Life or Death
Forensic Instincts, #11
by
Andrea Kane
Families grieve as one of their own is lost.
Life or Death is the 11th book in author Andrea Kane’s excellent Forensic Instincts series, and families, real and found, grieve when one of their own is lost. A terse text message to family matriarch, Maureen McKay, to immediately pick up her grand-niece, Kennedy Walsh, at school, with no explanation given, kicks off the suspense in this breakneck thriller. But the reason behind the terse request soon becomes apparent when the child’s father, FBI Special Agent Shane Walsh, is found murdered in their home, and her mother is missing and presumed taken. Forensic Instincts and the FBI go head-to-head to discover Shane’s killer first and bring Kennedy’s mother, Caitlin, home safely.
The shocking murder floored me, but it was the scene where the FBI team notifies young Kennedy of her father’s death that absolutely gutted me. In only a couple of chapters, the author had made me a part of the McKay and Forensic Instincts families, and I felt their sorrow. From that point on, I was so invested in the FI team finding the killer, living through their grief, and desperate for them to bring Caitlin home to her little girl.
It was all hands on deck for both FI and the FBI; both determined to get the person responsible, but do it within the proper parameters of the law to ensure their actions didn’t stand in the way of justice. The overlap between the two teams, FIs founder Casey Woods-Hutchinson, is newly wed to the FBIs Supervising Special Agent Kyle “Hutch” Hutchinson, who is directing their investigation, necessitated some tricky maneuvering on FI’s part to do what they do best and still maintain their relationship.
This story puts FI’s Ryan McKay and his girlfriend, claircognizant Claire Hedgleigh, in the spotlight; Shane was Ryan’s cousin. Mom Maureen is the glue that keeps the McKay clan together. I was especially drawn into the scenes that featured the daughter as the desperate hunt for her mother continued. There is plenty of clever misdirection, surprising twists and turns, and some covert outside assistance enters the picture to keep the suspense high and the pages turning. While this is the 11th book in the series, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone. However, the previous books are great and not to be missed!
I recommend LIFE OR DEATH to readers of thrillers and mysteries, and especially to fans of the series.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.