Once He Sees

Claire King #1

by Molly Black

🎧Run Time = 4 hours and 55 minutes.

After she dies chasing down a serial killer, FBI Special Agent Claire King is resuscitated moments later and finds herself gifted with newfound powers that could help her crack cases. Will her visions be an asset — or lead her right into the crosshairs of a killer? A pulse-pounding tale that kicks off a thrilling series!

Once He Sees is Book #1 of a long anticipated new series by critically-acclaimed and #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Molly Black, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

FBI Special Agent Claire King has a reputation for brilliance, for being able to crack serial killer cases that no other agent can. Before she died and came back to life, she relied solely on this brilliance. But now that she has this fleeting, newfound power, Claire is confused: should she follow what she knows? Or what she senses? Are visions more powerful than intellect?

Or will they lead her right into a killer’s trap?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the Claire King series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.
©2023 Molly Black ℗2023 Molly Black

Future books in the series are also available!
▪ Once He Longs (#2)
▪ Once He Takes (#3)
▪ Once He Feels (#4)
▪ Once He Knows (#5)
▪ Once He Pines (#6)
▪ Once He Wants (#7)

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Ebooks, Fiction, Crime

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2023

About the author

Bestselling author Molly Black is author of the MAYA GRAY FBI suspense thriller series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the RYLIE WOLF FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books; of the TAYLOR SAGE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eight books; of the KATIE WINTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the RUBY HUNTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting), and of the CAITLIN DARE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting).

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Molly loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.mollyblackauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY MOLLY BLACK

GRACE FORD FBI THRILLER

NEARLY MINE (Book #1)

NEARLY SAFE (Book #2)

NEARLY FREE (Book #3)

NEARLY GONE (Book #4)

NEARLY HIS (Book #5)

CAITLIN DARE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

COME GET ME (Book #1)

COME FIND ME (Book #2)

COME TAKE ME (Book #3)

COME CATCH ME (Book #4)

COME SAVE ME (Book #5)

RUBY HUNTER FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

IF I RUN (Book #1)

IF I TELL (Book #2)

IF I LIVE (Book #3)

IF I FORGET (Book #4)

IF I RETURN (Book #5)

MAYA GRAY MYSTERY SERIES

GIRL ONE: MURDER (Book #1)

GIRL TWO: TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL THREE: TRAPPED (Book #3)

GIRL FOUR: LURED (Book #4)

GIRL FIVE: BOUND (Book #5)

GIRL SIX: FORSAKEN (Book #6)

GIRL SEVEN: CRAVED (Book #7)

GIRL EIGHT: HUNTED (Book #8)

GIRL NINE: GONE (Book #9)

RYLIE WOLF FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

FOUND YOU (Book #1)

CAUGHT YOU (Book #2)

SEE YOU (Book #3)

WANT YOU (Book #4)

TAKE YOU (Book #5)

DARE YOU (Book #6)

TAYLOR SAGE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

DON’T LOOK (Book #1)

DON’T BREATHE (Book #2)

DON’T RUN (Book #3)

DON’T FLINCH (Book #4)

DON’T REMEMBER (Book #5)

DON’T TELL (Book #6)

DON’T HIDE (Book #7)

DON’T BLINK (Book #8)

KATIE WINTER FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SAVE ME (Book #1)

REACH ME (Book #2)

HIDE ME (Book #3)

BELIEVE ME (Book #4)

HELP ME (Book #5)

FORGET ME (Book #6)

HOLD ME (Book #7)

PROTECT ME (Book #8)

REMEMBER ME (Book #9)

CATCH ME (Book #10)

WATCH ME (Book #11)

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Genre ~ crime fiction
Series ~ Claire King #1
Others in the series ~ books 1-7
Setting ~ not sure
Publication date ~ book ~ March 28, 2023, audio ~ April 25, 2023
Est page Count ~ 146 (p+ 26 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 4 hours 55 minutes
Narrator ~ Nina Berault
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ FBI, police procedural, serial killer

An interesting plot ~ Claire had to be resuscitated and when she wakes up she has some psychic abilities. These abilities will help her solve murder cases.

There were some edge of the seat moments and it was perfectly paced. There weren't any slow moments really, which helped keep up the suspense.

