Book Review: “Once Gone”

About “Once Gone”

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn’t let go.”
–Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
–Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.

Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.

Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

My Review of “Once Gone”

I received a free a digital copy of “Once Gone”, by Blake Pierce from a offer of free series starters in the back of his book, “If She Knew”. “Once Gone” is book 1 in his Riley Page Mystery Series. All opinions stated here are my own.

After being caught and tortured by the perpetrator she’d been hunting, Agent Riley Page has been on hiatus, trying to mend the damage the deranged killer had rendered. But when a victim is discovered with the same MO as a case she’d worked on previously, she is called back into action, to use her ability to delve into the killer’s mind and try to get a step ahead. As more victims turn up, it becomes evident that the killer is escalating, and the clock is ticking for Riley to find him before he kills his next victim.

A typical crime procedural thriller, where the protagonist must bend the rules to get the job done. The story is well told, the details are gruesome, and the protagonist is relatable, but I found nothing to make this tale stand out above the rest. I give “Once Gone” four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.