Girl, Hunted

Ella Dark #3

by Blake Pierce

After a woman barely escapes from the car of a serial killer, Ella recalls unique details from prior cases just like it.

But this serial killer recalls them, too—and he is determined to do the one thing Ella never anticipates: to stray from his predecessors.

The deadly game of cat and mouse that follows leaves Ella wondering: do her talents have a limit?

Has she finally met her match?

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Ebooks

194 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Arica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much more of this series I will stick w/if Ella ALWAYS ends up taking down a serial killer single-handily in just a couple of weeks. This "Gemini" tried to best the Zodiac killer who NEVER got caught. Bummed Ella dumped Ben before it even got started and she just needs to tell Mia the complete truth about Tobias helping.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. Though the content of the book was fine, it was quite difficult to endure the narrator. With all the negative feedback for this narrator, one would think the publisher would take the feedback and find a new narrator before this series loses readership due to it. I beg of you, please find a new narrator!

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can count on one thing with Ella Dark, she will always drop her gun. She is such a professional. She brings a gun to a knife fight and still manages to get her ass kicked.

[Fanny Reads ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tercer libro de la serie Ella Dark, y seguimos amando.

Sinopsis general: Ella Dark, una chica de 29 años, se le presenta la gran oportunidad de alcanzar el sueño de su vida: entrar en la Unidad de Crímenes de Conducta en el FBI. Ella tiene una obsesión oculta, ha estudiado a los asesinos en serie desde que sabía leer, devastada por el asesinato de su propio padre. Ha adquirido un conocimiento enciclopédico de cada asesino en serie, cada víctima y cada caso, gracias a su memoria fotográfica. Destacada por su brillante mente, Ella es invitada a unirse a las grandes ligas.

Opinión en específico del libro: Después de que una mujer apenas logra escapar del coche de un asesino en serie, Ella recuerda detalles únicos de casos anteriores iguales a este.
Pero este asesino en serie también los recuerda, y está decidido a hacer lo único que Ella nunca pudo prever: diferenciarse de sus predecesores.

El juego mortal del gato y el ratón que le sigue a esto deja a Ella preguntándose si sus propios talentos tienen un límite, ya están tratando con el mismisimó imitador del Zodíaco, uno de los asesinos en serie más famosos del mundo que nunca pudo ser capturado.

Igual me gustó mucho el libro pero ya venía arrastrando un tema con Ella de falta de comunicación que se que en algún momento va a explotar y me desespera pero bueno, a ver que seguirá

[Kelsey Crouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly don’t even know how good this series is. I am a Criminal Minds addict and these books make me feel like I’m in an episode of Criminal Minds, so I can’t stop. Can’t say they’re groundbreaking and I’d recommend them, but here I am.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl, Hunted (Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller #3) by Blake Pierce is number 3 of 3 in this series by the author. After a woman barely escapes from the car of a serial killer, Ella recalls unique details from prior cases just like it. But this serial killer recalls them, too—and he is determined to do the one thing Ella never anticipates: to stray from his predecessors crime patterns. The deadly game of cat and mouse that follows leaves Ella wondering: do her talents have a limit? Has she finally met her match? Well-written and the author keeps your interest and keeps you guessing.

[Mary Gerety · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each book has the exact same format.....

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems like Ella crossed more than a few lines in this one. Not sure how I feel about it. I get using her job to find out who wrote the letters to the dad, but then just showing up at her house? Why wouldn't you just call her first and explain things, might have had a better reception. Then there is the info she found out, that seems too easy. I guess we'll see.

The big time it felt like Ella went too far was when she went to visit the killer in Maine, then call him later while working her current case and keeping it from Ripley. This will not end well and you know Ripley will find out fast.

The case it's self was pretty normal, they worked the clues, figured things out. I was glad that they were one step ahead of the killer at the end. He deserved what he got.

[ياسمينة · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'était mieux que le deuxième.

[Rosica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Ella Dark with a touch of Silence of the Lambs.

[AuntieErrica (audiobooks=life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl, Hunted is significantly better than the second book in the Ella Dark FBI series, Girl, Taken. Which made me deliriously happy because I bought the darn ebook and borrowed the audio from the library. I hate wasting library credits and obviously hate wasting money, but I had faith that Pierce could redeem themself and I wanted to read along whilst listening.
Okay, back to the book. Our girl Ella uses her vast knowledge of the Zodiac Killer to hopefully help catch a new, presumed copycat, the Gemini Killer. Lots of angst, action, and alarmingly bad decisions ensue.
Yes, the plot and writing are simplistic, but it's still a gripping storyline, and I read almost the majority of the book in one sitting. I highly recommend giving the Ella Dark FBI series another chance if you similarly disliked the second book. I will likely read the fourth book and hope that it's at least okay.

[Samantha (Millennial Life Crisis Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series! As each book goes on, we get to know more about Ella but also see her start to shape her career within the FBI and become a great asset to the organization. After using her knowledge and studying serial killers in the previous cases, when she is brought in for a third case, she feels the heat and pressure to produce results. After going to visit the serial killer taunting her partner after being told not to, she isn’t in the best mindset, and it shows as she struggles to solve this case and she goes to an unlikely source to help her figure it out. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Ella and her partner!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of books are always a good quick little read. Finished in about two hours or so. I do wish it had a bit more information and background to certain parts especially the relationships trying to form.

[Em Fanning · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was better than the 2nd, however, the idea that she always catches the killer can’t keep going on. In that sense it’s repetitive, but this new killer is intriguing. Similar to the copy cat from book one but different enough to have a new take on it.

[Paula Galindo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este no tengo palabras para describir este maravilloso libro, no he podido parar de leer el libro de principio a fin, me ha gustado mucho y por eso recomiendo muchísimo tanto el libro como el autor 👌🏻

[Cayla Mosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

What. An. Ending.
I cant wait for book 4!

[Wendy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fell somewhere between 2.5 and 3 for me. Just couldn’t keep my attention.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book. I enjoy listening to these books while I cook but they aren't thrilling me like they once did. Still good though.

[Sophia Rietema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book!

[Lana Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Alex Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy listening thrillers in this series. I like the all female cast. Nothing special, but enjoyable to listen to.

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in 1 sitting. I’m a bit on the fence whether I felt this was a 3.5 or a 4 star read. I did enjoy the story but felt Ella acted out of character with the Tobias thing. I think she would have had more respect for Mia than that. I enjoyed the mystery though and the Zodiac killer is one of those that fascinates me. Good action and great side characters as always. I liked the ending with her revelations with her dad but wasn’t so keen with what happened with Ben. I’ll be starting the next book tomorrow.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 of the Ella Dark Series: ✔️

This storyline redeemed itself for me. Following a copycat Zodiac killer, Ella Dark raced to save the day yet again. I love Pierce’s style: short yet action-packed chapters that leave you wanting more. However, I’m noticing the same story structure in each story...that is getting a little redundant.

The underlying storyline took a unique twist in Book 3, so I’m interested to see where it goes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[AR · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this series but it became predictable and the characters did not feel human. They felt simple minded and uncomplicated. Ella's character knows everything. But her choices, and the choices before her seem over simplified and stupid. I'm quitting the series after this. So disappointed.

[Mary Anne Timchishen · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow!

Good story but the last 50 pages were amazing! I’m hooked on Ella & Mia!

Wondering how Ella will handle things things when history does not repeat itself…

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm Punching Out
Something about Ella Dark and her FBI partner didn't completely click from the beginning. But I felt like part of my problem might be the poor narration, so I wanted to give the series another shot. Having now finished book three in the Ella Dark series I'm going to cut bait and admit that this series just isn't thrilling me.

My issues revolve around a couple of things. Foremost is that authors should never try to save money by using a narrator that doesn't do their books justice. Amanda Goettl seems to have narrated all the books in this series, and that's a shame. I hate to disparage anyone's work, however, I did not enjoy the narration in any of the three books I listened to. It was stilted, had no natural flow, occasionally had mispronounced words (you know, the wrong emPHASis on the wrong syLABel), and basically sounded like it was the first read-through.