This was a fine series starter. I'm not sure I will rush to read the next in the series, but will possibly fit them in if they're available on Hoopla and I can't find anything else to maximize my monthly credits. Luckily got this one as a bonus borrow for November, so it didn't count, woo hoo. Free on Amazon if you're interested ~ I don't know for how long.

Narration notes:
Nina was okay, I suppose, but we've got a male POV, so we know I'd have liked a male narrator.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Avid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy. Seriously? The procedure of a serial murder case is going to be allowed to go unquestioned when the investigator on it had literally just died? Or how about starts screaming randomly in the middle of a crime scene? Or, she magically comes up with leads but can't explain where she's getting anything? 🤔 Or, zoning out? Or, contaminating the crime scene and its evidence! This book was way off in left field.

[Holly Storkel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was entirely unbelievable. Couldn’t really get into it. Luckily, it was short.

[Red · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only finished it because it's short.
I love me some schlock (did you see my reviews of the Steampunk Romance series?), but this just went too far beyond the suspension of disbelief.

The writing is meh, a lot of strange interjections in Claire's thought processes and a lot of descriptions that didn't fit the tone of the moment. Also some head hopping to Wilson that got missed in editing.

It feels like what a talented teen or young adult writes when they only have TV crime dramas to go off of (I should know, I wrote a crime drama in my teens and found the cringe level very similar here).

ETA: other reviewers suspect this is written by AI, and I'm inclined to agree. That would explain a lot of the weirdness. Gotta love the capitalist machine pushing soulless content made by machines that harvest ideas from others.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, so some GR members are citing Blake Pierce, while the author is stated to be Molly Black. That’s strange. Anyway, I’m 3/4 of the way through the book and am thinking, this is some truly amateur nonsense. But wait! What’s going on with the authorship? I look up the authors and can find almost no information on him/her/them. So, what the hell? Is this AI written or is this just some pulp crap churned out by a writing mill?

Either way, this book is truly dreadful. I highly suggest avoiding this one as well as anything in the series. This could’ve been an episode of a generic cop drama. Who could even care about “The Artist” by the end to want a second book? Yuck.

[Sonya · Rating 1 out of 5]

He’s the killer! No, he’s the killer! Wait…no he’s the killer. This went on 4 times and was a drag. I think she needs to go back to FBI academy. Good thing it was a short one or my eyes might have permanently stayed rolling.

[Laycie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ I think this story had a lot of potential but fell kind of flat. Every single suspect ran from them and you can’t just arrest people for no reason. That’s not how the law works. This just felt a little out of touch with reality and maybe not all the way thought through.

[Morgan Page · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stuff your kindle day free book - a real struggle to read. Couldn’t really say much about what happened and storyline didn’t have me gripped at all. A really short book but took me days to read. Manifest vibes with visions and police investigations.

[Shellie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the very beginning I felt like this story had me gripped. It is a fast-paced book and very tense. Even though it is only a short story I felt it was full of twists and turns to keep you hooked to find out what was going to happen next.

I find Molly Black’s writing very easy to help you make the scenes come to life in your head and paint the perfect picture.

The only thing I would say about it was that I’m not sure the main character would be able to go through what she went through in the first few chapters and be allowed straight back to work, which made it slightly unrealistic but on the whole I found it was a great start to the Claire King series.

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: Once He Sees
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: Blake Pierce
Narrator: Nina Berault
Genre: Mystery and Crime
Main Characters: Claire
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:

This book was super interesting.
I loved how the supernatural side jelled so well with he crime and Mystery side.
It was very well done.

“Even though her new partner had said it would be just the three of them it hadn’t worked out that way. It was just the two of them. But at least she had won.”

The book follows Claire an FBI agent who dies while apprehending a criminal. But her partner manages to bring her back to life. She wakes up from being in a coma for 3 days and finds out she has psychic abilities.

“You said this is the second victim. Fill me in with the first. Same MO? Same profile of victim?” “You betcha on both counts.”

She is able to find the killer by touching things and dreaming.
She manages to track down a killer using her abilities and her work mates thinks she is a crazy.

