The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan

The Wrong Victim (A Quinn & Costa Thriller, #3)

by Allison Brennan

From New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan comes a gripping new thriller.

A lethal attack with no clear motive…and a killer dead-set on keeping the truth buried.

A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime—the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.

Was the explosion an act of domestic terrorism, or was one of the dead the primary target? That is the first question Special Agent Matt Costa, Detective Kara Quinn and the rest of the FBI team need to answer, but they have few clues and no witnesses.

Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel endangered an environmentally sensitive preserve, the West End Charter company may itself have been the target. As Matt and his team get closer to answers, they find one of their own caught in the crosshairs of a determined killer.

Don’t miss THE MISSING WITNESS, the brand-new page-turning thriller from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan!

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3.5 of 5 stars

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I've learned something about myself. Sometimes I'll make a mistake and pick up a series in the middle. Frequently, I'll try to back and read the previous books. Other times? I'm just too stubborn and will keep reading the series, happy as can be. That's the case with Quinn & Costa – I still haven't read the first book in the series, but that isn't going to keep me from diving into The Wrong Victim, the third novel in the series.

Detectives Kara Quinn and Matt Costa have seen more than their fair share of violence. It's part of the job. Yet even their years of experience could not prepare them for the terrorist attack they are about to deal with.

A bomb successfully takes out a charter cruise, killing everyone on board. This makes it the worst mass murder to hit the San Juan Islands. Finding out who is behind the attack will be more complicated than expected, as there are plenty of motives flying around.

They're back! Is it just me, or is there something delightful about a mystery series dropping the next book? I love following the same characters in and out of different cases, including Quinn and Costa.

The Wrong Victim is a complex and fascinating read that is very multidimensional. It made it difficult to predict the conclusion, which is fine by me. As long as it all makes sense in the end, that is. And it did, at least for me.

Naturally, there's also a heavy personal element to go alongside the mystery. Kara and Matt both have personal stuff going on, though it felt like Kara's plot stole the show. This time, at any rate. It was a strong reminder that they are people first and investigators second – even when dealing with gruesome crimes.

Thanks to MIRA and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 May, 2022: Finished reading
  • 4 May, 2022: Reviewed