What do you think?
Rate this book
Chain of Evidence
HIS LAST CHANCE....The evidence is consistent. Cyanide, identical in concentration and purity. The victims appear random to all except Detective-Sergeant Moby Truax, a financially strapped cop at the end of his career. Truax sees that recent victims are suddenly younger, prettier, and questions the evidence that points to a lone killer. He suspects a copycat, but his strong-willed new commander does not and orders Truax to pursue a single killer. Now Truax must disobey his orders to overcome a major obstacle to his copycat theory. The evidence itself.
- GenresMystery
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2013
2 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
D.B. Corey
7 books29 followersDB Corey lives in the Richmond suburbs with his lovely wife Maggie, an offish Chocolate Lab named Murphy, and a sleepy American foxhound aptly named Dozer. After a rather uninspired stint in college, he signed with Uncle Sam to fly aircrew on NAVY P-3 Orion sub-hunters seeking Russian subs in The Cold War. He began his writing career in his mid-50s.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 28, 2014
As most senior detective, Moby Truax is nearing retirement and has been handed the case of his career. Following his gut ..and the evidence... he feels there are two serial killers out there, not one. And there is where the in-fighting begins.
The newly appointed supervisor is not sold on the 2 killer theory and worse, he's brought in an FBI agent to "help". Agent Frances Vecchio is nice to look at ... but a rookie whose help is scattered, at best.
This book ticks off all the boxes I look for in a mystery. An interesting older detective with demons of his own .... the FBI agent with her own agenda ..... the assorted members of the department ...... the pompous supervisor.... and the arrogance of a killer.
The premise is deliciously enticing ...making it hard to put the book down for any reason. The ending is wrapped up nicely ..... but there's that thought in the back of my head that maybe ...just maybe... there will be another in the near future.
I'm always on the lookout for new authors and I was not a bit disappointed with this one. I highly recommend this book for anyone who appreciates a mystery and/or police procedurals. You won't be sorry!
The newly appointed supervisor is not sold on the 2 killer theory and worse, he's brought in an FBI agent to "help". Agent Frances Vecchio is nice to look at ... but a rookie whose help is scattered, at best.
This book ticks off all the boxes I look for in a mystery. An interesting older detective with demons of his own .... the FBI agent with her own agenda ..... the assorted members of the department ...... the pompous supervisor.... and the arrogance of a killer.
The premise is deliciously enticing ...making it hard to put the book down for any reason. The ending is wrapped up nicely ..... but there's that thought in the back of my head that maybe ...just maybe... there will be another in the near future.
I'm always on the lookout for new authors and I was not a bit disappointed with this one. I highly recommend this book for anyone who appreciates a mystery and/or police procedurals. You won't be sorry!
July 4, 2017
I wanted to read a gritty crime novel just to give myself a break from fantasy books and I chose Chain of Evidence by D. B. Corey. Here are my thoughts on the book!
Synopsis (from the author): They say the evidence never lies, but don't tell that to Moby Truax. He'll tell you the evidence could be allowing a killer of women to roam the streets of Baltimore. The evidence is consistent-random female victims, each killed the same way with an identical concentration of cyanide. But Detective-Sergeant Moby Truax, a financially strapped cop nearing the end of his career, sees that the profile of the recent victims doesn't match that of earlier targets. He suspects a copycat killer, but his rejection of the lone murderer theory puts him on the wrong side of his superiors. As beautiful young women continue to die, Truax is saddled with a partner: FBI Special Agent Frances Vecchio. To Truax she is little more than an attractive distraction, but his bosses see her as a possible savior, turning a blind eye when Vecchio launches her own investigation to catch the monster the newspapers have dubbed the Cyanide Killer. With his pride and his pension on the line, Truax follows the facts no one else sees, but will this chain of evidence lead him to multiple killers, or a murderous deception even deadlier?
What I liked: D. B. Corey created a story that drew me in from the start. Moby Truax and his upcoming retirement set a great backdrop and the interaction with his new boss added good conflict to the story. Truax’s insistence a copycat killer was responsible, the FBI agent who shows up to help in the investigation and the twisted actions of Harvey all combine for a gritty, action-packed novel.
What I didn’t like: A couple of things bothered me about this book. First, the relationship between Harvey and his mom was a bit cliché. Secondly, the ease with which Agent Vecchio inserted herself into the investigation seemed unreal. Minor points, I know, but they distracted me from the story.
