Format: E-Galley, 400 pages
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Is he a hero?
Eight years ago, Sharlah May Nash’s older brother beat their drunken father to death with a baseball bat in order to save both of their lives. Now thirteen years old, Sharlah has finally moved on. About to be adopted by retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner, Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts on monsters.
Is he a killer?
Then the call comes in. A double murder at a local gas station, followed by reports of an armed suspect shooting his way through the wilds of Oregon. As Quincy and Rainie race to assist, they are forced to confront mounting evidence: The shooter may very well be Sharlah’s older brother, Telly Ray Nash, and it appears his killing spree has only just begun.
All she knows for sure: He’s back.
As the clock winds down on a massive hunt for Telly, Quincy and Rainie must answer two critical questions: Why after eight years has this young man started killing again? And what does this mean for Sharlah? Once upon a time, Sharlah’s big brother saved her life. Now, she has two questions of her own: Is her brother a hero or a killer? And how much will it cost her new family before they learn the final, shattering truth? Because as Sharlah knows all too well, the biggest danger is the one standing right behind you.
Right Behind You is the Seventh installment in author Lisa Gardner's Quincy & Rainie series. This series features ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, his wife ex-police officer Lorraine "Rainie" Conner, as well as Quincy's daughter FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy. Even though Quincy & Rainie are supposedly retired, they are called in to assist with cold cases since they are the masters of hunting down monsters. For this installment alone, Quincy & Rainie share the narrative with two kids (Telly & Sharlah) who have seen so much pain and suffering, that people have decided that they are too damaged to keep around.
Eight years ago, Telly Ray Nash killed his alcohol addled father with a baseball bat to protect his younger sister, Sharlah, from being stabbed to death. Their mother was also killed that fateful day. Telly and his sister were separated and found themselves in separate foster homes. After some horrible experiences by both kids, and several foster homes later, Sharlah was taken in by Quincy & Rainie and she will soon be adopted if everything pans out. Her estranged brother Telly, was taken in by Frank and Sandra Duvall who hoped to give Telly the training and support that he needs to survive once he ages out of the system when he turns 18.
Right Behind You is set in the small town of Bakersville, Oregon where Quincy, Rainie, and their foster daughter Sharlah May Nash live with Sharlah's dog Luka. Luka is a former police dog who has become Sharlah's best friend and confidant. Quincy, Rainie, Telly, & Sharlah share the spotlight with Sheriff Shelly Atkins, as well as Cal Noonan, cheese maker by day, tracker of fugitives when called upon. After Atkins discovers the double shooting at the EZ Gas, it becomes all hands on deck in order to find out who was responsible.
But, after the Duvall's are found murdered in their own home, Telly becomes the most wanted person. Everyone, including Quincy and Rainie join in to hunt him down. But, what frightens Quincy and Rainie the most, is that Telly is the estranged brother of their daughter Sharlah. A daughter they would sacrifice everything to protect & keep safe. One has to really focus on the relationship between Telly and Sharlah. Telly was the adult in the house whey they were children. Telly took Sharlah to the library, made sure she was fed, and protected her. Yes, they have some unfinished business between them, but you have to be rooting for some sort of reconciliation and a happy ending for both.
Truth is that I read the first book in this series, but never got around to the reading the rest of the series before now because I was hooked on the authors D.D. Warren series. I do know that Quincy's daughter Kimberly has also been featured in this series as an FBI agent who has her own mysteries to solve. I do know that each of these stories are standalone with a beginning and an ending. No cliffhangers here! I was happy to see that readers wanted another installment in this series. I was happy that the author actually listened to her readers and wrote another story in this series. This, my friends, is why Lisa Gardner is on the top of my favorite author lists.
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