Breath Play is a taut, atmospheric thriller that plunges deep into the shadows of Long Island Sound—and doesn’t come up for air until the final page. Larry Terhaar delivers another compelling entry in the Dan Burnett Mystery Thriller series, and its a gripping one.

When Dan and his girlfriend Mia discover a young woman’s body washed ashore, it seems like a tragic anomaly. But as more victims surface—each a nurse, each found floating—the case spirals into a chilling hunt for a serial killer with a disturbing signature. Terhaar’s pacing is razor-sharp, and the stakes rise with every chapter.

Dan Burnett remains a grounded, quietly tenacious lead, and his partnership with NYPD detective Willy Grant adds grit and camaraderie to the investigation. The emotional pull of the victims’ families, the eerie clues, and the dark psychological undercurrents make this more than just a procedural—it’s a story that lingers.

With echoes of Michael Connelly and Lisa Gardner, Breath Play balances suspense with heart, and delivers a satisfying, layered mystery that fans of the genre will devour.

My thanks to Larry Terhaar, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Breath Play is a good and engaging read. Here PI Dan Burnett finds himself too close to a possible serial killer murder investigation when he finds a body washed onto the shore and the local police ask him to assist them on the case. The authors writing is mostly good and easy to follow and the plot line is believeable. The pacing is fairly slow and the story takes time to build up and the ending feels very rushed. On the whole this didn't wow me or have me desperately turning the pages to find out more. I found the writing repetitive at times and the descriptions and number of times Dan was mentioned eating, or his partner cooking felt like 'padding' and didn't add anything to the story in my opinion. Nevertheless I did enjoy this read but it lacks the mystery, suspense and thrills the previous book had so much of. I'd still recommend this read and it's refreshing to read a book told more from a PI perspective.

3 stars

Written very much in the style of a traditional detective story, this is an entertaining read. It’s very much moment to moment in the way the plot unfolds and the author is very descriptive when it comes to characters’ appearances and their food and drink. I found the pace picked up and I was able to get more into the mystery itself once I got used to the author’s style.

“Breath Play” follows Dan Burnett, a PI, as he (literally) stumbles upon a new case involving a serial killer targeting nurses. But is that what’s really going on?.. Dan works with multiple buddies and clients along the way to help find links, follow leads, and help solve the case.
Overall, I found this book to be okay. I enjoyed the character and the idea behind the case but found the plot to be a little choppy/bouncing around. The build up to the crimes felt long and the ending felt a bit rushed. Readers who are drawn to more crime-centered plots would enjoy this read.

When private investigator Dan Burnett and his girlfriend, Mia, stumble upon a young woman’s body washed ashore in Mamaroneck, New York, he calls it in to 911 and assumes his responsibilities are over. But days later, another woman turns up then another. Each victim shares two things in common: they're all nurses, and they’ve all been found floating in Long Island Sound. With the entire New York area gripped by an apparent serial killer, and the police scrambling for leads, one victim's desperate parents turn to Dan for answers. He teams up with an old friend, Willy Grant, the NYPD detective assigned to the case! Wow! What a chilling thriller! This book had shocking suspense, murder, mystery, serial killers, intrigue, and some wild twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!