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Dark Kills
A gripping new detective mystery from best-selling crime writer T.J. Brearton
Who is murdering female college students and can they be stopped?
The victims are linked by their participation in an unusual psychology experiment. Leading the investigation is Detective Dana Gates. She has a past no one talks about and a husband and daughters she hardly ever sees. She’s a dedicated, by-the-book investigator. And now a serial killer is ripping through the local college campus, and everything she knows is going to change.
Her police partner, Robert Hamill, is a wild card. Unmarried, no kids, Hamill is Dana’s polar opposite. But as the case progresses, their differing methods threaten to tear them apart. Hamill breaks with procedure to uncover a list naming potential victims, but the two detectives must work together to stop any more girls from turning up dead.
Suspects range from a college professor to an award-wining author, a handyman pot dealer to a student seemingly possessing strange mental gifts, and yet the real culprit could be right under their noses. In the final showdown, Dana is left with nothing but her instinct, her will to live – and maybe a special gift of her own.
If you like Jeffery Deaver, Linwood Barclay, Lisa Unger, Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, or Mel Sherratt, you will be gripped by this compelling new mystery novel.
The book is set in Upstate New York, an area the author brings to life with compelling detail based on his local knowledge.
ALSO AVAILABLE BY T.J. BREARTON
DARK WEBA brilliant detective mystery. Who killed a teenager and left the body in the snow?
A WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN A FARMHOUSEA woman found dead in a remote farmhouse begins a gripping series of fast-paced detective thrillers unravelling a dark conspiracy.
HIGHWATERAn extraordinary and atmospheric supernatural thriller.
Who is murdering female college students and can they be stopped?
The victims are linked by their participation in an unusual psychology experiment. Leading the investigation is Detective Dana Gates. She has a past no one talks about and a husband and daughters she hardly ever sees. She’s a dedicated, by-the-book investigator. And now a serial killer is ripping through the local college campus, and everything she knows is going to change.
Her police partner, Robert Hamill, is a wild card. Unmarried, no kids, Hamill is Dana’s polar opposite. But as the case progresses, their differing methods threaten to tear them apart. Hamill breaks with procedure to uncover a list naming potential victims, but the two detectives must work together to stop any more girls from turning up dead.
Suspects range from a college professor to an award-wining author, a handyman pot dealer to a student seemingly possessing strange mental gifts, and yet the real culprit could be right under their noses. In the final showdown, Dana is left with nothing but her instinct, her will to live – and maybe a special gift of her own.
If you like Jeffery Deaver, Linwood Barclay, Lisa Unger, Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, or Mel Sherratt, you will be gripped by this compelling new mystery novel.
The book is set in Upstate New York, an area the author brings to life with compelling detail based on his local knowledge.
ALSO AVAILABLE BY T.J. BREARTON
DARK WEBA brilliant detective mystery. Who killed a teenager and left the body in the snow?
A WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN A FARMHOUSEA woman found dead in a remote farmhouse begins a gripping series of fast-paced detective thrillers unravelling a dark conspiracy.
HIGHWATERAn extraordinary and atmospheric supernatural thriller.
262 pages, ebook
First published November 27, 2015
283 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Brearton
46 books388 followersTimothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life. HABIT follows broken cop Brendan Healy down the rabbit hole of a human trafficking conspiracy. DEAD GONE delivers Florida cop Tom Lange into a criminal underworld and THE KILLING TIME introduces FBI agent Shannon Ames, a country girl in the big city.
http://tjbrearton.net/about
http://tjbrearton.net/about
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 25, 2015
Detective Dana Gates and her partner Detective Robert Hamill are looking for the person responsible for killing female college students and leaving their bodies submerged in water. Unfortunately, by the time they are found, there are no clues to how or why or who.
Gates has a past that might be connected to this case. Her partner has secrets and he has no alibi for the times the girls were killed. The girls were all in an unusual psychology experiment and the professor looks suspect. And then there's the handyman who's also a pot dealer. Oh, yeah, and the FBI Agent who wants to take over and keep Gates and Hamill in the dark.
Gates is a by-the-book investigator while Hamill is more laid back, relaxed, willing to cross whatever lines he has to in order to solve a case.
The characters work well together. The story line is tight and well-written. Fast paced. Enough suspense to keep me engaged. The ending came fast and furious .. and surprising.
