Wrong Girl

Miles Sterling FBI Suspense Thriller

by Blake Pierce

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

When FBI forensic toxicologist Miles Sterling makes a harrowing discovery—that a dozen unsolved deaths over the past decade each correspond to an element on the periodic table—he must race to follow the trail and find the mastermind behind these murders—and stop him before he strikes again…

In the heart of San Francisco, a new body is found, a new victim of the "element killer", sheathed in gold. What was a cold case now becomes a matter of urgent priority—as Miles Sterling taps his brilliance to decode the clues—all while dangerously close to becoming the next target himself…

WRONG GIRL is the first 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 Miles Sterling mystery series takes you on a wild thriller ride with its searing fast pace while introducing a brilliant protagonist who tackles harrowing cases tapping all of his knowledge. Unputdownable, the twist and turns will leave you breathless up until the very last word. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll, and Lisa Gardner are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are now 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: Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Suspense, Amazon, Crime, Mystery Thriller

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 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

[Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been brilliant, instead it was waffley & repetitive

[Nikki Alber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. I don’t typically read FBI suspense books so this was very criminal mindsy for me. I realized that this is just going to be a continuation story series so I didn’t love that they didn’t catch the bad guy at the end. This book solved a small piece of the bigger puzzle. I’m not sure if I will continue on in the series. It’s definitely not a priority for me but overall, I did find the story intriguing!

[Charles Tully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to find new characters and I expect their interaction will develop over the series.

I do wish authors would check the practical aspects of their plot - 10 mins with Google answered questions about gold. The body was coated with gold and a sweet smell so it has to be gold leaf but there is lots of talk of molten gold - at 1064C the body will not survive.

Average person's surface area is 1.7 - 1.8sq m that amount of gold leaf depending on thickness etc costs £600 - £1160 and weighs 4.17g - 17.39g readily available from art suppliers so no need to muck around making the bad guy's life difficult.

It is these sort of things that make my reading trip and ask what? There is a lot of it about.

[Caroll-Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

📖 Wrong Girl by Blake Pierce

⭐️⭐️

The writing itself was good, but unfortunately, the story just wasn’t for me. In Wrong Girl, FBI forensic toxicologist Miles Sterling discovers a disturbing connection between a dozen unsolved deaths over the past decade, with each one corresponding to an element on the periodic table. When a new victim is found in San Francisco, covered in gold, Miles begins to unravel the mystery behind the so-called “element killer” while putting himself dangerously close to becoming the next target.

I usually really enjoy a good FBI crime novel, so I was surprised that I couldn’t connect with this one. At a little under 200 pages, the book is quite short, and I felt like there simply wasn’t enough time to properly get to know the characters or become invested in them. The premise was definitely interesting, but I just never felt that connection with the story or the characters that would make me fully invested.

The writing was good, and I can see why the premise might appeal to fans of FBI thrillers, but unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

[erin · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Honestly the plot was very good! Love the idea of the periodic table theory. I like the different perspectives of the characters but each pov explains the same ideas almost exactly the same, so it’s kinda repetitive. Regardless still a good read (listen lol)

[Amanda Kunes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Ron B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice shirt story, make you want to read book 2 and 3. The storyline is interesting and makes you think about that this could happen for real.

[Lyric Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

the concept of this book was great, but the writing and plot line fell short for me. it could have been great. still enjoyable.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story felt "off" from the beginning and kept feeling that way right through - it felt more like a second draft that needed a good editor than a completed novel. There were so many nonsensical inconsistencies in this book, starting with the title "Wrong Girl" - there was no girl ever mentioned in the story. From a character describing the eyes of another when he's looking at the back of her head, to the bizarre idea that someone would painstakingly create then melt gold leaf to cover a body, to FBI agents chasing a suspect, knocking him down, and leaving him unrestrained while they enter and explore a basement, to the protagonist's theory that the murderer(s) is/are using the elements of the periodic table in the order they appear on the table to commit their crimes, nearly a dozen it turns out, and then the next murder is related to gold, #97 on the periodic table - that's quite a jump from #11 or #12 to #97 - how does that fit into the theory the murders are sequential? And then, miraculously, with very little leg work, the protagonist solves the gold crime in less than 48 hours of arrival at the scene, the whole time feeling pressure from the boss who thinks it's taking him too long to solve the case. These and other missteps were too blatant for me to buy into the story.

[Kitty Potter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't AWFUL but it felt like a high school english project. A lot of details but not a lot of plot. Additionally there were some weird errors. For example when Miles and Vic were working in the car, Miles takes out his laptop and gets comfortable then in 2 paragraphs takes his laptop out again.

