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thriller_chick's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVE Smoky Barret. Cody McFadyen got my attention with Shadow Man and I'm quite impressed that the books following it are just as good. I love this series!
jessycat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"When FBI Agent Smoky Barrett and her team of investigators are called in by the Director himself to handle a case of murder committed on a flight from Texas to Virginia, the case begins with a shock, and the twists keep coming.It soon becomes apparent that Smoky is dealing with a serial killer who appears to have committed a truly horrific number of murders already, someone who can find people with secrets not just the secrets we all admit to ourselves, but the deepest, innermost secrets of all and is using them to target and destroy his victims.The case is on the edge of going public, and when that happens, with all the accelerated power of the internet behind it, public hysteria is not far behind.Just at the time when she is working so hard to bring up her adopted daughter Bonnie, Smoky is now under the most intense pressure of her career to get results. Yet the team has never been faced with such an apparently insoluble problem. Who will the next victim be? Everyone in the world has secrets. Even Smoky." (From Amazon)
This series gets better with each book. This is a dark suspense series.
"When FBI Agent Smoky Barrett and her team of investigators are called in by the Director himself to handle a case of murder committed on a flight from Texas to Virginia, the case begins with a shock, and the twists keep coming.It soon becomes apparent that Smoky is dealing with a serial killer who appears to have committed a truly horrific number of murders already, someone who can find people with secrets not just the secrets we all admit to ourselves, but the deepest, innermost secrets of all and is using them to target and destroy his victims.The case is on the edge of going public, and when that happens, with all the accelerated power of the internet behind it, public hysteria is not far behind.Just at the time when she is working so hard to bring up her adopted daughter Bonnie, Smoky is now under the most intense pressure of her career to get results. Yet the team has never been faced with such an apparently insoluble problem. Who will the next victim be? Everyone in the world has secrets. Even Smoky." (From Amazon)
This series gets better with each book. This is a dark suspense series.
pandasbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
The third book in this dark crime thriller series. This entry, while not my favorite in the series was fun to read and a real page-turner. I enjoyed the fast-paced mystery mixed with the gory crimes and darker elements. The concept of secrets is interesting and sets up a curious premise I wanted to know more about. I'm really enjoying this series and hope that the author continues it.
daniquevdijk_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Homophobia, Grief, Drug use, Death, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Transphobia, Torture, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest
Moderate: Rape
lisaeirene's review against another edition
2.0
It was just ok. Not the best book in the series. The religious propaganda was tedious and there were some homophobic things in the beginning of the book that rubbed me the wrong way. Overall the book was kind of blah.
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 stars. I hate it when authors of a series repeat too much information in the subsequent books. Write for the reader who starts at book one and follows the series. If someone comes late to the dance, they can go back and read the earlier ones or figure it out, but please stop wasting my time. As a loyal reader, it really turns me off - especially when it's verbatim. If I have to read the same passage about the shape of Smoky's scar or about how James is a genius, etc. I worry I will explode! The story lines are good, but the repetition of unnecessary facts is starting to wear me down.
manadabomb's review against another edition
4.0
3rd in the Smokey Barrett series, this book was just as good as the first (which I read in a day). The 2nd in the series was slightly disappointing but by putting Smokey and team on the trail of a religious serial killer, McFadyen brought me back :)
There were too many places where I said "Oh wow." that I don't want to give anything away. I'll summarize by saying people are being murdered (duh) and there's a religious bent to it. That's all I can give ya.
Smokey herself makes leaps and bounds in this book, giving away not 1 but TWO deep dark secrets. This book is all about the dirty little secrets everyone has. And what they do with them.
Happy Reading!
There were too many places where I said "Oh wow." that I don't want to give anything away. I'll summarize by saying people are being murdered (duh) and there's a religious bent to it. That's all I can give ya.
Smokey herself makes leaps and bounds in this book, giving away not 1 but TWO deep dark secrets. This book is all about the dirty little secrets everyone has. And what they do with them.
Happy Reading!
nee223's review against another edition
5.0
I can't seem to put these books down. They are so engrossing. He's one of my favorite writers. Can't wait to read the next one!
juliwi's review against another edition
3.0
This book isn't exactly new, it was published May last year, but I just got my hands on it last week. So, this book is called 'The Darker Side' by Cofy McFadyen.
The protagonist of this story is Smoky Barret, a FBI Special Agent with a tragic past. Two years ago her husband and daughter were murdered by a serial-killer with a personal grudge. He raped her and cut up her face. Smoky however survived and is once again one of the best Special Agents the FBI has.