My thank to the author / Joffe Books / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
December 2, 2015
**Spoiler alert**
This book had so much potential, but really fell short of the mark. I could not connect to any of the main characters. The female protagonist kept trying to tie the murders to the philosophical ramblings of some guru (and never connected the dots), and her partner was a drunk who sabotaged the investigation. The killer turned out to be someone who they spent less than 2 minutes talking to (about nothing to do with the investigation), who then disappears from the book, only to pop back up in the last chapter for an anti-climatic finish. I was not impressed with this book.
This book had so much potential, but really fell short of the mark. I could not connect to any of the main characters. The female protagonist kept trying to tie the murders to the philosophical ramblings of some guru (and never connected the dots), and her partner was a drunk who sabotaged the investigation. The killer turned out to be someone who they spent less than 2 minutes talking to (about nothing to do with the investigation), who then disappears from the book, only to pop back up in the last chapter for an anti-climatic finish. I was not impressed with this book.
March 1, 2016
A young girl is found dead, drowned and Detectives Dana Gates and Robert Hamill are in charge of the investigation. Then two more girls die, and a list with their names on it is all they have to take them to the killer.
The first part of the book is very good, as it describes both the work they do and their personal lives. I was somewhat disconcerted at first as the writing was mainly in short sentences, but once I got used to it, reading was quite smooth.
However, the second part didn't grip me as much. I have to confess that although I read the book quite happily, at the end I realized I didn't understand anything about the killer or his reasons. Not a good thing, right?
So 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 just because I enjoyed it as a whole.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first part of the book is very good, as it describes both the work they do and their personal lives. I was somewhat disconcerted at first as the writing was mainly in short sentences, but once I got used to it, reading was quite smooth.
However, the second part didn't grip me as much. I have to confess that although I read the book quite happily, at the end I realized I didn't understand anything about the killer or his reasons. Not a good thing, right?
So 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 just because I enjoyed it as a whole.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2022
Another great thriller
I really enjoy TJ Brearton's books. Love the Adirondack locations, the well written and real characters and I'm always intrigued by the stories. He's becoming one of my favorite authors, I've read three of his books so far and all were great.
I really enjoy TJ Brearton's books. Love the Adirondack locations, the well written and real characters and I'm always intrigued by the stories. He's becoming one of my favorite authors, I've read three of his books so far and all were great.
December 24, 2015
Excitement, thrills, suspense, you get it all in this authors books. This is yet another gripping thriller by T.J. Brearton!! There are twists and turns that you won't expect. The ending is a puzzle, not what I thought would happen at all. If you like suspense, I recommend that you read this book. In fact, read ALL of T.J. Brearton's books. I know you will enjoy each one. He is a very talented author, one of my two most favorite writers.
December 28, 2015
This started well with the Dana and her partner Hamil being called out after the discovery of a murdered college student. I did feel the storyline quickly went off with too many characters being introduced at speed who only featured periferally. I didn't like the characters particularly so did find it a disappointing read.
August 15, 2017
I read a lot of mysteries and have met T.J., so was looking forward to this book.
The characters were interesting and well-developed, and the storyline moved well. I was particularly enjoying the setting, since I live in Lake Placid, and felt Brearton captured the feel of the area perfectly. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of mysteries!
The characters were interesting and well-developed, and the storyline moved well. I was particularly enjoying the setting, since I live in Lake Placid, and felt Brearton captured the feel of the area perfectly. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of mysteries!
December 19, 2015
Boring.
This book did not live up to its description as a suspense thriller. The first part of this book was good then it just fell apart are became totally boring. I hate to start a book and not finiish it so I struggled through to the end.
This book did not live up to its description as a suspense thriller. The first part of this book was good then it just fell apart are became totally boring. I hate to start a book and not finiish it so I struggled through to the end.
December 28, 2015
I received this arc from Netgalley.
This is inaccurately described as 'a gripping detective thriller'. It misses the mark completely. It's actually a boring detective story featuring a detective who couldn't detect her way out of a wet paper bag. Definitely do not recommend.
This is inaccurately described as 'a gripping detective thriller'. It misses the mark completely. It's actually a boring detective story featuring a detective who couldn't detect her way out of a wet paper bag. Definitely do not recommend.