[John M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wrong Girl

I have read a lot of books by author Blake Pierce which I have enjoyed. However this one I did not enjoy. I found it rather long winded and in part went into too much technical detail which I found boring.

[Jessica Kolley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️Honestly just really boring for me. I felt like she was repeating the same thing over and over

[George Foulkes-Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly terrible writing. Many sections felt like AI, long overly detailed descriptions in some areas and then huge plot or detail gaps in sections we could have been told more. I couldn’t tell you one personality trait from any of the main characters, they were just tropes and really one note. A frustrating read, paced badly, and annoying in areas with how the story was revealed (either too much or not enough).

[Naimal Azad Kastro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started reading this book last month. Painfully Boring. DNF @75% because I can’t stand it any longer.

[Lorelei J OConnor · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring

I had a hard time getting into this book’s characters. Enjoyed his other works. This character is lacking any excitement!

[RONI FIELDS-OWEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Wrong Girl: A Miles Sterling Mystery
Book #1”

Written by: Blake Pierce
Narrated by: Tim Alexander

“Wrong Girl” written by Blake Pierce was masterful done by an author who’s not only known for his skillful writing but also for his mysterious ability and suspense.
This was my 1st listen from Mr. Pierce but will not be my last. I’ve been bitten by wanting more of what he offer. I was caught in his web right from chapter one.

I’ve fallen for Miles Sterling. I admire his craft that he possess and I wanna hear more about what he brings to his character.

Tim Alexander deserves a standing ovations for his narration. He was skillful with his voice, managing several characters as he did! I would have thought there were more narrator’s involved than just him but he did it all. I know of a chosen few who can master that skill and he is one of them. The spotlight shines brightly for you and if you haven’t won an audience before then you’ve been cheated. Thank you for bringing life to these characters.

This is a Must-Listen to audiobook so you can get the true feel of the storytelling and just of the mystery!!!

#imronigirl

[Cidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is rather an unusual story, Miles Sterling works for the FBI as a toxicologist and thinks he has found several murders having being committed by the murderer using the periodic table of elements, specifically gold leaf, well it does say molten gold in some places which would just melt the person they are pouring the gold over so body gone quite quickly, whereas all these people were coated in gold leaf. Now gold leaf is soo fragile that it isn't always possible to put it on as smooth as the author says or well it's Miles saying I think, he needs to take another look at his chemistry books, says she whose partner is a prof of chemistry, anyway pushing through the hmms of my partner I carried on reading!

Miles is sent to work as a field agent of which he has no experience and finds himself working in San Francisco with agent, well special agent, Victoria Stone, and it's not easy living mostly out of her rental car and eating on the hoof. The ending was not really realistic but good none the less, you have to remember that these are novels (says the chem prof).

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1 in the Miles Sterling series. I found this story engrossing as it focused on elemental killings. For this book, specifically Periodic Table element 79 - Gold. While elements 1-…I believe 6 were mentioned briefly during the book, this book is exclusively based on trying to find a killer that paints the victims entire in gold. I also found some of the technical aspects of how to make good sheets fascinating as it gave some background but didn’t get too bogged down in the scientific speak.

I also like the team pairing of Miles, a lab analyst, with Vic, a field agent. I’m hoping that they keep these two paired up throughout the series as I liked their chemistry (professional, not romantic) and the way Vic allowed Miles to grow in some of the field skills he did not have while he helped give her new ideas and perspectives.

[Amanda Melville · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. For a short story, it took me 3 days to finish on 2x speed because it was that boring. It’s terribly repetitive and I had to force myself to finish it, just to be left unsatisfied. I kept waiting for some action, a clue, or some other redeeming factor. What I got instead was so much filler disguised as backstory that I’m not sure how it even made it off an editor’s desk. (For example: if I had to hear ‘he’d dedicated the past 3 years of his life to solving these cases/putting the pieces together and he hoped it wasn’t in vain’ ONE.MORE.TIME I would’ve thrown a fit.) The premise was exciting, and it had the potential to have been a great book/series. It just felt like the author values quantity over quality, and copy/pasted sections to make a word quota before deadline.

[Bruce Retallack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well-written, as I expect from Pierce, but overall it was not one of her finer efforts. A forensic toxicologist discovers that in each of several unsolved murders the victims had been poisoned using each of the elements in the periodic table, in order. So when a body is found coated in gold, he is sent off to work with our intrepid sleuth to work on the case. I found that premise quite unbelievable. and the putative method of the murders a bit far-fetched as a result. Not only that, but the antagonist of this book turns out to working under the influence of some shady cabal with a broader agenda. So please, dear reader, please buy book two - I really don't like cliffhanger/teasers. Nevertheless, it's a short quick read so I had no problem reading through to the end. 2.5 stars upped to 3 for that.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

FBI forensic toxicologist Miles Sterling makes a chilling discovery: a dozen unsolved deaths spanning the past decade, each linked to an element on the periodic table. As he follows the trail, Sterling realizes he is hunting a calculating mastermind whose deadly game is far from over.

In the heart of San Francisco, a new body is discovered, another victim of the notorious “Element Killer,” encased in gold. What was once a cold case has suddenly become an urgent investigation. Armed with his brilliant analytical mind, Sterling must decipher the cryptic clues and unravel the killer’s twisted pattern before another life is lost.

But as the investigation intensifies, the danger grows closer. The deeper Sterling digs, the more he risks becoming the killer’s next victim.

A gripping thriller packed with suspense, mystery, forensic science, and a deadly race against time.

[Paige Alexander Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this one down! Really enjoyed Miles' character and look forward to seeing him develop in the next book. I found the story believable, and it kept me guessing til the near end. The only confusion I had was the 'jump' on the periodic table. I am thinking there may be more 'back story' as the series goes on to explain that. I would recommend this book, especially if you are into crimes of a serial nature. The writing style was flowing, and I felt that there was a good balance of police procedure and background scientific explanation to ensure understanding. ie, It was not overdone to the point where the story was lost.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

FBI forensic toxicologist Miles Sterling discovers that a series of bizarre unsolved murders correspond to elements on the periodic table. Racing through San Francisco, he must stop a diabolical "element killer" before becoming the next target.

This was an outstanding start to a new series by Blake Pierce. A gripping, fast-paced thriller that hooks you from the very first page. The unique premise blends forensic science with a relentless cat-and-mouse hunt, while the brilliant Miles Sterling shines as a deeply complex protagonist. Packed with clever twists and high stakes, it is an addictive, unputdownable read that fans of the mystery genre will love.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read. You really don't need to think about the implications of what happens or what is said because the author spells it all out for you in the conversations taking place - and then repeats them just to make sure you have got the gist of it. The plot line is ingenious if highly improbable. It is also riddled with holes suggesting that not a lot of time is spent in writing or editing. Over 500 titles are attributed to Blake Pierce so you can draw your own conclusions from that. If you ignore the errors and inconsistencies and take the storyline at face value, then it is actually an enjoyable quick read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a slow start. The writing felt repetitive at times, and I was getting bored, but it did pick up around chapter 10 so I kept going. Then it slowed down again after another few chapters, but I was curious enough to see if they’d ‘catch the bad guy’.

As an FBI suspense, I think I’ve realised this sub-genre isn’t really for me. It felt too methodical and slow, and not enough action. Not enough suspense or thrill for me.

The ending was satisfying enough, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.

[Megan Ahrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good premise, fast mystery, slightly underbaked characters

I enjoyed the premise and found the story easy to get into. The mystery moved quickly, with enough suspense and twists to keep me reading.

The character development could be a bit more refined, but the book was still entertaining and held my attention. Overall, it’s a solid start to the series and a good pick for anyone who enjoys FBI suspense thrillers with a quick pace, plenty of tension, and characters who hopefully get a little more room to breathe in the next book.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrong Girl delivers exactly what you want from a twist‑driven suspense novel: tension, secrets, and that creeping sense that no one is telling the whole truth. The pacing is tight, the stakes escalate quickly, and the characters walk that perfect line between relatable and suspicious. It’s the kind of story where you keep saying “just one more chapter” and suddenly an hour has passed.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers built on lies, shifting identities, and messy relationships, this one is a satisfying, fast read.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice procedural

(2 1/2). Another really short read on a day when I had lots of time on my hands. Miles Sterling is an ok character but the story here really carries everything. Very contemporary, pretty damn believable and it unfolds nicely. More layers than twists and turns, and Miles and his sidekick FBI lady work the case nicely. The ending sets us up for many stories to come. Pretty good stuff.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Listened as an audiobook w a migraine so maybe that influenced my POV — BUT lowkey misogynistic. First woman mentioned was sexualized and she was dead. Second woman mentioned was nagging the main character about his dinner getting cold. Only female character with “substance” was helping the younger rookie scientist with HIS theories and HIS discoveries.

A bunch of plot holes and inconsistencies, and a ton of repeated phrasings. Bad writing, perhaps written by AI?

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant read from Blake Pierce. I couldn’t put this one down. It was suspenseful, exciting and completely gripping from the start.

I’ve read Blake Pierce before and he never fails to impress. His stories pull you in from the very first page and keep you wanting to know what happens next. I never have any trouble getting into his books because the pace and suspense are there straight away.

A gripping, addictive read that kept me hooked right to the end. Definitely five stars from me!