The 4th Man: An FBI Profiler / Detective D. D. Warren Story

The 4th Man by Lisa Gardner is An FBI Profiler/Detective D.D. Warren Story. Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren is a Boston homicide detective working cold cases. Her latest case is the murder of Jaylin Banks that occurred at a local Boston college ten years ago. Jaylin had been found in one of the stairwells by a campus security guard. The police have no physical evidence of the killer and there was little violence involved. The only thing that was missing was Jaylin’s dirty white keds. Their only hope is getting a confession from one of their suspects. Warren has brought in the top three suspects to be questioned by profiling expert, Pierce Quincy and his wife, Officer Rainie Connor. If one of these three men did not commit the crime, then it is the unknown fourth man. Will they finally get justice for Jaylin Banks by identifying her killer? The 4th Man is well-written, has a good pace, and is very easy to read. I appreciate the characters and their method of interrogation and investigation. The 4th Man is a very (extremely) short story that can be finished in about 30 to 45 minutes (depending on how fast you read). The mystery is interesting (unique) and most people will be surprised the killer’s identity. I give The 4th Man 4 out of 5 stars. I wish the story had been just a little longer. I felt that the whole story was too rushed. A preview of Lisa Gardner’s next book is included (and it is very good).

This is a very short story featuring Profiler Pierce Quincy and Officer Rainie Conner, and of course, D. D. Warren, who plays a minor role. If you have never read this series, I would seriously recommend you start at the beginning. THE 4TH MAN is a stand-alone, but it really doesn't do justice to the characters for a first time reader. Several years ago a young college student was found strangled in the library and only her shoes went missing. There was no DNA, no clues, no witnesses. The only serious suspects were the three men who were in the library at the same time as she was .... 2 campus security guards and her boyfriend. At D.D. Warren's request, Quincy and Connor agree to take a look at these three men to see if they can shake a confession out of one of them. But as more information is garnered, what comes to light is a possible 4th man who is unaccounted for. There is a lot of information packed into this short story, minus a lot of fluff. It's well-written and leaves the reader wanting more. Many thanks to the author / Emily Brock / PENGUIN GROUP Dutton / Netgalley who provided a digital ARC. The opinion expressed herein is unbiased and entirely my own. For Lisa Gardner followers, this includes an early look at Gardner's next chilling thriller, Right Behind You, coming January 31, 2017.

Short