March 24, 2016
Ok read
Unfortunately this book did not grip me. I read until the end but it wasn't a page Turner. Described as full of suspense but not for me.
Unfortunately this book did not grip me. I read until the end but it wasn't a page Turner. Described as full of suspense but not for me.
December 28, 2015
Couldn't even finish this book it was that bad!
January 7, 2017
Dark Kills By T J Brearton is a mystery and thriller read.
Who is murdering female college students and can they be stopped?
The only link between the victims is their participation in an unusual psychology experiment. Leading the investigation is Detective Dana Gates. She has a past no one talks about and a husband and daughters she hardly ever sees. She's a dedicated, by-the-book investigator. And now a serial killer is ripping through the local college campus, and everything she knows is going to change.
Robert Hamill, her police partner, is a wild card. Unmarried, no kids, Hamill is Dana's polar opposite. But as the case progresses their differing methods threaten to tear them apart. Hamill breaks with procedure to uncover a list naming potential victims, but the two detectives must work together to stop any more girls from turning up dead.
Suspects range from a college professor to an award-wining author, a handyman pot dealer to a student seemingly possessing strange mental gifts, and yet the real culprit could be right under their noses.
In the final showdown of this heart-stopping detective thriller, Dana is left with nothing but her instinct, her will to live - and maybe a special gift of her own.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Dana was my favourite character. Full of twists and plots. This really had me thinking. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
Who is murdering female college students and can they be stopped?
The only link between the victims is their participation in an unusual psychology experiment. Leading the investigation is Detective Dana Gates. She has a past no one talks about and a husband and daughters she hardly ever sees. She's a dedicated, by-the-book investigator. And now a serial killer is ripping through the local college campus, and everything she knows is going to change.
Robert Hamill, her police partner, is a wild card. Unmarried, no kids, Hamill is Dana's polar opposite. But as the case progresses their differing methods threaten to tear them apart. Hamill breaks with procedure to uncover a list naming potential victims, but the two detectives must work together to stop any more girls from turning up dead.
Suspects range from a college professor to an award-wining author, a handyman pot dealer to a student seemingly possessing strange mental gifts, and yet the real culprit could be right under their noses.
In the final showdown of this heart-stopping detective thriller, Dana is left with nothing but her instinct, her will to live - and maybe a special gift of her own.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Dana was my favourite character. Full of twists and plots. This really had me thinking. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
August 29, 2017
Another great thriller by Brearton!
I enjoyed this book so much! It was full of police drama, action, and mystery. It's characters shine through, and the plotline was intense. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who likes criminal thrillers.
I enjoyed this book so much! It was full of police drama, action, and mystery. It's characters shine through, and the plotline was intense. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who likes criminal thrillers.
February 9, 2017
aww crap. I tried. I went 20% in, couldn't go any farther. I love this author so it's just got to be me...? I could not get into or like the characters. sigh.
December 19, 2019
Good Book!
I like the way this author keeps the action flowing in a progressive pattern! With several twist and turns the main character finally solves the mystery. Good reading,
I like the way this author keeps the action flowing in a progressive pattern! With several twist and turns the main character finally solves the mystery. Good reading,
September 7, 2018
Quick read
Some places were very tricky, hard to follow. Concept of this book was great, author did a fair amount of research for the plot - that was fully evident.
Some places were very tricky, hard to follow. Concept of this book was great, author did a fair amount of research for the plot - that was fully evident.
March 14, 2017
Dark Kills by T J Brearton
Excellent story. Fast paced. Keeps your attention. Did not solve it before author intended me to! Highly recommend this book.
Excellent story. Fast paced. Keeps your attention. Did not solve it before author intended me to! Highly recommend this book.
March 9, 2017
Up all night mystery
Great author. The story line is gripping and could actually happen. Up until the end I still couldn't figure out who did it. The characters are so real, u relate to their situations. I couldn't put this book down. Once u start ur hooked
Great author. The story line is gripping and could actually happen. Up until the end I still couldn't figure out who did it. The characters are so real, u relate to their situations. I couldn't put this book down. Once u start ur hooked
December 14, 2015
Dark Kills is a psychological thriller that leaves the reader shivering. As the end neared I felt that I was teetering on a precipice, halfway convinced by the manipulation of the sociopathic killer.
Guilt plays a major role in Dark Kills - fear of being observed in a negative light, fear of recrimination, fear of judgement. Notably every character except the killer is haunted by guilt and fear. This makes investigation into the deaths of the young women difficult, obscuring key facts.
There is some irony in that the victims all took part in a study whose true purpose was to measure performance anxiety. Knowing you are under observation and being under pressure to perform is part and parcel to every detectives existence. As the number of deaths mount, Detective Dana Gates and her partner Robert Hamill are pressured to find the killer despite few leads. With the FBI and the State Attorney looking over their shoulder, it's more important than ever to run a thorough, by the book investigation rather than encourage her partner's maverick ways. The situation becomes more difficult with the discovery of a body in the lake where Dana's brother drowned many years previously.
Brearton does a good job of ratcheting up the tension, throwing everything into question. As the investigation progresses, Dana has a harder and harder job sorting through the lies and half truths. The climax comes as a surprise.
If you like dark, gritty politics procedurals with a strong psychological bent, Dark Kills is an excellent choice.
4/5
I received a copy of Dark Kills from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
http://muttcafe.com/2015/12/dark-kills/
Guilt plays a major role in Dark Kills - fear of being observed in a negative light, fear of recrimination, fear of judgement. Notably every character except the killer is haunted by guilt and fear. This makes investigation into the deaths of the young women difficult, obscuring key facts.
There is some irony in that the victims all took part in a study whose true purpose was to measure performance anxiety. Knowing you are under observation and being under pressure to perform is part and parcel to every detectives existence. As the number of deaths mount, Detective Dana Gates and her partner Robert Hamill are pressured to find the killer despite few leads. With the FBI and the State Attorney looking over their shoulder, it's more important than ever to run a thorough, by the book investigation rather than encourage her partner's maverick ways. The situation becomes more difficult with the discovery of a body in the lake where Dana's brother drowned many years previously.
Brearton does a good job of ratcheting up the tension, throwing everything into question. As the investigation progresses, Dana has a harder and harder job sorting through the lies and half truths. The climax comes as a surprise.
If you like dark, gritty politics procedurals with a strong psychological bent, Dark Kills is an excellent choice.
4/5
I received a copy of Dark Kills from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
http://muttcafe.com/2015/12/dark-kills/
January 4, 2016
A female police detective who lives for her work at the expense of her family goes even deeper into the hunt for a serial killer dispatching college students who participated in a study on psychic powers.
This is my second book by this author, and though I didn’t particularly like the first one, I’m not sure I like this one any more. There’s a lot of extraneous stuff, which is a little necessary in the mystery genre, but it helps if they make sense, and they really didn’t here.
Her partner is a complete jerk whom she puts up with because they’ve known each other since they were kids, and when the inevitable happens with him, she’s still surprised. It’s okay for your lead character to have flaws, in fact it’s most likely required, but being stupid isn’t one of them; who else would go out in a snowstorm to question a witness rather than spend time with their family? Then instead of heading to the hospital she goes off to look at the lake; the fact that she was lucky to come out of that alive only underscores how dumb she is.
The best bit was a character named after Bubba Ho-Tep, but that’s only for Bruce Campbell fans.
This is my second book by this author, and though I didn’t particularly like the first one, I’m not sure I like this one any more. There’s a lot of extraneous stuff, which is a little necessary in the mystery genre, but it helps if they make sense, and they really didn’t here.
Her partner is a complete jerk whom she puts up with because they’ve known each other since they were kids, and when the inevitable happens with him, she’s still surprised. It’s okay for your lead character to have flaws, in fact it’s most likely required, but being stupid isn’t one of them; who else would go out in a snowstorm to question a witness rather than spend time with their family? Then instead of heading to the hospital she goes off to look at the lake; the fact that she was lucky to come out of that alive only underscores how dumb she is.
The best bit was a character named after Bubba Ho-Tep, but that’s only for Bruce Campbell fans.
December 11, 2015
Thank you Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!
Dark Kills follows along with Detective Dana Gates as she tries to solve the case of some college students that have been murdered. Lead and lead and nothing seems to ever pan out. When Dana and her unconventional partner find a list that includes the names of the murdered girls, along with more, they feel they have something going. But is or what they think or is it something else altogether will they be able to solve the case? Or will Dana put her life on the line to try to solve it.
I really enjoyed this book. I felt it pulled me in from the beginning and kept me going till the end. I was surprised with the way things unfolded, though a seed of doubt was planted and I couldn't shake it. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline and the suspense that held me all throughout. I would definitely like to read more from this author and I recommend this book!
Dark Kills follows along with Detective Dana Gates as she tries to solve the case of some college students that have been murdered. Lead and lead and nothing seems to ever pan out. When Dana and her unconventional partner find a list that includes the names of the murdered girls, along with more, they feel they have something going. But is or what they think or is it something else altogether will they be able to solve the case? Or will Dana put her life on the line to try to solve it.
I really enjoyed this book. I felt it pulled me in from the beginning and kept me going till the end. I was surprised with the way things unfolded, though a seed of doubt was planted and I couldn't shake it. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline and the suspense that held me all throughout. I would definitely like to read more from this author and I recommend this book!
December 17, 2015
Who is murdering coeds -- and were they even murdered? That's the question facing detectives Dana Gates and her partner Robert Hamill when the first body washes up in the river. Shortly thereafter, a second body is found. In both cases, there's no obvious cause of death beyond drowning.
Dark Kills follows Dana and her partner as they race to uncover how the women are connected, why someone might want them dead, and who might be next. As Gates learns more, she begins to suspect it's tied to a psych experiment on campus, a cult-like figure on the lecture circuit, and beliefs about religion, hierarchies, and "exceptional" people. As she investigates further, Gates is also forced to come to terms with her partner's drinking, her own failing marriage, and a drowning death from her childhood.
While I was hooked on the book from page 1, it took me a little while to warm up to Dana Gates. Keep reading, because the story and Gates are both worth it.
Dark Kills follows Dana and her partner as they race to uncover how the women are connected, why someone might want them dead, and who might be next. As Gates learns more, she begins to suspect it's tied to a psych experiment on campus, a cult-like figure on the lecture circuit, and beliefs about religion, hierarchies, and "exceptional" people. As she investigates further, Gates is also forced to come to terms with her partner's drinking, her own failing marriage, and a drowning death from her childhood.
While I was hooked on the book from page 1, it took me a little while to warm up to Dana Gates. Keep reading, because the story and Gates are both worth it.
November 29, 2015
While this story has all the stereotypical elements of the female detective genre, it is well-written and full of imaginative surprises. All of the characters are portrayed as regular humans with both good and bad features. Brearton dangles many hooks for the reader, letting some go and bringing others together at the end. I enjoyed reading the book. It kept me in suspense, and held my attention. I would like to see more from this author.
November 24, 2024
This book seemed to go in circles for me. Dana Gates a police Detective and her partner are investigating a death of a college student. Looks like a drowning and brings back memories of her twin brother who drowned. As they investigate two more girls are found drowned. The book just circles back to her brother's death and for me seems to leave you hanging.
December 12, 2015
Dark Kills review
Dark Kills is detective suspense book written by author T. J. Bremerton. There's a lot of action and mystery. The ending was a surprise. I had some difficulty following the plot.
Dark Kills is detective suspense book written by author T. J. Bremerton. There's a lot of action and mystery. The ending was a surprise. I had some difficulty following the plot.
June 26, 2016
It took me a while to finish this. It is good. There is a lot think about and take in. Some of it is relevant and I think some made it harder for Dana to solve the case. There was also the loose end about her brother. Did Charlie kill him or was it a suicide? This was never really answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2016
Feel like I missed something
I wanted this to be great, but I'm feeling like I might have missed something. The ending left me waiting for an ending. Too much specific science that didn't back up a great thriller...
I wanted this to be great, but I'm feeling like I might have missed something. The ending left me waiting for an ending. Too much specific science that didn't back up a great thriller...
August 10, 2016
Dark Kills
I must admit I did enjoyed the in's and out's of the story line. Never sure which way you were going. Your characters were good and believable, following a path of unbelievable circumstances. Thanks for a good read.
I must admit I did enjoyed the in's and out's of the story line. Never sure which way you were going. Your characters were good and believable, following a path of unbelievable circumstances. Thanks for a good read.
December 13, 2015
I just could not get into this book, also I do not normally read US crime, probably quite a nice book, but not for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews