Review: The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane

Title: The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane
Forensic Instincts Book Three
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HarlequinMIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

It begins with a chilling phone call to Casey Woods. And ends with another girl dead.

College-age girls with long red hair. Brutally murdered, they’re posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial offender now serving thirty years to life—a criminal brought to justice with the help of Forensic Instincts.

Call. Kill. Repeat. But the similarities are more than one psychopath’s desire to outdo another. As more red-haired victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey—a connection that grows closer and closer to her.

Now the Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey as the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make one thing clear: he knows everything about Casey. And Casey realizes that this psychopathic won’t stop until he makes sure she’s dead.

The Review:

The Stranger You Know, the third installment of Andrea Kane’s Forensic Instincts series, hits close to home for the team members when a sadistic killer sets his sights on Casey Woods. Their investigation into a cold case bears a startling resemblance to a current string of grisly murders and leads the team to a murderer already behind bars. It soon becomes apparent the murderer is targeting Casey but why? And can they stop the murderous rampage before more innocent lives are taken?

In this third outing, the Forensics Instinct team is tighter than ever and all of their previous differences have been ironed out. While all of the members play vital roles in the latest investigation, it is Claire Hedgleigh who takes center stage as her unique abilities literally give her a front row seat to the killings. Her psychic talents are brilliantly showcased in The Stranger You Know and the in depth exploration of her special skills is incredibly fascinating.

The murderer is one step ahead of Forensic Instincts for pretty much the entire novel and some of the storyline is rather predictable. The team plays right into the killer’s hand and some of their decisions fall into too stupid to live category. But in the end, all of the frustration is forgotten as Andrea Kane beautifully redeems The Stranger You Know with some very shocking and unexpected plot twists.

All in all, a pretty satisfying addition to the Forensics Instincts series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.

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