Past Deeds by Carolyn Arnold - Book Review

Past Deeds by Carolyn Arnold is the eighth installment in the Brandon Fisher FBI series. A sniper is taking out men who have been unfaithful to their wives, but is that the only motive at play?

 

"Humans were much like wild animals, feeding of the carcass of misfortune, sucking it bone dry for their own advantages, whatever those may be."

There is lots to tackle when it comes to this newest installment in the Brandon Fisher FBI series. Lots of perspectives, lots of ideas bouncing around, lots of problems in the past. This was one juicy read!

Past Deeds is the eighth book in the series but my second read, and it can easily be read as a standalone. Arnold weaves in each character's past into this one that you can't help but want to read previous installments.

I liked how Arnold brought on a new character from a previous novel, Kelly Marsh, who first appeared in On the Count of Three. And for those who have read the previous book, you can compare Kelly's character, which was a little stronger in On the Count of Three, but now she's a new member of the FBI and is sort of being schooled by Jack Harper, the senior special agent in charge. So there's lots of conflict and bits of humor, especially as Brandon Fisher isn't a big fan of Kelly.

"Sometimes clinging to the normal and familiar was how people coped with tragedy."

One of the things I liked about Past Deeds was the various viewpoints, including the sniper's. I liked getting into her head – and yes the sniper is a woman, which is a five-star move on Arnold's part – and seeing how she's reacting to her surroundings, expressing her emotions and distress. It's actually interesting how for this particular sniper, one can feel much pain and sympathize with her.

"[The sniper] needed to avoid arrest for at least two more days to see her entire operation all the way through and reap the full reward… Even if a cage was where she belonged."

The title Past Deeds doesn't just speak for the sniper, it speaks of all the characters in the book. Each character, whether FBI or culprit or victim had a 'past deed' that either got to them or had them thinking about. The pun and the flow for that theme were simply brilliant!

One of the – MANY – reasons I like reading Arnold's books, whether police procedural cozy mysteries or thrillers like Past Deeds, is the bits of insight Arnold seeps in her book. Like here:

"Keep in mind that the first rule of profiling is never jump to a motive. We do that, and we might as well hand in our badges."

Overall, I loved every bit of this quick-paced thriller; I couldn't put it down!

"She wasn't a killer by nature, but she was good at it –maybe that meant she was supposed to do it."

Note: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Past Deeds by Carolyn Arnold in exchange for an honest review. This did not, in any way, affect my review. The book is really good! (I finished the book a few days ago but have been able to sit down and write it for personal reasons)

A while back I featured a guest post by Carolyn Arnold on the 5 Steps to Profiling a Serial Killer.

Also check out my book review of the seventh installment in the Brandon Fisher FBI series, On the Count of Three, which can also be read as a standalone.

Update: I've finally embarked on Carolyn Arnold's Detective Madison Knight Mystery series with the 10th installment: What We Bury and I loved it!

If you're interested in lighter reads for Carolyn Arnold, check my book reviews of her cozy mystery books: Money Is Murder, Halloween Is Murder, and Coffee Is Murder. You can also check Arnold's historical fiction, adventure, mystery Secret of the Lost Pharaoh (got 5 stars from me!)

About the Author:

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author, in her genre, with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.^TM

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.