Dead End is the third book in Nancy Mehl’s Kaely Quinn Profiler series. Kaely works in law enforcement, profiling and catching serial killers. She’s also the daughter of a serial killer, something that has shaped her life and career (for better and worse). And he’s back. At least, there is another serial killer on the loose, and he’s using her father’s signatures.
The suspense aspect of the plot was excellent.
It’s obvious that Kaely’s father isn’t the killer: he’s safe in jail. So who is it? It must be someone who knows her father well, but who? I had my suspicions, and they were wrong. That made it a nailbiting read that was hard to put down.
Kaely isn’t always an easy character to relate to.
She has her strengths: she’s intelligent, dedicated, and good at her job. But those are also her weaknesses: she can’t detach from her job, and she sometimes puts her own physical and mental health at risk to break the case. She comes across as mostly normal, but that hides a lot of inner insecurities and awkwardness.
Some of that awkwardness comes through in her faith. She’s been forced to seek answers to some of the hard questions about Christianity: can God save even the vilest sinner? Does anyone ever get so far from God that they can’t be saved? Does she have to forgive her father for his sins? Yes, there were strong faith aspects, and they were a strength of the story.
The writing was generally strong, although there were a couple of annoying instances when the point of view character discovered something but the reader didn’t know what. I guess that was supposed to add suspense. It kept me reading, but it did irritate me. My view is that if we’re in the viewpoint character’s head, we should be part of the conversation and not have the salient points blurred out for us to discover later.
But that’s a minor point in an otherwise excellent romantic suspense novel.
It is the third book in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone—while there are a few references to earlier events, they are minor (and won’t spoil the earlier books if you accidentally read them out of order).
Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Nancy Mehl
Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored thirty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing.
All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”
You can find Nancy Mehl online at:
Website | Suspense Sisters | Facebook
About Dead End
When a body is discovered in a field in Iowa, the police uncover fourteen additional corpses ranging from 20 years old to recent. The remains point to a serial killer with an MO the authorities have seen before–Ed Oliphant, a man who has been in prison for over 20 years . . . and is Special Agent Kaely Quinn’s father. After several failed interview attempts to discover if Ed has been training someone to be a copycat killer, the police turn to Kaely in St. Louis.
Kaely promised herself she would never step foot in her hometown or set eyes on her father again. She’s always refused to confront her past, but if she wants to prevent any more deaths, she must come face-to-face with the man she’s hated for years.
As more bodies are discovered, Kaely races against time and her own personal turmoil to uncover the killer. Will this most personal case yet cost Kaely her identity and perhaps even her life?
Find Dead End online at:
Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
