Glimpse, The Tender Killer

by Stephen B. King

Criminal psychologist Patricia Holmes is now a detective paired with Detective Sergeant Rick McCoy. Together they hunt The Biblical Killer, so named for the quotes left on walls written in the victim's blood. To lure the murderer out they join the Tender Nights internet dating site, openly making themselves targets. Rick and Pat have fought their desire for each other for months. Can they now survive their lust and an insane murderer intent on vengeance?

Genres: Suspense

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2019

About the author

I left Perth, Australia to go East and find fame and fortune in the music business as a long-haired rock guitarist. I wrote poems and music, and my band used to open for some pretty big groups in my wild days. I gave it all up for love and got married (as you do when the right one comes along). Then, real life took over, children came along and I threatened to write a book for so many years my long-suffering wife eventually pushed me into it by buying me a laptop and said: "No more excuses, do it." And so began this amazing journey.

My first book, Forever Night, was contracted and published by now defunct Totally Entwined Group 's Evidence Press. It features a returned veteran soldier who has suffered horrifically, physically and mentally to become a serial killer while hunting for his runaway wife. As an SAS soldier he is far more highly trained to kill and survive, than the cops are trained to stop him. If you enjoy dark, Scandinavian type crime thrillers, you will love this story.

That was followed by a trilogy, about the rise of a cop through the ranks from Detective to Detective Inspector, when his world falls apart. Domin8, is about a married man who is drawn into the dark world of online dating, until someone starts murdering his lovers. The Vigilante Taxi features a man who knows tragedy, his life has been full of it and with nothing to live for he becomes a vigilante during the night shift while driving his cab. When he falls in love, and wants to stop, it's too late; the cops and an underworld figure are closing in. Burial Ground, is about newly appointed Detective Inspector Sam Collins, who is handed the job of finding a serial killer who has been killing and burying his victims in an old disused gravel pit for seventeen years. He is a close to a pure psychotic evil as you will find, worse then Hannibal Lecter, or anything from the mind of the great Stephen King.

Repo saw me return to two characters from Forever Night. New private investigator husband and wife sleuths trying to save a man from jail for a murder he did not commit. He returns home from working in a mine to find his wife gone, bank accounts empty, and fully restored classic muscle car repossessed. When his wife's body is found, he is arrested for murder. Dillon and Jayne enter a world of illegal poker games, protected by the underworld, to find the real killer and free their first client.

Next, I wrote a beautiful love story/thriller about Jenny, who travels in time to save the world from an all consuming blight that was genetically modified. She falls in love in the past, but can only stay for thirty-three days. This was picked up by my new publisher: The Wild Rose Press of NY. They have also contracted a trilogy, called The Deadly Glimpses. Book 1 is called Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer, and Book 2, Glimpse, The Beautiful Deaths have been released. Book 3, Glimpse, The Tender Killer will be released in three months. The trilogy follows the fortunes of two married colleges who are attracted to each other while working together to track down three serial murderers. What will the effect be on their marriages, and their relationship if they act on the desires they have?

Thrillers and crime genres have always fascinated me, and in particular, the dark world of serial killers. I love a good, unputdownable, thriller. You know, the kind you just want to read one more chapter of at three in the morning before bed, but you have to be up at six to go to work. Have I succeeded in creating stories that can take people to that place? Boy I hope so.

Check out my website and blog for fee stories and previews. www.stephen-b-king.com

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Holmes, criminal psychologist has gone through all the rigors of training, and is now a rookie detective. Her partner is DS Rick McCoy ... they've worked two previous cases and found they worked really well together. It doesn't hurt that they are attracted to each other, although they are both married to other people.

They are on the hunt for the newest serial killer to hit town, who the media has dubbed the Biblical Killer, so named for the quotes left on the walls written in the victims' blood.

Are these random killings .. or ones that are personally selected for their sins? Holmes and McCoy find themselves joining the Tender Nights internet dating site, hoping to lure the killer out into the open. Making themselves targets may be much more dangerous than they think.

I have been fortunate is reading the first two books in this series, as well as the 3rd now. It's a great series, with credible story premises and the good cops who put their lives on the line to solve cases and bring closure to families of victims. The characters are finely defined and I enjoy seeing the blend of personal and professional lives.

This is well written with action filled pages that leave the reader riveted to the story.

Many thanks to the author / The Wild Rose Press, Inc / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third part of the Glimpse series lives up the to promise of the first two installments. The author can be commended for his excellent continuity that carries through from book one to book three. Once more the reader is presented with a different kind of serial killer. This one, afflicted with a mental disorder, but still as dangerous as the others. The glimpse into the twisted mind of the killer provides a stark portrait of a troubled mind.



For this reader, the book read like two books. The first 80% of this book was a 5-star thriller that carried on the best the Glimpse series has to offer. Personally, it took me a long time to come to the place where I thought Rick and Pat could be more than friends, but the author brought me to that place.



The issue I had was with the last 20% of the book and the ending, specifically. I’m still unsure exactly how the book got from where it was to where it ended. Rick’s choice, if you can call it that, just made my head spin. The throwing in of a 'green hat' sighting seemed a bit over the top. It is really comfortable and enjoyable to start with a fresh serial killer in another segment.



Overall a very good book and I look forward to seeing how the author goes forward in the next installment.



My Rating: 4.5 stars



Reviewed by: Mr. N



This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Avid readers of crime fiction will enjoy “Glimpse, The Tender Killer”. Stephen B King gives readers a lot to like: murders, a stalled investigation, simmering romance, office politics, and an informative window into police procedures.

Read full review in the 2019 Nov issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m not sure how to rate this since it is not my normal genre. For a mystery suspense I think it did its job. It has the point of view of almost all the characters and it switches often, that being said it wasn’t hard to follow. It does keep you on your toes. It was interesting

[Tish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love discovering new authors!! I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of his books. I love a good serial killer book and this one let you see things from the killers POV which was amazing. Kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Stacey Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I want to say that Glimpse The Tender Killer is an extremely good book. It ranges somewhere between four and five stars. It is about a pair of detectives/police officers that are chasing a serial killer who is murdering people, according to the serial killer’s moral values. It is told both from the serial killer’s point of view and the police detective’s point of view. For the serial killer, I felt like it’s being told after it happened and after he was caught. The detectives point of view appears to be in the now, so, it’s very weird in that aspect. I liked the detectives better than the serial killer chapters, but both are extremely interesting. The reason I liked the detectives more than the serial killer is that you see the slow decay of morality in them. They start off wanting to solve the case by the book and strengthen their personal relationships. As the case wears on, they slowly shed these morals in order to solve the case. They abandon their morals, and the male detective in the story abandons his family, so this book goes against the grain and is not prescriptive by any stretch of the imagination.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of suspense and wonderful surprises are within this book. You have to read this series in order, this is book 3, trust me you shall regret it if you don’t read them in order and you really do not want to miss a thing in this series. Loved everything about this book, the story had me guessing till the very end, absolutely brilliant!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sierra Clothier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an engrossing police procedural with extremely likable and realistic characters. I also liked the cover very much, and the grittiness of the story and the murder scenes. There are minimal errors such as missing quotation marks to delineate which person is speaking, missing words and misspelled words. This author is clearly Australian and he keeps the local colloquialisms to a minimum for an American audience. The terms he uses are valid and appropriate. I loved the technical insight that the author uses, and it's fabulous to see a male author write a female police officer who's smart as a whip and not a pushover. He wrote that character with care and grace. This character makes some fascinating and insightful conclusions. Example:

"Of more recent times, our thinking as to people’s sexuality is that it all revolves around an injection of testosterone in the fetal stage of development. Gender, of course, is determined by genes, but it requires that injection for it to happen. So, if for example, a boy child gets insufficient testosterone, it can mean he grows up homosexual, too much can make him aggressive. Similarly, a girl with too much can become butch lesbian, but somewhere between the right amount and too much, can lead to promiscuity. Now, I’m over simplifying things, obviously, and there are all sorts of other factors, such as environment, peer pressure, parental influence, etc. Some studies indicate there is a direct causal link between women who have high sex drives and receiving too much testosterone in the womb. For want of a better expression, they become more like men in their carnal desires.”

So here is my biggest issue. The author clearly is mostly writing in a sort of stream of consciousness 3rd person omniscient most of the book. It is very hard to edit this type of writing, so there are many awkward sentences or dialogue that in my opinion should have been reworked. It's clear that the editor didn't want to destroy the integrity of this enjoyable story. Examples:

“I wasn’t strong enough to stand up to Jolly, I hope you will be. Harvey is my punishment for that, and there is nothing I can do to avoid my destiny, goodbye, Bobby, thank you for coming to visit, enjoy your time in America, while you can.”

"Still, Dave decided to let it pass, and hope the killer they were hunting , didn’t turn up while they were making love, they deserved for that not happen."

"No matter which way he looked at it, he should not try to make love with her."

"Secretly, Rick looked forward to the day when she would become less of a psychologist, and more of a police detective, but it needed a case she could sink her teeth into for that to happen. "

There are flashbacks that are used, but if I remember correctly, there were a few of the chapters that were suddenly switched to 1st person. This was distracting to me...this switch. And the chapters with mostly Martine in them towards the end were NOT in italics like the rest of the flashbacks. I didn't understand why. They came off as more in the present not the past, plus the 1st person was awkward. I wish this author wrote in standard 1st person through the story, perhaps switching perspectives on each chapter. I think it would read smoother if that, along with crisper dialogue, was applied instead. This is Just my opinion.

I loved the interactions with Rankin in the background of the story, and I also liked how it didn't muddle the main story or overwhelm it. This is a book in the middle of the series, and it can absolutely stAnd well on its own. It is fine work to accomplish this in a police suspense book, and it's rare that authors do it this well. I may have had issues with phrasing and point of view, but I want to be clear: This is a great book that was really fun to read. I will read more from him.

[Leonara Golosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glimpse is a pretty darn good police procedural. All the cop action is believable and is presented well. The actions and attitudes of even the minor police characters seem true to life, especially those involving the chain of command and internal investigations. The various murders are gristly and very messy. The procedural elements of this book rate way up there at 87th Precinct quality levels. As a pure procedural, this book would deserve a 4 or 5 star rating, depending how completely and successfully the romantic elements were removed.

The two main characters have a strong partner relationship; in previous volumes they apparently saved each other's lives. Lots of deep mutual respect; beautiful and brilliant FMC; intelligent and really buff MMC. Very long hours working side by side on critical cases. Both MCs have crappy home lives. Sounds like a perfect setup for some steamy romance.

Glimpse, however, is a *very* unsatisfying romance, earning somewhere around a half a star, making for a challenging read.

I received this book as a complimentary copy.

Spoiler warning ...

Spoilers below *******************

Spoiler warning ...

In this volume both MCs end up in divorce proceedings with their spouses. The FMC's divorce proceeds in a very contentious manner on her separated husband's part, but the relationship has a very satisfying resolution. The MMC is not so lucky.

It is quite obvious that the MCs have had the hots for each other since before this volume started. Their romantic relationship hangs in limbo through most of the book, even after they are separated from their spouses. After the killers are starting to rev up to full speed, the MCs eventually have a very quick kitchen countertop intercourse session, lacking feeling and described in a matter of fact, police courtroom testimony fashion, followed by two closed-door nights. For all the reader knows, most of those two nights might have been spent playing scrabble or sleeping.

By the end of the volume the MCs decide to play at having a totally platonic separation. Who knows what a subsequent volume will entail, but I'm relatively certain it won't have any steam as far as this pair is concerned. Besides, the foundation is laid for the MMC to become a serial killer himself without the support of the FMC.

[Emma B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puts the psychology into “Psychological Thriller”

A fascinating look into the mind of a killer, told through an exciting and unpredictable story.

A violent murder takes place, and no clues are left behind. What lengths will the police and the criminal psychologist go to resolve the crime? Meanwhile Bobby and Martine’s uncle is suffering from schizophrenia, and Bobby wonders if his sister might also have the disorder? And then there is Pat and Rick’s work relationship. Can they avoid the physical attraction of each other and stay professional, or will they let their passions take over?