Overall impression: As advertised, Chain of Evidence by D. B. Corey was gritty, disturbing, and an entertaining read! The pace was good, the characters were easy to like (and dislike), and I could imagine Truax’s frustration with his boss and his FBI partner. If you enjoy crime thrillers, this is a book for you! @dbcorey
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
Synopsis (from the author): They say the evidence never lies, but don't tell that to Moby Truax. He'll tell you the evidence could be allowing a killer of women to roam the streets of Baltimore. The evidence is consistent-random female victims, each killed the same way with an identical concentration of cyanide. But Detective-Sergeant Moby Truax, a financially strapped cop nearing the end of his career, sees that the profile of the recent victims doesn't match that of earlier targets. He suspects a copycat killer, but his rejection of the lone murderer theory puts him on the wrong side of his superiors. As beautiful young women continue to die, Truax is saddled with a partner: FBI Special Agent Frances Vecchio. To Truax she is little more than an attractive distraction, but his bosses see her as a possible savior, turning a blind eye when Vecchio launches her own investigation to catch the monster the newspapers have dubbed the Cyanide Killer. With his pride and his pension on the line, Truax follows the facts no one else sees, but will this chain of evidence lead him to multiple killers, or a murderous deception even deadlier?
What I liked: D. B. Corey created a story that drew me in from the start. Moby Truax and his upcoming retirement set a great backdrop and the interaction with his new boss added good conflict to the story. Truax’s insistence a copycat killer was responsible, the FBI agent who shows up to help in the investigation and the twisted actions of Harvey all combine for a gritty, action-packed novel.
What I didn’t like: A couple of things bothered me about this book. First, the relationship between Harvey and his mom was a bit cliché. Secondly, the ease with which Agent Vecchio inserted herself into the investigation seemed unreal. Minor points, I know, but they distracted me from the story.
Overall impression: As advertised, Chain of Evidence by D. B. Corey was gritty, disturbing, and an entertaining read! The pace was good, the characters were easy to like (and dislike), and I could imagine Truax’s frustration with his boss and his FBI partner. If you enjoy crime thrillers, this is a book for you! @dbcorey
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
December 3, 2022
This was a great, gritty mystery filled with intrigue and drama. Truax was a great character whom you could sympathize with as he tried to follow his gut without the support of his superiors. Harvey and Frances were fleshed out extremely well, too. The twist at the end was excellent. It was a long story, but it definitely kept me wanting to know how things would play out.
October 14, 2013
This book is about Detective Moby Truax. The detective has a lot of things against him......he is nearing the age of retirement, losing his skills of photographic memory, and possibly headed to a desk job. His most reason case may just put him over the edge. There's a Cyanide Killer, nicknamed CK, that is murdering the women of his town. Every murder, every clue leads to a dead end. Because of the seriousness of the case (and the before mentioned dead ends), Truax is unwillingly forced to partner with FBI Special Agent Frances Vecchio, who is distractingly good-looking and seems to have her own agenda. Truax is alone in believing there's a possible copycat. Regardless, Truax follows the chain of evidence no one else sees, leading him to an unexpected conclusion.
Chain of Evidence, I believe, is the first crime thriller I have read. And to be honest, I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was quite the page-turner. The story has a nice element of suspense, leaving the reader anxious to see what happens next. You jump right into the story, trying to help Truax solve the case. And just when you think you have it figured out, the author creates another twist. Another notable element of this book is that the characters have unique personalities. Truax is a determined man, facing what feels like personal extinction. Then you have the young and attractive Vecchio, who, at the snap of a finger, gets exactly what she wants and when she wants it. This is especially true when referring to Captain Atkins, who you would never guess is a married man. This book is realistic, suspenseful, and very entertaining.........everything a good thriller needs. I could even see it as an addictive TV series one day. All in all, Chain of Evidence is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend.
Chain of Evidence, I believe, is the first crime thriller I have read. And to be honest, I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was quite the page-turner. The story has a nice element of suspense, leaving the reader anxious to see what happens next. You jump right into the story, trying to help Truax solve the case. And just when you think you have it figured out, the author creates another twist. Another notable element of this book is that the characters have unique personalities. Truax is a determined man, facing what feels like personal extinction. Then you have the young and attractive Vecchio, who, at the snap of a finger, gets exactly what she wants and when she wants it. This is especially true when referring to Captain Atkins, who you would never guess is a married man. This book is realistic, suspenseful, and very entertaining.........everything a good thriller needs. I could even see it as an addictive TV series one day. All in all, Chain of Evidence is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend.
