Before He Takes

Mackenzie White #4

by Blake Pierce

In BEFORE HE TAKES (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 4), newly minted FBI agent Mackenzie White is ordered to take on a new and disturbing case. Women are going missing in rural Iowa, and a pattern is emerging. It is feared a serial killer is on a rampage, his pace increasing. Given her Midwestern roots, Mackenzie is chosen as the perfect fit. But Mackenzie is reluctant to return to the Midwest, this time to a starkly rural setting that reminds her too much of her upbringing, of her own ghosts in her closet. She also seeks her own father’s murderer, with darkness haunting her at every turn of her trip. Plunged deep into the world of farms, of silos, of slaughterhouses, of long stretches on empty highways, Mackenzie feels as if she’s falling back into the depths of her psyche, and into the nightmares she always feared to face. In the deadly game of cat-and-mouse, she finally realizes the psychosis of the killer she is up against, and comes to realize that the land of her upbringing is holding even darker and more twisted horrors than she could imagine. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, BEFORE HE TAKES is book #4 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #5 in the Mackenzie White Mystery series will be available soon.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense, Crime

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2017

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Kate Kaput · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is like a bad crime show I can't stop watching - so cheesy, yet so readable. In this book, the fourth in the series, young FBI agent Mackenzie White investigates the case of missing women in an Iowa farming town. As usual, it ended with a stressful, unrealistic, heroine-of-the-day scenario... that I totally dug. What can I say? Some people love trashy romance novels; I love trashy crime novels.

[Wissal H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une enquête qui va pousser Mackenzie à revenir en arrière plusieurs années et se confronter enfin à ses souvenirs d enfance et se renouer à nouveau à ses racines.

Des femmes retrouvaient mortes sauvagement dans des rues rurales lointaines sans raison connue !!
De tout évidence pas de traces de l assassin, pas de piste à suivre, et certainement pas de suspect potentiel, une affaire semblait de la première seconde un film d horreur sans Héros.
Mackenzie était face au fantômes du passé et les terribles scènes de crime à présent, était un effort doublé et terrifiant plein de mélancolie et de volonté.

Seule Agent White de FBI pouvait assurer la résolution de ce mystère effrayant !!
Et elle a réussi d éclaircir l énigme avec succès et de tourner une page triste de son passé une fois pour toute si son destin lui permettra de le faire clairement et délibérément.

Un bon moment passé entre ces lignes mystérieuses.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Possible spoiler about the end further down the review**
The story was good. I really like having Machenzie and Ellington together again and it looks like shes getting the respect she deserves from other agents, officers and her boss.
Shes on a case where women are being kidnapped from backroads of Iowa (which isn't far from Mackenzie's home town in Nebraska).
They end up finding all kinds of other crap going on in this little town in Iowa.. which doesnt sit well with the Sheriff.

The fight scenes were drawn out in a way that the reader can really experience it. Its written in such a way that draws you into the book.
I really liked the book, other than the ending..






*possible spoiler**
HOWEVER the book ENDS with out tying up the case. It just ends without closing the case..
I get how that happens in real life.. but I don't want to invest in time, reading a book, that doesn't cash out..

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could actually copy & paste my review on #3 in this series & that would cover this one as well. Same storyline, same outcome, different characters in a different location. However, this one moved even slower than the previous one. I’m beginning to tire of this series. I’ll give it another shot but there are too many books out there to read to spend much more time reading a story I’ve already read with the only difference being the location & the name of the bad guy

[Wonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

5...OMG, OMG! BP finally did it!!! This MW novel was amazeballs!!! I couldn't put it down! Loved the case(s), and love the relationship MacKenz has going...I mean, about time!! Am now actually excited to jump into the next one!

[Connie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

n BEFORE HE TAKES (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 4), newly minted FBI agent Mackenzie White is ordered to take on a new and disturbing case. Women are going missing in rural Iowa, and a pattern is emerging. It is feared a serial killer is on a rampage, his pace increasing. Given her Midwestern roots, Mackenzie is chosen as the perfect fit. But Mackenzie is reluctant to return to the Midwest, this time to a starkly rural setting that reminds her too much of her upbringing, of her own ghosts in her closet. She also seeks her own father’s murderer, with darkness haunting her at every turn of her trip. Plunged deep into the world of farms, of silos, of slaughterhouses, of long stretches on empty highways, Mackenzie feels as if she’s falling back into the depths of her psyche, and into the nightmares she always feared to face. In the deadly game of cat-and-mouse, she finally realizes the psychosis of the killer she is up against, and comes to realize that the land of her upbringing is holding even darker and more twisted horrors than she could imagine

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated that this one opened up with Mackenzie loosing a friend and trusted ally. I thought this might have thrown Mac more than it did, but it seemed like she buried herself in work, her MO.

