Murdered Lookalikes, Just As Many Paper Clues!
by Barbara Kelley
One Step Ahead: A gripping psychological Thriller Novella I
in the Robin Matthews Series is Book 2 of Season 1, written by Audrey Walker. Book 2 began where Book 1 ended. Several more women are murdered and beheaded, being murdered in places where Robin had visited or lived as a child through adulthood, and then being dropped off in a different location, also known by Robin. All of the victims have black hair, black eyes, and the same facial features as Robin. She knows the Butcher is dead because of his head and hand matching DNA found in murders 10 years before. The second murderer was labeled "The Executioner" by the media. The press seems to know a lot more than the police have revealed and, therefore, I think this executioner is associated with the police department. There's a new guy, James, who is an F.B.I. agent, and he's just too pretty, handsome, and gentlemanly to be up to any good. I've seen a lot of F.B.I. themed shows and every time the agent looks too good to be true, then they probably have something to do with the bad guys. When James enters the picture, he makes Robin feel safe, plus he flirts with her and even kisses her. She constantly tells herself that even though he does all of this, she still doesn't trust him. That doesn't keep her from inviting James to her sister Abby's wedding. And guess who is singing the tune of a Nick Jonas song "Jealous"! None other than Detective Kyle, Robin's partner. He is trying to help Robin with these murder cases, but his jealousy is getting in the way of him helping her. Captain Roy, Robin's boss, and almost like a father to her since her own parents were killed in an accident when she was six years old, is trying to find the killer. The messages she receives are linked to the time 10 years ago when Robin was kidnapped and tortured for almost 6 months in a basement of a house. She has lost a lot of her memory about events that happened in that basement, but she keeps having nightmares that foreshadow the events that lead up to her escaping the basement. Her dreams have her remembering a small boy, probably younger than 10 years of age also being in that basement. She promised him that they could be friends. That promise could be what the killer wants Robin to remember. That child would be around 20 years of age now, and he could be the Executioner. The media knows facts about the murders that the police never revealed. Someone in the police department HAS to have leaked that information. And I think I know who that person is. He is a very young police officer who seems enamored and in puppy love with Robin. If you read The Butcher's Head, you'll know who I'm talking about. He's muscular enough to commit all the murders. However, I could really be wringing wet in the head with my theories because the killer's identity is not revealed in this book, and this person is not the most likely suspect. It is just that I'm 67 years old and I've read literally thousands of mysteries, and watched even more mysteries on TV, VHS, DVD, and at the theater. Anyway, a real twist happens in the last couple of chapters that might leave you thinking that Robin committed all these murders herself; but, be rest assured that Robin can't be the serial killer because there are 3 more books in Season 1, as well as 10 other books in other seasons where Robin is a detective. It would be like saying that Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote killed all those characters in her books and TV series. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Anyhooo, I gave this 2nd episode of Season 1 a 5-star rating, but it also deserves about 100 stars. I will read Book 3, The Child's Plan, next.This is the only series of books I'm reading until so find out who this serial killer is.