This is brilliant! All the separate threads flow seamlessly, until they blend into one. Definitely no flicking back to see who is who! This thriller is exciting, there’s plenty of suspense throughout, and I found it interesting to learn something of schizophrenia.

This is the third book of series, but like the previous books, can be read as a stand alone book. The first few chapters give the characters backgrounds etc, which I did find a little slow as I have read the other two books, but is invaluable to new readers of this great author. After that the story moves along at a fast and exciting pace, as the reader gets inside the mind of the killer, and follows the police’s attempts to find him/her. The murder scenes are unpleasant to read (as they are meant to be) but not gratuitously so.

5*s from me, as I loved the pace, the excitement and learning a little about schizophrenia. There are quite a number of spelling errors, which did irritate me, but despite this the book is still worthy of 5*s.
Such a great author, who offers fascinating insights into the human mind.

[Andrea Merchak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is he real? Let’s hope not.

I’ve read book one in the series and I loved it. Recently, I found this book on NetGalley and only later did I find it was book three in the series. So, I decided to read it before book two anyway.
Once again, the author gives us an intricate plot with well-built characters. He shows us with mastery what Bobby’s life was like before he became a serial killer. I loved the character. Also, I loved Jolly and Martine. I enjoyed reading about Bobby’s path until the moment when he turned into a serial killer, his killings, and the investigation on him.
In the first book, I liked the main characters, Sergeant Rick McCoy and the profiler Pat Holmes (now a detective), a lot. Here it’s not different, I still like them. However, for me, of course, their desire for each other disrupts the pace of the book. We could have more of the serial killer and the investigation, instead of reading about what their relationship could be or not.
Overall, I liked it a lot, no matter if it’s the last book in the series or not. The twist at the end was surprising. And I will definitely read book two.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Sandra Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in this trilogy is as thrilling as the previous two. I loved this series. Each book is so different and yet each is as gripping as the others.
The twists and turns The Tender Killer contains, keeps your heart pounding. The relationship between Detective Rick McCoy and Dr. Patricia Holmes only gets more complicated as they work to find a killer they can’t name or describe. At the same time PPP, the killer from the first book, Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer, is planning his own surprise. This book is guaranteed to keep you awake until it’s finished.
I loved the way the author wraps up the story. I felt satisfied by the way the relationships, as well as the homicide case, concluded. Would I like to see McCoy and Holmes in another book – together or separately? Absolutely! Both are such rounded and interesting characters, I’d love to see them crack more diabolical cases.
I’m aware Steven B. King writes in other genres, all are terrific, but I believe he has truly found his niche with psychological thrillers. I hope to read a hundred more.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Criminal psychologist Patricia Holmes is now a detective paired with Detective Sergeant Rick McCoy. Together they hunt The Biblical Killer, so named for the quotes left on walls written in the victim's blood. To lure the murderer out they join the Tender Nights internet dating site, openly making themselves targets. Rick and Pat have fought their desire for each other for months. Can they now survive their lust and an insane murderer intent on vengeance?

This is book 3 in this series.
Very well plot and story line that keeps up good continuation of the first 2.
Twists and turns keeps the suspense ramped up with all the action.
Very well fleshed out characters that make this a good read.
Really enjoyed.

Many thanks to the author, The Wild Rose Press, Inc. and Netgalley for the digital copy of this ARC. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Kaitlyn Turner]

I think that it was a really good book. and I think that people who like to read scary books would like this book aswell.

[S.K. Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glimpse, the Tender Killer is the third book in this series and the excitement continues! I’ve become very attached to the key characters, Detective Sergeant Rick McCoy and psychologist Patricia Holmes, as well as several others—which is exactly what a reader wants, and a good writer provides. In this installment, the race is on to find the Tender Killer, who hunts his prey from an online dating site. As Rick and Patricia continue on their own passionate, yet, painful journey, we delve into the mind of the killer and find out how he became a predator leaving bodies in his wake. This story also expands with a supernatural element, which begs the question: Is this evil entity part of a twisted mind, or out there in the world waiting to cling to another embittered human? I found it hard to put my kindle down with this book, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next!