While I generally enjoy Mr. Pierce's works, the first three books in this series all have the same thing going on. The agents are called in for heinous murders, they latch onto a suspect that seems to be perfect, they get all excited, build their perfect case, then realize it's not the killer. The next day, they do the same thing with another person, and so on. Instead of using the standard red herring that nearly every mystery writer uses, the author just goes for the big guns and makes the agents look inept at every turn. Once or twice would be effective, but multiple times for three books in a row? That's a pattern I can live without.

Then there's the matter of extreme survivor's guilt, or agent's guilt, or whatever title is appropriate. Each time the serial killer strikes, Agent Dark berates herself unmercifully that she didn't catch the killer right away: she missed clues, didn't act fast enough, etc. While I can see this emotion as quite possible for some agents, especially new field agents, after three serial killer cases, I would hope to see some signs of growth in this.

So, sadly, while the stories are good, they're not good enough to overcome these major speedbumps for me. My time with Ella Dark ends here.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella Dark is my new favorite FBI agent!! I received an ARC of “Girl Hunted,” book three in this series. This meant I wanted and needed to read #1 and #2 to learn the back story on Agent Dark before checking out this new release. I’ve read all three books in the last six days!!

Ella Dark, an FBI Data Researcher, has studied and retained most details from the killings of the most notorious serial killers of all times. Because of her expansive knowledge she’s been asked again to join seasoned agent, and partner in prior cases, to track a possible serial killer who appears to be modeling his murders after the Zodiac Killer. While trying to solve this case Dark also tries to uncover the author of letters she discovered from her late father’s belongings that she has saved since his murder when she was just a child. Additionally, Agent Dark will start down a dangerous path after she initiates communication with a criminal from her partner’s past that she’s been warned not to go near.

“Girl Hunted” ends with the need to know what Ella Dark will encounter next and will she be prepared for the evil that lurks around the next corner?

When reading any of Blake Pierce’s series, I definitely recommend reading them in order. You don’t have to, of course, but the background information does carry over from book to book and truly enhances the storyline.

I’ll be (impatiently) waiting for the release of book four in this series!!!!

[Richard Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a woman barely escapes from the car of a serial killer, Ella recalls unique details from prior cases just like it. But this serial killer recalls them, too—and he is determined to do the one thing Ella never anticipates: to stray from his predecessors.

The deadly game of cat and mouse that follows leaves Ella wondering: do her talents have a limit? Has she finally met her match?

The one thing that bothers me is the call backs to the previous books, ie cases, so far it has happened in every subsequent book. This book is the first time that I think Ella, who is desperate to continue being a field agent and goes to see the serial killer who has terrorised her partner for years.

It's her naivety that caught up to her; she didn't realise that she would be targeted as well, and I kept on wanting her to mention it to her partner. The book also follows the usual pattern of they get a new case, they always get an early suspect, and then later they will come face to the killer and take them down.

Whilst I feel the books are not the greatest in the world, they do keep you intrigued whilst in each book mostly has one case. But as the series continues, parts of Ella's life continue on, i.e. her father's death years earlier keeps coming up.

I have rated the book three stars, it isn't like the writing is bad, some things can be annoying, the call-backs to previous cases. For me, they are an easy read and to fill hours, and they do keep you entertained.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a little less than the first two. I think it’s because it was too close to a copycat killing like the first one. Don’t get me wrong I really liked the first one but I wasn't wanting a repeat or dare I say copycat of the first book. I liked her second book when Ella would throw in comments like “So and so serial killer did something similar like this for this reason but it seems like this killer is doing it for a different reason.” It was a clever way to show that she knows what she’s talking about and has done her research without having to have a whole case based on one killer. I think it also took away the creativity the author could’ve had with the killer although I did get hopeful with the couple that was murdered in the woods.

I am also not a fan that in every book Ella gets injured by the killer in the end. I get it, she's the main character and she has to be the one to go after the bad guy which means she has to be the one that gets injured. It's just annoying when she's hurt and there are no other repercussions (especially after being shot, choked almost to unconsciousness, or thrown around for eight minutes). She's fine two minutes later and can go on to the next case just a week after. It's one thing I hate most about books that involve injuries. Authors always forget how debilitating some injuries can be and what recovery needs to take place before the character can do certain things.

Another thing that has been bothering me about this series is that the titles don’t make sense to me. I just wish they had more to do with the story and less of just being thrown on the cover of the book.