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Lucy Kincaid #3

If I Should Die

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A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE
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Aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid and her P.I. boyfriend, Sean Rogan, are heading to the Adirondack Mountains for a pleasant romantic getaway when they detour to help troubled friends, owners of a new resort who are battling malicious vandals. After Lucy and Sean pursue an arsonist into an abandoned mine shaft, Lucy stumbles upon an even more heinous crime—and the perfectly preserved remains of its victim.

The only thing more disturbing than the discovery of the corpse is its sudden disappearance. While the local police remain skeptical, Lucy is dead certain that there’s a connection between the sabotage at the resort and the murder—one that the less-than-neighborly citizens of Spruce Lake seem to have a stake in keeping hidden. Then, when a cold-blooded sniper targets Sean and Lucy, FBI agent Noah Armstrong enters the fray to ensure that more bodies don’t hit the ground. Now three outsiders race to untangle a violent conspiracy before they end up like the rest of Spruce Lake’s secrets: dead and buried.

514 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2011

550 people are currently reading
2325 people want to read

About the author

Allison Brennan

107Ìýbooks5,010Ìýfollowers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes that life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year.

In 2019, Allison relocated from Northern California to Arizona with her family and assorted pets. She loves baseball, hiking, family game night, and (of course) reading.

RT Book Reviews called Allison “a master of suspense� and her books “haunting,� “mesmerizing,� “pulse-pounding� and “emotionally complex.� She's been nominated for many awards, and is a three time winner of the Reviewer's Choice award winner for RT Book Reviews as well as the Daphne du Maurier award. Most recently, she was nominated for Best Paperback Original by International Thriller Writers.

With over 45 books and dozens of short stories, Allison is writing multiple series and the occasional stand alone thriller. Her most recent book out now is THE MISSING WITNESS, part of the Quinn & Costa series. In June Allison is launching a new Phoenix-set series about a family of private investigators starting with YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME.

You can reach Allison through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ or her website.


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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,484 reviews1,269 followers
August 17, 2020
FBI Agent-in-training Lucy Kincaid and boyfriend Sean Rogan, a private investigator, are on their way to the Adirondack Mountains for a much needed vacation when they stop off in Spruce Lake to help out a friend whose lodge is experiencing multiple acts of vandalism. Soon after they arrive, someone sets fire to the property and Sean finds himself at the bottom of a mine shaft after chasing the suspected arsonist. When Lucy comes to his aid, she finds the body of a young woman entombed in the mine. It soon becomes abundantly clear that there’s more going on than vandalism in this town and many of the residents appear to be involved...at least they’re not helping Lucy and Sean.

These two will never get a case-free vacation! The situation they found themselves in was perplexing and extremely dangerous considering local law enforcement seemed to be connected. They were on their own and had to keep their wits about them. I liked that it was difficult to unravel and separating the good guys from the bad was even more impossible given their willingness to operate in the gray. Lucy and Sean’s relationship is also tested as she struggles with her inability to express the depths of her feelings towards him.

This was a really good story with some of the worst villains. Lucy and Sean played things smartly, avoiding unnecessary risks when their normal natures would have them do otherwise. Rather than try to deduce the mystery, I just settled back and enjoyed the story. I’m also continuing to enjoy the narrator as she doesn’t attempt to over dramatize the plot or the voices for the male characters. She’s the reason I will continue the audio format.

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Profile Image for Barbara ★.
3,506 reviews279 followers
March 9, 2016
I particularly liked the relationship development between Sean and Lucy. There has been a real connection between them since the first book but it really shines in this one. And Lucy finally

I love the intricacy of the various plots and how they intersect but still keep you guessing. Another fine romantic suspense from the Queen of suspense.
Profile Image for Anita.
2,517 reviews213 followers
August 15, 2020
Fast paced and riveting, this installment of the Lucy Kincaid Series is fantastic. Light on the Romance and heavy of the suspense the plot takes Lucy and Sean through some really harrowing experiences and shows them the strength each of them has as an individual and the power they have as a unit.

