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Shannon Ames #3
Sign of Evil
They came looking for pleasure. They found only pain.
A serial killer in New York’s South Bronx district is targeting clients of local sex workers. The victims, all male, are either burned alive or beaten to death.
With the body count mounting and no real leads, the FBI decides to put someone in undercover.
Enter rookie agent Shannon Ames. Suited for deep cover work because she is single, without family ties, Shannon is young enough to pass herself off as a working girl. More importantly, she is smart, energetic, and determined – her superiors know she’ll do whatever it takes to crack the case.
But spending her nights on the streets as she hunts for the killer takes its toll. Shannon’s personal life is falling apart, her strong moral core is being tested as never before. She begins to feel as if the case is eating her alive.
And as it becomes clear that she herself is on the killer’s radar, Shannon realizes she’s up against something truly terrifying – a monster who wants to see her forever marked with his sign of evil.
A serial killer in New York’s South Bronx district is targeting clients of local sex workers. The victims, all male, are either burned alive or beaten to death.
With the body count mounting and no real leads, the FBI decides to put someone in undercover.
Enter rookie agent Shannon Ames. Suited for deep cover work because she is single, without family ties, Shannon is young enough to pass herself off as a working girl. More importantly, she is smart, energetic, and determined – her superiors know she’ll do whatever it takes to crack the case.
But spending her nights on the streets as she hunts for the killer takes its toll. Shannon’s personal life is falling apart, her strong moral core is being tested as never before. She begins to feel as if the case is eating her alive.
And as it becomes clear that she herself is on the killer’s radar, Shannon realizes she’s up against something truly terrifying – a monster who wants to see her forever marked with his sign of evil.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2021
299 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Brearton
46 books388 followersTimothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life. HABIT follows broken cop Brendan Healy down the rabbit hole of a human trafficking conspiracy. DEAD GONE delivers Florida cop Tom Lange into a criminal underworld and THE KILLING TIME introduces FBI agent Shannon Ames, a country girl in the big city.
http://tjbrearton.net/about
http://tjbrearton.net/about
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 12, 2021
Probationary Agent Shannon Ames is called in when a man's body is found burned to death. This is not the first body found in this condition, and two others have been found bludgeoned to death. The only thing these men had is common .... they are all known to have been visiting working girls late at night.
This serial killer is smart, leaves no clues, no DNA, no witnesses, and plans well in advance.
The FBI decides to put someone undercover into the mix .. the street walkers won't talk to cops ...maybe they'll talk to one of their own.
Shannon is young, single, has no family to speak of and with the right dress she can easily pass for one of them. She's also dedicated to her job and is willing to do what's necessary to bring this killer down.
Undercover work is hard and it starts to take its toll on her life. And when she gets a little too close in searching for this killer .. the killer lays eyes on Shannon.
This is fast-paced and packed with page-turning action. Twists and turns are riveting and the suspense starts at the very beginning and holds steady until the unexpected conclusion. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. although I recommend reading the books in order.
Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This serial killer is smart, leaves no clues, no DNA, no witnesses, and plans well in advance.
The FBI decides to put someone undercover into the mix .. the street walkers won't talk to cops ...maybe they'll talk to one of their own.
Shannon is young, single, has no family to speak of and with the right dress she can easily pass for one of them. She's also dedicated to her job and is willing to do what's necessary to bring this killer down.
Undercover work is hard and it starts to take its toll on her life. And when she gets a little too close in searching for this killer .. the killer lays eyes on Shannon.
This is fast-paced and packed with page-turning action. Twists and turns are riveting and the suspense starts at the very beginning and holds steady until the unexpected conclusion. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. although I recommend reading the books in order.
Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 26, 2021
Sign of Evil by T.J. Brearton
A Shannon Ames Thriller #3
Dark, gritty, gruesome, and painful to read…this story’s serial killer is not easy to determine till late in the story. An intriguing killer with a motive that is difficult to unearth and even more difficult to understand. What a read this one was!
What I liked:
* Shannon: her belief in the good she does working for the FBI is tangible; and her willingness to tackle difficult jobs seems to be known/expected by her superiors. Perhaps she is a bit too gung-ho? At times I wondered what anchored her…perhaps her faith, as it is referred to from time to time, but what else keeps her steady and balanced?
* Luis Cardoza: he doesn’t show up much in this book but he seems to be a dedicated NYPD officer, loving father, divorced man that stands on the side of right and keeping the world safe. His humanity shows in his response to one case mentioned that he dealt with. I like him but wonder if he and Shannon will be able to stay together throughout the series.
