Remnants & Serial Killers
Book
Title: REMNANTS
Author:
Carolyn Arnold
Series:
Brandon Fisher FBI series, Book 6
Published
by: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.
ISBN
(e-book): 978-1-988353-49-4
ISBN
(paperback): 978-1-988353-50-0
ISBN
(hardcover): 978-1-988353-51-7
ASIN:
B01MUAA8JL
260
pages
All that remains are whispers of the past…
When multiple body parts are
recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law
enforcement calls in FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team to
investigate. But with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this
isn’t proving to be an open-and-shut case.
With no quick means of
identifying the victims, building a profile of this serial killer is proving
more challenging than usual. How is the killer picking these victims? Why are
their limbs being severed and bodies mutilated? And what is it about them that
is triggering this killer to murder?
The questions compound as the
body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its
heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. But this is only the
beginning, and these new leads draw the FBI into a creepy psychological
nightmare. One thing is clear, though: the killing isn’t going to stop until
they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…
My Review
This is my first time reading anything by this author. This book started out strong and ended just as strong. There is nothing worse than reading a book only to get a weak ending. Although, I must say that Brandon did not have as much of a huge presence with me as his team did. Together they all worked well together. It was a nice balance of men and women.
I want to stop and take a moment to talk about the killer. The author made sure that the killer's time in the spotlight was not lessened by the storyline. I have read many books where sometimes the killer is overshadowed by the storyline or the killer comes off as weaker so that it appears that the people brought to stop the killer seem smart. No, this was not the case in this book. Every character had a purpose. Although, the killings were horrific with limbs severed, the details were not graphic in nature. Therefore, those readers who like murder mystery or police procedural books, you will be happy with this factor. One more aspect that I wanted to point out about this book is that the flow was steady with no down time. If you are looking for a new author to try than you should check out this book. Coming from a fan of murder mystery or police procedural books; Remnants is a worthy read with sharp, skilled characters and a strong storyline.
Excerpt
KILLING
WAS THE BEST SEDATIVE. Just knowing that the time was coming had allowed
him to fall asleep the second his head had hit the pillow last night, and now
the clock on his nightstand told him it was almost noon.
He got out of bed and opened the curtains, letting the sun spill in and
blanket him in its warm glow. Closing his eyes, he bathed in its splendor. His
breath was calm and deep as he got down onto his knees and spread his arms
heavenward, giving thanks for not just another day but for the blessing of
life. Not his, but what would be the beginning of another offering.
He remained there in a meditative state, letting his consciousness
drift to the other realm, a place far too few visited or were even aware of.
But it was in this stillness that he found his true self, his identity, and his
purpose, where he became centered and focused on the seriousness of his mission.
He wrapped himself in a black robe and shuffled downstairs and out the
back door. He stood on the patio facing the riverbank with his eyes closed.
As the sun warmed his eyelids, he imagined himself being carried up
toward the sky, merging with the flames, the source of life, and shedding his
human form. He knew that he belonged somewhere else—a different plane of
existence—but the physical required roots. So for now, he was grounded.
He remained standing there until the sun ducked behind a cloud, the shadows
casting over him. He opened his eyes and knew.
It was time.
His stride was full of purpose as he returned inside to where he kept
the man in a dimly lit room. He closed the door behind him and headed for the
preparation room.
The man was standing, restrained at the wrists and ankles, and held up
by a clasp around his neck. His arms and legs were stretched out like rays of
sunshine. The offering was free to talk, but his spirit had become broken with
the passage of time and he rarely whispered a word.
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and
award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor.
She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher
FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly
thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to
hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series
have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and
entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending
time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her
roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she
tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her
books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto with her
husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Connect
with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website
- http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter
- https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook
- https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And
don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on
release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
BY CAROLYN ARNOLD
He’s five seven, in his thirties, walks with a limp, works in temporary placements, and is single. He targets women because he was abused by his single mother, who slept around with men while he was growing up.
If you’re a fan of serial-killer fiction, whether it be on TV or in books, you are probably left shaking your head sometimes when the FBI sees some crime scene photos and immediately has a profile of the killer. What are they, psychic?
As it turns out, profiling is actually a science, though not an exact one. In fact, many profiles prove to have been wrong once the unsub is caught. So why bother profiling at all? Well, even if some facts are off, profiling establishes a foundation from which investigators can begin their search for—and hopefully catch!—the killer.
So what do investigators consider when building a profile?
- Investigators focus on the crime itself. What do the crime scene photos show? What are the autopsy findings? Are there any witnesses, and if so, what are they saying? What have police officers noted in their reports?
- Investigators visit the crime scene. They use their six senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and intuition—and make a record of their reactions. They analyze where the body was found, whether the murder was committed in the same location that the body was found or the body was dumped. They question any and all aspects of the location and what it might tell them about the killer and/or the killer’s victim selection, aka victimology.
- Investigators look for a signature or method of operation (MO). Don’t confuse these two terms, though, as they are not the same thing. Every crime has a MO, which is how the murder was carried out, but a signature is not present in all cases. A signature only exists when a killer chooses to leave behind a personal mark.
- Investigators consider what kind of unsub might commit the crime at hand. For example, are they organized or disorganized? Are they a hunter or a sexual sadist? Is gender, age, or religion relevant? Is there is a geographical element to the crimes?
- Investigators take a closer look at the victims. They factor in similarities and determine whether the victims are low-, medium-, or high-risk people. Can any of the victims be connected to one or more person or place? How were the victims approached? Is there evidence of resistance, or is it possible the victims knew their killer?
Sometimes the answers to all these questions can be harder to piece together than others. In my most recent novel, Remnants, Brandon Fisher and his FBI team struggle to build a profile on the killer they’re hunting, as the identities of the victims are unknown and aspects of the MO vary among the murders. But when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found—something they haven’t seen in any of the previous deaths—the case takes a dark turn that begins to provide them with some new leads. As the story unfolds, the FBI is drawn deeper and deeper into a creepy psychological nightmare. One thing is clear, though, even if they don’t have all the facts yet: The killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…
I invite you to read Remnants and profile alongside the FBI to stop a serial killer in Savannah, Georgia.
Remnants is available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover formats from popular retailers, including the following:
About the Brandon Fisher FBI series:
Profilers. Serial killers. The hunt is on. Do serial killers and the FBI fascinate you? Do you like getting inside the minds of killers, love being creeped out, sleeping with your eyes open, and feeling like you’re involved in murder investigations? Then join FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team with the Behavioral Analysis Unit in their hunt for serial killers.
This is the perfect book series for fans of Criminal Minds, NCIS, Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Dexter, Luther, and True Crime.
Read in any order or follow the series from the beginning.
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