This book was everything I thought it would be. I am a big fan of John Edwards and his gifted abilities so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this great book.

The book was well written and the story telling easy to follow. The events, crimes, victims and criminals themselves were detailed and captivating. Bob Hilland was very relatable, he never sugar coated any events even when it came to his own faults and vulnerabilities. I related to his honesty when he talked about his marriage and prioritizing cases over family and the consequences.

John as usual was simply incredible and it is wonderful he could help Bob solve so many cases. There couldn’t be a more perfect duo fighting crime. Bob’s early skepticism made it all the more real. Their friendship a gift to each other.

Get your copy publication day. Don’t miss this one.

This was really a great book that I found captivating and interesting to read as a mix of biography, true crime, and the infusion/questions of a psychic medium. If you enjoy true crime documentaries, this book honestly reads like a 20/20 special and I'm all for it.
I had to keep reminding myself this was actually a true crime/biography and not a fictional thriller, following an FBI agent through cases and quest to find the truth alongside with psychic medium John Edward. The book follows several notable cases and harrowing situations this agent experienced over the decades, and is really hard to put down once it gets going.
Skeptic or follower, you'll enjoy the infusion of psychics (the main one being famous John Edward) which makes this life/career story of originally skeptical law enforcement professional as he builds his relationships, career path, personal life, and path to discovering important life lessons as well. Keep reminding yourself these situations actually happened, because they can be hard to imagine to be true at times!
I found the layout was fantastic; the author starting chapters with lists of important people and places really helped and the chronological order and setting the scene.
Reading this was like watching a documentary and after a bit of a slow start, I found it hard to put down!
A mix of biography, psychic readings, metaphysical, true crime murders, investigations, mystery, and self discovery.
Now, if you're a big skeptic and hate the idea of psychics and mediums you might think this is hokey and bad, but at the same time the agent explains his original attitude with the same impression and how it changed and evolved, and at no point does it seem like an infomercial about the power of psychics.

I'll round this up to 5 stars, because I just couldn't put it down by the end, and truly felt like I was watching a documentary film with how it set up each crime and story and I love that 🤩

Welcome to Chasing Evil, where the FBI teams up with a psychic and things go from “okay, maybe” to “wait, what now?” faster than you can say, “Did he really call Afghan birds skunks with wings?” Yes. Yes, he did.

This book starts like a true crime procedural but ends up feeling like the author’s midlife crisis was ghostwritten by a spirit guide. Picture a stoic FBI agent who slowly becomes a believer—not just in the afterlife, but in dragging every single global tragedy into one book. You came for cold cases, but oh no, you’re also getting a crash course in 9/11, dog fighting rings, Guyana, Afghanistan, polygraphs, failed marriages, and miscellaneous brooding.

Let’s talk psychic John Edward. The man’s got more spirit tea than your grandma’s séance circle, but the vibes range from “helpful ghost whisperer” to “how convenient this message from the beyond solves everything!” It’s giving The Sixth Sense, but sponsored by Wikipedia and your conspiracy uncle.

Also, if you’re hoping for cultural sensitivity or historical accuracy? Buckle up, babe. What could’ve been a deep, gripping journey veers into White-savior land, takes a hard left at Unverified History Boulevard, and crashes into “Is this still about the murder?” Alley.

To be fair, the pacing is snappy and the first half? Genuinely gripping. I was hooked like a medium on a live call-in show. But the second half? It’s like the author realized he had a lot of important things to say—and none of them involved finishing the story we started with. The result is a cluttered, chaotic stew of personal anecdotes, crime scenes, and spiritual breadcrumbs.

Triggers:
• Racism/xenophobic language
• Animal abuse (dog fighting mention)
• Violent crime and murder
• War references
• Cultural insensitivity
• 9/11 trauma
• Domestic issues (failed marriage)

Spice Level:
Zero. Unless you count unresolved spiritual tension and passive-aggressive references to global conflict.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️½ (2.5 out of 5 stars)
One star for the premise, half a star for ambition, one star for the ghostly sass.