Lucy has been accepted by the FBI and will start training in Quantico in the fall. It's early May and she and Sean are looking for some down time away, just the two of them. Fat chance for that. A friend of Sean's brother is planning to open a new resort in the Adirondack Mountains, but he is having a bit of trouble with some vandalism that may delay to Memorial Day opening. When Sean catches the vandal in the act and chases him, Sean ends up in an abandoned mine with a body. When to local police investigate, the body has vanished and they aren't too sure that Lucy really saw anything at all, what with Sean being injured and all. Basically, they just think she is an hysterical female.

Well, Lucy is not about to let it go and she and Sean are caught up in the middle of something much bigger that the vandalism at the lodge. When the residents of Spruce Lake close ranks and the local deputy refuses to pursue the matter and they become the targets of a sniper, Lucy and Sean start their own investigation with the help FBI Agent Noah Armstrong. What they uncover is a decades old secret conspiracy that has sustained the community and terrorized it too. As they dig to uncover the buried secrets, someone thinks that the way to keep those secrets buried is the bury Sean and Lucy, literally.
Profile Image for Robin.
1,930 reviews94 followers
August 19, 2020
Heading to the mountains for a vacation, Lucy Kincaid and Seth Rogan stop at the small town of Spruce Lake as a favor to Seth's brother. Tim and Adam Hendrickson are battling vandals while trying to open a new resort. When someone sets fire to the kitchen, Sean takes off after the arsonist but falls into an abandoned mine shaft during the pursuit. Lucy tracks down Sean. While helping her injured boyfriend get out of the mine, she finds something else down there...a dead body. But when she leads skeptical law enforcement into the mine, the body has disappeared.

This is the third book in the Lucy Kincaid series. Lucy is an aspiring FBI agent who uses her knowledge to investigate the vandalism and discover what happened to the body she saw. While investigating Sean and Lucy discover that Spruce Lake has many secrets.

The mystery in this book was full of twists and turns. There were so many characters, I needed to make a list to keep track of them. There was a lot going on in this town that the residents were either covering up or were too scared to go to the cops. While I enjoyed the mystery, I didn't like the portions of the book about Lucy and her problems. Once again, she is upset about something in her personal life. This has happened in each of the first three books. I hope it isn't a trend. My rating: 4 Stars.
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,352 reviews92 followers
March 15, 2019
Not much to say. I like this series and this was once again another good story about Lucy Kincaid and her path to becoming an FBI agent. For some reason Lucy can't escape murder investigations, but she is smart so if not for her a lot of bad people would get away with murder. Off to the next!
Profile Image for Michael.
212 reviews
February 15, 2012
Just started this but so far seems to be full of overstatement, cliché and melodrama. Almost more comical than suspenseful...
Profile Image for Mike.
830 reviews13 followers
August 1, 2018
This comes out at 3 1/2 stars, with good action and a semi-convoluted yarn about Sean helping some friends stop saboteurs at their soon-to-open resort lodge.
Profile Image for Melissa.
530 reviews
August 27, 2020
Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan try to take a vacation together and end up getting caught up in a murder mystery when they detour to help some friends.

