that the murders, their new neighbor, and her husband's past might all be tangled together. This was an interesting read! It brought me back to the classic mystery books that I used to read. Not suspenseful-on-the-edge-of-my-seat, but still trying to piece together all the bread crumbs dropped along the way, while just enjoying a mystery read.

This book is a modern, crime thriller inspired by the real-life Clutter family murders in Holcomb, Kansas, 1959. As some of you may know, Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blog is my favorite piece of true crime literature. To have a new thriller inspired by these events -- guys, I am so into this!

I’d give this 3.5 stars if I could. The story was very engaging, especially since I recently read In Cold Blood. It’s pretty bold to try to change such a famous and heavily researched story for a simple work of fiction, though. I found the main character’s personality to be very grating, and couldn’t relate to any of the other characters either. A good entertaining story but not something I’ll reflect on for long or recommend.

While this was outside of my usual genre, I found this book sucking me in. The combination of true crime and fiction was very enjoyable and added an extra layer to the story. As for the writing and the story, I loved both. The story held my attention well; and while I wouldn’t quite call it a page turner, it is one that subtlety draws you in and creates a need to finish the book. This book was a great break away from my usual titles.

I liked this book. Can not say i loved it but it was good.
I did like the story line but do feel like its a story kind of been told before.
I would recommend this if you want an easy quick read.