Bakersville in Oregon is a small town where nothing much ever happens. So when Rainie Connor a police officer gets a call informing her that shots are being fired inside a school she can't believe it. At first she thinks this must be a mistake, but once she arrives at the school, Rainie soon discovers that this no mistake. Watching as she sees parents, teachers and children all running around frantic she quickly discovers that already there are a couple of children dead and several others injured.Not knowing if the shooter is still inside the school, Rainie enters slowly and with plenty of caution. As she approaches one of the rooms she can see her boss, Shep the Sheriff of Bakersville and his son, Danny who has a gun in his hand. Rainie is in disbelief at what she is seeing thinking it's not possible that Shep's son is the shooter. But Danny confesses and he is taken into custody.Working with FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, Rainie begins to get a clearer picture of what really happened that day and things are not looking good for Danny. They also discover there is another suspect, but will they be able to find this person before they strike again or will they run out of time?Whilst all this is going on, Rainie is trying to cope with a secret from her past that has come back to haunt her. Waking up most nights from nightmares it seems everything is starting to get on top of her. Will Rainie be able to track down the other suspect before it's too late as well as deal with her own demons?Another fantastic and very gripping read by Lisa Gardner. I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't put it down. There is just something about Lisa Gardner's books that are not only thrilling, but they seem to get you hooked from page one right through to the last page. So if you're looking for a nail biting and on the edge of your seat read then make sure you read this book. Trust me you won't be disappointed.
This is your fairly standard mystery genre-fiction piece. Characters are well developed, they have psychologically realistic explanations for all their actions, and they are each unique – but none of them really jump off from the page in the same way that, say, Brother Cadfael does. In other words, they feel real but they aren’t particularly memorable.And that’s really all that can be said about the entire book. It’s a good book and, as far as genre-fiction goes, I’d say that it’s one of the better mysteries I’ve read to date. It was an enjoyable read, it brought up some interesting ideas, I enjoyed the psychology perspective the author chose, and the subject matter was handled very well. But for all of that, I won’t remember the title in a week and I will have forgotten the book entirely in a month.
What do You think about The Third Victim (2001)?
Wow. I really enjoyed this book considering I bought it for 50 cents at secondhand book shop. The main character was awesome and driven and a bit dangerous, but she was also really good at her job and very kind. I didn't love the romance so much but only because the age gap between Rainie and Quincy bothered me. Not in a problematic way just in a ewwwwww way. The mystery was great and I didn't see the ending coming at all. I loved how all of the characters ended up with real world consequences for their actions. The writing was tense and well done and there were definitely parts where I couldn't put this book down. Through most of it, actually. I definitely plan on reading the next book in this series and other books by this author. I'd only recommend this book, though, if you're into police procedurals with strong female leads. And if you can stomach violence.
—Catherine McGinnes
After my disappointment in my last Lisa Gardner book this one returns to the style I have appreciated in the past. The subject is school shootings and she does a great job of conveying the emotions of all those involved - parents, teachers, first responders and various townspeople. The actual plot turns out to be much more complicated than just a school shooting with lots of twists and turns. Some nicely developed characters for whom you develop an interest even if not all are likeable. On top of this you have the backstory of Quincy and Rainey, characters who become a couple and figure in later books in this series and several of other series. Great read especially for a snowy afternoon.
—Jill
I know I wow alot of books but this one just popped right out from the start. I couldn't put the book down from page 2 on. Everything in this book by Lisa Gardner grabs you and holds you right up to the very last sentence of the book. There were lots of twists, and questions within the whole story. I loved all of the characters and they were all written perfectly. I only got confused once but then it was all figured out for me come the end of the book. This book is a heart stopper and it keeps you reading from the get-go! I really love Lisa Gardner books and I can't wait to start the next one! Keep on reading and enjoy!Heather
—Heather