I think Lucy and Sean enjoy walking into trouble and maybe one day they will be able to take a real vacation. This story centers on drugs and guns. It’s definitely an easier topic to process than the other books. There is still quite a bit of violence, though.
The story is told from 2 points of view: Lucy and Sean’s and the main criminal character. The reader finds out who the “mystery� person is, but we still get his/her perspective which I really enjoyed. It really lets the reader into the mind of a sociopath with a plan and determination. This character is probably one of the scariest I have read because of how volatile and unpredictable he/she is.
Noah Armstrong is back in this one and, although they still don’t like each other, he and Sean work well together. Lucy also gets to show another FBI department how good she is. I just wish she would start having more confidence in herself and her abilities.
The ending was fast paced and one of the victims finally gets justice. I really liked that part. Finally the FBI or local police don’t get to end everything. Lucy also finally accepts how she feels for Sean and tells him. Warm feels throughout.
Profile Image for Marca.
1,042 reviews
January 31, 2012
Feelings…whoa whoa whoa..feelings. I forgot that Allison Brennan incorporates romance/erotica into her mysteries. My bad. I had to listen to endless teen-type angst over the relationship of the two main characters. Lucy Kincaid (why can’t I tell Sean I love him?) and Sean Rogan (why can’t Lucy tell me she loves me?) Acckkk! The mystery is pretty good. Lucy is an FBI recruit and Sean is a private eye. While on vacation, they stumble onto a woman’s body in an abandoned mine. The body disappears by the time the police get to the mine. Who moved the body? Who was the woman? Why does the small town around the mine seem to be conspiring to keep Lucy and Sean’s friends from opening a resort? Does Lucy really, really love Sean? (oops). If you are not a romance aficionado, read the print version so you can skip over that cr*p, and get to the mystery. I was stuck in audio world so I didn’t have much choice.
Profile Image for Christi Nash.
28 reviews7 followers
December 31, 2016
I'm not big on paperback romance novels unless they're classic Romanticism, which is generally more complex, so I honestly am not enjoying this mystery as much as I could because I find the romance between Lucy and Sean claustrophobic and annoying, and I'm not sure I will ever read another Allison Brennan mystery - not just because it contains romantic elements, but the romantic subplot is narcissistic and unrealistic, a bunch of crap about Sean reading Lucy's mind after only knowing her for four months, and just a bunch of psychoanalytical bullshit that strikes me as the fanciful meanderings of a lonely woman who has never actually had a serious relationship. Sorry/not sorry. I'm only continuing to read it because the mystery itself is actually decent, but I think I'll stick with Nevada Barr and PD James next time I want a mystery written by a female author.
Profile Image for Paraphrodite.
2,645 reviews51 followers
April 13, 2019
3.5 stars.

This one is quite action-packed with some friction between Lucy and Sean. I also liked that it's not a sexual case like the first 2 books. Noah Armstrong is back and front and centre in the action and so is Patrick, Lucy's brother and Sean's partner. All in all, a good story.
Profile Image for Reindert Van Zwaal.
165 reviews11 followers
May 3, 2019
This one was real good! Fast pased, superb plot, tension built up perfectly to the climax at the end. The storyline was quite complex but still easy to follow. Certainly not what you expect at the start of a holiday trip xD
Profile Image for Nikki H. Rose.
847 reviews91 followers
March 2, 2019
Yet another novel in the Lucy Kincaid series holds up to Brennan's typical standards of suspense � on both the criminal and romantic levels. That being said, this novel was filled with various players, often making it a bit difficult to keep characters straight. If I Should Die focuses on the small town of Spruce Lake, previous and current criminal activity, and the people who are only running off of their deep desire for vengeance and revenge. Lucy Kincaid and boyfriend, Sean Rogan, originally away on vacation, offer to help friends in need and end up getting in over their heads � a bit deeper than they had originally planned. Between helping the Hendricksons, fearing the Swains, and searching for the truth about what's really going on in this town � that everyone in town seems to be in on, Lucy ends up helping out with another federal investigation before officially gaining her Agent-status. But after a few close calls, the truth finally comes out, and the players all end up where they belong.
Profile Image for Julija.
311 reviews18 followers
June 2, 2020
Some of the dramatics towards the end and some of the I-love-you's made me not love this book as much as the previous ones but that's just me and the plot itself was once again incredible. I'm so hooked on this series it's no longer funny.
Profile Image for Patricia.
443 reviews11 followers
February 5, 2020
Third series, great story but got a little confusing at times because of the amount of characters.... However, still a 5 STAR RATING!!!!!
439 reviews87 followers
May 2, 2025
R-rated Nancy Drew. painfully drawn out. by halfway through I thought it was nearly over
Profile Image for Chris.
1,815 reviews
May 22, 2021
This Summary/Review was copied from other sources and is used only as a reminder of what the book was about for my personal interest. Any Personal Notations are for my recollection only.
**

