Inside His Heart

by Kate Bold

“This is an excellent book… When you start reading, be sure you don’t have to wake up early!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dr. Lucy Crimson, criminal psychology professor, former BAU agent, has unmatched brilliance and expertise into the mind of serial killers, and is the one person the FBI turns to when they need help. But when a new killer targets her, matching her brilliance, the race is on to solve the cryptic clues before she may end up as the next victim…

When a string of murders replicates the grisly details from Lucy's research with maximum-security inmates, she's thrown into a deadly game where her own insights are being used as a blueprint for murder. Can Lucy outsmart a killer who's one step ahead, using her own studies as a guide?

INSIDE HIS HEART is BOOK #2 in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Kate Bold, whose bestseller NOT ME (a free download) has received over 3,00 five star ratings and reviews. The series begins with INSIDE HIS MIND (Book #1).

The LUCY CRIMSON series is a heart-pounding page turner, packed with action, suspense and mystery that will compel you late into the night as you try to unravel the clues. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Teresa Driscoll, and Lee Child are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are also available!

“This book moved very fast and every page was exciting. Plenty of dialogue, you absolutely love the characters, and you were rooting for the good guy throughout the whole story… I look forward to reading the next in the series.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Kate did an amazing job on this book and I was hooked from the first chapter!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I really enjoyed this book. The characters were authentic, and I see the bad guys as something we hear about daily on the news... Looking forward to book 2.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“This was a really good book. The main characters were real, flawed and human. The story went along quickly and wasn't mired in too many unnecessary details. I really enjoyed it.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Alexa Chase is headstrong, impatient, but most of all brave with a capital B. She never, repeat never, backs down until the bad guys are put where they belong. Clearly five stars!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Captivating and riveting serial murder with a twist of the macabre… Very well done.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“WOW what a great read! Talk about a diabolical killer! Really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading others by this author as well.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Page turner for sure. Great characters and relationships. I got into the middle of this story and couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to more from Kate Bold.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Hard to put down. It has an excellent plot and has the right amount of suspense. I really enjoyed this book.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Extremely well written, and well worth buying and reading. I can't wait to read book two!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Ebooks

186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 2, 2025

About the author

Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CAMILLE GRACE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the HARLEY COLE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the KAYLIE BROOKS SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the EVE HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting). Kate loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.kateboldauthor.com to join the mailing list, receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY KATE BOLD

EVE HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

IN HIS BLOOD (Book #1)

IN HIS SIGHTS (Book #2)

IN HIS REACH (Book #3)

IN HIS MIND (Book #4)

IN HIS WAY (Book #5)

(and counting)

KAYLIE BROOKS SUSPENSE THRILLER

LAST BREATH (Book #1)

LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

LAST WISH (Book #3)

LAST SHOT (Book #4)

LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)

(and counting)

HARLEY COLE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)

NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)

NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)

NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)

NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)

NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)

NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)

NOWHERE PURE (Book #8)

NOWHERE SOUND (Book #9)

NOWHERE SANE (Book #10)

(and counting)

CAMILLE GRACE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOT ME (Book #1)

NOT NOW (Book #2)

NOT WELL (Book #3)

NOT HER (Book #4)

NOT NORMAL (Book #5)

NOT AGAIN (Book #6)

NOT SAFE (Book #7)

NOT TODAY (Book #8)

(and counting)

ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER

THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)

THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)

THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)

THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)

THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)

THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)

(and counting)

ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

LET ME GO (Book #1)

LET ME OUT (Book #2)

LET ME LIVE (Book #3)

LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)

LET ME FORGET (Book #5)

LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)

(and counting)

Reviews

[iain jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story by Kate Bold .. the second book in the series about criminal physiologist professor Lucy Crimson.

