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Matt Sinclair #2

Thrill Kill

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Cops in Oakland seldom meet people whose lives are going well. That's certainly the case when homicide sergeant Matt Sinclair recognizes the dead woman hanging from a tree as a teenage runaway named Dawn he arrested ten years before. And as Sinclair and his partner, Cathy Braddock, soon learn, many of Dawn’s clients, not to mention the local and federal officials, who protect them will go to any length to keep the police from digging too deep into her past.

Then the killer goes public, and Sinclair and Braddock must race to uncover the secrets Dawn was killed to protect before the killer unleashes a major attack on a scale the city has never seen before. But in the process, Sinclair runs into secrets from his own past--some of which could end his homicide career for good.

With Thrill Kill, the second novel in the Detective Matt Sinclair mystery series, Brian Thiem, a veteran of the Oakland Police Department and the Iraq war, has written a nuanced police procedural that could only be written by a trained detective with years of hard-earned experience.

311 pages, Hardcover

Published August 9, 2016

24 people are currently reading
505 people want to read

About the author

Brian Thiem

8 books96 followers
Brian Thiem is the author of The Mudflats Murder Club, the first book in the Mudflats Murder Club series, as well as the Detective Matt Sinclair Mystery series, which includes Red Line, Thrill Kill, and Shallow Grave.

In his previous life, Brian spent 25 years with the Oakland Police Department, much of it working Homicide, and retired as a lieutenant. He’s also an Iraq War veteran, retiring from the Army as a lieutenant colonel after 28 years of active and reserve service. He holds an MFA in creative writing and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Island Writers Network.

Brian lives with his wife, yellow Lab, and Tonkinese cat in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he’s also a member of the sheriff department’s Cold Case Team, consisting of retired law enforcement professionals from around the nation who examine unsolved murders.

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5 stars
99 (35%)
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116 (42%)
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49 (17%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Bonnie Brody.
1,336 reviews231 followers
August 5, 2016
Matt Sinclair, a homicide detective with the Oakland California Police Department, is called to investigate the murder of a 27 year old woman who is found hanging from a tree, a bullet hole in her head and burns on her body. Her appearance appears staged and there are no witnesses to the crime. Sinclair is an alcoholic in recovery who has remained sober with the help of AA and his sponsor. He sees a therapist for PTSD and finds it difficult to forgive himself for all the times he was not able to save people.

Matt realizes that he knows the murdered woman. Her name is Dawn and he arrested her many years ago for prostitution. She had come to the Bay area from Minnesota and, after her arrest, she was sent back to live with her parents. She didn't remain in Minnesota long however. She ran back to San Francisco and re-entered 'the life'. As Sinclair and his partner investigate the murder, they find out that Dawn had been employed by an escort service and that their investigation entails much more than her death. The FBI and IRS are also interested in finding out about Dawn and it appears that her death is linked to some influential people who would do anything to keep her secrets from getting out.

The characters in this novel are well drawn-out and the police procedural aspects are interesting and seem realistic. The beginning went a bit slow for me as it approached the heart of the investigation. I especially liked the accurate portrayal of addiction and recovery along with the description of Matt's therapy with EMDR. As a psychotherapist, it is refreshing and rare to find a book that portrays therapy in a realistic way and has a true grasp of PTSD.
Profile Image for Kathy Martin.
4,171 reviews118 followers
July 6, 2016
Matt Sinclair and his partner Cathy Braddock are called to a park to investigate a naked woman hanging in a tree. So happens that Matt knows the woman. Dawn Gustafson was a call girl that Matt first met when he was working vice and she was newly arrived from Minnesota. They met each other occasionally over the years.

Matt and Cathy's investigation takes them into the world of elite escort services and the sorts of men who make use of them. Since many of the men are rich, in politics, or other sensitive businesses, Matt's superiors want him to investigate discretely. Add in the FBI who has some interest in the case and you get all sorts of political and jurisdictional complications.

Matt is a dogged investigator who is also dealing with his own alcoholism and PTSD. He is secretly seeing a therapist to deal with the PTSD. Thus far they have discovered that he has lots of unresolved issues from his childhood and military service that all seem to stem from him not being able to save everyone. This case seems to be fitting into that pattern too.

The FBI gets sidetracked by some leads that seem to indicate some domestic terrorism but Matt is keeping a clear focus on the murders. I will say that I had a pretty good idea of who the killer was by about the middle of the book. That didn't change my enjoyment of the story or relieve much of the tension I was feeling.