Mood: Twisty, intense, but unintentionally chaotic
Pacing: Fast-paced in the beginning, derailed in the second act

Final Thought:
Think Criminal Minds meets Ghost Adventures… if the script was written during a Red Bull-fueled TED Talk on everything except the main plot.

I’ve never read a book quite like this before. A combination of true crime and psychic mediumship, two of my favorites genres, this book kept me captivated from the first page. Some of the crimes I was familiar with, and others not - but John Edward’s input into the cases and providing guidance to Bob Hilliard was just as fascinating as the cases themselves. I don’t know that I’ve ever read another true crime book that actually left me feeling hopeful but this one did, conveying the messages that there is more out there than meets the eye, and that there is truly a lot of good in this world.

3.5 stars.

It seems in so many instances the monsters we think are real are just figments of our mind. However, there are other monsters who are human and perform evil deeds that go beyond one's horror imagination.

Robert Hilland, a man well versed in criminal behaviors, being in the police, and then the FBI. Baffled by as case, he is forces to call a well known psychic, named John Edward. Bob is a non believer in psychic phenomenon, so he figured this call would be a waste of time. However, after speaking with Edward, his skepticism diminished and they formed a partnership that lasted twenty-five years.

The two men collaborated on many cases with John getting messages from the world beyond that would lead Bob to either the body or the perpetrator.

One of their famous cases was John Smith, a cunning, treacherous man who had outwitted many. Accused of murders of women, two of which were his wives, Bob and John knew he was guilty but needed to prove it. The case made headlines and eventually John Smith was caught and is serving a life sentence, thanks to the persistent skills of Bob and John.

This was a interesting look into aspects many of us find it difficult to believe. John Edward went onto become a famous psychic on TV entitled Crossing Over, while Bob retired but never gave up his quest to find those who had been murdered and lost.

Robert Hilland, an FBI agent, has worked many cases over the years consulting with John Edward, a psychic medium. Initially skeptical, Hilland slowly becomes a believer, and the two become friends and colleagues over twenty-five years. Their journey was interesting and the book covered many cases, with the John Smith case as the primary one that plagued Hilland throughout his career. The book reads quickly and provides fascinating commentary on good and evil. It’s a compelling and engaging read. With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

As an avid reader of anything to do with cold cases, I was prepared for a book that focused on how cases are solved and I got that AND so much more. A psychic? Yes! I have often heard of a psychic being hired in cases, but it was interesting to see how a seasoned investigator was able to utilize the psychic abilities to solve crimes. I enjoyed this ARC and appreciate #NetGalley for the copy.

This was a very interesting book unlike any I have read before. I'm not sure I fully bought the psychic angle at all times (it often felt a bit too much like fantasy or sci fi) but if even a quarter of it really happened, that's some pretty insane stuff. The book was part memoir, part true crime, part carnival trick. The different mysteries were often intriguing but got bogged down by the boring memoir stuff of the author playing with his kids, fighting with his wife, and generally living his life on page. Sometimes the book really strained credibility and I rolled my eyes, but it was cool enough if I suspended my disbelief and just went with it. All in all, a unique and interesting read that could have been improved with a bit more editing to cut out the fluff and make it tighter all around.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An FBI agent decides to talk to a psychic to solve a few murders. Not only does John make him a believer but has spent a few decades helping solve cases, giving him encouragement, and keeping him safe in really scary circumstances. This book is about their life journey together and it's a very interesting and emotional read. I highly recommend this for true crime readers.

John Edward is a very well known psychic and author of multiple books and Robert/Bob Hilland is pretty much a straight-laced FBI agent, one who was haunted by the cold case of John Smith’s missing wives. This could be just be a police prcedural story of a twenty-five year quest for justice, but it’s the fact that Hilland gives credit to Edward for a breakthrough.

I think most readers will choose this book to answer the question “why did an FBI and a psychic get together?” The book starts out mostly about Hilland’s frustrations — the first time he met John Smith, he was convinced the guy was truly evil. The fact that he reached out to Edward was remarkable in itself, and the fact that they forge a friendship is another great tale.

But the writing was steady but unremarkable — I’m not a believer in psychics, but I do enjoy reading about them. I think others prone to thinking that spirits helped solve this case will have a more favorable opinion. 3.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Essentials and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

From the publisher: How a skeptical FBI agent reached out to a famous psychic for help on a baffling case – and the twenty-five-year crime-solving journey that followed.

Chasing Evil details the journey of FBI Agent Bob Hilland from sceptic to believer. Investigating a cold case, he decides to take a chance and ask famous psychic John Edward for assistance. Thus begins a lifelong collaboration to solve crimes and find justices for victims.
This book will find its audience, that’s for sure. I know many readers who will absolutely devour Chasing Evil. The author covers a lot of ground – not just the John Smith murders but 9/11 and working to find remains at Ground Zero, Michael Vicks and the dog fighting ring, other murders and murderers, lots of polygraph tests, the mob, Afghanistan and Guyana, and his failing marriage. He drops little breadcrumb references to important events so the reader can keep track of where we are in time, and through it all John Edward provides critical information given to him by his otherworldly spirit guides.

That said, call me Dana Scully because I just could not take this book seriously. I mean, I enjoyed reading it and had no trouble staying engaged, but I’m just too skeptical over all the psychic stuff. I was eyerolling pretty hard at times, and I did not find the author to be a reliable narrator. He is, however, an entertaining one.

I was disappointed that an intelligent, educated person like Hilland repeated the misconception that the “Y2K bug didn’t bring down worldwide infrastructure and crash our computers as the alarmists warned, so that was good.” (ch. 15 of the advance reader copy) I feel quite sure Hilland understands that the alarm was valid and that billions of dollars and thousands of hours were spent to address the problem so that computers and infrastructure didn’t crash. It was a cheap shot to include it here. I was also surprised that Hilland refers to the Jonestown cult members drinking cyanide-laced “Kool-Aid.” (ch. 22 of the ARC) He (or his editor) should have corrected this to Flavor Aid. If you are trying to write a work of nonfiction, it should contain factual information.

This book is written like the author has already decided in his head who will play him in the movie. My guess is that Chasing Evil will be a true crime best seller and the movie (when one is eventually made) a box office blockbuster.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy. The book comes out on September 2 and the Galesburg Public Library will own it.

The idea that people can have contact with those that passed over in such a way that they are given information about their lives makes me--no made me--a bit uncomfortable for some reason that I don't think I even understood. However, I did decide to read this anyway, and I have to say it not only helped me understand why this isn't a bad thing, but how helpful the experience can be not only for solving crimes but also for healing relationships.

A very fascinating and unputdownable story! An FBI agent is trying to solve a cold-case and seeks the help of a psychic to get to the bottom of it.
As insane as it sounds, the psychic is actually very helpful in providing leads to the FBI agent.

Though there are other cases that are mentioned in the book the details provided weren't as engaging and came across as filler-material.

I would also mention that the author's experience in Afghanistan reeks of White-saviorism! His description of even the birds in Afghanistan as "skunks with wings" is despicable. I would also question how the psychic did not feel any vibes of the horrific war crimes committed by US troops in Bagram? There also a short and quick mention of a hospitable Afghan family that seems a superficial attempt at avoiding being called racist in his description of Afghanistan.
My reading experience nose-dived after this chapter!
This book could have been much better if only it had stayed focused on the main story.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

How do I review this. I’m going to try my best. This book will certainly stand out amongst the books I’ve read this year, but not because it’s a favorite. Quite the opposite actually. This is probably the worst book I have read this year, and I’ve read about 250. The writing was so…embellished to the point that I didn’t trust a word that the author wrote. Early on I struggled with his believability and it only went downhill as I kept reading. I normally finish a book in the matter of a couple of hours, but this one, I just couldn’t.

If you’re a lover of unrealistic books that have unreliable and unbelievable narrators, then this book would work for you.

A captivating and fast-paced true crime story. I was hesitant to read this at first, as I too am a skeptic. I’m not as much as a skeptic now. What a thrilling read!

The narration is superb and the whole time I was reading it, I felt like I was watching a crime thriller on TV. The psychic John Edward's role in helping Bob Hilland, the FBI Agent by providing clues and guidance to solve real life crimes was simply out of the world and the sceptic in me is still finding it hard to believe such a thing is possible, but seems like some people are really gifted with clairvoyance and science may one day in the future be able to explain it convincingly. A thoroughly entertaining read that was definitely unputdownable till the end.

When NetGalley offered me a chance to read "Chasing Evil" I squealed in delight. I highly respect John Edward and his no-nonsense approach to mediumship and spirituality. I have been fairly familiar with his career and so I was surprised to hear that he had been working with the law enforcement in his capacity as a psychic. It turned out, there was a reason it was not made public knowledge until now.

The book is a page-turner. If it weren't for the fact that I had to go to work, I would have read it in one sitting, instead of three days. I read it on the train, on lunch break, before I fell asleep. I typically don't enjoy true crime, as it is simply too upsetting, but I was drawn into the hunt for John Smith by the very personal narrative by Robert Hilland.

My favorite part of the story was the deeply personal relationship that developed between the psychic John Edward and the former die-heard sceptic Robert. The commonality in their personal lives that helped forge that relationship is very relatable.

I would recommend this book to spiritualists and sceptics alike, seekers and true crime lovers alike. It's a great read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy for review. This captured me more than I anticipated. It’s a recount8ng of the unorthodox and under the radar relationship between an FBI agent and famous psychic John Edwards. I mainly found myself truly surprised and fascinated by the willingness of Robert Hilliard to broaden his own horizons and accepting Edward’s’ help. Assuming the stories are all accurate, it is astounding the information that Edwards was able to share. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone who’s enjoyed other FBI agent memoirs or would like a bit of a different take on those.

"Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent’s Search for Hope and Justice" by John Edward and Robert Hilland offers a truly captivating dive into the intersection of crime-solving and the paranormal. This isn't your typical true-crime narrative; it's a genre-bending account that begins with a premise so unlikely it's hard to resist.

The book immediately hooks readers with the desperate call made by a skeptical FBI agent, Bob Hilland, to the renowned psychic John Edward. Faced with an intractable cold case – the horrifying John Smith murders – Hilland's willingness to exhaust every avenue, no matter how unconventional, sets the stage for a remarkable twenty-five-year journey. The narrative excels at portraying Hilland's initial disbelief and the gradual shattering of his preconceived notions as Edward provides uncanny insights that prove instrumental to the investigation.

As Hilland and Edward collaborate on more cases, their evolving partnership becomes the heart of the story. The authors skillfully illustrate how two individuals from wildly different worlds learn to trust each other's unique skills, not only in the pursuit of justice for victims but also in finding their own paths to resolution and healing. "Chasing Evil" is more than just a crime procedural; it's a testament to the unexpected places where hope and answers can be found, even in the darkest of circumstances. It's a gripping read that challenges assumptions and leaves you pondering the unexplained.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, it had me feeling like I was right alongside Agent Hilland as he hunted down evil! It was really interesting to get to hear about just how much crucial information he was able to get from the "Other Side" and how many of their messages were like additional riddles he had to solve.

The second half of the book did feel a little choppy and we jumped from case to case, but overall it was a good read and not something I would have normally picked up, but I’m glad I did!

Very thankful to have gotten to read this early via NetGalley!