* The creep-horror factor of the killings and then contemplating how one person could do what was done to those that were killed.
* Bufort: as Shannon’s backup this colleague is intriguing…I would like to see more of him in the future
* It seemed real and utterly believable
* That it included the idea that not everyone can be saved no matter how much one might want to save them.
* The darkness of drugs, prostitution, the sex trade, abuse, and all the rest
* Wondering about what will happen in the next book and who will show up to work with and be part of Shannon’s next case.
What I didn’t like:
* The baddie…even the backstory didn’t legitimize the killing…
* Knowing that there are real “working girls” out in the world and that their lives are just as difficult and even more difficult than the ones in this book.
* Having to wait for the next book to be written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
A Shannon Ames Thriller #3
Dark, gritty, gruesome, and painful to read…this story’s serial killer is not easy to determine till late in the story. An intriguing killer with a motive that is difficult to unearth and even more difficult to understand. What a read this one was!
What I liked:
* Shannon: her belief in the good she does working for the FBI is tangible; and her willingness to tackle difficult jobs seems to be known/expected by her superiors. Perhaps she is a bit too gung-ho? At times I wondered what anchored her…perhaps her faith, as it is referred to from time to time, but what else keeps her steady and balanced?
* Luis Cardoza: he doesn’t show up much in this book but he seems to be a dedicated NYPD officer, loving father, divorced man that stands on the side of right and keeping the world safe. His humanity shows in his response to one case mentioned that he dealt with. I like him but wonder if he and Shannon will be able to stay together throughout the series.
* The creep-horror factor of the killings and then contemplating how one person could do what was done to those that were killed.
* Bufort: as Shannon’s backup this colleague is intriguing…I would like to see more of him in the future
* It seemed real and utterly believable
* That it included the idea that not everyone can be saved no matter how much one might want to save them.
* The darkness of drugs, prostitution, the sex trade, abuse, and all the rest
* Wondering about what will happen in the next book and who will show up to work with and be part of Shannon’s next case.
What I didn’t like:
* The baddie…even the backstory didn’t legitimize the killing…
* Knowing that there are real “working girls” out in the world and that their lives are just as difficult and even more difficult than the ones in this book.
* Having to wait for the next book to be written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
January 22, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of Sign of Evil the third novel to feature Special Agent Shannon Ames of the FBI’s New York Brooklyn-Queens office.
Someone is killing the customers of working girls in the South Bronx. Shannon is called to the latest scene, the fourth, and she’s puzzled as it’s outside her jurisdiction but not for long as she’s asked to go undercover as a working girl to try and find the killer.
I enjoyed Sign of Evil which is an eventful novel with a well hidden perpetrator. It held my attention throughout, through both the puzzle of the perpetrator’s identity and motive and all the different happenings that push the narrative forward. It’s safe to say that there is rarely a dull moment and this culminates in the heart stopping final action scenes.
The novel is told from Shannon’s point of view, so the reader can plunge straight in and live the investigation with her. I find that one narrator concentrates my mind and offers a more immersive experience, allowing me to speculate on the known facts and potential scenarios. I didn’t get much right in this read but it was engrossing to try. I like the format of the procedural which starts with everyone as a suspect and gradually narrows in on one person. This is slightly different in that there are few persons of interest until suddenly there is the one.
Going undercover in “the life” is not easy for Shannon with her strong morals and law enforcement background. The novel is a thriller so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the life but it offers enough colour to make it believable. She is a strong character, surrounded by men who don’t always appreciate that strength. You just know that she wasn’t written by a woman.
Sign of Evil is a good read that I can recommend.
Someone is killing the customers of working girls in the South Bronx. Shannon is called to the latest scene, the fourth, and she’s puzzled as it’s outside her jurisdiction but not for long as she’s asked to go undercover as a working girl to try and find the killer.
I enjoyed Sign of Evil which is an eventful novel with a well hidden perpetrator. It held my attention throughout, through both the puzzle of the perpetrator’s identity and motive and all the different happenings that push the narrative forward. It’s safe to say that there is rarely a dull moment and this culminates in the heart stopping final action scenes.
The novel is told from Shannon’s point of view, so the reader can plunge straight in and live the investigation with her. I find that one narrator concentrates my mind and offers a more immersive experience, allowing me to speculate on the known facts and potential scenarios. I didn’t get much right in this read but it was engrossing to try. I like the format of the procedural which starts with everyone as a suspect and gradually narrows in on one person. This is slightly different in that there are few persons of interest until suddenly there is the one.