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glimpse, The Tender Killer #3 - Absolutely, the perfect ending to the Glimpse Trilogy. Tying up all the storylines from the previous two books and this one, the author has done a good job with his storytelling. The fast pace keeps the reader immersed in the pages making it difficult to put down.

I do wish an experienced editor was used; the blaring mistakes do distract from the stories.

I read the first two books to this Trilogy and found them good. My reviews were lost when my all electronics were hacked. Start with the first book since the foundations/storylines have been steadily built upon and there's greater reading satisfaction. Of course, that's not necessary but it's like eating a chicken fried steak without the peppery gravy. I found this author on Booksprout. 4*

[Low-La · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a murder/suspense/serial killer based novel, which is not a genre that I normally read. This is a series but I was able to follow along without reading the first book. If this is your genre, then I would recommend reading from the beginning.
I liked the interaction of the characters Patricia Holmes and Detective Sergeant Rick McCoy. It was nice to experience a working relationship from beginning and what it takes to have partner . It was also interesting to go along for the ride of what it takes to solve a mystery.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series. I do prefer to read books in order so I’ll probably go back and read the previous books as I really enjoyed this story. Having said that I didn’t feel lost not reading the previous books.

Newly appointed detective Patricia Holmes is paired up with Detective Sergeant Rick McCoy and they must find a serial killer dubbed The Biblical Killer.

I really liked the fact that the author gave us the killers point of view as well.


This is a well written police procedural story. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glimpse, The Tender Killer is the third book in The Deadly Glimpses Series.

Pat and Rick are great characters, well developed, intelligent, and work well together. The storyline captured my interest from the start and kept me engaged through to the end. There were lots of twists and an interesting look into the disturbed mind of the serial killer.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but I really like serial killer stories. We get to experience what goes on and how in this murder mystery that is unpredictable and leaves you flipping pages to find out what's happening next, certainly keeps you on your toes. Some of this is not pretty but seems so real and I really enjoyed the descriptive parts along with great character development.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you need a little mystery in your reading time and this is a very good one.
Tender Killer it's the third book of this series, and you should read the first two to make sure you understand the environment in my opinion.
Overall I really like it and recommend that to anyone who likes serial killer stories and great criminal investigation.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Holmes a rookie Detective and criminal psychologist partners up with DS Rick McCoy (they are totally attracted to each other) to find a killer where there are no clues left behind. Although not my normal genre, I kept reading as it was quite a page turner and I had to find out what happened next. Overall, it was a fast paced believable book.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was certainly intriguing but scary seeing the story through the eyes of the killer. A story that was totally unpredictable with some great twists and turns and well developed characters. Loved the interactions and conflicts throughout this edge of the seat thriller. Loved the different point of views and how it made the story even more intriguing.

[Karole Petty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even through I just found this author, fell in love with the characters.... hate that I picked up in middle of a series because I always feel like I missed something....I need all the background...so back I go to find earlier work from this author. Would highly recommend this series and this author. Gained a follower for sure.

[Penny Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge the whole time I was reading. The twists and turns keep you guessing who is the killer is. I feel I need to go back and read the first two books to fully understand everything that was happening. I was recommended this book from a online book group. It was not my usual genre but I really enjoyed the authors creative look into the mind of a killer.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book I read by King and I highly enjoyed it!!! It kept my interest and had me on the edge of my seat!!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves murder mystery!!! Keep up the great work!!!

[Rachel Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the look through the killers eyes and seeing the back and forth between the killer and detectives being so close yet so far. I personally like fewer povs but he managed to write it in such a way it wasn't so confusing keeping everything together.

[Book-Lovin-Momma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an intriguing read. The multiple POVs flowed nicely, and a good look into the mind of a sick killer was insightful and drew me in. The complicated relationship between Patricia and Rick compounded the issues going on in the story. Overall a good suspense/mystery.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book with a compelling story. While I enjoyed this book, I feel it would have been better had I read the 2nd book before this one. I really enjoyed the first book as well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a arc e book from Net Galley for my i pad. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. I prefer reading scary books like this instead of going to scary movies.