Do you know the difference between darkness and light, Billie? Darkness sticks to you.
Victor Methos
The Secret Witness
Format:
Audiobook – At the time of this review the ebook is audio included when borrowed via Kindle Unlimited.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
This is Reaper speaking.
So begins an anonymous letter published in a Utah newspaper after a young couple is viciously murdered. Tooele County sheriff Elizabeth Gray leads the investigation into the double homicide, which is eerily reminiscent of a string of brutal killings years ago. When the letter leads detectives to yet another body, Gray calls on an old friend for help.
Former prosecutor Solomon Shepard is still struggling to recover from the deadly courtroom attack that ended his career. He’s been keeping a safe distance from the action, teaching criminology seminars about serial murders and psychopathology—until Gray asks for his help on the Reaper case.
As the body count mounts, Shepard and Gray race to unravel the deranged design of a copycat killer—and find themselves in a face-off with an enemy they never saw coming.
Point of view:
3rd person. Multiple perspectives, including some of the victims.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
First in a new series by Victor Methos, this is a mix of police & court procedural with a bit of suspense/thriller from tracking a serial killer. It had a lot of elements that I love from watching Law & Order.
Solomon Shepard is a retired prosecutor that gets pulled into a search for a serial killer by family friend, Sheriff Billie Gray. The familiarity and banter between these two was a comfort in contrast to the stark realities of a town gripped by the resurgence of The Reaper. Solomon’s unlikely friendship with his teenage neighbor, Kelly, was also endearing. While it was difficult, I liked that Methos detailed the attacks and how the killer worked.
Not everything is as it seems and there’s lots of twists and turns to enjoy as well. As with any murder investigation & prosecution – having all the answers doesn’t alleviate the grief and frustration of all involved.
I’m looking forward to more of Solomon & Billie.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Timothy Andrés Pabon and I enjoyed his performance. There are a lot of characters, personalities, and emotions here and he delivered.
Content Warnings (possible spoilers):
Some sections are from the perspectives of the victims and can be fairly graphic.
About the author:
Victor Methos immigrated to the United States from Kabul, Afghanistan, at the age of nine and wrote his first short story in English at the age of ten. He is the bestselling author of over 50 novels and has been nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award for best novel for his work, “A Gambler’s Jury,” and is the recipient of the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for, “The Hallows.”
He attended law school at the University of Utah and has been both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, having conducted more than 100 trials ranging from death penalty cases to defending the rights of Native American tribes to practice their religion freely, to suing police departments for civil rights violations.
You can connect with Victor Methos here:
About the narrator:
You can connect with Timothy Andrés Pabon here:
My Favorite Quotes
Solomon was nervous whenever he was at murder scenes that he would see the victims standing near him with wide eyes. – The Secret Witness by @VictorMethos #Audiobook narrated by @timapabon #Procedural #Suspense #Thriller #Mystery
Tweet
It was as if the house was haunted by memories that had never happened. – The Secret Witness by @VictorMethos #Audiobook narrated by @timapabon #Procedural #Suspense #Thriller #Mystery
Tweet
I liked the stoners. They were always too high to be mean to me. – The Secret Witness by @VictorMethos #Audiobook narrated by @timapabon #Procedural #Suspense #Thriller #Mystery
Tweet
He had always figured the type of person who wants to get into a shootout should not be the type of person who’s given a gun. – The Secret Witness by @VictorMethos #Audiobook narrated by @timapabon #Procedural #Suspense #Thriller #Mystery
Tweet
Do you know the difference between darkness and light, Billie? Darkness sticks to you. – The Secret Witness by @VictorMethos #Audiobook narrated by @timapabon #Procedural #Suspense #Thriller #Mystery
Tweet
Rellim Reads 