Going undercover in “the life” is not easy for Shannon with her strong morals and law enforcement background. The novel is a thriller so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the life but it offers enough colour to make it believable. She is a strong character, surrounded by men who don’t always appreciate that strength. You just know that she wasn’t written by a woman.
Sign of Evil is a good read that I can recommend.
January 25, 2021
This third episode in the Shannon Ames series is a departure from the two that preceded it. Shannon takes on an undercover assignment as a streetwalker. Along with being action-packed, a side of Shannon is exposed that really give the reader a much fuller understanding of her and her moral code. I think Sign of Evil is my favorite of the series so far, while I really enjoyed the first two stories, this one took me on a journey I wasn’t expecting and fully enjoyed. Along with the action in this story, I found myself believing I knew who the killer was and their motive, of course some day I’ll learn not to make the se assumptions when TJ Brearton is the author. Misdirection and unexpected twists are a hallmark of his work. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide this review.
February 24, 2024
This is a good crime novel by T J Brearton. Shannon Ames returns to fight crime in New York City. Shannon is still working her way up the FBI ladder. Who is asked to go undercover as a sex worker to find a serial killer.
With the help of a strong group of police and agents, Shannon transforms herself and hits the street to find a killer who is determined to kill men by fire or stone. Yes burnt to death or stoned. Is he.a religious zealot or stone cold killer.
Shannon is up against the odds but she’s got the determination and grit to do whatever it takes to find this madman
4 stars
With the help of a strong group of police and agents, Shannon transforms herself and hits the street to find a killer who is determined to kill men by fire or stone. Yes burnt to death or stoned. Is he.a religious zealot or stone cold killer.
Shannon is up against the odds but she’s got the determination and grit to do whatever it takes to find this madman
4 stars
January 22, 2021
Yesterday morning, I sat down to read Sign of Evil by T. J. Brearton. Only an hour, I told myself, then I’ll get to work. I should’ve known better. After all, I had devoured Into Darkness (stopping only to sleep and eat) and Road to Mercy (ditto) after similar promises to myself. Sure enough, one hour slipped away . . . then two . . . Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. I couldn’t stop.
A Painful and Gruesome Death
One thing I can say for Brearton: he never wastes time getting to the action. On page one, we jump right into the case as Shannon studies the latest crime scene where a presumed client of a sex worker has been burned to death.
This is the latest in a series of brutal murders. Twice, the men have been doused with gasoline and set on fire. Twice, the men have been beaten to death. Despite the different methods, the circumstances of the deaths are similar. Each is in a known sex work hotspot. Plus, matching fingerprints in each victim’s car links the four deaths, though the prints don’t match anyone in the system.
Is the killer careless or intentionally mocking law enforcement? What’s the motivation behind the killings? Why are there two different methods of murder?
No one knows.
One thing I appreciate about Brearton’s work is that if he includes graphic violence, there’s a good reason for it. In the past, sometimes writers of fictional serial killers seem to choose the most gruesome methods of killing just for shock value. (Worse, sometimes they appeared to relish describing the mutilated bodies of victims, especially female victims.)
But Brearton never does that. Here, there’s a significant reason for the murder method. Without spoilers, I can’t divulge the significance. (It reminded me of how Louise Penny takes some significant but rather obscure piece of culture and uses it as a “key” that her Inspector Gamache uses to unlock the murderer’s motivations and solve the crime.) In Sign of Evil, Shannon will need all her knowledge and background to get to the bottom of it.
A Rookie Agent
In Brearton’s books, the killers are smart. This one is no exception. This killer is smart, always one step ahead of the law, and openly taunts law enforcement. But is she/he smarter than Shannon?
Despite still being in her probationary period, Shannon is recommended for this assignment because her boss thinks she’s good with people.
And she is. Her empathy with the suspects, sex workers, and family members is real. Thanks in part to her background in clinical psychology, she’s often insightful about why people do the things they do, and whose role is it to judge their actions. There are some thought-provoking ideas about addiction, abuse, and the role of law enforcement in society, for better or for worse.
There’s an undercurrent of fear throughout the book. Not just fear of being on the streets, but fear of losing her own identity and becoming more like the fictional Giselle. It’s a real possibility. Undercover life changes people, and not always for the better.
