Tick. Tock. When a series of bombings rock the Pacific Northwest, FBI Agent Blake Wilder leaps into action. The investigation though, brings her back into contact with an ATF agent she has clashed violently with in the past.
Their theories clash as hard as their personalities and Blake opts to run her own concurrent investigation. What she uncovers is a twisted tale twenty years in the making. The story, as they uncover it, is full of twists, turns, and explosive revelations. All the while, Blake’s renewed rivalry with ATF Agent Winslow is threatening to derail everything.
The bombs continue to explode, and the bodies continue to mount as Blake races to find the killer before he’s able to kill anybody else. At the same time, she’s forced to fend off the vengeful attacks coming from within the law enforcement community itself as well as the strife within her own team.
Old enemies resurface and new ones lurk in the shadows, waiting for their moment to step forward and strike. The knives are out, and Blake must dodge them all to keep a serial bomber from burning the city to the ground.
Time is running out. Blake must either find the killer or become his next victim…
Elle Gray lives in a small town with her 2 cats, and her handsome husky. As a girl, she was obsessed with crime novels and thrillers.
Today, she loves writing and creating thrilling novels with courageous, strong heroes/heroines and dangerous psychopaths. She invites you to join her exciting world of detectives and FBI agents that take down killers and kick butt.
I do enjoy this series, far more than her other two, though there are parts that get tiresome. I know this is not in accord with other reviewers as I looked through some but I am really, really tired of hearing about the Thirteen. Just get that arc over with, please. I'd like to see a lot more of Kit, maybe her own series. I'm just tired of that hanging over everything else like some ugly shroud. The main stories are good enough on their own, without that shadow menace (which she and Kit almost took down completely) creeping in and disrupting the narrative so often. And, I really didn't like the epilogue either. That fool Winslow knows who the head of the Thirteen is, actually works for him and the threat of biblical level wrath against the Wilder sisters is just ugly, I don't care what it foreshadows, I hate people like that so much I don't even want to see them in fiction.
The main story is well done, though there are holes in it which I'll touch on. A serial bomber is systematically executing a revenge plan. Winslow and his task force have their heads up their rear as usual. Though, there is a protagonist who is sort of, I think, in charge of them, from Homeland Security, SAC Locke, who also dislikes Winslow but nearly as much as Blake, she does give him a good reaming out after one of his insult fests but then sort of disappears. When Blake and her team figure out the actual pattern and she's compelled to tell Winslow (who dismisses her crudely) she's also told to update SAC Locke, but she never does, in fact, SAC Locke doesn't appear in the book again, not even after Blake has identified and caught the bomber. That's a glaring omission.
Most of the book is Blake fighting with Winslow, being insulted by him, not keeping her calm demeanor as she prides herself on, but doesn't actually manage to do very well in any book. One thing I found jarring, well two, involves Astra. When Mo discovers that in the bombing victims, each scene has one person from Snowcrest High School, it should be obvious that the odds of that happening are astronomical, that this must be the connection and the path. But when Blake and Astra arrive to investigate that connection, Astra is unbelievably uncertain it's a real lead, she questions Blake's judgment, she thinks maybe Winslow is right - when it's been clear from the beginning that he is completely wrong. This is so out of character for Astra that it just felt way off, because of all the people in Blake's life, it is Astra who knows her focus is perfect, she is never wrong when she profiles their cases, not in any book, so questioning Blake's judgment at that particular time just isn't right, it lessens Astra's abilities considerably in my eyes. Then, the other thing that was jarring was the scene at the school where she has this disturbingly sexual conversation with a sixteen year old boy they are simply asking directions of. I think that entire scene should have been left out, she's still stunning, as Elle tells us often (though sometimes it's said Blake is as attractive but doesn't see it), but that kid's reaction was so over the top it detracted from the story. Blake's observation about how much things have changed since her high school days, particularly as she says, the amount of skin showing, is astute. I notice that myself in every day life, I simply can't believe parents allowing children to dress as they do these days, nor schools allowing it. It was very different in my own experience, we live in a very hyper-sexualized world these days - I don't think that healthy for boys or girls, they seem to see themselves as objects, not people which isn't a healthy outlook for either gender, but it's their world, not mine.
I actually empathize with Blake's internal conflict as she discovers the reason behind the bomber's actions, I don't know how often that kind of thing happens in the real world, the brutal gang rape of a sophomore by the popular clique while the girls in the clique cheer it on, though the bullying and name calling are certainly very real for far too many kids. That they get completely away with it is disturbing. That Blake feels bad about having had the bomber commit "suicide by cop" is understandable. There are a lot of glitches around that though, Amanda's mother (the girl who was raped and beaten and left for dead, then somehow found (never explained) and bullied relentlessly by the kids who did it to her so she tries to kill herself and ends up in a 17 year long coma, her death is the trigger for the bomber) insists she never had a boyfriend, though there is a picture of the bomber and Amanda IN her bedroom (it's how they identify him) and he's been visiting nearly daily for seventeen years to read to her is just unreal. This part of the narrative breaks down a bit too though. The bomber has a scene where he thinks he's never had an actual physical fight and wouldn't know what to do if he did. Blake is supposedly in great shape, a master of a couple martial arts, yet when they meet, he physically overpowers easily. I don't understand how that could even happen given her prowess, though it does seem to happen to her in every book her other adversaries were at least formidable, this one isn't at all and he still takes her out with ease.
