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A Santero and Rein Thriller #3
Blood Angel
In this powerful psychological thriller, veteran police officer Bernard Schaffer reunites detective Carrie Santero with manhunter Jacob Rein--to plumb the depths of a madman's obsession . . .
"I am The Master. . . ."
Fifteen years ago, a deranged young man abducted a teenage girl in a parking lot. He chose her for her innocence. Punished her for her beauty. Dowsed her with gasoline and tried to purify her with fire. Detective Jacob Rein managed to stop the lunatic and lock him up for life. Now the girl who survived that horrible ordeal has been found dead, an apparent suicide. Near her body is a letter from "The Master"--a bloodchilling promise to finish what he started.
"I long to relive everything we had before. . . ."
Now The Master has chosen new objects of desire--all dear to Carrie--and he is about to be released from a mental facility. Carrie reaches out to the one man who knows The Master better than anyone else. Jacob Rein understands the depths of his psychosis. He knows that the only way to anticipate The Master's next move is to enter his delusions. Indulge his obsessions. And follow his lead to the very edge of madness--and beyond.
"I am The Master. . . ."
Fifteen years ago, a deranged young man abducted a teenage girl in a parking lot. He chose her for her innocence. Punished her for her beauty. Dowsed her with gasoline and tried to purify her with fire. Detective Jacob Rein managed to stop the lunatic and lock him up for life. Now the girl who survived that horrible ordeal has been found dead, an apparent suicide. Near her body is a letter from "The Master"--a bloodchilling promise to finish what he started.
"I long to relive everything we had before. . . ."
Now The Master has chosen new objects of desire--all dear to Carrie--and he is about to be released from a mental facility. Carrie reaches out to the one man who knows The Master better than anyone else. Jacob Rein understands the depths of his psychosis. He knows that the only way to anticipate The Master's next move is to enter his delusions. Indulge his obsessions. And follow his lead to the very edge of madness--and beyond.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2020
10 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Schaffer
87 books282 followersBernard Schaffer is an author from the Philadelphia area.
His acclaimed Santero and Rein Thriller series features Carrie Santero and her mentor, the troubled Jacob Rein. The Thief of All Light, An Unsettled Grave, and Blood Angel, are available from Kensington Books.
His western trilogy debuted in 2021 as part of the Ralph Compton imprint with Berkley Books. All three titles, Face of a Snake, Snake's Fury, and Hell Snake, were selected as Walmart paperback exclusives.
His acclaimed Santero and Rein Thriller series features Carrie Santero and her mentor, the troubled Jacob Rein. The Thief of All Light, An Unsettled Grave, and Blood Angel, are available from Kensington Books.
His western trilogy debuted in 2021 as part of the Ralph Compton imprint with Berkley Books. All three titles, Face of a Snake, Snake's Fury, and Hell Snake, were selected as Walmart paperback exclusives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 26, 2020
4.5 STARS
A young man, 15 years ago, kidnapped a teenage girl. She was chosen for her innocence...and then punished for her beauty. The only reason The Master didn't get to purify her with fire, was the interruption by Detective Jacob Rein. The young man was sent to a psychiatric facility where he has been since.
The girl he attempted to purify has been found dead of an apparent suicide. When Detective Carrie Santero is called into investigate, she finds a letter to the deceased ...signed by The Master... promising to visit her.
About to be discharged from the hospital, The Master has a new list of potential victims ...all are related to or loved by Detective Santero. She knows the only chance she might have to stop him is to reach Jacob Rein ... who has since retired and is no longer associated with the police. Rein is unique in that he seems to crawl into the mind of this madman and following him to edges of insanity.
As this author is a police detective, I expected a certain degree of realism .. and I was not disappointed. Creepiness has been taken to a new level. The crimes are horrendous and the suspense is palpable. The plot is tightly woven around characters that are skillfully drawn. The ending was unexpected ... and explosive.
Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
A young man, 15 years ago, kidnapped a teenage girl. She was chosen for her innocence...and then punished for her beauty. The only reason The Master didn't get to purify her with fire, was the interruption by Detective Jacob Rein. The young man was sent to a psychiatric facility where he has been since.
The girl he attempted to purify has been found dead of an apparent suicide. When Detective Carrie Santero is called into investigate, she finds a letter to the deceased ...signed by The Master... promising to visit her.
About to be discharged from the hospital, The Master has a new list of potential victims ...all are related to or loved by Detective Santero. She knows the only chance she might have to stop him is to reach Jacob Rein ... who has since retired and is no longer associated with the police. Rein is unique in that he seems to crawl into the mind of this madman and following him to edges of insanity.
As this author is a police detective, I expected a certain degree of realism .. and I was not disappointed. Creepiness has been taken to a new level. The crimes are horrendous and the suspense is palpable. The plot is tightly woven around characters that are skillfully drawn. The ending was unexpected ... and explosive.
Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
June 3, 2020
Blood Angel by Bernard Schaffer
A Santero and Rein Thriller #3
This is one crime fighting duo I do not want to say goodbye to BUT it seems this is the final installment of the Santero and Rein thriller series. I have to say that once I began reading, I could not put this book down. The introduction was intense and then the next section began fifteen years later with a suicide case that tied into that first mention of one crazy dude that was not gone or forgotten. How Rein would be brought into the case and what his part would be in the story intrigued me as I also wondered if he and Santero might have more than a working relationship eventually. This gripping story held my interest till the very end, and I have to say I am eager to read whatever Mr. Schaffer decides to write next.
What I liked:
* The plot, pace, and writing
* Santero: a strong intelligent detective dedicated to her job
* Rein: an intense man who hunts evil men and seems to understand them better than most
* The twists and turns throughout the story
* The dark, intense, gritty, and gripping way the story was presented
* Feeling I was there and wanting to shout out “beware” more than once in the story
* That I could feel the evil within The Master
* That evil did not win
* The relationship between the main characters
* That if felt “real” and believable
What I did not like:
* Knowing that there are sadists, murderers, psychopaths, and others in the world that enjoy killing
* Saying goodbye to Santero and Rein
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
A Santero and Rein Thriller #3
This is one crime fighting duo I do not want to say goodbye to BUT it seems this is the final installment of the Santero and Rein thriller series. I have to say that once I began reading, I could not put this book down. The introduction was intense and then the next section began fifteen years later with a suicide case that tied into that first mention of one crazy dude that was not gone or forgotten. How Rein would be brought into the case and what his part would be in the story intrigued me as I also wondered if he and Santero might have more than a working relationship eventually. This gripping story held my interest till the very end, and I have to say I am eager to read whatever Mr. Schaffer decides to write next.
What I liked:
* The plot, pace, and writing
* Santero: a strong intelligent detective dedicated to her job
* Rein: an intense man who hunts evil men and seems to understand them better than most
* The twists and turns throughout the story
* The dark, intense, gritty, and gripping way the story was presented
* Feeling I was there and wanting to shout out “beware” more than once in the story
* That I could feel the evil within The Master
* That evil did not win
* The relationship between the main characters
* That if felt “real” and believable
What I did not like:
* Knowing that there are sadists, murderers, psychopaths, and others in the world that enjoy killing
* Saying goodbye to Santero and Rein
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
May 26, 2020
Why have I not heard of this author before now. This book was amazing. Jacob Rein and Carrie Santero are working together to solve a crime that started With the arrest of a nut job years ago. Rein is a mind hunter he sees things others don’t. He has a unorthodox way of solving crime. The characters are well developed and the pages fly by and before you know it your at the end.
This is crime fiction at its best and it may be the first book I’ve read by this author but it will definitely not be the last.
This is crime fiction at its best and it may be the first book I’ve read by this author but it will definitely not be the last.
May 21, 2020
Blood Angel is the 3rd book in the Santero and Rein Thriller series. As with the previous books this one was amazing, so well written. Schaffer's books are action packed, they pull you in and don't let you go. I read this book in a matter of hours. I definitely would recommend it to those that enjoy this genre.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book from NetGalley and the Publisher and this is my fair and honest review.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book from NetGalley and the Publisher and this is my fair and honest review.
November 18, 2020
I am huge fan of the humor in this book - sarcasm of course. The interpersonal relationships. I loved reading about these characters.
As a teenager, Tucker commits horrific crimes. Rein and Wylan track him down, nab a conviction. Fifteen years later, Tucker is released from his psychiatric hospital.
The brutal killings begin again.
Carrie convinces Rein to join her as they work to convict Tucker again.
Decent plot twists if a little predictable.
Great book!
As a teenager, Tucker commits horrific crimes. Rein and Wylan track him down, nab a conviction. Fifteen years later, Tucker is released from his psychiatric hospital.
The brutal killings begin again.
Carrie convinces Rein to join her as they work to convict Tucker again.
Decent plot twists if a little predictable.
Great book!
May 28, 2020
Another all-nighter
After months of waiting, I was thrilled to be able to read the third book in this series. It didn't disappoint. Once I started, I knew it was a book I'd have to read straight through to the end. Suspenseful, thrilling, and even insightful, I've come to love these characters and the sick and twisted killers they must defeat. A must read.
After months of waiting, I was thrilled to be able to read the third book in this series. It didn't disappoint. Once I started, I knew it was a book I'd have to read straight through to the end. Suspenseful, thrilling, and even insightful, I've come to love these characters and the sick and twisted killers they must defeat. A must read.
March 1, 2020
I know this will be an exciting thriller
May 26, 2020
Book 3 in the Santero and rein Thiller.
What a book what a thrill this is a suspense book and this author can definitely write a suspense story absolutely love this honored to be able to read this in advance thank you Bernard.
Tucker Pennington calls himself the master..
The things he will do. Being outside of Walgreens a young girl with her mother of age 15 Tucker sees easy pray, someone he went to school with. Now he has gasoline and the things he will do with it.. then time goes on 15 years later things have changed he's been in an asylum . THE people they've decided he's healed and he's going to be released...
Things just begin to heat up.
Gregory Moon, is another character in the story that will make you think twice..
Another one of those people from the Sanitarium. Being released for these guys. Seems like a great thing but not quite for society..
This is truly a great book if suspense is your thing.. definitely my kind of book.. so if you like suspense this is a good one..
And I would recommend it to suspense lovers .
Very Good Book.
I loved this book.
What a book what a thrill this is a suspense book and this author can definitely write a suspense story absolutely love this honored to be able to read this in advance thank you Bernard.
Tucker Pennington calls himself the master..
The things he will do. Being outside of Walgreens a young girl with her mother of age 15 Tucker sees easy pray, someone he went to school with. Now he has gasoline and the things he will do with it.. then time goes on 15 years later things have changed he's been in an asylum . THE people they've decided he's healed and he's going to be released...
Things just begin to heat up.
Gregory Moon, is another character in the story that will make you think twice..
Another one of those people from the Sanitarium. Being released for these guys. Seems like a great thing but not quite for society..
This is truly a great book if suspense is your thing.. definitely my kind of book.. so if you like suspense this is a good one..
And I would recommend it to suspense lovers .
Very Good Book.
I loved this book.
June 5, 2020
An action packed gore fest
What do psychiatric facilities do when they are running out of funds to operate? Why, they release their deranged patients back onto the streets, of course.
This is the third book in the Santero/Rein suspense thriller series and, for me, it was the best so far.
Author Schaffer is a full-time police detective on top of his writing talents and his experience shows in his books. This book was down dirty and gritty from the first page until the last.
A psychiatric patient that mutilated one woman and was about to set another on fire is up for release and both Santero and Rein know this is a huge mistake.
When desecrated bodies start showing up, they realize their fears were well founded.
I love these main characters. Santero is a county detective and Rein is still there helping her, though not on the county payroll.
The series is set in rural Pennsylvania but the setting wasn't as important for this third book. The events could happen anywhere, which makes it doubly frightening.
I hope the author continues with this series and this unique pairing of protagonists. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy police procedurals, murder mysteries, or suspense thrillers. Be warned there are graphic scenes portrayed in it.
I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
What do psychiatric facilities do when they are running out of funds to operate? Why, they release their deranged patients back onto the streets, of course.
This is the third book in the Santero/Rein suspense thriller series and, for me, it was the best so far.
Author Schaffer is a full-time police detective on top of his writing talents and his experience shows in his books. This book was down dirty and gritty from the first page until the last.
A psychiatric patient that mutilated one woman and was about to set another on fire is up for release and both Santero and Rein know this is a huge mistake.
When desecrated bodies start showing up, they realize their fears were well founded.
I love these main characters. Santero is a county detective and Rein is still there helping her, though not on the county payroll.
The series is set in rural Pennsylvania but the setting wasn't as important for this third book. The events could happen anywhere, which makes it doubly frightening.
I hope the author continues with this series and this unique pairing of protagonists. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy police procedurals, murder mysteries, or suspense thrillers. Be warned there are graphic scenes portrayed in it.
I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
June 2, 2020
I wasn’t sure what to think as the first page began with blood of a virgin and someone placing blood flakes in their mouth. I wasn’t sure I would like the story. The rest of the story was gritty and full of gruesome details. I now know for sure I do not want to be a homicide detective!
Having worked with federal law enforcement, I could recognize that the author had a background in law enforcement. This was confirmed when I reached the end of the story and came to the section about the author. The situations in his story were too realistic and the characters were too flawed to be a romanticized version of this industry. I definitely appreciated this perspective and the author’s voice.
Back to the story, the plot was not predictable as most stories are for me. The twist had enough ground work that I wasn’t shocked, but I also didn’t see it coming. There was one point in the unfolding that I felt the revelations were coming too fast and easily. That’s when the author began to reveal other layers to the story. Again, I was not surprised and surprised at the same time.
This is a great detective story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Having worked with federal law enforcement, I could recognize that the author had a background in law enforcement. This was confirmed when I reached the end of the story and came to the section about the author. The situations in his story were too realistic and the characters were too flawed to be a romanticized version of this industry. I definitely appreciated this perspective and the author’s voice.
Back to the story, the plot was not predictable as most stories are for me. The twist had enough ground work that I wasn’t shocked, but I also didn’t see it coming. There was one point in the unfolding that I felt the revelations were coming too fast and easily. That’s when the author began to reveal other layers to the story. Again, I was not surprised and surprised at the same time.
This is a great detective story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
July 10, 2020
The state is cutting funding for long term mental health care by releasing patients that were intended to spend the rest of their lives in confinement. One of them is Tucker Pennington, who former Detective Jacob Rein and his former partner Bill Waylon caught years earlier, after he molested one victim, threw acid in the face of a second, and was about to light a third on fire before Waylon and Rein stopped him. Despite the opposition of doctors, lawyers, police, and victims, Pennington is released. And in short order, some of those very people are found dead, killed in horrific, ritualistic ways. Current County Detective Carrie Santero and Rein go to work to catch Pennington and stop the bloodshed, taking readers along for the ride!
This is the third novel in the Santero & Rein series by Author Bernard Schaffer, a real-life detective in suburban Philadelphia, Each book has been better than the last, and BLOOD ANGEL will satisfy the most selective thriller readers.
This is the third novel in the Santero & Rein series by Author Bernard Schaffer, a real-life detective in suburban Philadelphia, Each book has been better than the last, and BLOOD ANGEL will satisfy the most selective thriller readers.
September 11, 2020
Book 3 in the Santero and rein Thiller.
What a book what a thrill this is a suspense book and this author can definitely write a suspense story absolutely love this honored to be able to read this in advance thank you Bernard.
Tucker Pennington calls himself the master..
The things he will do. Being outside of Walgreens a young girl with her mother of age 15 Tucker sees easy pray, someone he went to school with. Now he has gasoline and the things he will do with it.. then time goes on 15 years later things have changed he's been in an asylum . THE people they've decided he's healed and he's going to be released...
Things just begin to heat up.
Love Jacob Rein and detective Carrie Santeros working together!
This is truly a great book if suspense is your thing.. definitely my kind of book.. so if you like suspense this is a good one..
And I would recommend it to suspense lovers .
Very Good Book.
I loved this book.💕💕❤️❤️ Read in one day you don’t want to put it down!
What a book what a thrill this is a suspense book and this author can definitely write a suspense story absolutely love this honored to be able to read this in advance thank you Bernard.
Tucker Pennington calls himself the master..
The things he will do. Being outside of Walgreens a young girl with her mother of age 15 Tucker sees easy pray, someone he went to school with. Now he has gasoline and the things he will do with it.. then time goes on 15 years later things have changed he's been in an asylum . THE people they've decided he's healed and he's going to be released...
Things just begin to heat up.
Love Jacob Rein and detective Carrie Santeros working together!
This is truly a great book if suspense is your thing.. definitely my kind of book.. so if you like suspense this is a good one..
And I would recommend it to suspense lovers .
Very Good Book.
I loved this book.💕💕❤️❤️ Read in one day you don’t want to put it down!
May 15, 2020
Those who read the first two books in this series will want to grab this immediately. If you haven't read Schaffer, also grab this immediately, because it's fine as a standalone AND then you will go back and read the first two books. Carrie Santero and Jacob Rein have dealt with heinous villains in the past. Rein has an unusual and strong ability to identify and tease out sociopaths. Tucker Pennington is one of them- he calls himself the Master. Carrie is a more traditional detective but she's oh so smart. How Rein and Carrie work together is a thing of beauty. The dialogue is sharp and the relationship well developed (as are their characters). While this might fall into the serial killer/sociopath genre, it's also a procedural- Shaffer's law enforcement background shines through. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.
June 20, 2020
This is book #3 in the Santero/Rein Series and while it took me a while to really get into it, once I did it was hard to put it down.
This book is action-packed, but very, very graphic (which is fine by me), but some of you may have a hard time with it. There is a great cast of characters (even the really EVIL ones). I loved the twist even though I did figure it out before it was revealed.
If you love evil bad guys, good cops, lots of twists/turns, action-packed, unputdownable, than you really need to read this book. I actually recommend you read all three books.
#Evil #Torture #Graphic #Murder #Unputdownable #NetGalley #BloodAngel
This book is action-packed, but very, very graphic (which is fine by me), but some of you may have a hard time with it. There is a great cast of characters (even the really EVIL ones). I loved the twist even though I did figure it out before it was revealed.
If you love evil bad guys, good cops, lots of twists/turns, action-packed, unputdownable, than you really need to read this book. I actually recommend you read all three books.
#Evil #Torture #Graphic #Murder #Unputdownable #NetGalley #BloodAngel
June 11, 2020
Frightening! Realistical! Blood Angel by Bernard Schaffer scared me. I could see this story really happening. Two young men, one accused of a horrid crime, another criminally insane meet in juvenile detention and are sent to the same mental institution to serve their sentences. Fifteen years later, the crimes begin again. Oddly enough as soon as they are discharged. All the victims are connected to the earlier crimes except the earlier victims families are targeted now too. Who is doing the killings? One or both of the young men?
July 9, 2020
This was the third book and last book in the Santero and Rein series. It was a story of a young killer with religious overtones. As 15 years passed, this young man was released from the mental institute he was in and similar killings begin to happen. While the clues initially lead to him, Santero and Rein team up again to find out if it is really him or not. An excellent addition to this series. I am sad there will not be any more.
January 24, 2021
Outstanding!!!!! three for three in the series as far as five star ratings. I couldn’t put this book down. This author never ceases to amaze me with the gruesome ways these killers seem to eviscerate people and get their heinous messages across. But that’s not even half the enticement, it’s the connection between Carrie and Rein and the personalities of all the unique characters. I wouldn’t miss a book in this series. There better be more!!!! Fantastic.
February 16, 2022
Great series
This is the third book in a series and I hope it is not the last. Rookie female detective plus a troubled ex homicide detective genius solve the ugliest cases on their patch. Could have been a cliche but the plots are original, the characters are people you just have to root for, and the dialogue is clean and clear as a Robert Parker novel. My highest compliment to any author. Do yourself a big favor and try this series out!
This is the third book in a series and I hope it is not the last. Rookie female detective plus a troubled ex homicide detective genius solve the ugliest cases on their patch. Could have been a cliche but the plots are original, the characters are people you just have to root for, and the dialogue is clean and clear as a Robert Parker novel. My highest compliment to any author. Do yourself a big favor and try this series out!
May 21, 2020
This is the third book in the Santero and Rein thriller series ,it was well worth the wait for this book. Very well written plenty of details ,great characters ,fast paced with a really great storyline . Really need to be left alone to read the story as you want to read the whole thing at one time! Really hope there will be another book love the whole series.
May 26, 2020
Bernard Schaffer does it again! This book was a continuation of a series, the story of 3 detectives who have worked on some gruesome cases regarding killers.
This book pulls them all back together with some twists from a case in which one worked on many years ago!
Such a page turner and always kept me reading.
This book pulls them all back together with some twists from a case in which one worked on many years ago!
Such a page turner and always kept me reading.
May 12, 2020
5/12/2020 Absolutely devoured this book. Love his writing! Full review tk (depending on pub date, I think?) at CriminalElement.com.
May 26, 2020
The third installment of the Santero and Rein series was amazing! Just as captivating and well written as the first two. I could not put it down. I highly recommend reading everything by this author. You will not be disappointed.
August 21, 2020
Thank you Kensington Publishing for sending me a copy of Blood Angel. This one was definitely an interesting and fast paced read and very well written. If you are lookin for a good detective thriller, this one would be a good choice!
December 20, 2020
Sorry to see this series come to an end but things were wrapped up . But this was a wonderful suspense novel.
Have to say that some parts were a bit graphic . But i really enjoy reading this authors books. i recommend this book to all who enjoy a good thriller
Have to say that some parts were a bit graphic . But i really enjoy reading this authors books. i recommend this book to all who enjoy a good thriller
April 5, 2021
This book was ok. At least the lead female dectective wasn’t portrayed as a bumbling idiot who had to get every single issue resolved by a male character.
Was too violent and gory for me.
This is my second book by the author, and I won’t be reading any more. Just not something I have enjoyed
Was too violent and gory for me.
This is my second book by the author, and I won’t be reading any more. Just not something I have enjoyed
May 27, 2020
There is one word that comes to my mind to describe this authors way of writing about Criminal Masterminds....Brilliant!
June 7, 2020
Amazing.
August 7, 2020
A sequel or a stand alone. The story is grueling and somewhat gorey . I read in one setting, a copycat pulls the string of a family and the police are clueless
August 12, 2020
Book 3 in the Santero/ Rein series- wow! What a thriller! Loved it just as much as the first two- write fast! I can’t wait for the next book.
December 31, 2020
Great read!!!! Carrie and Jacob would make a great love story!!! I love these characters and they always leave me wanting more
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews