We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars**
Like many retired Agents before her, Brigid Quinn, has found it hard to leave life in the FBI behind. Living in Arizona with her husband of 2-years, Carlo, a former Priest and University Professor, she is working as a Private Investigator and acclimating to this new chapter in her life.
Jerry Beaufort is just starting a new chapter as well. He has been behind bars for year as the world around him changed and progressed.
Once free, Jerry sets out on a quest to find a document that ties him to a set of killings, one little known and one made famous by Truman Capote’s masterpiece, In Cold Blood.
That’s right. In 1959, Jerry spent some time with Perry Smith and Dick Hickok, the two men sentenced to death for the Clutter killings. There was another family killed during that time, the Walkers, and Jerry was there.
When he learns Hickok may have left a written confession behind with a Priest, pointing the finger at him, he knows he needs to track it down no matter what the cost. His investigation leads him to the door of Brigid and her unsuspecting husband, Carlo.
Thus begins a game of cat and mouse where you are really unsure of who holds what role. Brigid is on to Jerry and she is not going to let some criminal steamroll her. We read both perspectives so there really isn’t much by way of mystery but it is compelling nonetheless.
Although this is the fourth book in Masterman’s, Brigid Quinn series, like many Adult Mysteries, you can read them out of order or as stand-alone novels. I liked Brigid a lot. She is a bit older than the protagonists I generally read but some of my favorite mystery series do involve older sleuths.
There is something more believable about reading from an experienced detective’s point of view. Brigid was no nonsense and I really enjoyed that about her. I could definitely picture myself picking up more books in this series as some point.
I also really enjoyed the premise behind this. The whole, what if there was a 3rd person involved in the Clutter killings? It was interesting to me to take a true life case and add a twist to it. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to do that with newer cases but I think here it worked quite well.
Overall, this was solid. There were some parts I think could have been edited out or down but it was a smooth read and a good story. It didn’t knock my socks off but I had a fun time reading it nonetheless.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books, who knew of my love for In Cold Blood and offered to send me a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity and know I will pick up more Brigid Quinn books in the future.