Blake's therapist pushes her to get into a relationship, something she is still reluctant to do, I'm not sure that is very good therapeutic advice. She has Charles, sort of, she is gun shy because her previous boyfriend was actually part of the Thirteen, and I suppose Charles may be too, though there's no indication of that so far as there was with Mark, she gets a little physically cozy with him easily but doesn't take that to the next level, though he seems the perfect guy for her to break out of her "alone" phase with. Her constant internal obsessing about this is becoming annoying, but then her internal thoughts take up too much of every book, with most of them detracting from the story rather than adding to it.
The best part of this entire book, for me, was her Christmas reunion with Kit, I loved all of that, it was something I'd like to see more of, I actually find Kit more interesting than Blake. There is a LOT to her story we haven't had shared with us yet. I really do feel she deserves her own series because she's had a far more interesting, difficult, scary and tricky life than Blake. I'd like to know more about that and for her to take down the Thirteen and get that over with so she can have an actual life of her own, she's quite amazing, after all that's happened to her she's still bright, loving with a strong moral compass despite the things she was forced to do. Yes, I'm an admirer.
The books were great reads. I wish I didn’t read through them so fast though. So I will be waiting for the next Blake wilder book. I’d definitely recommend reading the series. There are a couple spelling errors in a few books and if you are like me you notice them, but let’s admit no one is perfect and the story is too good to let that keep you from finishing them.
I can't help but wonder what is it with the Green Eyes ? I'm 75 and have
never seen a person with Grn. Eyes. Maybe someone would take the time to. explain. I can't possibly be the only one to see this in every Book. Thank You.
Tick. Tock. When a series of bombings rock the Pacific Northwest, FBI Agent Blake Wilder leaps into action. The investigation though, brings her back into contact with an ATF agent she has clashed violently with in the past.
Their theories clash as hard as their personalities and Blake opts to run her own concurrent investigation. What she uncovers is a twisted tale twenty years in the making. The story, as they uncover it, is full of twists, turns, and explosive revelations. All the while, Blake’s renewed rivalry with ATF Agent Winslow is threatening to derail everything.
The bombs continue to explode, and the bodies continue to mount as Blake races to find the killer before he’s able to kill anybody else. At the same time, she’s forced to fend off the vengeful attacks coming from within the law enforcement community itself as well as the strife within her own team.
Old enemies resurface and new ones lurk in the shadows, waiting for their moment to step forward and strike. The knives are out, and Blake must dodge them all to keep a serial bomber from burning the city to the ground.
Time is running out. Blake must either find the killer or become his next victim…
I always enjoy Elle Grey's books. Never a dull moment. The story travels pretty smoothly and keeps you turning pages in anticipation. Good read. I was confused about her sister. I try to avoid sequels... I don't want to read 10 books in a row about the same basic topic (there are exceptions...) and so I pay with the unknowns. The last book her sister was a prostitute and druggie whom Blake saved near death. Now she sounds like she is in hiding from some bad criminal organizations or ?.... it didn't ruin the original story just found it a "Hmmm" moment and finished the book.
Once again Elle Gray has created an exciting story as Blake and her team work to find a bomber, before another kill. Blake ends up again vomes up againsy ASAC Winslow. Their interacctionns alone will make you laugh or want to punch the man. I truly enjoyed the book. Blake's sister Kit also makes an appearance, plus more about the 13. I am excited for the next book in the series. Elle Gray's other series are great reading, too. I have to catch up on them now.
This is another fast-paced tale of Blake -- but a big disappointment is the lack of more development of her team, and no appearance of Fish. It's also fairly obvious what the connection is that they're seeking, and the fact that an elite unit didn't pick it up earlier is, quite frankly, unrealistic. Gray should've done more to make that work. In general it doesn't feel like this advances the series much, but on its own it's a decent story to lose yourself in for a few hours.
This is the type of story that is heartbreaking for so many reasons. The UNSUB is setting off bombs, killing innocent people who are basically collateral damage, but those who are targeted are anything but innocent. It's a difficult situation for everyone, especially when the motive for the bombings is revealed. It's definitely one of those cases where there are unfortunately no winners in the end, regardless of the final outcome. I would definitely recommend this book, series, and outstanding author.
Ok so I enjoyed this one, it was good and suspenceful. If you have been following this series I have one observation. Blake had her friend Brody scan the apartment for bugs and he said he found none and her sister found 2 bugs, so is Brody a part of this group that's out to get her? I guess we will see. Another thing, can we please get through one book without her getting beat up or shot? On to the next book.