This book was filled with action. From murders, to bombs, to school shootings, the action seemed nonstop. Fans of fast-paced police procedurals won't want to miss this one.
Profile Image for Michael Hatfield.
1 review1 follower
September 2, 2016
Excellent read! I had a difficult time putting it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys crime novels and those that don't just need to give it a chance and you will be hooked! Brian Thiem is a fabulous writer. He brings the pages to life.
54 reviews4 followers
July 18, 2016
I won a hardback copy of “Thrill Kill (Matt Sinclair #2)”, a thriller by Brian Thiem, on Goodreads.com and am posting an honest review. I gave it a rating of 4 stars.

This fast-paced police procedural follows Oakland Detective Matt Sinclair and his partner Cathy Braddock in the case of a nude young woman found hanging in a tree in a park. Sinclair recognizes her as one of his early arrests when he worked vice ten years ago. What appears a simple murder of a prostitute evolves into a complicated case of a high-dollar callgirl whose client list included some high-profile prominent local citizens. Despite pressure from his superiors to keep the investigation low-key and discreet, Sinclair doggedly pursues leads and brings the guilty to justice. He uncovers a sinister plot right out of today’s headlines and bravely confronts the evil perpetrators head-on.

Thiem’s 25-year career as a member of the Oakland Police Department and 28-year military background contribute to the authentic feel of the novel, providing insight into the thoughts and actions of Sinclair. I encourage you to read his blog on the Goodreads.com website.

Now I’m looking forward to reading Thiem’s first Matt Sinclair book, Red Line, and waiting for the third book in the promising series.
Profile Image for John Clark.
2,606 reviews50 followers
August 10, 2016
Brian has done a great job of developing Matt's character while pulling me (and I expect most readers) into a very complex murder investigation with enough red herrings to keep a flock of seagulls happy. Having seen a photo that undoubtedly fueled the plot during one of his crime writers' workshops, I could visualize much of what happened in the story far better than usual. This is an excellent addition for public libraries that have patrons who like challenging and smart mysteries.
Profile Image for Michelle.
383 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2017
Sergeant Matt Sinclair and his partner, Cathy Braddock, homicide detectives with the Oakland Police Department, are called to investigate the murder of a woman found hanging naked from a tree, brutally burned, with a gunshot wound to her head. When he recognizes the woman as Dawn, a prostitute he arrested and tried to help when he worked vice a decade before, he does not fully disclose his history with the deceased, in order to remain on the case and find out who killed her.

Sinclair, a recovering alcoholic, is now seeing a therapist, finally acknowledging he suffers from PTSD following his tour in Iraq with the Army, and trying to deal with the agonizing guilt that has plagued him his entire life over not be able to save others, which this case has really stirred up. Seventeen when Sinclair arrested Dawn and returned her to her family in the Midwest, she had obviously returned to the Bay Area. During the course of his investigation, he discovers Dawn was trying to make a new life for herself, but had previously worked for an escort service as a high-end call girl that catered to some very wealthy businessmen and politicians. This leads Sinclair to suspect she may have known too much, and one of her powerful former clients may have killed her in an effort to keep her quiet. But maneuvering the political minefield isn’t easy, and Sinclair experiences roadblocks, including the chief of police.

Even though I correctly guessed the culprit a little more than halfway through the book, and I wasn’t completely sold on the ending, the plot was very engaging and the pacing is much improved in this second installment. The author—who was in law enforcement for over 20 years, and who served in the military for almost 30—is off to a great start as a novelist. I’m really enjoying this series so far, and I’m really glad I already have the next installment! 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Ben.
1,114 reviews
August 24, 2016
I started "Thrill Kill" by Brian Thiem read about 80 pages but then had to travel, so I laid it down and left it home. Sorry that I did, because when I picked it up it was a race to the exciting finish. ( Meaning I actully read it in about two evenings.)
Mr. Thiem, an ex-cop and former soldier has found himself a new career as a writer of police procedural thriller novels. He is very good at it, too.
His first novel was "Red Line" which I reviewed here on Goodreads, and I I really have to do is say"Dittos" for that review. But I will.....
The hero, Sgt. Matt Sinclair, of the Oakland CA , P.D. is called to the scene of a gruesome murder of an escort- service young woman named Dawn. She had been hung, shot and burned ( order to be determined) . Gruesome, indeed, made more so because she and Sinclair had a history, revealed as the story developes. Dawn was a high-priced call out girl who "dated" wealthy, powerful men, but had retired from "the life" to go straight. The investigative threads soon leadto prominent men in the business and political world of Oakland.
Sgt. Sinclair, hardly the sort of cop to give into pressure, continued to follow leads even when warned to desist. Dawn sartred to work at a new life, but maybe she knew too much ; maybe she was a threat to someone big. Maybe
Any more than that would give too much away. You simply have to get a copy of the book and read it for yourself. As I noted in my earlier book review, it was hard to believe that "Red Line" was a first novel. It was not a fluke. Good stuff with interesting characters working the case in a methodical , logical way in and around roadblocks until things come to a head.
Mr. Them does not rely on gratuitous sex nor violence to hold the reader. He just writes a great story.


