A clever twist on a classic real-life murder case makes this book - the fourth featuring former FBI agent Brigid Quinn - a standout. I've not read any of the preceding books, but the excellent writing and tough but likable lead character have convinced me this one won't be my last.
The gruesome real-life murder of the Clutter family was chronicled in the late Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" (and for the record, I'm old enough to remember both the murders and the almost astonishing success of the book). Here, though, the author explores the possibility - discussed and mostly discounted at that time - that at least one other person was involved besides the two men who were later apprehended, found guilty and executed. Further, she posits that those two men, and whoever was with them, may have committed similar murders of a family in Florida not long before the attack on the Clutters.
It is from that premise that this book develops, beginning with the somewhat early release of long-time prisoner Jerry Beaufort from the same prison at which the Clutter murderers were housed. Now an old man, he wants to live out the rest of his life in relative anonymity - but there could be a fly in that ointment: One of the executed killers, he believes, named him in an eleventh-hour confession to the Catholic priest who was the prison chaplain at the time. Beaufort's goal is to find that priest and make sure his secret stays secret. After all, times have changed; if his actions come to light, DNA and other evidence not available 30 years ago could be used to determine his guilt.
As the plot would have it, Brigid and Carlo, her philosophy professor husband of three years, are living not far from the prison. A former Catholic priest, Carlo not incidentally spent time as an assistant chaplain there. The details I'll leave for you to read for yourself, but it's pretty clear early on that the lives of Beaufort, Brigid and Carlo will become entwined in some pretty scary ways.
It's a well-written, easy-to-read story; but aside from the unique tie-in with the real-life murders, the basic plot isn't too different from other books I've read (but for the record, I enjoyed those, as I did this one). As a senior citizen myself, reading about strong characters who aren't young whippersnappers made for a refreshing change.
One thing that struck me, though, is that I found myself more "connected" to Brigid's husband, Carlo, than to Brigid herself. That's reminiscent of J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas; I like Eve, but her hunky husband with a dark past, Roarke, is one of my all-time favorite characters (now that I think about it, Brigid shares quite a few similarities with Eve). Likewise, on one of my favorite TV shows, "Madame Secretary," I'm more drawn to Elizabeth McCord's husband, Henry - played by Tim Daly - than to Tia Leoni's title character.
As I said at the beginning, though, I'm really looking forward to the next installment, and I hope to see it soon. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this one.
We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman (Minotaur Books, June 2019); 312 pp.
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