That is exactly why she's chosen to investigate a very public murder. A young woman, who is a man, has been murdered on a plane, during a flight. She was stabbedin her right side with something sharp and a small cross with the number 137 was placed inside her body. She turns out to be the son of a politician, who's planning on running for office. Smoky has to try and solve the case, without alerting people to this shocking fact.
Not being interested in politics Smoky focusses on finding the murderer, together with her team. They find a second victim and they realise that the number on the crosses is for the number of victims. Smoky realizes what the killer kills for: sins. Thiss cares her, because she herself has done something which the killer could and would consider a sin. Smoky starts to despare as they can't find any clues, leading them to the killer.
Then the killer reveals himself to them, by uploading videos of his victims in their last hour onto Youtube-like sites. They cannot see his face, but are getting closer and closer to revealing his identity. Will Smoky and her team be able to find him before he kills more people?
This book absolutely captured me. I was unable to put it down. reading untill the late hous, only to then lie in bed and be afraid. This is one of the few books that actually got me scared at night. I finished it in three days.
I was fascinated by Smoky's "background" and her relationship with her adoptive-daughter Bonnie.
Bonnie is an extraordinary character. Her mother was one of Smoky's best friends and that was why she was killed. Her murderer sliced her open and bound Bonnie onto her mother's dead body, where she remainded for three days. Bonnie didn't speak for a very long time afterwards, but she and Smoky share a special bond, because both of them went through terrible events.
Kirby Mitchell is probably my favourite character. She was a killer for the CIA and now helps one of Smoky's team-members organise her upcoming wedding. When the identity of the killer is revealed Kirby goes to him, without letting anyone known. All I'll say is that she survives int he end. She is an incredibly stubborn, crazy and funny character.
Religion is very important in this book and I think it gives an incredible insight into the view that the Roman Catholic church has on sin, but also on how touchy society is on other people's sin. It shows what an impact little sins and secrets have on peoples lives.
First Sentence: 'Dying is a lonely matter.'
(I don't know whether this is the right translation. I got this book in German, so I translated the first sentence. If anyone has an English copy and I got the sentence wrong please let me know in a comment!)
This book is part of a series, so I'm definitly going to try and get the others as well! I'll let you know whether I succeed or not!
The protagonist of this story is Smoky Barret, a FBI Special Agent with a tragic past. Two years ago her husband and daughter were murdered by a serial-killer with a personal grudge. He raped her and cut up her face. Smoky however survived and is once again one of the best Special Agents the FBI has.
That is exactly why she's chosen to investigate a very public murder. A young woman, who is a man, has been murdered on a plane, during a flight. She was stabbedin her right side with something sharp and a small cross with the number 137 was placed inside her body. She turns out to be the son of a politician, who's planning on running for office. Smoky has to try and solve the case, without alerting people to this shocking fact.
Not being interested in politics Smoky focusses on finding the murderer, together with her team. They find a second victim and they realise that the number on the crosses is for the number of victims. Smoky realizes what the killer kills for: sins. Thiss cares her, because she herself has done something which the killer could and would consider a sin. Smoky starts to despare as they can't find any clues, leading them to the killer.
Then the killer reveals himself to them, by uploading videos of his victims in their last hour onto Youtube-like sites. They cannot see his face, but are getting closer and closer to revealing his identity. Will Smoky and her team be able to find him before he kills more people?
This book absolutely captured me. I was unable to put it down. reading untill the late hous, only to then lie in bed and be afraid. This is one of the few books that actually got me scared at night. I finished it in three days.
I was fascinated by Smoky's "background" and her relationship with her adoptive-daughter Bonnie.
Bonnie is an extraordinary character. Her mother was one of Smoky's best friends and that was why she was killed. Her murderer sliced her open and bound Bonnie onto her mother's dead body, where she remainded for three days. Bonnie didn't speak for a very long time afterwards, but she and Smoky share a special bond, because both of them went through terrible events.
Kirby Mitchell is probably my favourite character. She was a killer for the CIA and now helps one of Smoky's team-members organise her upcoming wedding. When the identity of the killer is revealed Kirby goes to him, without letting anyone known. All I'll say is that she survives int he end. She is an incredibly stubborn, crazy and funny character.
Religion is very important in this book and I think it gives an incredible insight into the view that the Roman Catholic church has on sin, but also on how touchy society is on other people's sin. It shows what an impact little sins and secrets have on peoples lives.
First Sentence: 'Dying is a lonely matter.'
(I don't know whether this is the right translation. I got this book in German, so I translated the first sentence. If anyone has an English copy and I got the sentence wrong please let me know in a comment!)
This book is part of a series, so I'm definitly going to try and get the others as well! I'll let you know whether I succeed or not!