**
Lucy has been accepted by the FBI and will start training in Quantico in the fall. It's early May and she and Sean are looking for some down time away, just the two of them. Fat chance for that. A friend of Sean's brother is planning to open a new resort in the Adirondack Mountains, but he is having a bit of trouble with some vandalism that may delay to Memorial Day opening. When Sean catches the vandal in the act and chases him, Sean ends up in an abandoned mine with a body. When to local police investigate, the body has vanished and they aren't too sure that Lucy really saw anything at all, what with Sean being injured and all. Basically, they just think she is an hysterical female.

Well, Lucy is not about to let it go and she and Sean are caught up in the middle of something much bigger that the vandalism at the lodge. When the residents of Spruce Lake close ranks and the local deputy refuses to pursue the matter and they become the targets of a sniper, Lucy and Sean start their own investigation with the help FBI Agent Noah Armstrong. What they uncover is a decades old secret conspiracy that has sustained the community and terrorized it too. As they dig to uncover the buried secrets, someone thinks that the way to keep those secrets buried is the bury Sean and Lucy, literally.



List of characters for future books
Lucia (Lucy) Kincaid: Youngest of the Kincaid siblings. She’s just finished a summer assignment at the medical examiners and is waiting to find out the results of her application to the FBI. She’s a rape survivor. She’s 25-years old and has long black hair and brown eyes.
Sean Rogan: The youngest of the Rogan siblings, he’s a partner at Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid. He and Patrick Kincaid recently opened their Washington, DC office.
Patrick Kincaid: Lucy’s 34-year old brother, a former e-crimes detective with the San Diego Police Department. He now a partner at Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid (RCK) and opened their new office in Washington DC with Sean Rogan. He was in a coma for two years after suffering a brain injury during Lucy’s rescue.
Dillon Kincaid: Lucy’s brother who she lives with. He’s a forensic psychiatrist and civilian consultant for the FBI. He’s married to Kate and is Jack’s fraternal twin brother.
Kate Donovan: FBI agent specializing in e-crimes. She’s married to Dillon. She was critical in locating Lucy following her abduction. She has short, white blond hair and blue eyes.
Carina Kincaid: Homicide detective with the San Diego Police Department. She’s Will’s partner and married to Nick.
Jack Kincaid: Lucy’s oldest brother. Partner at Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid (RCK). Former Army Ranger Delta Force who later headed a small mercenary group in Texas focused on rescue missions and foreign hostage situations before joining RCK. He’s married to Megan, He’s Dillon Kincaid’s twin and was estranged from his family for years. He’s 6�1� with dark hair and brown eyes.
Megan Elliott Kincaid: FBI special agent and head of the Sacramento Regional Violent Crimes/Major Offender Squad. She’s married to Jack Kincaid, Mitch Bianchi’s ex-wife and Matt’s sister. They have a younger half sister, Margo. She’s 5�8� and has blond hair and green eyes.
Nelia Kincaid Stanton: Formerly married to Andrew Stanton and one of the Kincaid siblings. Her son, Justin, was murdered and she left town. She helped Tom O’Brien and rescued him after he was shot by Aaron Doherty and left for dead in Idaho.
Andrew Stanton: Nelia’s ex-husband, Justin’s father. He was a prosecutor and is now the district attorney.
Justin Stanton: Nelia and Andrew’s son who was abducted and murdered when he was 6-years old and she was in high school.
Rosa Kincaid: Matriarch of the Kincaid family, married to Pat.
Pat Kincaid: Patriarch of the Kincaid family, married to Rosa. He’s a retired Army colonel.
Duke Rogan: Security specialist at Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid (RCK). He’s a former Marine marksman. He’s married to Nora English. He raised Sean following the death of their parents in a plane crash.
Nora English: FBI special agent in the domestic terrorism unit. She’s married to Duke.
Kane Rogan: The oldest of the Rogan siblings, a partner at Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid (RCK).
Liam Rogan: Sean’s older brother who works in Europe, running his own private security firm with his twin sister Eden.
Eden Rogan: Only sister of the Rogan siblings who works in Europe, running her own private security firm with her twin brother Liam.

When the Hendricksons announced they were opening their resort, Bobbie feared tourists would come across her pot farms, and Lowell was nervous about the added influx of people. Bobbie wanted to delay the resort opening, at least until her operation with Lowell was up and running. Carl came up with the sabotage plan, thinking the Hendricksons wouldn’t be able to open on time. When it became clear they still planned to open over Memorial Day weekend, Carl instructed Ricky to burn down the main lodge. Bobbie had sold the remaining C-4 she’d gotten gotten from Lowell and was supposed to deliver it to the buyer next week. That Jon used some of it to blow up her warehouses meant she couldn’t fulfill her obligation. That put her name and trustworthiness at risk—not good for business. Worse, though, was that she’d just lost her entire inventory of weed, meaning she wouldn’t be able to fill orders for months. Nor were her secure warehouses even standing. They would not be stowing Lowell’s guns anytime soon. Jon Callahan had effectively destroyed her entire operations in one explosive night.

Two days later
Sean and Lucy walked into Albany FBI headquarters Tuesday afternoon. Sean was glad to finally leave Spruce Lake, confident that Tim and Adam Hendrickson could move forward on their resort. In light of the continuing police presence as local and federal authorities shut down the drug business and raided multiple buildings, seized several tons of marijuana, and removed all related computers and files, the brothers decided to postpone the resort opening until next year.
Tim believed his financial knowledge and collateral would help bring redevelopment money into the area, and Adam planned to simultaneously open separate Boy and Girl Scout camps, something their father had dreamed about. They vowed to work closely with the people in town to develop a viable tourist area. Tourism wouldn’t bring in the big money of drugs or gunrunning, but it also wouldn’t get the townsfolk killed or imprisoned. Already, residents were calling Tim to thank him for standing up to the Swain family and for the first time in their lives, they felt both safe and hopeful. Sean suspected the coming changes weren’t going to be easy and nothing would be quite the same. But with enough people committed to rebuildingthe foundation of Spruce Lake on legal businesses, there was definite promise. After the adventure in the mine, Sean had hidden Lucy away in the cabin while Noah coordinated four law enforcement agencies that descended on the Adirondacks by dawn—the sheriff, FBI, DEA, and ATF. Every agency sent a dozen or more people, and Sean wanted nothing to do with the initial interviews and justifications. Noah’s ability to organize the disparate groups into a unified team highlighted his military officer training, and Sean grudgingly admired his skill. He was more than happy to pass on any credit—or criticism. Sean just wanted to spend as much time alone with Lucy as he could. He’d never get tired of hearing her say I love you. Their idyllic two days were over. They were called to Albany for a debriefing, and then would head home. Lucy introduced Sean to the well-groomed Brian Candela, a stereotypical “suit� in the FBI. But his eyes were sharp and his manner professional. “We spoke on the phone the other day,� Candela said. “Good to meet you, sir.� Being in this building made him uncomfortable, but Sean was trying to be polite and diplomatic for Lucy’s sake. “There are just a few of us in the conference room. Marty and Dale went up to Spruce Lake Sunday, will probably be there for a few weeks as they weed through all the facts and fiction.� Sean grinned at Candela’s obvious play on words, feeling more comfortable.
