Someone is murdering red headed women in New York City. Someone who has an axe to grind against a particular red-headed woman. Can the Forensic Instincts team find the murderer? Before he attacks the target of his obsession, their leader, Casey?

Casey has assembled a team of the best of the best. Some might call it a dream team of investigators. Casey calls it Forensic Instincts. With each person on the team having a specific set of skills, collectively- they solve cases others can’t. But there is one case, Casey has never been able to solve. A case that haunts her to this day. The case of her missing friend, Holly.

When Forensic Instincts is hired by a man searching for his missing daughter, Casey knows it’s a long shot to find the daughter. The case is 15 years old, and cold cases are tough to solve. However the man is dying and Casey wants to try to give him peace of mind. Casey also has an ulterior motive- the details from the missing girl Jan’s case are eerily similar to Holly’s case. Casey wonders if the two could be linked.

While the team is searching for clues about Jan’s disappearance, a man is setting other plans in motion. From his jail cell, he is keeping tabs on the case and making plans. And he has plans for Casey- plans that involve pain and torture.

At Columbia, a young petite red-head is raped and killed. Right after, Casey gets a call taunting her about the murder and the plans for her. Casey knows of 1 man who wants to torture and kill her- but he’s in jail serving a 30 year sentence- so it can’t be him. Can it? And if it’s not- does he have something to do with the phone call? As more red-heads are being killed, Casey gets calls from the killer- taunting her, letting her know he’s getting closer.

With each call, Casey knows he’s getting closer to his ultimate goal- and she’s ready. Casey refuses to change her life, refuses to be a victim. Instead she puts herself in the hot seat and goes to the prison to visit the man in jail. There, Casey finds a tie between the killings happening and the man in prison. She wonders how things are tied together- but does not have to wonder long- as the master plan becomes apparent quickly.

Will Casey and the Forensic Instincts team be able to solve the case? Will Casey ever get peace about Holly? And will the plan, the plan of evil, torture, and pain beyond all measure happen to Casey? And if so- who’s the person inflicting the pain- the man that Casey thinks or a stranger she knows?

Traveling With T’s Thoughts

This is a series (although this is the first I’ve read). Casey and her team set out to solve crimes that the police cannot solve- due to limited resources. The team is a merry band of folks- with each person having a skill that comes in handy. Twists and turns throughout the novel, but the ending is not quite as good as earlier in the book. Some red-herrings, some misdirection to throw the reader off the scent of who is the mastermind- but, some readers will be able to guess. Still enjoyable and worth a read.

 

*This book was requested through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.