Say When

Alison Payne #2

by Blake Pierce

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Prison psychologist Dr. Alison Payne has interviewed hundreds of convicted killers, advocating for their release—or determining if they should remain behind bars.

But when a string of murders eerily replicates the unsolved case of Alison’s sister, she is thrust into a spine-chilling game by a serial killer who knows her too well. Alison must confront her own past and decode the killer's clues before another young woman meets a tragic end.

SAY WHEN (BOOK #2) is the second book in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 7,000 five star ratings and reviews. The series begins with SAY DIE (BOOK #1).

The Alison Payne mystery series is a page turning suspense ride, immersing you in a captivating cat-and-mouse game brimming with shocking twists. This refreshing take on the thriller genre features an ingenious female protagonist who can outsmart them all, and who is guaranteed to capture your heart. Fans of Rachel Caine, Karin Slaughter, and Melinda Leigh are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are also available!


“An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2025

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

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

Reviews

[Tammy]

Disappointed

I had previously read Girl Alone and loved it, so I was really looking forward to another Blake Pierce novel. I was so disappointed in Say When. I actually Googled to see if there might be another author with the same name. Truth be told, I think the problem is the editor more than the author. The plot and story were pretty good, but there were so many typos and other mistakes that I had a difficult time enjoying the read.

[Deb Sanchez]

The Kindle version of is book is full of typing errors and misspellings. "His" for
"her", "clothes" for "cloths", and quotation marks at the beginning but not the end of a sentence, and vice versa, sometimes with a sentence that was not spoken. The story was ok, but a bit sappy. It was not nearly as realistic as Say Die, the first book in this series.

[Art]

Lack of proper proofreading or editing detracts from this edition.

[Silja C]

After Say Die, I decided to give the series another chance with Say When, but unfortunately my opinion didn’t change.

The book wasn’t terrible, but I never got invested in the story. From the beginning, I felt disconnected from what was happening, and that feeling never went away. The plot felt weak and predictable, so there wasn’t any suspense or excitement keeping me hooked.

The main issue was the characters. I finished the book feeling like I still didn’t know any of them. Their personalities, relationships, and emotions felt surface-level, which made it difficult to care about what happened to them. Everything felt superficial, as if I was being told about the characters rather than actually getting to know them.

Because of that lack of connection, the story didn’t have emotional impact. I wasn’t invested in the outcomes.

[John M. Toler]

Pierce-Book 2, Alison Payne

Very interesting read, with the killer not known until the very end. Interesting posing of the victims of the killer.

[Yvonda Freeman]

Anyone else struggle with the overwhelming number of editing errors in Blake Pierce’s books? For one example, it should’ve said “knelt down by his daughter;” instead, it read BESTIE HIS DAUNT. I like his characters but there’s no effort given on editing. Another example was it said someone was speaking of Alison…to Alison. He meant Sophia. Another was instead of “well liked,” he wrote “well, liked.” Maybe I struggled more as a former journalist Alison professor; but it’s too much for me to get past.

[Wyswoman]

Good mystery story

The story is good, and I did enjoy it. However, what was disturbingly distracting in this ebook was the massive amount of errors, whether grammatical or otherwise. I certainly hope any printed books are without such errors, but when a book is also made into ebook, it should be edited for errors. I was so disappointed by them all, I came close to just quitting the book, but wanted to see how it ended.

[Robbie]

Didn't care for this one. I rate it 2 stars.

[Paige Alexander Alexander]

Another enjoyable instalment in this series. The relationship between the protagonist and her partner continues to be one of the book's strengths. It's refreshing, light-hearted, and complements the story without ever overshadowing the investigation.

The plot was realistic, and the story progressed at a steady pace. While the ending wrapped everything up a little quickly, it still provided a satisfying conclusion.

Without giving away any spoilers, I'd like to see more development of the protagonist's personal trauma. It feels as though the author is building towards something significant, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that leads in the next book.

Editing issues were minimal, and there were enough twists to keep me guessing. I had no idea who the killer was until the final reveal, which made for a satisfying ending.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and will be purchasing the next instalment in the series.

[Tanya]

The first book in this series was somewhat ok so I decided to give this book a go. Wish I hadn’t. I realize this is fiction but this story and the characters are totally unbelievable and boring, as well as the main character tiresome. Honestly could she be anymore brilliant while at the same time acting completely neurotic. And how many times do we have to hear about her gun. Also needed a better proofreading. There is no way a genuine author could put so many books out in this series so quickly. Not sure who all is really behind these books but I would say to any reader avoid this “author” and series like the plague.

[Colleen]

page turner

At first, I thought that this would be just another one of those books in which someone’s sister’s cold case murder is being investigated once again. There are a lot of those out there lately. However, the more I got into Say When, the more I became engrossed in it, Allison is not a detective, but she does some pretty good detective work. She and friend Derek try to find a present day killer who could be the one who killed her sister so long ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I hope you will too.

[Jane Clark]

why

Why would you write this in a book
“sped past a vehicle going ten under the speed limit, causing as much danger as a fast-moving vehicle.”
Keep your opinions to yourself please as this is blatantly untrue, lanes for overtaking are available. This is where I gave up reading. Shame

[Donna]

Dr. Alison Payne works in the prison system interviewing convicted killers. She has a say if and when the killers get out of prison. She’s feeling targeted when girls are killed and posed. Clues point to the death of her sister years before and the clues start to get Alison concerned for her own safety. Dramatic conclusion with a would be victim Alison saves at her father’s home.

[diannscollins]

Compensating

I chose this rating because I didn't like the general plot. Girl needs guy to help her, and she joined law enforcement because of a murder in the family. Also it needs some editing. Gruesome deeds for stupid reasons.

[Helen Sanford]

Say When

The plot was interesting,, the ending leaves a path to continue following, to find Emma's killer. The proofreader missed several areas of causing confusion with misspelled or misplaced words. I will look for her other books because the plot is worth it.

[Liza]

I enjoyed the book. The active story was interesting.

Yes, it's another where the lead female wants to solve the (murder) of her (sister) and that's why she joined the (CBI). Also, yes, lots of typos but it still worked.

[Diane Ranson]

very poor proofing

The story line is okay but the editing was terrible. Uses wrong pronouns in several areas and misidentifies characters like the writer forgot who they were talking about

[Tia Murphey]

I like Black Pierce, I read all of the Avery Black series, but this series…. The first book was intriguing. Second same as the first second verse, third DNF because really how many times is someone going to try and kill you Allison….

[Nan Christine Borton-Smith]

Riveting!

Riveting, in the sense you will be glued to the pages until the end. This series thus far has been non-stop action with twists and turns that feel like a rollercoaster. Both books thus far have increased my heart rate - Cardio done✔️.

[John Roach,]

another top story from a top author

[Mrs MJ]

Will read next in series, Easy reads

[Kristen Rielly]

Good series. Looking forward to the others

[Roger M. Kostecky]

Say When \ Sat What?

As always, Blake Pierce kept me glued to the page. He leaves the reader anxious for the next volume. However, he needs a proofreader. The typos are distracting.

[Nerissa Rollason]

Keeps you guessing

Keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat, couldn't put it down. Time to get into book 3

[George Ackland]

Great book!

Easy read and held my interest right to the end.
I enjoyed the way the writer brought everything to climax.
Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy this book.

[Svetlana Kva]

well this was surprisingly poor, I expected more from this author. could hardly finish, very unoriginal plot, wooden writing and flat characters and quite a few typos.

[Debra A. Hill]

Needs punctuation and editing.

Okay story but should have been checked and edited before publishing. Quote marks were missing or used incorrectly, punctuation missing, etc.

[david ramsay]

Say when AP 2

A good book took a bit of time to get into but it ended well. A lot of print mistakes and spelling mistakes but basically a good read

[Kristen Zamudio]

The posed victims was an interesting angle and although Alison isn’t my favorite Pierce protagonist, I’m interested to see where this series goes.

[Cora]

Did not finish - seemed like an okay book but there were too many typos and grammar errors within the first few chapters.