Lucy has a chance to speak to serial killers that are in jail..
Soon deaths happen with these serial killers ways they go about killing. Someone is copying and there’s body’s stacking up.. Lucy is now on the case

[Alexis (Unpopular Opinions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

The book was fine, although I wish there was more of a spotlight on the criminal/crime. While the case was pretty straightforward and not as interesting as the one in the first book, there was also no Madison (although they did mention her at the start of the book and for a minute I was worried she would come back - maybe in a more "official" capacity as Lucy's assistant). The more glaring breaches in protocol were absent, but unfortunately that just underlined the basic and surface level profiling and investigation.


*** Mild Spoilers Ahead ***


The book starts off strong with a murder through the killer's POV with his inner-monolog walking us through all the precautions he's taken and his thought process. After we switch to following Lucy, we never get that again. Just the aftermath of the murder and Lucy's "brilliant insights" into the mind of the killer and his motives. Her 'insights' are based the fact that she's interviewed three serial killers with different MOs and this new killer is a copycat. So she's just basically regurgitating facts that were spoon-fed to her 2 days prior.

Once again Lucy's brilliance is oversold and undershown. When Dr. Lawson, a man who has worked at prison for years, day in and day out, tells her to be careful with the killers messing with her head, she takes umbrage. How dare he speak to her as to a child? After all, her superior techniques had gotten more answers in one session than the doctor had gotten in years! First off, you don't know what the doctor does or does not know. Just because he hasn't written papers or shared information, it doesn't mean he doesn't have it. Second, your "superior techniques" were walking into a prison as a moderately good-looking female, meeting lifers who wanted to one-up eachother and their psychiatrist and asking "how did you do it?". That was it. You tried a little reverse psychology and pandering that they all immediately saw right through, but sure, it was your superior intellect and techniques. Let's go with that.

In order for Lucy to appear brilliant, every one else has to be incompetent, including her FBI Agent beau: There's been a murder in a locked house you say? Hmm, have you tried checking to see if the lock was picked? I know, genius right? The temperature of this suicide victim's room was increased to an unbearable level? Maybe it was murder and that was done to throw off time of death!! Well, yes, that is the MO of a killer I spoke to yesterday, but I'm the one who thought of it so I consider it a win for me! Honestly, Sam doesn't do one bit of investigating or deducing. We figure out that someone is killing based on her interviews and, instead of doing a full background check on everyone who has access to the recordings, we jump at the first person in debt and run with it. The Unsub was pretty obvious from the moment we met him. And yet he was never looked in to. We were never really introduced to anyone who might have been a red herring.

Other random takeaways/questions:

- Is Lucy a Doctor of Psychology/Criminology? They consistently refer to her as Professor, and yet she is doing studies and consulting, which one would assume requires a doctorate. Sure she's ex-BAU (I believe) but that's not really a quantifiable qualification. Nor really mentioned.

- "I'll only step in if absolutely necessary" - Ma'am you won't step in at all! You are a Uni Professor and he is a trained investigator. At no point should it be necessary for you to step in. You're tagging along in the investigation but you are by no means there in an official capacity. Sit back and observe. Then tell me what you've observed/deduced and we'll follow-up if necessary. You can't just ask questions mid-interrogation and have Sam flash his badge like it covers you both.

- Victor is presented as the most ingenious brilliant criminal mastermind. The most interesting inmate. But his methods were basic How To Get Away With Murder 101. Personally, I found the other two killers interviewed far more interesting. They might not have the IQ (or sanity), but their methods were much more intriguing. Them I could see doing a study on.

- Hopefully this is the last we see of her ex. It's like the author doesn't know what to do with him. He shows up concerned, but leaves smirky/snarky. She's constantly jealous of him but also wants to show him how much she's moved on and doesn't care. They never really have a conversation, he just pops in and out like a jokey anime villain.

Overall I'd say the series (so far) is well written and might be aimed more to those dipping their toes into criminal thrillers. For those who have been reading them for years, the psychology, profiling and denouement might feel a bit introductory.

[Aja Cyran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book series is very good at keeping you intrigued in the world of professor crimson. I enjoyed the depth of each of the inmates profiles, giving you a sense of exhilaration in this books “who done it” narrative. Again I will say that while I enjoyed the story line and the development of the characters in the story, there were still very many typos and misspellings throughout the novel. This is an issue I noted in my previous review of the former book, and it is a bit jarring and often interrupted the seamless processing of the book, leading to interruptions in being able to fully “delve” myself into the books world. The typos served as a reminder forcing you back into reality which I found at times a bit dissatisfying as I would be steadily progressing through the storyline and suspense was building, just to have a typo halt me in my tracks as I stopped to sort out what wording the author had truly meant. Due to this, I have reduced a star from the rating, but overall I think the book series is engaging and I will continue to read the remainder of her novels in this series.

[Deedra Dail-whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! I totally enjoyed it!! I love Professor Lucy Crimson & FBI Special Agent Sam Spears! They're a great team! The books are very well written & keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what the heck they'll get into next!! Even the bad guys, some of them, are somewhat likeable in this book too!! But the ONLY problem is there's even more editorial errors in this book than there were in the first one. Bold's editors need to wake up & do their job cause Bold is banging the books out, so the least they could do is make sure there's no typos?!?!

[Gael Richmire-holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguingly twisted tale of deception

This is a page turner that will keep you guessing right up to the end. And beyond it, for me. It appears our researcher figured it all out, just in the nick of time! I found myself wondering if there was something she might have missed?
A good read, poorly edited, with more than a few misspelled words and names used wrong. It doesn't hurt the story, perhaps only a nitpicker like me would notice. I still recommend this read!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Kate Bold’s writing! I have read quite a few of her books. This one, however, was easy for me to figure out who the murderer was. They also had a lot of typos in it, calling him /her and totally putting the wrong name on the character in a couple places. It was still a good book with a good plot.

[Maria Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book & yes I agree it could have done with some editing but I felt like I was reading the script for the series “mind hunter” I had to force myself to finish it as I already knew the ending & I don’t like not to complete a book. Overall well written but left me very confused as to how I already knew this book.

[Kyle Tumpak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25. Not as good as the first book at first, but things get better way later than I thought they would. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s the kindle version, but there were way too many typos. Also, there were a couple different times that a character would have a completely different last night than before. Kind of distracting, but nonetheless, good book and so far great series.

[Sherry Escobar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

I would have enjoyed the book (as well as her last one) if there hadn't been so many typos and obvious mistakes . I'm sure editing could have been done better by a 10 year old.

[Margaret Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside his heart

This book is written to keep you turning possibilities over in your head and hoping your right or wrong as the case may be. I couldn't proofreading it.and I hope that is the same for the next suspense reader.

[Allison Maples · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 for me, rounded up for a unique storyline.
While the ending felt a bit rushed, the pacing for the majority of the story was solid and characters were well developed. Definitely worth picking up for a quick read.
This is book 2 in a series, but can also be read as a standalone.

[Mrs MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read. Good series.

[Kristy Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I liked this one even better than the first!

[Alice Ham · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really good book and well written! Have really gotten into this authors books. However, I did guess the killer quite early on but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

[martina a king · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad read

I found this book little less exciting than the 1st book but was still a decent read the killer was easy to spot half way through

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murders work but more editing is needed. I will keep reading

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Crimson goes to a prison to interview serial killers, then random people are killed like they described!

[Dave Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

The story is very engaging, it was hard to put down once I started. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Kate.

[Maressa LaJoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad - listened as a audiobook. Very curious for the rest of series.

[Mark Gomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit dull

Didn't really ever get going. Uninspired ending. Was expecting a twist that never came. Not sure I'd go to another if this author's books.

[Maddy Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Erika Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written but I did figure it out in Chapter 4. It was well written and a good story I just picked up on a bit of foreshadowing and made connections.

[Kaylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I guessed who the killer was pretty early on, Inside His Heart was still a fast-paced, easy page-turner for me. There was one element of the murders and the serial killer that I didn’t piece together, which made the ending enjoyable. If the book didn’t have so many typos and errors, it could’ve been a 4/5.
I really enjoy the plot of these stories, and I like Lucy and Sam as a duo. I find the storytelling and pacing to be solid but the publishers seriously need to get it together.