The case that Mac was assigned to was a bit boring. It only picked up for me when one of the women fought back and got free only to end up in a worse situation.

I had a hard time buying that Mac and Ellington found 3 other big crimes in this small IA community while looking into the missing women. Things seemed to get wrapped up too quickly at the end.

I liked that Ellington was assigned to work this case with Mac, they worked well together. I did find it a bit odd that Ellington let Mac take the lead as he has been an agent longer than her.

On the romantic from things for Mac I liked that things sort moved forward with Ellington.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fast and amazing book from Blake Pierce. I honestly don't think she can write a bad series.

The problem with this author writing so many books is it then leaves me with saying the same thing every time I finish one of her books. How many times can I say I think she's an amazing author. All her books are mystery/thriller books so there isn't a ton you can say that won't spoiler the who dunne it part of the book.


I recommend these books to all mystery/thriller fans!

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mackenzie se encuentra frente a otro misterio en un pueblo muy pequeño. Ahí 3 mujeres han desaparecido y no hay pistas posibles. Esta vez no hay asesinatos, y Mackenzie mete menos la pata así que está un poco mejor que los demás hasta ahora.

[Sarah Kelly-Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audio series

[Judi Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better..This time MacKenzie is put on the case of missing women. These 4 missing women have all occurred on small town road, late at night. McKenzie is teamed with the first FBI agent she was paried with - Ellington..They have a little bit of history, as she met him when she was a detective at a smalltown police department. He recognized her potential and was the one who got her into the FBI academy. McKenzie was a little in love with him, until she found out he was a happily married man.

But, now, Ellington, is divorced and they are working together, but will they be together? This case is one that is scary as we all face the possibility of breaking down on a rural road, with no phone connections. But this one, McKenzie doesn't think the victims are being killed, just held and tortured or raped.

This series is one that just grabs you and you want to keep finding out what McKenzie is getting into now, as she is one, that never follows the rules!

[Dick Ulmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time Mackenzie is sent to rural Iowa because a series of women have disappeared along a lonely stretch of a couple of roads. It's winter and the snow adds to the difficulty of finding clues to the mystery. The local police this time welcome her help, unlike her experience in her home state of Nebraska. The abductor seems to be changing his methodology with each woman he snatches. It is not clear whether he intends to murder these women or just collect them. As usual, Mackenzie takes too many chances working alone, and suffers the consequences. At last she is partnered with her friend agent Ellington, and there is some romance developing between them.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

White is sent to a little town in BFE to figure out why women are being abducted off the roadway. Along the way she finds a little romance and starts to unravel the storyline. The story is a little far fetched, if only cases could be solved that quickly. Of course you know she's going to be injured and need her knight in shining armor. Over all a good story if you like a little fantasy mixed in with your crime.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoy listening to these audio books, after having heard 4 of them, I’m getting a little burnt out on them. They are all pretty much exactly the same story. I keep hoping to find out what happened to Mackenzie’s father, but doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to solving that mystery. As for the killer/villain in all of the books, they always die at the end and the “why” they did what they did is never answered. I think it’s time for me to move on to a different series.

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are incredibly addictive and as you can see from my reading list, I am reading them at the rate of knots. I have been devouring this series and every other series this author has written. What I will note, is that the books seem to be getting shorter at the same price point and the editing leaves a lot to be desired. However, the stories just bring me back for more and more and more.

[Pamela Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists and turns and. One of the best books in the series. The harder it was to go back to the place where you come from the easier it it to allow the terrors of your childhood to comeback to haunt you. Can your past destroy your future? I received a complementary copy of this book in return for my opinion of this book.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read in this series

I love MacKenzie White and so want to see her and Ellington get it on.
This series is a bit predictable. She is going to go off on her own and gets in trouble. But she will be rescued by her partner.
Still I absolutely love this series and will read the next and the next to see what happens next.

[Carolina De la Cerda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó. Aunque ya me está dando un poco de lata que Mackenzie sea la que lleva todos los casos aún cuando trabaje con gente mucho más experimentada que ella.
Se está viendo una evolución en ella en cuanto a "dejar" de ser una mujer oscura, sin sentimientos, pero debo reconocer que no le gustó cuando no pasó nada con Ellington... El la hace ser más humana!!! Quiero que se queden juntos

[Laura Graf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good until ending.

I have read a lot of Blake Pierce books and enjoyed them all. This one was exciting for most of the book. Then the end came before the missing women were found. I guess I'll have to read book five to see if it continues. It's worth reading though.

[Sweedle D'souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite scary in the end, I thought either Ellington or Mackenzie were going to die but thankfully neither did. Though this time it was not a killer but a kidnapper they were dealing with, it was quite intriguing and interesting to read.

[Lee M Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the fourth installment of this Mackenzie White series, one begins to see a formula to the stories. As now a rookie FBI agent Mackenzie still follows the same lack of caution and lack of police procedure that got her into nearly identical situations in the first three books. While the criminals may have different motivations, the crime is the same, taking generally women against their will. The conclusion is nearly the same with Mackenzie getting herself into bad situations with no partner and no backup.

I have come to terms with the British narration. While it does not at all fit the story, I now understand where it comes from. This series was a big sale on Chirp.com. And I assume the low price was because Chirp was able to get this audio-book series at a bargain basement price. And I assume the bargain was because this version did not sell well in England. Understandably, if I was in England these stories of mid-western farm land kidnappings/murders would not not be very relatable and hence sales would be dismal. Because of the poor sales in England, Blake Pierce thought he would salvage some sales revenue by selling this audio-book version to Chirp.

I think I will take a break from this formulaic plot style and read something of a different genre. Maybe I'll come back to the series at a later time.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Before He Takes” sees FBI Agent Mackenzie White investigating the mysterious disappearance of women while driving at night in rural Iowa.
She been paired with Ellington (the closest to a love interest she's come in the series so far). His divorce has finally come through …
The local police are, for a wonder, extremely helpful though when the FBI duo, more or less by chance, solve several other serious crimes nerves get somewhat frayed.
When one of the women escapes - she's badly injured – she provides a single clue which, on the face of it, is only marginally helpful.
The series is quite repetitive when it comes to the process of investigation (I suppose real life FBI work is the same) but I have kept reading because there is something oddly appealing about Mackenzie.
The ending is a little disappointing as the reader never finds out what was the motive or the fate of some of the women.
3 Stars.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antes de todo, cinco palabras:

Asesino blindado hasta el orto.

...
Cinco balazos, un dedo roto, una pierna mala y más fueron poco para él al final por lo visto, oh! Pero un apretón de testículos sí que lo deja casi inconsciente para que incluso su víctima logre huir de él, vaya lógica.

La serie es muy buena y el libro estuvo casi bien salvo ese penúltimo capítulo, me hizo poner cara de indignación cada 10 segundos.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know why I keep reading these but I can’t seem to stop… anytime Mackenzie runs off on her own you know nothing good is going to happen yet it happens every book. I don’t understand why she has to save the day every single time, like Elliot - with a gun and not injuries- couldn’t take down a grown man?
What the hell is this series?

[Lorna Kosowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

I couldn't put any book in this series down. He keeps you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and have already preordered book 7!!

[Stacey Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't Put it Down

Every book in this series is better than the !ast. Or maybe I'm just more invested with each new book. Great story lines, great characters, and evil villains, what more could you want!

[crystal cannon]

I have got hooked on the character of Blake Pierce, but the cost of his books are going up it seems. Since his books are only around 200 pages long I'm no longer willing to spend nearly as much on them as I would a full length novel.

[Tricia Rogers · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one did it for me. I'm done. No more of this series. It had a stupid plot, Mackenzie is not likeable and I don't care for the budding relationship between her and Ellington. They are both jerks! I preferred Harry. Done with this series. I couldn't care less what happens next!

[Kalman H. Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the edge of your seat- the last 20 pages

Blake is an amazing author. Leaving the reader in suspense while Mackenzie and Ellington try to save 4 young women taken by a sick psychopath. Blake’s characters always touch the heart and soul.

[martina a king · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab

Another amazing page turner. These books keep getting better. Agent White always on top form. Can't wait to start next one