Profile Image for Lisa Cobb Sabatini.
851 reviews25 followers
August 11, 2016
I won Thrill Kill: A Detective Matt Sinclair Mystery by Brian Thiem from Goodreads.

Author Brian Thiem served twenty-five years with the Oakland Police Department and he brings that experience to his gripping novel, Thrill Kill. Readers follow along as Detective Matt Sinclair and his partner, Sergeant Cathy Braddock, follow the evidence in this page-turning police procedural.

Readers who enjoy stories wherein the protagonists must race to solve the crime in order to save other lives will love Thrill Kill by Brian Thiem.
Profile Image for Miki.
57 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2016
I enjoyed Thrill Kill a lot. It is the second novel of the Matt Sinclair Mystery series. Less gloomier than Red Line, but another solid police procedural.
There is only one little complaint--I thought the characterization of the villain was rather shallow and flat. The villain is described through the other people's words. We never had a chance to hear his side of the story from him. To look into the depth of human crimes, I wanted to hear it, even if it were evil and outrageous.
Profile Image for Wanda.
1,675 reviews17 followers
September 8, 2017
A good mystery set in Oakland. A woman is found dead hanging from a tree. The detectives investigating find out she was a hooker but she was trying to change her life. The investigation leads to an escort service, politicians, anarchists, troubled teens and some other interesting suspects.
The main detective is dealing with some personal issues and on counseling. He is also interested in a nurse and trying to work things out with her. The investigation has a few missteps and false leads along with another murder as the get closer to figuring things out.
Gritty and intense. A good story set in a tough town.
Profile Image for Jackie Martello.
296 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2025
A true 5 star book. A compelling story that moves you forward with an almost relentless propulsion. If you like police procedurals and hard-boiled crime novels you will love this book. The antagonist is completely authentic and likable and the characters cast around him all add to his story. The narrator brought this terrific story to life- Johnny Heller is one of the very best in my opinion. It’s not completely necessary, but my advice is to read “Red Line” first, and then read this book for a better understanding of the protagonist going into this story “Thrill Kill. I already ordered the hard copy of the third book in the series and am looking forward to it!
Profile Image for Andy2302.
279 reviews4 followers
March 23, 2023
Police Procedural with Iraq War Vet as Homicide sergeant Sinclair investigating the death of a hooker he arrested 10 years earlier. Not a genre I usually pick up but it had a sticky note reading "Excellent" . What could I do? It was good, 3.5 stars held back from rounding up because it was a little far fetched.
Profile Image for Sherrie.
1,643 reviews
November 19, 2025
3.5 stars. Better than his first effort—the plot was much improved—but still not a fan of Thiem’s stilted, police procedural writing style. His pro-LE bias is disturbing at times, although not unexpected, since he was a long time OPD cop. And for goodness sakes, tell your publisher to hire an editor. Misspelling and grammatical errors abound.
6 reviews
March 22, 2020
Another Great Book

Well done! A very enjoyable, well written murder mystery with great characters, plot and pacing. Well researched, as if it was written by a homicide detective. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,006 reviews19 followers
September 1, 2025
Great book. Straight forward police procedural. Characters are great and easy to root for. Will read all the books this author has written. Really enjoyed it. Moves along quickly no extra scene descriptions that didn’t contribute to the story or mystery. Loved the book. Write more in this series!!
35 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2018
slow building with a great ending.
645 reviews
July 9, 2018
I like this character. It was just a good read. at first I thought the detective had relations with the victim but he didn't.
378 reviews
December 9, 2019
A little overwrought and convoluted plot line to basically be a Blue lives matter book.
Profile Image for Linda .
945 reviews
July 3, 2020
A well written and interesting police detective novel. A page turner.
Profile Image for Michael.
652 reviews6 followers
November 19, 2016
Very good, excellent story lots, of verisimilitude from a long time law enforcement professional.
Profile Image for Gayle Pace.
1,110 reviews22 followers
August 23, 2016
I didn't read the first book of the Matt Sinclair mystery. The author, Brian Thiem was once an Oakland homicide detective and so this book gets a personal touch of the life of a homicide detective. This book doesn't get bogged down with the slow arm of justice though. The author adds lots of action, on the edge of your seat suspense and an ending making you want more.

Matt Sinclair is dealing with a drinking problem, PTSD and sees a therapist and also goes to AA meetings, occasionally. Matt SInclair is one of those detectives who is extremely dedicated to his job, sometimes putting protocal aside to get the job done. He cares, maybe too much.

A case that touches Matt deeply comes his way. Dawn Gustafon is found naked, hung from a tree, strangled and set on fire. Now the race is on. This case is almost personal for Matt. Dawn was a prostitute who was trying to turn her life around.

Matt and his partner put 150% into this case. It isn't only about a prostitute being killed, but what is behind her death. So many secrets to uncover and one just leads to another. This has become a race, a race against time that could save so many innocent lives. These detectives aren't thinking of their own safety but that of the innocent victims. The author give the reader so much, insight into the lives of detectives, suspense, and a look into the sometimes stand still of crime investigation. The pace is steady and won't give you a chance to close the book. Will Dawn be able to finally rest in peace? Will the secrets be uncovered and the criminals face justice? I would suggest reading Book One first but they are stand alone books.

I received this complimentary book from the author and NOR in exchange for my unbiased and fair review.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
148 reviews2 followers
November 6, 2016
This is the first book I have read by Brian Thiem, but will probably not be the last.

The reader gets pulled into the story right away as homicide Sergent Matt Sinclair and his partner get called to a park where a naked young woman is hanging in a tree. Matt recognizes her as a prostitute he had run into on his first assignment and the story goes on from there. I did guess pretty early in the book who the killer was, but was anxious to see why and how the story played out. I enjoyed reading the book and had trouble putting it down, in fact when I found Matt's current lady interest was going to the 3rd grade class to speak I couldn't put it down until I had finished.

"Thrill Kill" is well-written and engages the reader immediately. I think as the series evolves the characters will evolve and mature and I look forward to following along. One thing that I did not care for (and I often find this in books of the genre) is the characters are all too inter-twined. I think that is a personal issue of mine and probably does not detract from the book for most readers.

I won this in a GoodReads Giveaway and now I need to search out the first book of the series "Red Line". Thanks for the GoodRead Crook!

Profile Image for Melanie.
1,478 reviews16 followers
December 29, 2016
I received this book through the goodreads giveaways program. I haven't read #1. This book refers to events of that book a smidge, but hopefully it doesn't give too much away.
Sinclair is a detective assigned to the case of a murdered woman left hanging in a tree and set on fire. He realizes he knows her and even covers up the extent of their relationship. The woman has been known to be an escort, so the list of possible suspects is lengthy. As the police tighten the net, they face backlash and hope to catch the killer before others are harmed.
The story was interesting, and it was quick. But I was surprised at the misuse of words in at least 3 instances. I find that distracting. It needs a better editor.
Profile Image for Sam.
9 reviews
July 23, 2016
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting and fast paced and always kept me guessing. I didn't like Matt Sinclair, the main protagonist, much. He's kind of a pig and mostly emotionless but I loved his dedication to his job and his team. I was also annoyed by the social commentary, it was very Fox News-esqe. A few characters made demeaning comments about the Black Lives Matter movement and there were some seemingly anti-millennial sentiments. Other than that, it was an interesting read!
Profile Image for Anne Witkavitch.
24 reviews
January 9, 2017
I was eager to read Thrill Kill as it is the second in the Matt Sinclair series, and the first book, Red Line, engaged me cover-to-cover. The second installment did not disappointment. We get to know the characters better and understand some more about what makes Sinclair tick, while getting pulled into another murder mystery with enough shady suspects to keep us guessing "who done it."
Profile Image for Jeannette.
688 reviews2 followers
June 17, 2016
Written by a former Oakland police officer it gives a rare insight into the behind the scenes of an investigation into crimes.

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Profile Image for Nancy.
310 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2016
I liked the story line better than the first book. It flowed well and was well paced.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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