And Shannon’s not a superhero. She’s a flesh and blood woman, one whom I’ve come to care about throughout the past books in the series. (Note to Shannon: I’m still on the fence about you and Luis. Love you both to pieces, but I don’t know if two law enforcement folks should get together. Especially when one has a kid. Think hard, pray harder on this one.)
It’s fascinating to watch Shannon and her FBI trainer develop her undercover persona. It feels realistic, too; I’m sure real law enforcement officers who go into deep undercover work wrestle through all these same questions and issues. (It’s a bit like what authors do when they create a fictional character!)
Reality of Sex Work
The language is sometimes coarse and filled with the slang of this subculture. Drug abuse and physical violence--including rape--are rampant. There’s nothing glamorous about sex work. For the vulnerable women Shannon befriends and encounters, this is life. Sobering.
Yet while Brearton shows the brutal reality of sex work, he never forgets the humanity of the workers and, in a gutsy move, the humanity of the johns, too. They are people first.
He does a great job developing these characters. The young and vulnerable Lana, who has plans to attend art school (and whom I always wanted to hug). The quiet and kind Everly, who’s upset over something from the past (and whom I wanted to hug and shake at the same time). David, a pimp who claims to be the nicest guy in the business (and whom I wanted to slap across the face but didn’t because he only exists on paper). And Ray, a seemingly ordinary man, whom I felt sorrow for as he grieved his dying wife even as I wondered how he fit into the story. They all came alive to me.
Non-stop Action
The tension escalates steadily as Shannon hits the streets and faces the dangers of streetwalking. Other sex workers are upset that she’s encroaching on their track. Pimps demand that she come under their so-called protection. Johns are alone with her in their cars; she’s at their mercy. For real sex workers, the dangers are real. For Shannon, it’s real, too, even if she does have a wire, FBI badge, and backup (in the form of Agent Charlie Bufort). Despite her FBI training, she’s an upstate farm girl; does she really understand the danger she is getting into?
The tension rises–and rises–and rises– Brearton turns up the heat as Shannon faces setbacks, false solutions, and danger greater than she could’ve imagined. Every time I thought I knew how it would end, he turned my expectations upside down and inside out. The story sprints toward the final showdown with the killer. When the climax comes, it’s electrifying. Thrilling. Devastating. No one is left untouched by the consequences–including Shannon. The ending is bittersweet but satisfying.
Highly Recommended
Brearton writes a tightly-crafted story full of intrigue and excitement, but also full of heart and soul. This is stellar work. For those who love thrillers and crime fiction, I highly recommend Sign of Evil.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
A Painful and Gruesome Death
One thing I can say for Brearton: he never wastes time getting to the action. On page one, we jump right into the case as Shannon studies the latest crime scene where a presumed client of a sex worker has been burned to death.
This is the latest in a series of brutal murders. Twice, the men have been doused with gasoline and set on fire. Twice, the men have been beaten to death. Despite the different methods, the circumstances of the deaths are similar. Each is in a known sex work hotspot. Plus, matching fingerprints in each victim’s car links the four deaths, though the prints don’t match anyone in the system.
Is the killer careless or intentionally mocking law enforcement? What’s the motivation behind the killings? Why are there two different methods of murder?
No one knows.
One thing I appreciate about Brearton’s work is that if he includes graphic violence, there’s a good reason for it. In the past, sometimes writers of fictional serial killers seem to choose the most gruesome methods of killing just for shock value. (Worse, sometimes they appeared to relish describing the mutilated bodies of victims, especially female victims.)
But Brearton never does that. Here, there’s a significant reason for the murder method. Without spoilers, I can’t divulge the significance. (It reminded me of how Louise Penny takes some significant but rather obscure piece of culture and uses it as a “key” that her Inspector Gamache uses to unlock the murderer’s motivations and solve the crime.) In Sign of Evil, Shannon will need all her knowledge and background to get to the bottom of it.
A Rookie Agent
In Brearton’s books, the killers are smart. This one is no exception. This killer is smart, always one step ahead of the law, and openly taunts law enforcement. But is she/he smarter than Shannon?
Despite still being in her probationary period, Shannon is recommended for this assignment because her boss thinks she’s good with people.
And she is. Her empathy with the suspects, sex workers, and family members is real. Thanks in part to her background in clinical psychology, she’s often insightful about why people do the things they do, and whose role is it to judge their actions. There are some thought-provoking ideas about addiction, abuse, and the role of law enforcement in society, for better or for worse.
There’s an undercurrent of fear throughout the book. Not just fear of being on the streets, but fear of losing her own identity and becoming more like the fictional Giselle. It’s a real possibility. Undercover life changes people, and not always for the better.
And Shannon’s not a superhero. She’s a flesh and blood woman, one whom I’ve come to care about throughout the past books in the series. (Note to Shannon: I’m still on the fence about you and Luis. Love you both to pieces, but I don’t know if two law enforcement folks should get together. Especially when one has a kid. Think hard, pray harder on this one.)
It’s fascinating to watch Shannon and her FBI trainer develop her undercover persona. It feels realistic, too; I’m sure real law enforcement officers who go into deep undercover work wrestle through all these same questions and issues. (It’s a bit like what authors do when they create a fictional character!)
Reality of Sex Work
The language is sometimes coarse and filled with the slang of this subculture. Drug abuse and physical violence--including rape--are rampant. There’s nothing glamorous about sex work. For the vulnerable women Shannon befriends and encounters, this is life. Sobering.
Yet while Brearton shows the brutal reality of sex work, he never forgets the humanity of the workers and, in a gutsy move, the humanity of the johns, too. They are people first.
He does a great job developing these characters. The young and vulnerable Lana, who has plans to attend art school (and whom I always wanted to hug). The quiet and kind Everly, who’s upset over something from the past (and whom I wanted to hug and shake at the same time). David, a pimp who claims to be the nicest guy in the business (and whom I wanted to slap across the face but didn’t because he only exists on paper). And Ray, a seemingly ordinary man, whom I felt sorrow for as he grieved his dying wife even as I wondered how he fit into the story. They all came alive to me.
Non-stop Action
The tension escalates steadily as Shannon hits the streets and faces the dangers of streetwalking. Other sex workers are upset that she’s encroaching on their track. Pimps demand that she come under their so-called protection. Johns are alone with her in their cars; she’s at their mercy. For real sex workers, the dangers are real. For Shannon, it’s real, too, even if she does have a wire, FBI badge, and backup (in the form of Agent Charlie Bufort). Despite her FBI training, she’s an upstate farm girl; does she really understand the danger she is getting into?
The tension rises–and rises–and rises– Brearton turns up the heat as Shannon faces setbacks, false solutions, and danger greater than she could’ve imagined. Every time I thought I knew how it would end, he turned my expectations upside down and inside out. The story sprints toward the final showdown with the killer. When the climax comes, it’s electrifying. Thrilling. Devastating. No one is left untouched by the consequences–including Shannon. The ending is bittersweet but satisfying.
Highly Recommended
Brearton writes a tightly-crafted story full of intrigue and excitement, but also full of heart and soul. This is stellar work. For those who love thrillers and crime fiction, I highly recommend Sign of Evil.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
February 1, 2021
I love stories about serial killers. You only have to mention vicious murders, ritual sacrifice, multiple victims, psychopaths, and I’m like ‘woohoo, bring it on’. So long as it doesn’t involve children or animals. However, I have a bit of a thing about people being burnt to death (going back to something my ‘best friend’ told me when I was about eight years old) so I was in two minds but then I thought ‘what the heck’. Luckily for me the ‘burnings’ are not described in too much gory detail, but like the ‘stonings’ they are biblical in scale.
In this her third outing, Shannon Ames is still on probation with the FBI. Going undercover as a street hooker will fast-forward her career, but it’s a huge ask. Not one to be taken lightly – it will not only put her life at risk, but also her relationships, and test her ethics to the very core. The more she infiltrates the seedy side of prostitution, drugs and pimps (is there an unseedy side?) the more she discovers the vulnerability of the girls on the street. But they are not the murder victims in Sign of Evil – the ‘johns’ who solicit them are.
What I loved most about T.J. Brearton’s Rough Country (which I read and reviewed in November) was the religious references and we have it here again. This fascinates me as I said before. It makes me think. It makes me do research while I’m reading – stories and quotes from Milton’s Paradise Lost and also from the Old Testament – not many books do that.
I’m also slightly reminded of Hannibal Lecter talking to FBI rookie Clarice in Silence of the Lambs when she first meets him in the secure unit. Maybe it’s a bit of a nod, an homage to that great film.
‘A country girl. God-fearing. You yearn to do good,’ the killer says to Shannon at one point, ‘and you’re not easily corrupted.’ But are the lambs still screaming Shannon? Or do you wake up in a cold sweat, the nightmares never ending.
This is great stuff. Leaps and bounds ahead of the usual feast of police procedurals. I can’t wait for the next one.
In this her third outing, Shannon Ames is still on probation with the FBI. Going undercover as a street hooker will fast-forward her career, but it’s a huge ask. Not one to be taken lightly – it will not only put her life at risk, but also her relationships, and test her ethics to the very core. The more she infiltrates the seedy side of prostitution, drugs and pimps (is there an unseedy side?) the more she discovers the vulnerability of the girls on the street. But they are not the murder victims in Sign of Evil – the ‘johns’ who solicit them are.
What I loved most about T.J. Brearton’s Rough Country (which I read and reviewed in November) was the religious references and we have it here again. This fascinates me as I said before. It makes me think. It makes me do research while I’m reading – stories and quotes from Milton’s Paradise Lost and also from the Old Testament – not many books do that.
I’m also slightly reminded of Hannibal Lecter talking to FBI rookie Clarice in Silence of the Lambs when she first meets him in the secure unit. Maybe it’s a bit of a nod, an homage to that great film.
‘A country girl. God-fearing. You yearn to do good,’ the killer says to Shannon at one point, ‘and you’re not easily corrupted.’ But are the lambs still screaming Shannon? Or do you wake up in a cold sweat, the nightmares never ending.
This is great stuff. Leaps and bounds ahead of the usual feast of police procedurals. I can’t wait for the next one.
January 23, 2021
This was definitely 4.5 stars raised to a 5. Shannon Ames is a probationary FBI agent out of New York City. Prior to joining the FBI she was a clinical psychologist working with incarcerated people. She gets the opportunity to go undercover as a streetwalker in an attempt to find the person who is Biblically killing johns. It is well written and has the feel of a true crime recital. It also humanizes the protagonists and does not turn them into superheroes. Well done. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
January 31, 2021
This is an interesting story with strong characters and a dark story line. The author does a great job building the story line and had me glued to the pages from start to finish. His scenes are painted in vivid detail and he moves the story fluidly with his descriptive and detailed writing. I enjoyed and would recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
January 27, 2021
This is the second book in this series that I have read and I have to say I really enjoyed the first one but this one is even better. The story is fast paced and addictive and it brilliantly picks up pace as the hunt for the killer intensifies near the end. The writing is really edgy giving a dark and gritty feel to the story which are the best elements of any crime thriller. You can really feel and get a sense of the intensity of the story helped by it being set largely at night but also in a small area of New York. Reading this was like watching the best police drama. It was good to get to know Shannon a bit more and I look forward to meeting her again soon.
January 25, 2021
FBI special agent Shannon Ames is asked to go under cover to help solve a case involving someone killing customers of prostitutes. A number of victims are killed either by burning or getting bashed by rocks. A serial killer that keeps eluding the authorities. A thriller that will keep your interest.
February 28, 2021
From an advanced copy of this story:
Posing as a prostitute Shannon gets an inside look at the world of prostitution during her probationary period. The story shows the personal side of working girls. Shannon gets called in to investigate someone who is killing Johns.
Almost getting killed herself, she persists to find out who is killing the Johns.
Brearton has the gift of telling his stories and taking your imagination and putting you at the scene in his stories. Great read!
Posing as a prostitute Shannon gets an inside look at the world of prostitution during her probationary period. The story shows the personal side of working girls. Shannon gets called in to investigate someone who is killing Johns.
Almost getting killed herself, she persists to find out who is killing the Johns.
Brearton has the gift of telling his stories and taking your imagination and putting you at the scene in his stories. Great read!
June 20, 2025
This series features an FBI female agent who actually isn’t narcissistic or promiscuous. Novel idea, right?! This is a likable series with likable characters!
January 13, 2021
Dark, interesting and leaving me with questions.
I really like this series. There is something about the main character that just stands out. She is fierce and talented. The ending left me a bit sad. And I just can’t pin point why. I’m really looking forward to more.
I really like this series. There is something about the main character that just stands out. She is fierce and talented. The ending left me a bit sad. And I just can’t pin point why. I’m really looking forward to more.
March 15, 2021
I enjoyed the first two books in the series and was happy to meet Shannon Ames again! This time, she's investigating the horrific murders of customers of sex workers in the Bronx. The case takes her undercover as a streetwalker and forces her to confront a serial killer with their own agenda. I thought the story is intriguing and I liked how the book doesn't demonise sex workers or their clients. We get to hear their stories and get to know them. I liked the Biblical references included in the murders, it lends the cases an otherworldly feeling that is a little creepy.
I liked Shannon's personal life and I wish the book hadn't gone the usual thriller route of mixing them with her professional life. It makes the plot predictable. I also wasn't fully convinced by the killer's motives but they made an imposing opponent to Shannon which I appreciated. Overall. this is a fast-paced thriller with some arresting scenes and I look forward to seeing where the series takes me next.
CW: physical violence, sexual scenes, abduction
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a review copy.
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I liked Shannon's personal life and I wish the book hadn't gone the usual thriller route of mixing them with her professional life. It makes the plot predictable. I also wasn't fully convinced by the killer's motives but they made an imposing opponent to Shannon which I appreciated. Overall. this is a fast-paced thriller with some arresting scenes and I look forward to seeing where the series takes me next.
CW: physical violence, sexual scenes, abduction
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a review copy.
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January 27, 2021
“The yellow smiley face grinned up at Shannon. Hi there. I know something you don't know.”
In the busy, buzzling city of New York, a man is murdered. Special Agent Shannon Ames is called to South Bronx, the area where Jared D’Onofrio breathed his last lungfuls after a horrendous incineration. A killer is on the loose and to catch him, Shannon must turn into a (sort of) bait.
Shannon is a detached character. I did not feel much for her, didn't empathize with her. This though may be part of how the author molded her, a result of her ragged past life.
Brearton's writing style joins the ranks of the literary world's aristocracy. Using a mysterious character's POV is a genius move! It made my brain overheat just wondering wether the persona was a friend or foe.
This is a relatively long book but the pace is good, enough to make it a 2-nighter for fast readers.
Fans of Angela Marsons' DI Kim Stone Series will find this book very enjoyable indeed.
In the busy, buzzling city of New York, a man is murdered. Special Agent Shannon Ames is called to South Bronx, the area where Jared D’Onofrio breathed his last lungfuls after a horrendous incineration. A killer is on the loose and to catch him, Shannon must turn into a (sort of) bait.
Shannon is a detached character. I did not feel much for her, didn't empathize with her. This though may be part of how the author molded her, a result of her ragged past life.
Brearton's writing style joins the ranks of the literary world's aristocracy. Using a mysterious character's POV is a genius move! It made my brain overheat just wondering wether the persona was a friend or foe.
This is a relatively long book but the pace is good, enough to make it a 2-nighter for fast readers.
Fans of Angela Marsons' DI Kim Stone Series will find this book very enjoyable indeed.
September 2, 2021
This Shannon Ames book was very different to all the others so far. The plot involved the rookie Ames going undercover to try and catch the “working girl killer”, something she has never done before, and it certainly proved to be a huge risk to her both mentally and physically. After many different and false leads, the hunt takes Shannon into the depths of the scary world of sex workers, and she meets many who she gains a lasting empathy with. The start of the story is reasonably slow and plods along but then suddenly the chase starts to pick up speed and the ending is fast and furious. Lives are at risk and the suspense is overwhelming – putting the book down as it reaches the climax was impossible and other mundane tasks were forgotten as the fight became intense. The ending itself was extremely satisfying but certainly leaves the door open for the next episode. This was an extremely good read, as to be expected from this author.
February 3, 2021
Sign of Evil is the third book in the Shannon Ames mystery series and may be read as a standalone but is so much better as part of the series. Young, FBI agent Shannon Ames faces down a serial killer in the South Bronx when she goes undercover as a prostitute. The case quickly takes a turn when the killer calls Shannon directly. Twists and turns lead Shannon to uncover a biblical link to the killings as the danger comes knocking at her door. I enjoy this series for the way the author puts the cases at centerstage. Shannon's personal life becomes a backstory that does not take up to much of the limelight. The mystery is heart pounding and not weighed down with personal drama for a refreshing mystery/suspense novel that will leave the reader coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
January 28, 2021
The body count kept growing. People were murdered either by immolation or by stoning. The FBI couldn't get a lead. They had a plan though. They offered Rookie Agent Shannon Ames a promotion to Special agent if...she would go undercover and try and get some leads. Here is the catch she would go undercover as a prostitute. She didn't really think twice and said yes. Leads were hard to come by and she made more friends than leads. She finally realized she had to stop, her life was in danger.
The author, T J Brearton, has written a page turning story. You will be kept in suspense until the end. I received an ARC copy and I read it so fast. It was that good.
The author, T J Brearton, has written a page turning story. You will be kept in suspense until the end. I received an ARC copy and I read it so fast. It was that good.
January 23, 2021
I enjoyed this crime story. Shannon Ames is a rookie FBI agent who goes undercover as a prostitute to get a killer who is targeting "Johns". She has some upsetting dealings with other prostitutes and the Johns as she gets closer to learning the identity of the killer. I liked that the story had a strong female lead, but I think she could have handled herself better than was portrayed. Overall, it was a great read. I would recommend it to people who enjoy stories with a strong female lead. I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.
February 1, 2021
A strong story line pulls you in and holds you in its grip until you reach the end. The story builds, moves smoothly through the pages and is well written. It keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat until you read the last words. The characters are strong and well developed and add interest and intrigue to the story line.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 8, 2021
Really great series.
The third book is a roller coaster ride and will keep you guessing until the dramatic conclusion. F.B.I. Agent Shannon Ames goes undercover as a streetwalker to catch a brutal serial killer. Brearton has created a strong female character that that you admire and appreciate her honest introspection as she strives to stay true to herself. I have enjoyed reading the first three books and recommend them all.
The third book is a roller coaster ride and will keep you guessing until the dramatic conclusion. F.B.I. Agent Shannon Ames goes undercover as a streetwalker to catch a brutal serial killer. Brearton has created a strong female character that that you admire and appreciate her honest introspection as she strives to stay true to herself. I have enjoyed reading the first three books and recommend them all.
July 1, 2023
I was disappointed in this 3rd installment in the Shannon Ames series. I thought the whole premise of Shannon going undercover as a street prostitute was simply ridiculous. She's inexperienced and she's asked to do this job?! I think it's rather naive and laughable and doesn't help the credibility of the story.
Overall, this read wasn't very compelling and I'm not sure I'll continue with this series.
Overall, this read wasn't very compelling and I'm not sure I'll continue with this series.
August 16, 2024
This is the 3rd book in the Shannon Ames FBI series. When men are being killed in the South Bronx they find it is connected to the prostitutes. The men are all clients of these women. Shannon Ames is a new FBI agent and it assigned to go undercover to catch the killer. The closer she gets to finding the killer it puts her in the killers sights. Now she has to figure out who it is before people she loves as well as herself become the next victim.
January 26, 2021
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
July 20, 2021
A bit of murder, and evil people make for a good read
I liked the book very much. the heroine and FBI “Greenie”, makes for mistakes, but Agent Ames works through the problems and works her way to either discovering the Killer, or possibly simply just cleaning up a mess that needed cleaning without discovering all the motives that could have create another monster.
I liked the book very much. the heroine and FBI “Greenie”, makes for mistakes, but Agent Ames works through the problems and works her way to either discovering the Killer, or possibly simply just cleaning up a mess that needed cleaning without discovering all the motives that could have create another monster.
February 15, 2022
WOW! Another Winner
Good interesting scary story, just the way i like them. And this book does NOT disappoint. Another page turner stay up late book from T.J. BREARTON. Again thx for concentrating on story not the sexual relationship or vivid descriptions. I for one appreciate it.
Good interesting scary story, just the way i like them. And this book does NOT disappoint. Another page turner stay up late book from T.J. BREARTON. Again thx for concentrating on story not the sexual relationship or vivid descriptions. I for one appreciate it.
February 12, 2021
Truly twisted
It's truly a twisted mind that believes ridding the world of the immoral is the right thing to do. But letting the guilty choose there end is a true sign of the worst offender or a very sick mind. Full of intensity.
It's truly a twisted mind that believes ridding the world of the immoral is the right thing to do. But letting the guilty choose there end is a true sign of the worst offender or a very sick mind. Full of intensity.
February 17, 2021
TERRIFIC crime thriller involving the deviant world of prostitution & the surrounding fall out of this life. Enjoyed the story line & the writing with a lot of suspense leading up to a great conclusion. First time reading this author but will definitely look for more. RECOMMEND totally. Thanks to NetGalley & Inkubator Books for this ARC in return for my honest review.
February 22, 2021
Sign of Evil (Shannon Ames Book 3) by T. J. BREARTON
I really enjoyed the entire book and had a hard time not reading it in one day. It was exciting, hard to determine the killer and I loved the support staff. Good people. I will await the next.
I really enjoyed the entire book and had a hard time not reading it in one day. It was exciting, hard to determine the killer and I loved the support staff. Good people. I will await the next.
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