comfortable than he had when he first walked in. Noah was sitting at the table with an older agent introduced as SAC Hart, a young woman, Agent Tara Fields, on loan from the cybercrime squad, and a secretary who typed on a steno machine like a court reporter. “I know you’re eager to get home,� Hart said, “so we’ll make this as quick and painless as possible. Agent Armstrong has already written his report, so we have most of the information we need.� Sean caught Noah’s eye, but couldn’t read his expression. Sean stood by every decision he’d made. But there were some things he didn’t want in any official record. Fortunately, the questions were straightforward and related solely to the facts. It took them not much more than an hour to recount the events from when he and Lucy first arrived in Spruce Lake to Bobbie’s death in the mine. Hart dismissed the secretary. “The official part is over. Off the record, I wanted to tell you that ATF Agent Omar Lewis is on official leave. ATF wasn’t happy about it, but I insisted. He acted with complete and total disregard for your lives, contrary to all training and protocols. I suspect, however, he’ll be back after an internal audit.� While Sean was still furious about the sniper incident, he’d developed an understanding and even some respect. “When the bad guys win one time too many, sometimes we have to bend the rules to stop them.� “Bending the rules, yes. Breaking them?� Hart shook her head. “Nevertheless, ATF is livid that they lost Sampson Lowell after more than a year of field work and twice that in research. However, we’re sharing everything we learn from those we arrested and the files we seized. Hopefully they’ll get him next time.� Lucy asked, “What was in Jon Callahan’s safe deposit box? Was it incriminating against Bobbie Swain as we’d thought?� Candela nodded. “That and much more. First, all the evidence and files Victoria took from the office were in the box, including the tape of Bobbie Swain’s interview in Miami where she turned on her brother. We’ve sent it to the Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico for further analysis, hoping we can learn something from her performance to help us in the future.� Lucy said, “She was certainly a unique personality, but she was also a cold-blooded sociopath.� Noah said, “I’ll get you clearance to review the tapes, Lucy. You’ll probably see something no one else did.� Sean glanced at Noah, agreeing with the Fed but wondering why he chose to lavish the praise on Lucy now. Then he dismissed his flash of jealousy. It didn’t matter what Noah’s feelings were, if they were professional or personal. Lucy loved Sean, and that was all he needed. Candela continued. “The box also included a journal Callahan had kept recounting his early drug smuggling days with Paul Swain when they were teenagers. There was a falling out between him and Swain because Callahan had originally gone to law school to become a criminal defense attorney to represent Swain; while in college, Callahan decided to put it all behind him. He lived in Spruce Lake part time in order to keep his eye on things, but he knowingly turned a blind eye to the drug operation. After Swain went to prison, Callahan moved back permanently. But when he realized Bobbie Swain was behind it—and had covertly taken over her brother’s operation—he worked out a deal with Swain to get inside her operation. Swain wanted his sister dead, and Callahan wanted her influence gone.� “And then she brought in Sampson Lowell,� Lucy said. “Raising the stakes and the danger.� “Joe Hendrickson learned of the gunrunning plan—Callahan was unclear how—and he went to Callahan to do something. They agreed to contact the ATF, but at the same time Bobbie Swain’s people found out what Hendrickson knew and poisoned him, having the doctor rule it as a heart attack. Callahan went to the ATF to speed up the investigation, and that’s when Omar Lewis was sent undercover to work as the cook at the Lock & Barrel. Only Callahan knew Lewis was law enforcement.� “I’m still unclear why Jon Callahan brought Agent Sheffield in, and why she didn’t inform your office,� Lucy said. “The first part is easy—you were absolutely right that Victoria met Callahan while investigating the pirated DVDs in Canada. They started seeing each other romantically. After Joe Hendrickson was murdered, Callahan told her everything. By this time, Lewis was already in place. Victoria thought if she reported what she knew, she’d be called off because it was an undercover ATF operation at that point.� “And she would have been,� Noah interjected. Candela nodded. “She still should have filed a report. There was nothing else about her in Callahan’s notes until last December when she brought Callahan the files and evidence on Bobbie Swain. She’d been looking into Swain on her own, and coupled with the information she knew through her boyfriend, she came up with a plan. Apparently, the first meeting Lowell had with Swain was on January second—and Victoria got it in her head that she needed to be around to protect Callahan, who was playing the dangerous informant game with the ATF.� Sean asked, “How did Bobbie know she was an agent?� “She didn’t—Sampson Lowell did. He had scouts in town once he decided to work with the Swain operation. Apparently, his intelligence is exemplary. When he uncovered Victoria’s identity, he canceled the meeting and told Swain to take care of it. She sent him proof that Victoria was dead. Lowell waited four months to ensure there was no increased police presence or chatter, then rescheduled the meeting for this past Sunday. Swain was providing storage and distribution channels for his gunrunning operation into Canada. It was a megadeal. If all went well Sunday, the guns would have been in the warehouses by midnight.� “And now Lowell has disappeared,� Sean said. “He’s not our concern,� Hart said. “He’s ATF’s problem.� Sean disagreed. Sampson Lowell was everybody’s problem. But he kept his mouth shut. “What’s going to happen to Ricky Swain?� he asked. “We’re recommending leniency, and Detective Dillard is helping smooth things over with the prosecutors to give the kid probation and wipe his record when he turns eighteen. The Hendricksons aren’t filing charges and Tim Hendrickson offered to serve as the boy’s guardian. Dillard thinks they’ll get what they want.� Sean was relieved. That someone was willing to step up and help Ricky meant he had a real shot at a future. “We may have some follow-up questions,� Candela said, “but we’ll run them through Agent Armstrong. Again, thank you. Because of you, we know what happened to our field agent, and we can move forward.� After final good-byes, Noah walked Sean and Lucy out of the building. “I’ll be returning to D.C. late tonight,� he said. “Take the rest of the week off, Lucy. You can start fresh next Monday.� “Thank you, but if you need me to come in tomorrow, I—� Sean cut her off. “Monday morning, Luce.� Noah smiled. “Monday is soon enough. Good work all around.� Noah looked directly at Sean as he spoke. “This was a dicey situation and a testament to your skills that we all came through without major injury.� Sean was surprised at the clear compliment. “I appreciate that, Noah.� Lucy let out a breath and Sean glanced at her. She wanted everyone to get along, especially the people she cared about. He might not like that Noah was important to Lucy, but he loved Lucy. Sean vowed to make a real effort with the Fed. Sean broke the awkward silence. “Now, there’s the matter of you getting my plane shot down.� Noah nodded soberly. “I thought you might be a little upset, so I’ve taken care of it.� Sean couldn’t hide his surprise. “I don’t get it.� “I called in a friend of mine, a former Air Force mechanic who now works at Lockheed. He’s flying in
this afternoon to take your plane to his shop.� “You don’t have to do that,� Sean said in all seriousness. “I know.� Noah extended his hand. Sean shook it. Then Noah grinned broadly and winked at Lucy. “You never know when I’ll call in the favor.� Sean returned the good will. “Anytime.�
144 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2025
3.5 stars. Was an easy read but a major problem of the series persists. What seems to be the mainstay of the series is its biggest sore point - the love angle between the leading characters. The author is trying to portray a perfect relationship but it comes out as fake and too-much-in-your-face. I truly hope it changes a few books down the line.

The second big issue of the book was that the hyped up villain didn't come across as that scary and the last part of the book was bleh.

The rest of the book - the investigation, the characters was fine.
Profile Image for Cecily Black.
2,293 reviews22 followers
June 7, 2017
I have had a lot of ups and downs with this series this far. The covers are what drew me in and I have read other Alison Brennan that I really enjoyed. It was different to have a psycho female as the villain but I had some time where I was a little bored. Not bad but I have read better.
I will continue the series because I am invested at this point.
Profile Image for Larissa.
540 reviews108 followers
October 15, 2013
Originally Posted at

**No Spoilers

I am addicted to the paranormal genres, but after reading J.D. Robb's great Romantic Mystery series, I decided to check out more series in the genre. Now I am a card carrying fan of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner and most recently of Allison Brennan.

I had read Brennan's Paranormal series, but in the Procedural Thriller is where she shines as an author. Not only in the Criminal aspects but also in the interpersonal relationship between characters. Which, let's be honest, it's what keeps us coming back. I mean, what would it be of shows like Castle and Bones without the friendships ans relationships?

I love Lucy Kincaid! She is a great heroine for me. She is real, she is a survivor that has chosen to NOT be a victim and fight for justice. What is not to love?

Now, her hero is definitely a new favorite male lead for me. Sean is the great anti-hero. He is more of a hero.hero for me, because the anti is usually in the past. What might keep him in the "anti" column is that he is not afraid to cross some lines for justice.

My favorite thing, besides the great thriller side of the novels, is the relationship between Lucy and Sean, and the relationship the have with their families. I love how much they lean on each other and how much they trust each other even when other might try to set them against one another.

If you love this genre of novels, the Lucy Kincaid series is a must read! =)
Profile Image for Angel Walker.
8 reviews14 followers
January 23, 2012
Once again a book that I couldn't put down. Read it in one day and I have the urge to read it again. I thought this one was the best one so far in the Lucy Kincaid serious do to the level of craziness in this book. I love when the antagonist is just filled with pure lunacy and in this book for such a small town lunacy runs rapid. This book hit very close to home for me since the setting was in upstate New York which very close to where I live and I remember some of the incidents mentioned in the book. I also liked how Agent Armstrong was thrown back into the mix because the tension between him and Sean Rogan was great to read. I can't wait for Silenced I'm hoping for a lot more tension! I'm not sure if I'm just a fast reader or if it's just that good...It's just that good :) For full review visit my website.
Profile Image for Karen.
576 reviews58 followers
October 29, 2017
Another book from my digital library that was a failure for me. I checked it out for a book challenge and unfortunately the library does not tell enough to know this is full of relationship romance. I dislike romance and tolerate just a small bit in a story. I did like the main characters, but not in the spotlight together. The story line was interesting; If it stuck more to the suspense I would have most likely really enjoyed it.
250 reviews
August 17, 2024
Good plot but way too many characters and it gets carried away. Also too many convenient happenings…like a guy always carrying a bobby pin in his pocket. Two brothers who spent summers with their dad in a tiny town in upper New York State want to open a resort, but face continued sabotage. Lucy and Sean happen to be there when an arsonist sets fire to the kitchen and get involved in finding out the who and why. Not as good as most of the others.
Profile Image for Melanie Chabrol-.
210 reviews4 followers
January 21, 2012
What more can I say? that wouldn't give it away? Very well written,loved the ending, thanks to my dog, she woke me up and finished it this morning. will Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan ever get on with their lives? Ever have a decent vacation?, If you are up for a good challenge find out whom the good guys are between the bad guys, PS did i say it had a great ending............
Profile Image for Katt.
322 reviews
October 7, 2020
So loved the mystery part of this but the back and forth with Sean and Lucy with they're emotional does she love me and I'm not jealous crap, was putting me off.

Or maybe I'm having a bad day and just need a - someone has been murdered, let's solve this bitch with common sense, some guns, a knife or two and be done.
Profile Image for Rebecca Thompson.
91 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2021
Had never read this author before. By about 2/3 of the way through, I completely lost interest and did not really care what happened, but have a really hard time with leaving books unfinished, so plodded along. None of the characters were developed and there were so many characters, I couldn't keep them straight. Ending seemed very chaotic. Sorry, not a fan.
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