“laughter? Felt that fire? Was that some trace left over from the coma, from the accident, from having died for those seventeen or so minutes?”

Super enjoyed this one, Would totally read more by this author and Character.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once He Sees, the first book in the Claire King FBI Suspense Thriller series, is a riveting mystery. When FBI Special Agent Claire King finally catches up with the serial killer known as The Artist, she dies in an explosion. When she is reanimated, certain new skills will be developed, even if they do make her question her sanity. Packed with action, suspense, and twists and turns, this well-written novel will keep you reading until it is finished. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

they’re not very good detectives

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Round up to 3.5 ⭐️

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️’s listened to the audiobook on Libro.fm… dull!

[Naomi ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just dont like the unexplained coma-related visions.

"just go with it?" i like my detectives mentally ill and on the spectrum, i actually *can't* just go with it.

[Harlie Bourdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

Just fell a bit flat for me. I thought the writing was a dramatic for what was going on, and not all that well written in general. That said, I was invested enough to want to know what was going to happen next. I may even try book #2

[Tabbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheeseeyyy but quick read. FBI agent is after a serial killer, he out smarts her and she dies. She is brought back to life AND instantly put back on the street. I mean she legit wakes up from death and a coma and goes right back to work…with visions.

[Doug Rice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was—how can I put this…not as bad as I thought it would be when it occurred to me that it is what I think it probably is. I read it because it was one of a slew of crime/mystery novels by various authors in which the first book of each series was available for free as an audiobook. Turns out there are dozens of such booms written within just the last five or so years by Molly Black, Ava Strong, Blake Pierce, Rylie Dark, and Kate Bold. I looked up these authors and they all use the same website template listing their books and series. Yet, there is literally nothing else on the Internet about them. It appears they aren’t actually real and these books are likely written by a combination of ghostwriters and AI.

Knowing this, I tried to give the book the benefit of the doubt anyway and I will say that the author—whoever they might be was good at using vivid descriptions and decent at building suspense. However, the characters were painfully flat. On many occasions, an incident from Claire’s childhood or other life experience would be brought up out of thin air to justify something she was doing at the moment—like it was an afterthought and the author just needed to fill space.

Also irritating was the whole immersive psychic vision thing. I would have been fine with it if it had been explored more thoroughly and had developed some sort of rationality to it. But, nope. You just had to throw your hands in the air and say “some things just can’t be explained” as the author used it as a cheap narrative trick for the detective to solve the crime.

The nail in the coffin for me, though, was the climax. It was cartoonishly cheesy. But, more so than that, I just found the sudden outpouring of sympathy the heroine expresses for the villain to be odd and a little cringey. SPOILER ALERT. The dude is literally murdering random women who think he’s ugly and Claire’s all like, “aww, poor kid. He’s just damaged.” Seriously, was this written by an incel?

[Denise Zendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While chasing down an ubervillain, FBI Special Agent Claire King dies in a boat crash and comes back to life with the ability to “see” exactly what crime victims and perpetrators are experiencing. Is she going crazy? Can she rely on what she sees? How will she explain this new skill to her brand new partner, let alone her boss? How reliable is what she sees anyway? Before the accident, she relied on her intellect. Now she’s awash in emotion and is literally walking in someone else’s shoes, at least for those few minutes when she gets the vision. She’s afraid her coworkers will pack her off to the mental hospital unless she can figure out how to control this new skill and back it up with “solid” police work.

I had a couple of minor quibbles with this book. The author refers to Claire working in a “precinct” and her boss as “Captain”. I don’t think either of these is accurate when one works for the FBI. Their structure is different. Also, this has been done before – lone wolf, brilliant, tortured cop who sees dead people. And, there are elements of Red John – a killer who just won’t stay down and whom you know is going to come back to haunt Claire later on. For me, she’s interesting enough without that hanging over her head.

On the plus side, Claire is a likeable character who can take (and throw) a punch when necessary, and her doggedness in pursuit of criminals is admirable. There is a good balance between action, suspense, character development, and crime solving, with a spark or two of romance, but not in a cloying way. I like the interaction between Claire and her partner, Wilson, and her empathy for the victims. I find Claire intriguing – she’s someone I want to know more about. I will read more in the Clair King series.

[Toni Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.🌟


Once He Sees by Molly Black is a thrilling and suspenseful start to the Claire King thriller series. The book follows Claire King, a strong-willed and determined FBI agent, as she hunts down a ruthless and cunning serial killer.

From the very first page, the story grips you and doesn't let go. The pacing is fast and the tension is high, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. Black's writing is sharp and vivid, bringing the scenes to life and keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

The character development in Once He Sees is well-done, especially with Claire King. She is a complex and multi-dimensional protagonist, filled with flaws and strengths that make her relatable and compelling. The supporting cast is also well-crafted, each with their own unique quirks and backgrounds that add depth to the story.

The plot itself is engaging and full of twists and turns. Black does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing and on their toes, while also delivering satisfying resolutions to the various storylines. The investigative aspects of the novel are well-researched and add to the overall realism of the story.

The only minor issue with the book is that some of the dialogue feels a bit forced at times, but it doesn't detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the story.

In conclusion, Once He Sees is an impressive and gripping start to the Claire King thriller series. With its strong protagonist, intricate plot, and relentless pacing, it is a must-read for fans of the thriller genre. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Molly Black in the future.

[Trina Shorten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok first book in a series

The main factors in the storyline were entertaining if only slightly overused. What bothered me overall? The immense creative license necessary for the main character, a federal agent, to flagrantly disregard commonly known laws, rights, and SOP for law enforcement actions. This element gave me an ongoing reminder to notice other aspects of the relationship between these law enforcement partners which also rang false. To begin with, no employer much less a federal agency would allow their employee who technically just died then woke from a coma to jump from a hospital bed back to their job the next day. That simply started the ball rolling with a pronounced bumpiness that continued throughout the book for me. An entertaining story that didn't allow me to immerse myself into it but still passed some pleasantly distracting reading hours, I have pointed out some flaws that I noticed simply for those readers who might be bothered by realistic technicalities. However if this isnt a peeve for you, overall the book is worth your time and attention for some decent reading enjoyment. The minor grammar and spelling errors are not glaring enough to annoy readers. Take it for what it is without focusing on technical points so you can enjoy an interesting read about this newly psychic agent and her very trusting partner as they follow seemingly random leads without factual basis to get their criminal conclusion.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 


The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
Chirp freebie on August 31, 2024  (currently $1.99 at Chirp and free at Libro.fm as of writing this post)
Kindle freebie on June 23, 2023  (currently free at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)


Once He Sees is my first experience with Molly Black; I have both the ebook and audio book as freebies.   I have the first 1-2 books in ebook freebies for almost all her numerous series. I have a few of her audio books as freebies.  They are in genres I love and the overall ratings are fair.

Claire King is supposed to be a brilliant part of the FBI team. She doesn't show it.  Of course she is severely injured and in a coma at the start of this book. Then she seems to have acquired psychic visions and she is trying to figure out what they mean, if anything.  She is trying to do the right thing and get the bad guys.

However, what is she doing out of the hospital?  She doesn't seem to have to get search warrants and just goes into places and doesn't seem bothered about destroying forensic evidence either.  It was completely ridiculous.

There was plenty of action and a decent plot for the mystery but Claire and her team didn't feel authentic.  Once He Sees was easy to read, relatively short, although it seemed a little bit long for a book half the length of my normal read. I will likely try more of her series to see if this is how this author sets up her characters. I do have the second in this Claire King series as an ebook freebie, Once He Longs,  and I may try that as well.
;



#JIAMAudiobookChallenge

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grabs you by the throat in the opening chapter and doesn’t let go. Once He Sees is the third installment in the Averi Martin series, and it proves Molly Black knows how to build a gritty, emotionally-wired crime thriller that’s also female-driven and sharp.

Averi is haunted, relentless, and unpredictable—in all the best ways. She's still carrying the burden of her past, and her decisions constantly walk the line between heroic and self-destructive. The missing persons case at the heart of this book is chilling and layered, with a twisty path that feels equal parts psychological and procedural.

The pacing was tight, the reveals were well-timed, and I genuinely couldn’t predict the ending. I liked seeing Averi’s inner turmoil start to crack through her controlled exterior—there’s depth to her, and it’s getting better with each book. I will say: the writing can be a little choppy at times, and some dialogue leaned cliché. But if you’re looking for a bingeable, female-led thriller with teeth, this series hits the mark.

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once He Sees is a gripping and intense suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. The main protagonist, FBI Special Agent Claire King, is a strong and fearless agent who risks her life and loses it only to be brought back to life a changed person. She is revived by her new partner after her confrontation with a serial killer.

What she doesn’t realize is that she has gained a psychic power that may help her solve her cases from this time on. She cannot share this with anyone or they may think she has lost her mind. Her latest case is a tough one once she begins to see into the life of the killer that is too frightening to comprehend. Claire’s partner, her life saver, is her support and never doubts her even when she shares some of the unbelievable clues from her new ability with him.

This was a heart-stopping read that I could not put down. I look forward to the next book in this series.

[Judi Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the start of a new series featuring FBI Special Agent Claire King. She has just lost her partner of several years and now has a new one, Wilson. But, right now she is following the serial killer, The Artist. In the water, Claire is following The Artist. As the chase gets into dangerous speeds, Claire has caught him, but at the last minute, the Artist has a surprise and Claire is fighting for her life. She actually dies, but her new partner won't give up a saves her. But is the Artist still alive or did he get away?

Waking up in the hospital, after being in a coma, Claire is noticing strange visions and she doesn't know if her mind is just messed up or is she really seeing visions?

Now struggling with these images she is seeing, she is on another case with her partner. A serial killer in their town that is killing beautiful women. This is a great novel to get you guessing.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed Blake Pierce's Laura Frost series featuring an FBI special agent with psychic abilities. So was intrigued with this Claire King series. (Of the two, I prefer the Laura Frost. Maybe the 2nd book will help raise my enthusiasm for the series)

King gains her abilities after having died for a couple minutes in the midst of chasing down a serial killer. Using information gained from her new "skill" she gets assigned to the latest case.
There were some places where you have to suspend belief like the character hearing screams in the middle of a crime scene only to find out she was the one screaming(??) Despite this I continued - the conclusion was brought together interestingly. Especially when the main character received a congratulatory card which gives information that suggests the case she almost died in, is not as over and done with as everyone believes.
Overall I enjoyed the book, not so much in that I immediately went running for the next in the series. Maybe 3.5 stars.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar to an old TV show, a top FBI agent dies and then comes back to life - in a coma for 3 days - and discovers when she touches things or people, she sees visions. In the TV series, the "gifted" person acted as a consultant, but here, the protagonist acts as an agent.
The agent, Claire, goes to work on a case before she is fully recovered, struggling to put her newfound talent into place. Can she manage her case and not break down as she keeps her new talent a secret and tries to figure out how it can help or hinder?
A page turner that I couldn't stop reading until the end. I have already gotten the next book in the series and look forward to seeing how Claire manages to adapt to her newfound talent.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is an experienced agent who is adapting to a new partner - Wilson - and is not afraid to put her life at risk in order to put a killer behind bars. Facing "The Artist" she in fact, dies and after being resuscitated she discovers she has the power of seeing things in the past and in the future. She does not tell anyone about her new powers but her partner sees something is not right as she cannot always fully explain how she got leads. The fact is her new ability helps her to solve cases as is proved when they find the killer who is abducting and killing women. A promising start to a different and entertaining series!

[Lakea · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2.5 stars rounded down⭐️

**This review is for the audiobook edition.**

I think this would’ve been better if the narrator had been better. As it was, the narrator read it in a monotonous tone, making the story more boring than it was.

The characters seemed flimsy, with Wilson mostly just there for his strength. Beyond that, I have no idea what any of the characters looked like, except for the bad guy.

Still, this was a Hoopla Bonus Borrow and didn’t count against my monthly limit so there is that.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once He Sees, the first book in the Claire King FBI Suspense Thriller series, is a riveting mystery. When FBI Special Agent Claire King finally catches up with the serial killer known as The Artist, she dies in an explosion. When she is reanimated, certain new skills will have developed, even if they do make her question her sanity. Packed with action, suspense, and twists and turns, this well-written novel will keep you reading until it is finished. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.