New York Times bestseller Allison Brennan's latest novel featuring FBI Agent Lucy Kincaidfinds her on the trail of a serial killer.
With a background in psychology, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is good at getting into the heads of killers and victims both. Still, her latest case is leaving her stumped. A third body has turned up in San Antonio—and it bears the same unique and troubling M.O. as the first two. The killer is clearly trying to send a message. But what is it—and to whom? All roads keep leading Lucy down a dead end. . .
The victims are all married men who led honest lives alongside their adoring wives, but have nothing else in common. When Lucy catches each widow in a lie, she realizes that things are not at all as they seem. What begins as a seemingly straightforward investigation turns into something far darker and more sinister than Lucy could have ever imagined. Can she solve this case before more lives are lost. . . including her own husband?
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes that life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year.
In 2019, Allison relocated from Northern California to Arizona with her family and assorted pets. She loves baseball, hiking, family game night, and (of course) reading.
RT Book Reviews called Allison “a master of suspense” and her books “haunting,” “mesmerizing,” “pulse-pounding” and “emotionally complex.” She's been nominated for many awards, and is a three time winner of the Reviewer's Choice award winner for RT Book Reviews as well as the Daphne du Maurier award. Most recently, she was nominated for Best Paperback Original by International Thriller Writers.
With over 45 books and dozens of short stories, Allison is writing multiple series and the occasional stand alone thriller. Her most recent book out now is THE MISSING WITNESS, part of the Quinn & Costa series. In June Allison is launching a new Phoenix-set series about a family of private investigators starting with YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME.
You can reach Allison through Goodreads or her website.
FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is assigned to assist the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigator with a murder that has the exact same characteristics of two prior ones. Fearing a serial killer may be at work, the Sheriff’s Office made the call for FBI assistance despite the objection of their assigned investigator Jerry Walker. His past experience with the Feds was problematic so Lucy not only has to work an extremely difficult case but dismantle the brick walls he wants to place between them. Meanwhile, Sean’s son Jesse is facing his own challenges with his friends from the Boys Home. They’re attempting to resolve a gang threat on their own to protect one of the residents and they are in over their heads.
It was a nice change of pace to see Lucy doing what she really does best: profiling. Despite her partner’s attitude, he’s a skilled investigator and they work well in uncovering evidence, sifting through clues and developing paths to explore. The procedurals were exceptional and I enjoyed this aspect more than the resolution! Jesse’s inner struggle to support his friends but not damage his relationship with his father was pretty realistic as they behaved like teens typically would, as boneheaded as their decisions turned out to be. They brought the tension and I was extremely worried for them.
I continue to enjoy this series, including the audio performance by Lee who handles a host of characters skillfully and is a wonderful storyteller. I like how her male voices aren’t exaggerated and sound so normal, too. While the murder case was interesting, it was eclipsed by what was going on with Jesse. It was exciting and I loved how the men in his life, including blood relatives and those Sean & Lucy consider family, rose to the occasion to support the boys. It was an important moment and a highlight of the story. I’m not looking forward to catching up.
FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is called into a case by the local San Antonio police. There is a potential serial killer on the loose. Men are being found beside the highway beaten, hands mangled and then shot to death. Lucy, with her background in psychology and experience, has been called in to work with a seasoned detective who has a definite dislike for the FBI which causes some ripples in their work relationship.
The book started a little slow for me. It picked up around 20% (ebook) when the police procedure started. The police procedure included interviews and forensics. The author is very knowledgeable and it is evident in her writing. But once I was caught up into the story and was looking for the "big reveal" I was so disappointed. It was so anticlimactic. No "a-ha moments" or twists. I would have wished for something "more". It was just "okay". It left a lot of unanswered questions and didn't feel finished. Not what I like in my books, but may be of interest to others.
This is my first time reading the Lucy Kincaid series (this is book #16) but I didn't find myself lost with a lot of backstory and character explanations. Actually the secondary characters were very interesting and has roused my interest in reading other books in the series.
I will try to read this author again. She does have a smooth and concise writing style. It is easy to follow and flows well. Great character development and dialogue. I was just disappointed by the ending.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
For those readers who have read any part of the Lucy Kincaid series, you will really enjoy this one. For those who haven't, don't let the number of books in this series deter you. This works easily as a stand alone. It will probably whet your appetite to go back to the beginning ... it's well worth it.
FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is working with the local police in San Antonio on a case that completely has her baffled. Three bodies have been found ... no DNA .. no clues ... no evidence .... nothing ... nada.
The only commonality among these men, other than the way they were killed, is that they are all married, seemingly happy. They all have responsible jobs, nothing in their backgrounds indicate anything criminal. They don't share churches, grocery stores, laundries, etc.
What begins as a seemingly straightforward investigation turns into something far darker and more sinister than Lucy could have ever imagined.
On the personal side, her stepson finds himself in harm's way when he tries to help a friend. The friend's brother is head of a drug gang, just out of prison, and wants his younger brother to join him. But there's also the initiation to get through ...........
The story premise is a really good one. I got totally involved in the investigation, watching how Lucy takes every opportunity to question not only potential suspects, but her own instincts, as well. I like how the characters interacted .... Lucy and the local police who has no use for the FBI.... and then there's Lucy's relative new family .... a husband and a teenage stepson. All are finely drawn and credible.
Prepare for lots of action in this page-turning crime fiction / police procedural. Extremely well-written, this will keep you riveted from the very first page.
Many thanks to the author / St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Song for summary: Let Me Down Slowly by Alec Benjamin
A chilling read! The characters are driven, focused, and persistent; while the plot is an intriguing mystery surround multiple murders with no obvious connection except for the killer's bizarre yet unique MO. A highly entertaining and suspenseful novel, Nothing to Hide is an absorbing police procedural packed full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. This is my first time reading the Lucy Kincaid series, but it certainly won't be my last!
FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is assigned to help out local Sheriff's Deputy Investigator Jerry Walker. Walker is investigating the murders of two men in the last few weeks. Both were severely beaten, their hands crushed, then shot in the face. Now a third body has turned up showing the exact same injuries. Both Jerry and Lucy fear they have a serial killer in the area. The victims do not have a lot in common except for being married men who had no criminal background. As Lucy and Jerry interview witnesses, relatives, and close friends, they fear time is running out before the killer strikes again.
This is the 15th book in the long-running Lucy Kincaid series. Jerry Walker does not want the FBI interfering with his investigation. He has had problems with them in a previous case and blames them for the bad outcome. Lucy has to overcome his prejudice or there is a chance he will shut her out completely.
Meanwhile, Lucy's stepson finds himself trying to help a friend. Brian lives in a group home and learns that his older brother has been released from prison. The brother wants him to join a gang, but Jesse sees where this is leading and tries to stop him.
It took me a while to get into this book. It was a little slow at first. Just when the momentum ramped up, it slowed down again while the profiled the killer. I was totally bored at that point. I enjoyed the story about Jesse and his friends; but thought the serial killer story could have been better. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
I liked, but didn't love, this one. I found Brennan devoted to much page space to recapping Lucy's various cases and her relationships to the various characters that had appeared in previous books and reappear in this one. What I did love was the character of Deputy Inspector Jerry Walker of the Bexar County Sheriff's office. He was a real interesting guy, a veteran cop, with some well-earned prejudices against the FBI and psychological profiling. I loved how Lucy respected his point of view and gently, very Lucy-like, showed him he was wrong.
The FBI is called in the help with the investigation of, what appears to be, a serial killer on the loose in Bexar County. This is the third body and there are some very specific elements tying this body to two previous deaths. Lucy is partnered with Deputy Inspector Jerry Walker, an old school cop who is determined to follow the evidence, but in this case the evidence is leading them nowhere. Lucy has a background in criminal psychology and wants to explore the psychological aspects of the murders and profile the killer. Jerry doesn't want anything to do with that, he was burned by the FBI and a bad profile on a previous case. This case is baffling to everyone. No clear suspects, nothing seeming to tie the victims together, but Lucy just can't believe that the elaborate staging of the scenes could be random.
Sean and his son, Jesse, are making their relationship work, but each has deep scars from the death of Jesse's mother and now Jesse is keeping dangerous secrets from Sean. When Jesse and Michael notice strange behavior in their friend, Brian, they set out to find out what is going on and end up in the middle of a drug gang. These kids are totally over their heads, but Michael insists that he can handle the situation himself. He can't.
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of NOTHING TO HIDE by Allison Brennan in exchange for my honest review.***
Lucy Kincaid is hot on the trail of a suspected serial killer, who’s murdering seemingly loving husbands and worries her husband will be next.
My favorite procedural series are those, like NOTHING TO HIDE, which the can be read as standalones. I hadn’t read the previous fourteen Lucy Kincaid stories and now have the opportunity to go back to book one and learn how she came to be the woman she is in book fifteen.
Allison Brennan’s writing kept me interested in the story and guessing the culprit(s). Lucy Kincaid fans will be excited to grab NOTHING TO HIDE as she continues her crime solving and personal journey.
I have quite enjoyed books by Allison Brennan. This is my first Lucy Kincaid book. I found it easy to follow along especially given that this is the fifteenth book in the series and not the first one. With that being said, I don't think its necessary to read these books in order.
Allison, as always, does a very great job in providing the back story for her characters especially the victims in this book. She also provides examples of previously cases that Lucy has worked on and how those cases are currently similar to the serial killer case she is currently working on.
Allison also does a good job in providing and describing the setting of the story. You can tell that this story is taking place in Texas, although it does tell you the location. I felt that the character, Jerry Walker, who is the BCSO investigator on case, helps to establish that southern feel in the story. This is done by the way that the character speaks and the way he acts. To be honest, Jerry was my least favorite character from the very beginning. I didn't like the way he was written or the way he treated Lucy, which is related to her being the FBI. I did finally start to warm up to him near the end of the book. I have to be honest in the fact that I almost stopped reading the book after a few chapters because I was struggling with connecting with Jerry.
Speaking of characters, I found it hard at times to keep track of all of the victims. There were multiple victims, obviously since this is a serial killer case, but each victim had multiple living relatives that played a key part in the story. The one thing that I found to help was that Allison continued to connect each victim, or at least attempt to, when a new victim was discovered.
The story was well written and was quite descriptive. Allison makes it easy to picture each scene, the profile that is delivered by Lucy's brother Dylan, and the evidence that the crime lab produces like the video.
The one thing that I am still confused about though and truly feel could have been omitted from the story or put into a different book was the story line around Jesse, Michael, and Brian. To provide a little backstory without giving away too much, Jesse is Lucy's step son and he tries to help out his friend. This story was interesting, but I cold not figure out how it connected with the serial murder that Lucy was investigating with Jerry. It felt disconnected from the rest of the story. As previously mentioned, I feel that this could have been omitted and the main story would have read a little bit smoother. I would have liked to read about Jesse and his friends though, just in a different book.
All in all, I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars. The main story was well written, but it had quite a few pitfalls in my mind.
Check out my other reviews at 21stcenturyreviews.com
While not one of my favorites in this series, still an interesting read.
Lucy investigates 3 murders with similar circumstances and tries to determine if they're dealing with a serial killer. Her relationship with sheriff's deputy investigator Jerry Walker felt realistic -- respectful of each other, yet an undercurrent of discord because of Jerry's past bad experience with dealing with the FBI taking over one of his cases. Though the case did seem to move a little slowly at times, I like the fact that when this author reveals the culprit you were either heading there yourself based on the evidence and clues provided or, if it is a surprise to you, it still makes sense and isn't something thrown in from left field just to wrap up the story. This has been my experience so far with all of her books.
The other storyline has to do with Sean's son Jesse and the secret he's keeping in an attempt to help a friend. If you haven't read the other books in this series, you will most likely find this confusing and not understand why it's included in the book since it doesn't have anything to do with Lucy's investigation. For those of us who have followed Lucy from the beginning, it's a welcome update on faces from the past.
The strength of Lucy and Sean's relationship continues to be the solid foundation for these stories without delving into "romance" territory. I love that we continue to get at least a small taste -- and sometimes a much larger amount -- of many of their family and friends from past stories in this series. This makes these characters come to life for this reader.
It was a really good read, as all of the Lucy books are, and I’ve enjoyed this entire series. I didn’t care for the Jesse\gang storyline. I feel like he’s trying to be forced into the series and I just get bored with his scenes. But I really like Lucy and Sean and i’m always left wanting the next book.
Another good story in the Lucy Kincaid series. I enjoyed trying to figure out the murder and liked all the police procedural business. Side story of Brian and his gang brother added a little spice. Looking forward to the next book.
I honestly almost couldn’t get through this whole book but had to finish it because of the sunk cost. Maybe it’s a good book for those who have read the 14 others in this series but for me it was a drag, and I love crime novels. The teenage characters were really one dimensional (I’ll be honest I skipped the side drama with Sean, Kane, and Jesse after a certain point) and hard to read and care about if you haven’t read any other books where you learn their story more, and the actual detective stuff was ok until the end. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who isn’t truly invested in the series, usually you can skip around these types of books since the detective work is the main chunk of the book but this one was so hard to get through.
It is #15 in the series. FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is called into a case of a potential serial killer by the local San Antonio police. It was a slow book with lots of procedural explanations. There is also a sub plot of Lucy's step son and a gang.
Nothing to Hide by Allison Brennan Lucy Kincaid #15
As I began to read this book I thought I had read about Lucy Kincaid before and then something I read in this book reminded me I had read of her capture and horrible experience at the hands of a sadistic man and more. I loved that book, though it was not easy to read, and realized that as this is book 15 and the last one I read in the series was book two...I have missed a LOT of Lucy’s life stories and cases. Andy you know what? I didn’t need to read the books in the middle for this book to make perfect sense. I now need to find out where I can pick up the books I have missed and make sure to read them!
This book starts with Lucy at a murder sight checking the body where it lies. She has been asked to assist the local detective, Jerry Walker, in determining who the serial murderer of three (so far) men might be. There is a lot of detecting, interviewing, brain storming, discussion and police procedure that takes place with discussion of evidence, recreation of the murders and a bit of friction between Jerry and Lucy when she wants to call in the FBI for a profile of the murderer. In addition to finding the murderer there is a second thread to this book that has to do with some orphan boys that Jesse, Lucy’s stepson, has befriended. There seems to be a back story about the boys and about Jesse that I would love to read. Anyway, I usually read the end of books first but managed not to this time and have to say it took me a LONG time to figure out who the baddie was. Even when I was beginning to tweak to who it might be I wasn’t sure if it was this one or that one and guessed wrong at first. So...good job Ms Brennan!
Did I like this book? Definitely Will I read more in this series? As soon as I can!
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP-Minotaur for the ARC – This is my honest review.
I liked this one, but maybe not for the reason the author wanted readers to. While the crime was ok, I was more intrigued with Lucy working with the an officer from the Sheriff's office, Jerry. Now Jerry is a crusty curmudgeon guy, but one who is a good officer and really wants to solve his cases. You would think Lucy would work well with him, as she gets along with most people, but Jerry has a bias against working with the FBI due to a case gone bad in his past. This doesn't bode well for Lucy and much of the case they fight, argue or bicker over how to proceed. Jerry is a strict by the evidence and working the case guy, while Lucy believes in that along with contacting BSU to get a profile on the killer, which Jerry vehemently protests! By the end of the book both had respect for the other and Lucy managed to show Jerry that using the BSU guys is just another tool.
While all of this drama with Lucy was going on Sean had his own with Jesse. Both of them were right and both were wrong. Jesse's heart was in the right place but things quickly spun out of control and he needed help. At one point there was a bit of a breakdown between Sean and Jesse, with both of them frustrated and yelling out things. This actually turned out to be a good thing, it cleared the air with them and allowed them to voice things they didn't want to admit to, which the other needed to hear.
Sean also took a bit of a hard line with the orphan boys, but it needed to be done. They know where they stand now and hopefully if things like this come up again they will go to Sean.
Three murders, same M.O., but none of the victims seem to be connected. Is there a random serial killer loose or is there a connection that Lucy has missed? Lucy’s partner from the local sheriff’s department does not trust the FBI or profilers and Lucy is determined find out why. There is also something going on at the boy’s home and Jesse is involved.
As always, there is so much going on throughout this whole book, but it is broken up well. There is no overlap in the stories, so there is no confusion. The murders are quite brutal and the mystery behind them is intriguing. The author did a great job hiding things so that it was difficult for the reader to truly know what was going on. The final outcome was well played out and just a bit surprising. If I had known more about this character I may have put them at the top of my list. That was another thing I enjoyed about the book. I was unable to put together my own list of suspects. Lucy’s partner throughout the case was a bit of a jerk, but I love how Lucy handled him. She tried not to step on his toes, but she knew when she needed to put her foot down. I understand his distrust of the FBI, but he refused to even give them a second chance. It was nice to see Hans Vigo again and I’m glad Lucy set up this meeting behind her partner’s back. It was something the case needed. One of the boys at group home gets pulled into his brother’s gang and Michael and Jesse try to fix it on their own. Doing this ends up getting Jesse hurt and when Sean finds out he’s upset and thinks he did something to make Jesse lie to him. Kane flies in to help stop the gang and perhaps Jesse will start trusting Sean more. There is still a lot of work to be done in that relationship.
This book was a waste of time. The author seems like she watches a bunch of bad tv crime shows and then gives it a shot. There is two stories that have nothing to do with each and the one involving her husband is painfully unrealistic. Not just in the story but the actual dialogue she has the characters use. I bought this in the airport with mild hope it would be interesting, unfortunately I was wrong. The most frustrating thing is she set up a serial killer story that was just interesting enough to keep you reading til the end. Which was, by the way, a horrible ending. If you feel like your only reading to find out whodunnit, just stop because the ending is so frustrating you will feel compelled to tell anyone who will listen about how bad this book is. No one cares though and you don’t need that negativity in your life.
There is almost nothing I like better than getting lost in a great thriller and this author sure can deliver! Lucy Kincaid is back and she is teamed up with the local Sheriff when there appears to be a serial killer on the loose. Three bodies have been found with nothing to tie them together but their deaths are so similar they have to have been killed by the same person. Lucy, of course, is all about the psychological aspects but the Sheriff wants nothing to do with that as he has been burned in the past but that is not going to stop Lucy. It was good to see Sean and the boys and even though there is some dangerous stuff going on with them, Sean has it well in hand. This one has some great twists and turns to keep me guessing.
**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**
It’s been a long time since I have read a book by this author, and this book was definitely a winner. Had I read the book prior to this I would have had a better understanding of the boys in the group home and also of Jesse’s mother. However Ms Brennan gave enough of a back story that I was able to figure out a lot of what had previously taken place. The main story of this book was a serial killer in San Antonio and FBI Agent, Lucy Kincaid is assigned to assist sheriff’s office, Jerry Walker. Walker doesn’t like the FBI stepping in on his case, and he makes Lucy very aware of his feelings. Lucy treads lightly at first, but it doesn’t take long for Walker to realize what a smart, strong agent Lucy is. I felt the characters were very believable and the case extremely interesting.
I do not like series so I have no idea why I got this book, maybe I was searching for a book and I stumbled upon this one. Surprisingly I actually really enjoyed it. I have not read any other books in the series, but the author did a good job of filling in pertinent information when needed to give better insight into who Lucy Kincaid is. Lucy, a FBI detective is investigating a strain of 3 murders(all of which do not seem to be connected, yet they were all killed the same way) Lucy pairs up with the local Sherriff to solve the crime. The story unfolds from there....the side story that involved her Step Son and the whole gang thing I really didn't care for. So during those chapters I got a little bored, but I think I will put that on myself given this is book #15 and my first in the series, so that could have been why. I also don't like gang/drug tropes. I wouldn't mind picking up another Lucy book....who knows.
For what its worth it was a pretty good series, and great ending!
I have to say right off, I am taking two stars away because the killer’s identity was too obvious very early on in this book. If the hint to the identity would have been shrouded more to make the identity questionable, this could have easily been a 5 star book.
Lucy Kincaid is an FBI agent with a good relationship with local cops; but when she is paired with one cop she finds herself fighting an old grudge that has had years to fester. Will this grudge hinder their investigation into a serial killer?
When Lucy realizes each of the widows was lying, she must learn the truth before more men died.
Allison Brennan brings Lucy Kincaid back for another mystery this time a serial killers needing to be stopped. The characters are real, progress and grow as the series continues. Each characters readers will be able to relate wanting to love, protect and stand beside.
The mystery has it twist and turns that readers have come to expect from Allison Brennan. The author has the gift to bring readers into her world never letting go until they have finished ever last word.
The book can be read as a stand a lone for those who have just discovered Allison Brennan.
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher Minotaur Books for the advance copy Allison Brennan Nothing to Hide
This book was an ok read but my word, was it unnecessarily long 😞 For a police procedural, it was such a slow burn and not enough action. Really, just too much dialogue and a side plot that didn’t add to the main story.
I think I’ve finally reached my limit on this series. The crime doesn’t appeal to me. I found myself checking how much i have left to read. I’m more interested in the characters personal life but I feel like everything is being repeated which I suppose is inevitable.