The Rule of Threes is a good mystery, but I was thrown by the ending. All in all the book kept me guessing and engaged.

I'm a die hard Deaver fan so delighted to read his, relatively short, latest. Constant is a great character, arriving in a small town to hunt a potential serial killer. The small town police surprisingly really have their act together but it takes all they and Constsnt have to solve this one. Crazy ending!

The Rule of Threes is a crime-fiction/thriller novella from Jeffery Deaver.

"Special Agent Constant Marlowe is tasked with finding an obsessed serial killer in the small town of Clark Valley. Two victims in quick succession point to a possible third victim happening only days away. She interviews witnesses and there are indictions that the killer is now after them. Constant knows they won't be easy to protect, because nothing in Clark Valley is as it seems."

Deaver is the master of misdirection and this story is no exception. He gives little clues but you're never sure quite how the story will go. I like this new character -Constant Marlowe - and hope Deaver will consider a full novel.
There is a bit of over-explaining (Deaver can't seem to stay away from it) and there's a big logic jump at the end.

Still a good story from Deaver

The Rule of Threes is considered a novella at 261 pages but I with everything going on, I wish it was longer. It seemed like there was so much going on in such a short amount. But besides it feeling to rushed, I really enjoyed the story. I loved the characters and the twists. I’m hoping to see more of Constant Marlow, I love her character.

The Rule of Threes by Jeffrey Deaver is a novella about a serial killer who is targeting young women with short, dark hair. It is in essence, a police procedural wherein Constant Marlow, an investigator for the state bureau of investigation, has assigned herself to this case. Then, there is another killing, and some almost-witnesses. There are complications: the cop boyfriend of the first victim, for one. It was a difficult case for the police to investigate with plenty of red herrings. She’d been raped. Was that a lead? They looked for other cases with this MO. Couldn’t find them. Hummmm?

Constant is a complicated person who doesn’t have much of a life. The little she has she shares with a man who is an Assistant DA back home. They have a simple relationship. She doesn’t spend the night. The woman assigned by the local police to assist her is Native American, with a nice husband and home. They want to have a baby. Constant begins to loosen up, just a little. They think they have a lead. They find one of the witnesses in a park, just after beating off an attacker. He was dead. Then they knew. Good characters for the most part, no deep except for Constant. Excellent plot. Very confusing and heart-breaking. Hard to track. Deaver is a master. Thank you!

I was invited to read The Rule of Threes by Amazon Original Stories. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AmazonOriginalStories #JeffreyDeaver #TheRuleOfThrees

I enjoy Jeffery Deaver's writing and this novella did not disappointed. I loved the characters as both Constant and her "sidekick" Eventide was strong females. Constant is on the trail of a serial killer who has an obsession with the number three and with the help of an eclectic bunch they try and solve the case before more people are killed.
Highly recommend

For a novella this one packed it in! Crazy twists, murder, racism and stalking. Something for everyone. JD never disappoints. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I can't believe I slept on this writer for so long. This was such a good story. Everything is fast and sounds so efficient. The dialogues were just enough to support the story. The inner monologue of the prey was good for me. This book really got me engrossed.

I love Marlowe, she is now my spirit animal. I love how the plot is intricate.

Will definitely wait for his next book.

The Rule of Threes by Jeffery Deaver is a gripping novella.
Deaver weaves an intricate tale.
The characters are well developed and the pace of the book kept me turning the pages. I could hardly wait to see what happened next.
This was such a good read.

Thank You NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Action packed with continuous twists turns and surprises, Jeffery Deaver’s the Rule of Threes kept me engrossed and reading for hours and hours. Deaver is the King of bloody police procedurals and his new protagonist, Constant Marlowe, investigator for the state of Illinois doesn’t disappoint.

Marlowe is sent to work an investigation in a very small town. There have been two vicious murders of young women. No connection between the two is apparent. The killer has been dubbed BRK ( bludgeon, rape,kill) by the media and the pressure is on to apprehend the perpetrator so as to prevent a third murder, which seems imminent. What’s equally concerning is protecting a family of four, who are potential witnesses to one of the crimes, and are being stalked by a suspicious oddball.

Meanwhile there is a significant parcel of land whose fate lies in a court of law which will decide whether or not it reverts back to Native American control. There are forces determined to keep this from happening.

Deaver deftly weaves together all of these pieces to create a heart pounding fast paced thriller. I enjoyed every minute of this book! Published on March 1, 2024, this was a five star read for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Originals for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Given an ending that left me bewildered, a rather unrelatable main character and a plot I'd describe as disjointed, I'm almost surprised that overall I enjoyed reading this so-called novella - the latter a description I also don't understand since it's only a few pages shorter than many of the books I read these days. But aside from all that, while it's far from my favorite book by one of my favorite authors, the "stuff" in between the covers was enticing enough to keep me flipping through the pages almost nonstop. And yep, he's still a favorite author.

Special Agent Constant Marlowe - yes, you read that first name right - comes to Illinois small-town Clark Valley to commandeer an investigation into the brutal murders of a couple of local women. Not surprisingly, I spent a quite a bit of reading time wondering who on earth would give a name like that to a child, but I never found out (apparently, there are a few earlier books that include her in which it may have been explained, but I've not read them). Also not surprisingly, the local tobacco-chewing Sheriff resents her presence - don't they always? There's a contingent of Native Americans living in the area, one of whom, Zo Eventide, works with the sheriff and, partly because she's a female with a fierce sense of justice and fairness, forms an immediate bond with Constant.

Also in the mix is a group of neo-Nazis, who mostly keep to themselves; but at the moment, they're at a standoff with the aforesaid Native Americans over ownership of a plot of land. For whatever reason, Constant finds herself in the middle of that brouhaha as well - as if she doesn't have enough to do trying to track down a killer who leaves precious few clues. At least she can hold her own physically; she's been a professional boxer, and I have to say some of the scenes in which that comes into play are satisfying.

One local family (a husband, wife, daughter and son plus an older son who mysteriously went missing) become the focus because they were in the same area of the park as one of the murders at the same time and thus may have seen things they shouldn't have (even though they say they didn't). The hope is the killer will return to eliminate the potential witnesses and the cops will nab him (or her) before that happens.

There are several surprises along the way, keeping the story moving along - right up to that ending that I still don't "get." But I do know I'll be keeping a constant lookout for the next Constant - I can't say she'd ever be my BFF, but she sure is an interesting character. Many thanks to NetGalley, via the publisher, for the opportunity to get to know her by way of a for-review copy.

This is a novella based on the Constant Marlowe character. It is an interesting and quick with an unusual plot twist and an ending that definitely sets up a sequel novella or book.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

I'm not sure this book qualifies as a novella, but I loved it either way! Wonderful read - lots of mystery and many surprises.

Plenty of twists, great game of cat and mouse. Also cop and serial killer trope.

Like-able characters had a great time reading. Check your triggers on this one regarding rape before going in.

Tension Fuelled..
Special Agent Constant Marlowe is hot on the heels of a serial killer in a small town setting of Clark Valley in this fast paced, tension fuelled novella. As Constant considers the victims, and the possible victims, does she realise that she may also be in the killers sights? However, nothing here is actually as it seems. Character driven and pacy with a propulsive plot riddled with countless twists and turns. A frantic read.

The Rule of Three was a quick and fun read. All the while reading it, you think to yourself "Do I know what's going on or am I missing something?" That's the thing you have to read on to find out. Not everyone is was they seem. A good lesson for anyone, really.

Jeffery Deaver is always a good idea. You see his books, you pick them up, and you read them. Full stop. This one is especially fast paced.

"The Rule of Threes" by Jeffery Deaver is a pulse-pounding novella that thrusts readers into the gripping world of Special Agent Constant Marlowe as she tackles a relentless serial killer in the eerie plains of Clark Valley. Deaver, known for his mastery of suspense, weaves a fast-paced narrative that keeps the adrenaline pumping. The small town setting adds a layer of tension, and as Marlowe delves deeper into the investigation, the stakes intensify. The relentless pace of the story, coupled with Deaver's skillful writing, creates a riveting police procedural that holds the reader captive until the very end. With twists and turns that keep you guessing, "The Rule of Threes" is a compelling addition to Deaver's repertoire, showcasing his ability to deliver a gripping tale in a compact yet impactful format.

This novella was longer than what I expected when I initially sat down to read it, but Jeffrey Deaver is one of my favorite authors, so I knew I would enjoy it. I will say this was not one of my favorites by him, but it was still a very good read. It got a little wordy at points, but the plot twists were great and I really wasn't expecting the ending at all. There were a lot of things in the book that didn't seem to make sense until you got closer to the ending, and then everything came together and was wrapped up pretty well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC of this book. All opinions stated are my own.

This book had twists and turns that I never saw coming!
Constant Marlowe is after a serial killer. Will she catch the killer? Will the killer stop her?
This was my first Constant Marlowe book and I am definitely hooked.

You will NEVER see this ending

I've been a Jeffery Deaver fan for many years reading a huge number of his back library. His short stories never fail to cause a few OMG moments. As long as he keeps writing, I'll keep reading his 5 star reads