August 23, 2013
I thought Chain of Evidence was a really good read! Moby, the protagonist and lead detective on a case involving a string of murders by cyanide poisoning, was very likable and "real" to me. I enjoyed the development of his character and going along with him as he tries to deal with this particularly difficult case in the face of a lot of doubt he receives from his colleagues and superior. Moby insists there's a copy cat killer committing the recent string of murders, but gets a lot of flack from his captain for believing so.
The book toggles between the perspectives of Moby, his pseudo partner, and a copy cat killer, using the actual killers MO to satisfy his, let's just say, odd need (trying not to be a spoiler here). The most disturbing/intriguing perspective is, of course, that of the copy cat killer, but I really appreciate that the book was written from that perspective. Gave the novel more depth and pondering on the behalf of the reader, I feel.
Overall, I thought the relationships in the book were well-developed, I really enjoyed the tone of the narrative and the author's writing style, and I think this book is a great read for anyone who likes murder mysteries. I had a hunch about the ending, and it turned out to be true, which surprised me because I'm terrible at guessing the ending to these types of novels. A very enjoyable novel, pretty fast read, and I definitely recommend it.
The book toggles between the perspectives of Moby, his pseudo partner, and a copy cat killer, using the actual killers MO to satisfy his, let's just say, odd need (trying not to be a spoiler here). The most disturbing/intriguing perspective is, of course, that of the copy cat killer, but I really appreciate that the book was written from that perspective. Gave the novel more depth and pondering on the behalf of the reader, I feel.
Overall, I thought the relationships in the book were well-developed, I really enjoyed the tone of the narrative and the author's writing style, and I think this book is a great read for anyone who likes murder mysteries. I had a hunch about the ending, and it turned out to be true, which surprised me because I'm terrible at guessing the ending to these types of novels. A very enjoyable novel, pretty fast read, and I definitely recommend it.
October 18, 2016
Chain of Evidence was on my Goodreads list just waiting for me to read. I follow D.B. Corey on Facebook and caught a post to a Baltimore newspaper article featuring Corey in a follow up piece about his books. I had commented that the books “sound good”. A fan of Corey’s replied, “They don’t just sound good. They are good. I know I read them.” Well, that’s all it took. I downloaded Chain of Evidence to my Kindle and started to read. She was right. This book is really, really good.
If you like crime fiction, heart pounding suspense, a thriller that’ll keep you guessing until the surprise twist at the very end, and compelling prose that’ll keep you reading late into the night- then you won’t want to miss Chain of Evidence.
If you like crime fiction, heart pounding suspense, a thriller that’ll keep you guessing until the surprise twist at the very end, and compelling prose that’ll keep you reading late into the night- then you won’t want to miss Chain of Evidence.
August 28, 2013
I am honestly not a big murder mystery lover so this started of rather slow in my opinion and full of mundane details as many murder mysteries need to have to keep you following the subject with factual information, however as i carefully read i grew to become interested in the not your run of the mill case but a mind bending smart grotesque individual committing senseless selfish murders and started to get into it. I liked it! The ending was surprising and unexpected.
Majestic Burroughs
AAMBC Reviewer
Majestic Burroughs
AAMBC Reviewer
July 14, 2014
This is a really enjoyable classic detective story. It’s a fun read and It’s all here, Veteran cop, young upstarts, sticky bureaucracies, truly evil villain and enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages. Definitely leaves open the opportunity for more books with the lead character. Well done DB!
November 24, 2013
It was a good read, especially for a debut novel
February 17, 2014
"Chain of Evidence" is a well-written gumshoe detective, murder (serial killer) mystery.
August 30, 2020
This debut novel from author D. B. Corey is gritty, compelling, and rather disturbing.
Detective “Moby” Truax is two years from retirement, doing his job and trying to stay away from his young gung ho new supervisor. He lands the lead on Baltimore’s newest high profile case, a cyanide serial killer. While Truax is convinced there are, in fact, two killers, his boss is adamant that he pursue only one. Making his distain and lack of confidence in Truax’s skills clear, his supervisor assigns a young, rookie FBI agent to partner with Truax. As the clues to the killer, or is it killers?, identity unfold, Truax contends with an overbearing boss, tampered evidence and outright deception and obstruction from those he should be able to count on. Add to that the inner thoughts of the killer and this book makes for a fascinating and disturbing listen. There are plenty of twists and turn in the case. The characters were well developed and I found myself being angry at some and really liking others, as intended. The killer was compelling and so disturbed you will think, “OMG”.
Nathan Glondys did an adequate narration of this book. He was generally easy to listen to, although his prosody of speech was choppy….he tended to speak in 5-6 word phrases, which I found distracting. His voice was otherwise pleasant, and he gave each character appropriate voices and accents which was very helpful in keeping them all straight.
If you like gritty police procedural thrillers in the vein of Vincent Zhandri, this book does not disappoint. I would like to see future stories with Truax.
***I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my own unbiased review.***
Detective “Moby” Truax is two years from retirement, doing his job and trying to stay away from his young gung ho new supervisor. He lands the lead on Baltimore’s newest high profile case, a cyanide serial killer. While Truax is convinced there are, in fact, two killers, his boss is adamant that he pursue only one. Making his distain and lack of confidence in Truax’s skills clear, his supervisor assigns a young, rookie FBI agent to partner with Truax. As the clues to the killer, or is it killers?, identity unfold, Truax contends with an overbearing boss, tampered evidence and outright deception and obstruction from those he should be able to count on. Add to that the inner thoughts of the killer and this book makes for a fascinating and disturbing listen. There are plenty of twists and turn in the case. The characters were well developed and I found myself being angry at some and really liking others, as intended. The killer was compelling and so disturbed you will think, “OMG”.
Nathan Glondys did an adequate narration of this book. He was generally easy to listen to, although his prosody of speech was choppy….he tended to speak in 5-6 word phrases, which I found distracting. His voice was otherwise pleasant, and he gave each character appropriate voices and accents which was very helpful in keeping them all straight.
If you like gritty police procedural thrillers in the vein of Vincent Zhandri, this book does not disappoint. I would like to see future stories with Truax.
***I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my own unbiased review.***
June 6, 2019
*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary review.*
4.5 / 5
I wanted to take a break from LitRPG/Fantasy, so I decided to read this book - and I'm glad I found this. This book is a standalone gem in the crime /mystery that had me hooked right from the beginning. The two viewpoints of the main character and the other main supporting character provided a dual perspective on the same story.. which was well executed. While most of the men in this story are pigs (pun intended), the main characters are rounded enough to make them interesting and even likeable. There is a twist, and I was pleased to see I was able to guess it about 3/4ths way through the book. Even still, I didnt find the twist to be too obvious and it fit in organically. I was sad to see the end of the story, but I also felt it wasnt truly tied up - was maybe expecting a second novel with Truax. Either way, I would recommend this to others.
4.5 / 5
I wanted to take a break from LitRPG/Fantasy, so I decided to read this book - and I'm glad I found this. This book is a standalone gem in the crime /mystery that had me hooked right from the beginning. The two viewpoints of the main character and the other main supporting character provided a dual perspective on the same story.. which was well executed. While most of the men in this story are pigs (pun intended), the main characters are rounded enough to make them interesting and even likeable. There is a twist, and I was pleased to see I was able to guess it about 3/4ths way through the book. Even still, I didnt find the twist to be too obvious and it fit in organically. I was sad to see the end of the story, but I also felt it wasnt truly tied up - was maybe expecting a second novel with Truax. Either way, I would recommend this to others.
July 21, 2020
The premise of this story is unusual enough to draw me in and hold my interest. The writing is not as polished as it might be. This is exacerbated by the many mispronunciations made by the narrator, Nathan Glondys. On the other hand, Glondys excells at giving distinctive voices to the characters, although his accents don't seem particularly authentic. Also, his shaping of the text is a little choppy.
Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
August 1, 2020
This thriller/suspense novel was a fun read. I read a lot in this genre and figured out what was happening early on. The story unfolded at a good pace and was well written, though the characters were a bit cliche. I never would have guessed this was a debut novel. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new author in the genre.
"I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
"I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
August 9, 2019
Amazing from start to finish. Well spun and so horrifically original with the types of murders in this book. Insanely addictive. The scenery is perfect and the crime analysis is intriguing. Loved it. I read at least one book every two weeks for at least 6 years and this is still one of my absolute favorites, mystery/crime novel or otherwise.
June 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this
Dark and disturbing in the best possible way
The characters are great and the killer and his motives are cringe worthy
Well narrated highly recommended to any mystery/thriller fan
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
Dark and disturbing in the best possible way
The characters are great and the killer and his motives are cringe worthy
Well narrated highly recommended to any mystery/thriller fan
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
April 24, 2021
This listen was pretty great. The story started a little slow but soon built up pace and didn't stop. The characters were well thought out, believable and had enough back story given to them without detracting from the main story arc. I thoroughly enjoyed this listen.
January 7, 2020
Story was fine, typical twists at the end. Really did not like narrator...too flat and no range for other voices.
December 15, 2020
I really enjoyed this book!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews