The Tunnels

Kelly Jones #1

by Michelle Gagnon

An old, abandoned tunnel system beneath a prestigious New England college becomes the gruesome stalking ground of a serial killer…

The crime scenes are both grim and otherworldly. The bodies of two female students are found mutilated and oddly positioned in the dark labyrinth beneath the school—haunting symbols painted on the walls above them.

In her decade tracking serial killers, FBI special agent Kelly Jones has seen some of the worst humanity can inflict. Yet the tragedy unfolding at her alma mater chills her to the bone. Evidence suggests that the connection between the victims—daughters of powerful men—and the cryptic message behind the killings is rooted in a dark, ancient ritual. As the body count rises, so do the stakes. The killer is taunting Kelly, daring her to follow him down a dangerous path from which only one can emerge.

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

299 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Michelle Gagnon is a former modern dancer, bartender, dog walker, model, personal trainer, and Russian supper club performer. Her bestselling adult thrillers THE TUNNELS, BONEYARD, THE GATEKEEPER, and KIDNAP & RANSOM have been published in North America, France, Denmark, Spain, Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Australia. BONEYARD was a finalist for a 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

The first book in her Young Adult PERSEFONE trilogy, DON'T TURN AROUND, was selected as one of the best books of 2012 by the American Library Association, Entertainment Weekly Magazine, and Kirkus. It was nominated for an ITW Thriller award, and was a Junior Library Guild and Indienext pick. Along with DON'T LOOK NOW and DON'T LET GO, the entire series received multiple starred reviews and state library awards.

UNEARTHLY THINGS is a modernized, deconstructed version of Jane Eyre set in the world of San Francisco high society. (SoHo Teen, 2017)

Her latest adult novel, KILLING ME, is a neo-noir thriller about unlikely heroines who hunt serial killers.

Michelle lives in Los Angeles, where she is currently attaining a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MichelleGagno...
or Twitter: @Michelle_Gagnon

Reviews

[Teresa mcgaha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended by someone on the Novel Ladies group. I didn't realize it was a series ( only 3) when I began reading. ( trying not to start new series). In a small New England college town, girls are found murdered under the college in the hidden tunnels. The crime scene hints of rituals and religion like offerings of the body. Agent Jones is a no nonsense agent who has let the FBI become her whole life. Her partner Morrow keeps her humanized and when Jake the Rogue agent shows up tension happens. Gagnon has done her research for this book, staying pretty true to the myths surrounding the rituals described in this book. The author also doesn't drag the story out, put extra unneeded characters or plots into the case. She tells a strong story of how the case is solved, who the suspects are (no red herrings) and brings it to life with strong writing.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was perfect reading for this time of year, especially since the book takes place in October and there was a wonderful autumn feel to the setting. The prologue was FANTASTIC! Very creepy! A serial killer is stalking students at a New England college, leaving their bodies strung up within the underground tunnels that run throughout the campus. (The college in the book is fictional, but is based on the author's alma mater, Wesleyan University, at which these types of tunnels really do exist.) FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones is assigned to track the killer down, along with her partner Roger Morrow, and ex-FBI-turned-personal-security-agent Jake Riley. I loved the amusing banter between the three!

The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the religious stuff was hard to follow. It made me feel a bit distracted, as I have a tendency to zone out when I'm not fully understanding something. Because of this, I actually read the final few pages of the book too quickly and totally missed something, having to go back and reread a page or two after I was finished.

Overall, very good thriller - loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the creepiness!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!
The ending left you wondering where Stefan and the red diary went. I wonder if this will be addressed in the second book in the series?? I'm also left wondering how Jerome ended up in the boathouse at the right time to save Kelly. Either it wasn't explained, or it was something else I missed by reading the last few chapters too quickly.

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Tunnels” finds FBI Special Agent Kelly Stone and her partner Roger Morrow investigating the serial killings of students at a prestigious New England college, their bodies found in the tunnels under the campus with strange symbols painted around them. The need to find the killer takes on a new urgency after another student is taken shortly after the agents’ arrival.

The characters are smart, the author avoids the cliches that can hamper female lead characters in this genre, and there’s a nice mentor / father type relationship between Stone and Morrow. Fans of the show Criminal Minds will like this one as it has the same race-against-the-clock tension / feel to the investigation.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Gagnon has created an intelligent, confident character in Kelly Jones who grows more complex and more interesting as the story progresses. The members of her investigative team are also well drawn... particularly the character of Jake Riley who works for the father of one of the dead girls. The identity of the murderer is fairly obvious early into the story, but the reasoning behind the crimes when revealed at the end seems rather strained. If you can overlook that little flaw...which I found I could...it was a very good start to what I hope becomes a favorite series.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly is an amazing FBI agent .. with the bureau for over a decade ... she starts this investigation at a college campus where college girls have gone missing and two women have been.found dead... mutilated ... torn apart like nothing ever should be... more women are turning up .. dead in the same way ... Kelly and.her partner agent morrow must stop the killer .. all the girls that have been killed or taken have important fathers ... one of them sends one of his workers to help find his daughter ... the man he sends is Jake riley a former FBI agent himself ... things turned sour.for.him there and a terrible tragedy.took place while Jake was with the FBI and he was fired and found.other means to do.similar work .. Kelly is not happy about having Jake looking over her shoulder but they become a good team by the end of the book ... the tunnels yield dark and dank ... are not a place anyone really wants to be but the search is on .. all entry ways are locked to stop the killer from.going into his killing territory ... as far as the police know there all locked anyway.

spoilers ahead !!

when another girl that works on the college newspaper goes missing the hunt heats up. Kelly and Jake learn the killer is doing work of old norse legends ... the killings brutal and sacrificial .. different markings show up on each victim spelling a word ...
Kelly end up In the killers grasp and time is running out ...

great book to start an absolutely fantastic series ... I've read all 4 books and although the ending of the last book.pretty much ends the series I hope for a way that Michelle gagnon makes another book possible . I loved this series and Michelle is a very talented writer !

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon
Book #1 in Kelly Jones
4 stars

Synopsis:
FBI agent, Kelly Jones and her partner, Roger Morrow are called in to investigate when the mutilated bodies of two female students are found in the abandoned tunnels beneath a prestigious college. The ritualistic nature of the killings and the fact that both victims are daughters of powerful men contribute to the need to discover and stop the killer before he strikes again.

Review:
Let me begin by saying that I adore serial killer stories, and I am always looking for ones that contribute to the genre and do not merely regurgitate traditional plot lines. Fortunately, this book falls into the former category. The plot is original and inventive with its roots in Norse mythology, and there is a strong build-up of tension and suspense with an interesting twist at the end. The characters are well developed, especially the female lead who has an interesting back story. There are a couple of minor shortcomings, such as the obvious red herrings and the final scenes, which are a little bit too reminiscent of the Silence of the Lambs. In sum, this an excellent debut novel and I am curious to read the next installment.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut book by Ms. Gagnon didn't disappoint. Special Agent Kelly Jones is sent to investigate a series of deaths that happens in tunnels at her alma mater. She is considered a hard ass but she gets the job done. She runs into some twists that I'm sure she never saw coming. She is a likable character. She is a career driven women that sometimes have to be tough to get the job done.

The author wrote a believable story. I can imagine something like that happening and how devastating it would be for the families. The characters go well together and intertwined in the story at the right spots. I can usually figure out who done it but with so many twists I found myself switching between the characters on who done it. I plan on reading more from Ms. Gagnon.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Michelle Gagnon's thriller debut, the Tunnels, the first installment in the Kelly Jones Thriller series, we were introduced to a dark thriller. For FBI Special Agent, Kelly Jones, she never saw a nasty crime scene before this one. When two college students were found murdered in a New England tunnel system beneath a prestigious New England college. For Kelly, she teamed up with Jake Riley, where a connection between them were sparking at first. From there, she found a link between the two murdered girls and a dark tale of why they were picked for random. The killer taunted Kelly to go dark and deep into the tunnels herself.

[Bitten_by_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bodies of two college students have been found mutilated and apparently killed in some kind of religious ritual in tunnels beneath a prestigious New England college. FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones returns to her alma mater to investigate a possible serial killer...

For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books  for the review of The Tunnels in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

FBI agent Kelly Jones and her partner are investigating a brutal bunch of killings in the tunnels below the local college. They have quite a few suspects but no real evidence. The authors use of misdirection greatly enhances the story. You think it's going one way and then surprise it turns completely around. Kelly's really no different from any other female FBI agent, bossy and an I-can-do-myself attitude. Though I really liked her partner, Morrow. He was more like a cop - always eating donuts. Too funny. The Norse ritual aspects were very informative but strange and creepy.

[Bridgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice, quick read with an interesting twist towards Norse mythology. Parts of the religion/lore were a bit confusing, but you can still enjoy the book without really getting mired down in the details. Lots of blood and guts with this one - not for the squeamish reader. The author definitely left it open for a sequel.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always looking for new mystery authors. I was literally introduced to this author through the Foothill Author Series, and I like both of her books that I have read! WARNING: This book is not night reading for those prone to nightmares!

[Bettie]

nutty nuut

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book One in the mystery series starring FBI agent Kelly Jones.

A serial killer is targeting women on a New England college campus. The campus is crisscrossed by a series of tunnels that date back a century or more. Some students use them to avoid bad weather when traversing campus, but mostly they use them as make-out places. One girl gets lost in the darkness when her “friends” get ahead of her. The next day she’s found brutally murdered, and a second body is also found.

This is a brutal, graphic murder mystery. It involves ancient pagan religions, and one deranged person’s attempt to appease those gods with ritualistic sacrifices. But, of course, no one knows that at the outset.

Jones is a tough lady with some history on this campus, as well as personal trauma in her background which fuels her desire to find the perpetrator.

The pace is fast, the lead character is likeable, and the storyline held my attention, but I’m not sure I’d bother to read another in the series. I felt a bit as though the grotesque brutality and graphic descriptions were overkill. And I was disappointed that Gagnon resorted to the “big strong man” coming to Jones’ rescue, rather than letting this strong woman get the best of the killer on her own.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tunnels is published by Mira Books (an imprint of Harlequin, the publisher who pumps out romance novels by the truck load), my experience with books published by Mira is they're usually quite lacklustre. No matter how exciting the blurb sounds, the actual content doesn't live up to the expectations set and you can often tell the author is attempting to expand from romance writing into other genres, usually poorly at that.

Thankfully, The Tunnels didn't come in at these rather low expectations, but rather was quite a good tale of a serial killer stalking students within the historic tunnels under a university. Add in some gory scenes a touch of Norse mythology with the FBI stumbling around seemingly in the dark you have the making of pretty decent story. Whilst there were some seemingly jarring parts to the writing such as the scenes changing mid-paragraph overall it was a decent crime thriller. Quite short at 238 pages, easily read in an evening, but nonetheless a decent story.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones
SETTING: New England college
SERIES: #1
RATING: 3.0
WHY: FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones and her partner, Roger Morrow, are assigned to investigate a murder which occurred at her alma mater, a New England college. The murder site is unusual—the body is found in a ritualistic posing in the labyrinth of tunnels underneath the school. When a another similar murder occurs shortly thereafter, the team, paired with a former FBI agent, Jake Riley, get deep into a very puzzling situation involving Norse rituals. Other than Morrow, the characters didn’t have much personality. The conclusion wasn’t believable. Overall, ordinary.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out of order, which I hate, but it was fine to do that that way. I thought it was a good thriller, kept me guessing, not in love with the occult concept, but it wasn't too over the top. The author used a few phrases constantly that became annoying but at some point must have been told to stop using it as I didn't notice them in the latter part of the book. I willet my hands on the last two in the series to finish it out.

[Tennille Lulham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Agent Kelly Jones is sent to investigate a series of deaths that happens in tunnels at her alma mater. She faces some twists that she never saw coming, which adds the intrigue of the book.

Michelle has skill fully written a believable story. The characters go well together and intertwined in the story at the right spots.just when I thought I knew who had done it, I found myself switching between the characters. I can wait to read the next.

[Hanesyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8 because of the following reasons:

✓ strong female character
✓ strong male character with obvious liking to the fc but still focuses on his work rather than flirting
✓ unexpected death of supporting character
✓ easy-read; can be read and understand by middle grade readers
✓ investigation is not engaging; explanations are not enough why the hell happened that to them
✓ rush ending; expected ending; what kind of ending is that? Where did the killer go after that?

[Melanie is on Storygraph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no recollection of reading this book however many years ago, which seems to say that it wasn’t good. But I honestly enjoyed it - it was pretty dark and gruesome, but fast-paced and entertaining and twisty. I loved the setting of a CT college with creepy tunnels under the whole campus. Some of it was a little forced and there were a few loose ends, but ultimately it was very satisfying.

[essentiallyconnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author isn't a bad writer, she's just not great. I suspect she's intelligent. And I feel like someone told her "You have to put a romance in it, because you are girl." But its the most non-existent, irrelevant "romantic" stuff. The plot revolves around lesser-known mythology... I feel we lacked some development in the storyline and we went with the "obvious" plotline.

[Ron Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Michelle Gagnon. It was well researched and quite interesting. I will think about looking for the next in the series. Hopefully it will have a little more reference to sex in the story line. I recommend this book.

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I wasn’t in love with the characters but the story was interesting. I liked the old tunnels aspect but I wish they went into more details on the creepy tunnels. Over all it was a good read but I probably wouldn’t read it a second time 🤷🏻‍♀️.

[Kain · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book hadn't demonized mental illness like people don't already struggle with so much stigma, I would have given it more stars. It's a typical crime novel but the writing was well done and the characters were each their own.

[Kristen K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while sitting in the airport waiting for my three hour delayed plane and it made the time pass quickly.
Engaging plot and an interesting main character in Agent Jones. A little gruesome, but definitely a page turner.

[Jodi Hepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy her books. You just get sucked in.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Gagnonin esikoiskirja on erittäin hyvä rikosromaani. Istuin sairaalassa ja luin tämän kirjan vain parissa päivässä. Kirja kuvaa sarjamurhaajaa, joka on alkanut uskoa liian voimakkaasti vanhoihin skandinaavisiin jumaliin ja kuvittelee murhaamalla saavansa yhteyden niihin.

Kirjan tapahtumat etenevät nopeasti, mutta niin että se on kuitenkin uskottavaa. Lukijalle ei missään vaiheessa tule hengästymisen tunnetta ja toivetta siitä, että tarinassa esiintyisi suvantovaihe, jolloin tapahtumia voisi harkita tarkemmin. Myös henkilöhahmot olivat hyvin kuvattuja: mieleltään järkkynyt murhaaja on ahdistava henkilö, samoin kuin hänen uhrinsa. Oli karmivaa lukea, kuinka he pyrkivät epätoivoisesti pakoon, ja tietää, ettei se tule onnistumaan. Tätä kirjaa ei voikaan suositella herkille ihmisille, sillä se on erittäin raaka.

[Kethlin Aune · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Aribear23 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't the best book I've read.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a small New England college, two coeds go missing and are later discovered in the system of tunnels below the school as part of ritualistic sacrifices. FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones (an alumna of the college) and her partner, Morrow, are called in to investigate the crimes and find the killer before he kills again. The father of one of the girls has also hired his own investigator, Jake Riley. Together the three are racing against time to try to put together the puzzle pieces and figure out the significance behind the rituals in an effort to keep any other coeds from suffering the same fate.
Michelle Gagnon has written a wonderfully fast paced debut novel that will keep you guessing until the last page is turned.