My favorite book by Elle Gray so far. Excellent writing, and the killer isn't sadistic; there are undrstandable reasons for their anger, although, of course these don't justify the murders. But the author does make clear to the reader the nature and degree of betrayal that the killer (and a loved one) have been subjected to. I love stories with moral ambiguities; this makes them much more thought-provoking and informative than stories in which the villain is just flat-out villainous. Brava, Ms. Gray!
Elle Gray's Blake wilder FBI series ha a new twist with each book in the series. Blake has managed to make some powerful if not unconventional friends in her line of work. She also has made some powerful enemies. As she works with her team to solve the cases she is given she also has to keep looking over her shoulder as she has group called the Thirteen who murdered family when she was a child and because she looked for answers to their murder they are out to kill her as well.
Great stories in this series, but their is so much repetitive stuff that is in every book, that they read fast, because you skip over it. And every time she says I hate you so much, I just want to slap her. These are grown professionals and that saying is so high schoolish. The underlying family drama with Blake, Kit and the Thirteen is getting old. Not sure I will finish the series once it ends. 🤷♀️
This series just keeps getting better and better. The cohesiveness of her team is the backbone. The anticipation of just who is pulling the strings for the "Thirteen" gets more intriguing. I like the fact that each story is independent even though it has no ending.
A bombing at a Christmas party for the rich, a private school and at a mans home have ATF agents looking for terrorists. Blake and her team concentrate on a personal vendetta to pay back sins done to the bomber. Blake and Astra follow leads but seem to be back at square one.
I read the entire series and can’t wait for the next Blake book to come out! Awesome characters, very believable except for ME getting shot once is one time too many! Ha😏. I highly recommend this series and Elle Gray seriously ROCKS as a mystery and suspense writer. Ms. Gray quit reading all these reviews and get busy with Blake Wilder #11!!
I thought I was all caught up on this series and when the new book came out, I was taken by surprise to know I had missed this one. Glad I've read up on this one as I would have hated to miss the ending.
Ready to read the latest saga and I hope to everything good that they finally put an end to the Thirteen.
Always remember what you did to someone in high school
I've really been enjoying this series. I would recommend. If you can get Audible I would recommend. It brings the characters to life even more. I don't tell what is in the books I read. That is for you to read and find out. Hope you enjoy the book and series as much as I have. Off to my next adventure.
I am usually not interested in bomber stories but this held my interest. The enemy wasn't really the bomber but another government agent. Sexist agenda is tiring to me since I have been aware for 65 years or so. Strong g women with the necessity of mentioning it at every chapter is depressing 😖
A Time to Die(Blake Wilder FBI Mystery Thriller Book 10)
OMG!!!!!!!!!! This one had revenge, bombs and innocent people getting hurt. Unfortunately Blake had to kill someone who wanted to commit suicide by cop, and now she has to live with that. On to the next one now, I can't wait.
Blake and her team continue to sifting through data, winnowing out pertinent bits to solve the case. As the storyline progresses we learn more about these characters and what drives them. This one gives us another glimpse into the back story of The Thirteen. On to “The House on the Hill”
Another great story. Blakes team was developing as o case when they had a complex one given to them. An individual began bombing at different locations and types of people. Why? Blake belief it was personal while others thought terrorist. Was glad that Blake found the answer. Plus she got to spend time with Kit at Christmas.
Blake Wilder and her group is presented with a case that needs to be solved as soon as possible. There’s a serial bomber on the loose, but who is the person? So many twists and turns, Blake is up against an old enemy with very few leads along the way. A wild ride, indeed.
On book 11 of the Blake Wilder series. The more of Elle Gray the more I love her writing! She’s funny, realistic & gives you just enough but also keeps you on the edge of your seat. I plan on reading ALL of her books. What I’ll do with my life when I’m done those? Who knows! It’ll be a sad sad day & it’ll feel like I have no reason to wake up! Love her!
Elle Gray is such an incredible writer. Her portrayal of Blake is complex and interesting. Her characters are portrayed realistically. There are shades of good and bad in us all.
Excellent book! Love this series! My only problem is that I ordered yesterday as soon as it was available, and I finished it tonight! Now I have to wait for the next one!! This series is well worth your time!
I love the whole series and continue to wait for more. I recommend all who enjoy these kind of books to start with book one. I could not stop reading. There is a little of everything in each book. Read them all and you will not be sorry.
Elle Gray never fails to keep the intrigue going in all her books! I never can put them down once I start reading. Housework can wait until finish each novel! Looking forward for more!
OMG. This book is great. The thrills and the intrigue are great. I could not put this book down. I can't wait for the next book in this series.. This is a great mystery. Keep the books coming. I highly recommend this book.
I thoroughly enjoy every Blake Wilder book. Can't wait for book 11 to ride along with Blake and her sister, Astra, Mo and Rick! The constant dig for justice keeps me coming back!!!