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Accelerant: A Carrie Trent Thriller
A fire marshal with a tormented past. A serial killer with a penchant for arson.
Carrie Trent is a survivor.
Not because of the serial killer who dragged her from the fire that claimed her fiancé, but because she fights back.
It takes Carrie years to earn the badge of a fire marshal. With it, she builds a team of investigators around the respect needed to excel in a career that relies on trust. Trust that’s entrenched in customs and long-standing traditions of the fire service.
But the 911 Killer isn’t done.
Targeting emergency responders, he torments his victims through various methods of arson. And with each alarming revelation, Carrie and her team are drawn further into his madness, where nightmares merge with reality.
Set against the haunting backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, Carrie pursues a killer who has evaded capture for years. Now, she is the target. Quitting isn’t an option, and the only way to take him down is through the fire.
From the bestselling author of The 6th Extinction, Flashpoint, and The Fallen comes an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that will leave you breathless until the last page!
-Perfect for fans of Mary Stone and D.D. Black.
Carrie Trent is a survivor.
Not because of the serial killer who dragged her from the fire that claimed her fiancé, but because she fights back.
It takes Carrie years to earn the badge of a fire marshal. With it, she builds a team of investigators around the respect needed to excel in a career that relies on trust. Trust that’s entrenched in customs and long-standing traditions of the fire service.
But the 911 Killer isn’t done.
Targeting emergency responders, he torments his victims through various methods of arson. And with each alarming revelation, Carrie and her team are drawn further into his madness, where nightmares merge with reality.
Set against the haunting backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, Carrie pursues a killer who has evaded capture for years. Now, she is the target. Quitting isn’t an option, and the only way to take him down is through the fire.
From the bestselling author of The 6th Extinction, Flashpoint, and The Fallen comes an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that will leave you breathless until the last page!
-Perfect for fans of Mary Stone and D.D. Black.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
19 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Tara Ellis
63 books252 followersWith over 50 published books across ten genres, author Tara Ellis is best known for her heart-pounding post-apocalyptic and thriller series. A heavy dose of mystery often underscores her character-driven plots, heralding back to what fueled her desire to tell stories from an early age.
A certified firefighter in the state of Washington, Tara volunteered as a FF/EMT for over eight years. She also responded as a support officer, worked as an emergency room technician, was a 911 dispatcher, and taught life-saving techniques to the public and first responders. As an author of thriller and survival stories, she draws upon her personal experience throughout her storytelling.
Tara lives in the gorgeous Cascade Mountains of Washington State. When not writing or spending time with family, she can be found hiking the woods while plotting her next adventure.
*Join Tara's newsletter on her author website: Tara Ellis Books
*Check out her women's literature and mysteries under the pen name of Tara Meyers
*Find her on FB under Tara Ellis Author
Check back for upcoming dates for public appearances and book signings!
Coming this year, in 2025:
*A new post-apocalyptic series with Aethon Books, The 6th Extinction, releases in April
*A new thriller series co-authored with L.T. Ryan was announced to release later this year!
*The third and final book in The Fallen series, The Redeemed, is coming this summer
*Several new audiobooks will go live throughout the year
Check back for upcoming dates for public appearances and book signings!
A certified firefighter in the state of Washington, Tara volunteered as a FF/EMT for over eight years. She also responded as a support officer, worked as an emergency room technician, was a 911 dispatcher, and taught life-saving techniques to the public and first responders. As an author of thriller and survival stories, she draws upon her personal experience throughout her storytelling.
Tara lives in the gorgeous Cascade Mountains of Washington State. When not writing or spending time with family, she can be found hiking the woods while plotting her next adventure.
*Join Tara's newsletter on her author website: Tara Ellis Books
*Check out her women's literature and mysteries under the pen name of Tara Meyers
*Find her on FB under Tara Ellis Author
Check back for upcoming dates for public appearances and book signings!
Coming this year, in 2025:
*A new post-apocalyptic series with Aethon Books, The 6th Extinction, releases in April
*A new thriller series co-authored with L.T. Ryan was announced to release later this year!
*The third and final book in The Fallen series, The Redeemed, is coming this summer
*Several new audiobooks will go live throughout the year
Check back for upcoming dates for public appearances and book signings!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 5, 2026
A unique and outstanding thriller!
Accelerant, book 1 in the Carrie Trent thrillers is a unique and exceptional thriller. Carrie, the protagonist, is one of the most relatable, flawed and well written in modern fiction. The book follows Carrie as she hunts the 911Killer whose MO is targeting first responders. The rest of the writing is as good as it gets. The composition is remarkable. The characters, dialogue, descriptions of both the Pacific Northwest and of events, especially the crime scenes, are perfectly clear. This is the first Tara Ellis book I've read outside of her apocalyptic survival thrillers and I'm impressed! I now have some additions to my To Be Read pile! Overall, 5/5 stars! This is as good as serial killer thrillers come! Highly recommended to both any fan of Ellis and any fan of serial killer thrillers! No-one who picks up Accelerant will regret it, I'm already eager for the next Carrie Trent thriller!
Accelerant, book 1 in the Carrie Trent thrillers is a unique and exceptional thriller. Carrie, the protagonist, is one of the most relatable, flawed and well written in modern fiction. The book follows Carrie as she hunts the 911Killer whose MO is targeting first responders. The rest of the writing is as good as it gets. The composition is remarkable. The characters, dialogue, descriptions of both the Pacific Northwest and of events, especially the crime scenes, are perfectly clear. This is the first Tara Ellis book I've read outside of her apocalyptic survival thrillers and I'm impressed! I now have some additions to my To Be Read pile! Overall, 5/5 stars! This is as good as serial killer thrillers come! Highly recommended to both any fan of Ellis and any fan of serial killer thrillers! No-one who picks up Accelerant will regret it, I'm already eager for the next Carrie Trent thriller!
March 1, 2026
Could not put this down
So scintillating and gripping. If you love a good mystery then read Accelrant. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat looking for clues, wondering who could be such an evil person.
So scintillating and gripping. If you love a good mystery then read Accelrant. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat looking for clues, wondering who could be such an evil person.
January 8, 2026
Accelerant is an intense read full of thrills and twists, the suspense building perfectly as the pages turn. The author’s knowledge comes thru on the pages, helping the story’s realism and adding to the depth of the characters as well.
I’ve been a big fan of Tara’s for some years now and not only can easily recommend this story but her entire catalog of amazing works as well.
I’ve been a big fan of Tara’s for some years now and not only can easily recommend this story but her entire catalog of amazing works as well.
February 20, 2026
Enthralling
This was such a great story. it kept me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait further next one!!!!
This was such a great story. it kept me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait further next one!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I have only read apocalyptic books by Tara Ellis. This book was an excellent start to what looks to be a great series. I will definitely be looking to read ALL of Tara's books. Can't wait for the next one in the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Tara Ellis is a new author to me, I have not read anything by her before. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book! I would consider this a combination of thriller and procedural. I actually learned a lot about the first responder community and the way that they work together. It was fascinating. Knowing that the author had worked and experienced this for herself, firsthand, made it ring with authenticity. The serial killer aspect of this was great, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering when he would strike again, and then I was frantically trying to figure out who it was when the last few chapters hinted at who it could be. The end sent chills up my spine in a good way! Loved how that ending left us so open for the next book in the series. I actually felt the twisted relationship between them! Who? Oh you will just have to find out!
This book follows a newly minted Fire Marshall, whose past trauma with the infamous 911 killer sets the stage for the horrifying murders to follow in her district. He has found her, and he is stalking her again. Why? What does he want from her? As we try to figure out what this killer's motivations are, we are given a really amazing behind the scenes look at what the community of the fire investigators/first responders/and police are like. How they are a tight knit community that look out for one another, and each others families. How they work, how they try to keep the people in their charge safe. How they train , and what they have to go through to climb the ranks and become the elite. It's a really interesting perspective that I had never seen before. I have read procedurals before, lots of them, but this one was different. I have never read anything from the fire investigators POV. It's a really dangerous job! I also have never had such an appreciation for what our volunteer fire fighters go through and what they do for our communities. This was a fantastic book, I give it 4.5 stars. The only reason it was not a 5, is that I found the FMC to be a bit irritating at times, she is a very type A personality, but I thought she took it to the extreme sometimes. Please read your trigger warnings on this one, there is mention of animal abuse, there is descriptions of murder and fire, so if that's hard for you, then be aware of that.
This book follows a newly minted Fire Marshall, whose past trauma with the infamous 911 killer sets the stage for the horrifying murders to follow in her district. He has found her, and he is stalking her again. Why? What does he want from her? As we try to figure out what this killer's motivations are, we are given a really amazing behind the scenes look at what the community of the fire investigators/first responders/and police are like. How they are a tight knit community that look out for one another, and each others families. How they work, how they try to keep the people in their charge safe. How they train , and what they have to go through to climb the ranks and become the elite. It's a really interesting perspective that I had never seen before. I have read procedurals before, lots of them, but this one was different. I have never read anything from the fire investigators POV. It's a really dangerous job! I also have never had such an appreciation for what our volunteer fire fighters go through and what they do for our communities. This was a fantastic book, I give it 4.5 stars. The only reason it was not a 5, is that I found the FMC to be a bit irritating at times, she is a very type A personality, but I thought she took it to the extreme sometimes. Please read your trigger warnings on this one, there is mention of animal abuse, there is descriptions of murder and fire, so if that's hard for you, then be aware of that.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A gripping thriller, Carrie is both vulnerable and strong. She survived an attack that claimed her fiancé’s life, spared by the killer she’s certain will return. Now working as a fire marshal, her very first day brings a chilling case—a deputy killed in a way that screams the 911 Killer is back. But is it really him, or just a copycat? As she and her team dig deeper, doubt creeps in. Could the killer be a stranger, or someone on her own team? Trust is elusive, and maybe she should have listened when her mother urged her to quit.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews