jamballdonut's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was an ending I didn't see coming, and I appreciated it. The use of a confused, vulnerable teenage boy as the main villain was a great choice, because the decisions made just make so much sense. I would definitely side eye some of these decisions if they were an adult with more life experience behind them, but a teenager? Yeah, that makes sense.
I liked Rainie and Quincy too, this being my first Lisa Gardner book, I have no prior knowledge of them, but their relationship felt genuine and supportive, and it was nice to see they still had their own demons/struggles, but were trying to do better, and were open to talk about them with their adoptive daughter.
I really didn't expect to enjoy this book, but towards the later half I just found myself really enjoying the characters and looking forward to seeing how it ended.
I liked Rainie and Quincy too, this being my first Lisa Gardner book, I have no prior knowledge of them, but their relationship felt genuine and supportive, and it was nice to see they still had their own demons/struggles, but were trying to do better, and were open to talk about them with their adoptive daughter.
I really didn't expect to enjoy this book, but towards the later half I just found myself really enjoying the characters and looking forward to seeing how it ended.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Right Behind You
4 Stars
Lisa Gardner returns to her Quincy and Rainie series. This time the focus is on their 13-year-old foster daughter, Sharlah Nash, whose life was saved by her older brother, Telly, when he killed their parents to protect her. Now Telly is the prime suspect in a series of shootings and Sharlah is desperate to learn if he is a savior or killer.
While this is ostensibly a Quincy and Rainie story, the narrative is presented from the perspectives of multiple characters in alternating first person for Sharlah and Telly and third person for the rest of the cast. Much of Telly's POV is also presented in flashback. Thankfully, each of the POVs receive their own chapters so it is easy to keep track.
The story itself is compelling although the twists and turns are not unexpected and the explanation is relatively easy to figure out. Both Telly and Sharlah are sympathetic characters; however, there is something about Sharlah's personality that is somewhat offputting and it is much easier to identify with Telly even though he is suspected of the most heinous crimes.
In sum, returning to this series and catching up with Quincy and Rainie has been fun, but it is clear that there is nowhere to take these characters any longer, and Gardner should let go and move on despite her readers' urging for more.
4 Stars
Lisa Gardner returns to her Quincy and Rainie series. This time the focus is on their 13-year-old foster daughter, Sharlah Nash, whose life was saved by her older brother, Telly, when he killed their parents to protect her. Now Telly is the prime suspect in a series of shootings and Sharlah is desperate to learn if he is a savior or killer.
While this is ostensibly a Quincy and Rainie story, the narrative is presented from the perspectives of multiple characters in alternating first person for Sharlah and Telly and third person for the rest of the cast. Much of Telly's POV is also presented in flashback. Thankfully, each of the POVs receive their own chapters so it is easy to keep track.
The story itself is compelling although the twists and turns are not unexpected and the explanation is relatively easy to figure out. Both Telly and Sharlah are sympathetic characters; however, there is something about Sharlah's personality that is somewhat offputting and it is much easier to identify with Telly even though he is suspected of the most heinous crimes.
In sum, returning to this series and catching up with Quincy and Rainie has been fun, but it is clear that there is nowhere to take these characters any longer, and Gardner should let go and move on despite her readers' urging for more.
ecampbell2003's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
5.0
Lisa's best yet! Could not put it down, completely riveting from page one.
reytru1065's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book by Lisa Gardner. Main characters (aside from Rainey and Quincy) are Telly Ray Nash and his little sister (adoptive daughter of Rainey’s and Quincy’s) who survived abusive parents who Telly ended up killing. Some 10 years later there’s a murder at the local EZ Stop and the suspect shows his face to the camera before shooting it and it’s none other than Telly Ray Nash. There’s more than meets the eye and we realize the patsy in this murder is Telly. Such a riveting read, I loved the plot and the characters develop nicely. I would highly recommend, despite reading these out of order I was not lost on the established characters.
agustinap's review against another edition
3.0
I have never read a book by Lisa Gardner...I foresee reading many more in the future. I really enjoyed this book, I got hooked. Even though 2/3 of the parts in it, I foresaw who was the shooter I still couldn't figure out how the plot will detangle.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner is an enthralling mystery about a police hunt for a suspected spree killer. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Quincy & Rainie series, it can be read as a standalone.
Following the discovery of two murder victims at a local convenience store/gas station, Sheriff Shelly Atkins calls on retired FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy to help put together a profile of the suspected killer. Quincy is stunned to learn the identity of the suspect is his soon to adopted foster daughter Sharlah's seventeen year old brother Telly Ray Nash. After learning that Telly's foster parents, Frank and Sandra Duvall, have also been murdered, Quincy fears Sharlah might become his next victim. With a massive manhunt for Telly underway, Quincy, Rainie and Sheriff Atkins try to piece together a possible motive for Telly's apparent rampage. Why would Telly want to murder his foster parents? What reason could he have for gunning down two apparent strangers? And the biggest question of all: can they capture Telly before he harms Sharlah?
Eight years earlier, Telly killed his drunk and abusive father during a violent attack in which both Telly and Sharlah feared for their lives. With their mother also dead, Telly and Sharlah became wards of the state and they were sent to live with different foster families. Now, after bouncing from one bad home to another, both Sharlah and Telly are living with good families who care about them. Although she has been unable to verbalize her feelings, Sharlah is happy that Quincy and Rainie are adopting her. Meanwhile, Telly is less than a year away from aging out of the foster system but Frank and Sandra are making progress in preparing him for this next stage of his life. So everyone wants to know: what precipitated Telly's suspected killing spree? And after discovering evidence that he has apparently been stalking Sharlah, what does he plan to do to his sister? There are no clear cut answers to any of the investigators' questions and they are frantic to capture Telly before he kills again.
Initially, Sheriff Atkins and Quincy's suspect that Telly's killing spree has something to do with his and Sharlah's past. However, the deeper they dig into Telly's life with the Duvall's the less certain they are that his troubled childhood has anything to do with the current crimes. A few incongruous details turn the investigation in a completely new direction but Telly remains the focus of their investigation. As the manhunt for Telly continues, will newly discovered information prove he is innocent?
With fiendishly clever twists and turns, Right Behind You is a spellbinding police procedural that fans of the genre are going to absolutely LOVE. The storyline is intriguing with plenty of suspense as the chapters alternate between different perspectives including enlightening chapters from both Telly and Sharlah's points of view. The investigation moves at a fever pitch as Sheriff Atkins and Quincy feverishly follow every new lead while at the same time, the manhunt for Telly adds increased urgency to the storyline. Lisa Gardner brings the novel to a very dramatic and quite shocking conclusion with a plot twist that is impossible to predict. An absolutely outstanding mystery that I highly recommend to old and new fans of the Quincy & Rainie series.
Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner is an enthralling mystery about a police hunt for a suspected spree killer. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Quincy & Rainie series, it can be read as a standalone.
Following the discovery of two murder victims at a local convenience store/gas station, Sheriff Shelly Atkins calls on retired FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy to help put together a profile of the suspected killer. Quincy is stunned to learn the identity of the suspect is his soon to adopted foster daughter Sharlah's seventeen year old brother Telly Ray Nash. After learning that Telly's foster parents, Frank and Sandra Duvall, have also been murdered, Quincy fears Sharlah might become his next victim. With a massive manhunt for Telly underway, Quincy, Rainie and Sheriff Atkins try to piece together a possible motive for Telly's apparent rampage. Why would Telly want to murder his foster parents? What reason could he have for gunning down two apparent strangers? And the biggest question of all: can they capture Telly before he harms Sharlah?
Eight years earlier, Telly killed his drunk and abusive father during a violent attack in which both Telly and Sharlah feared for their lives. With their mother also dead, Telly and Sharlah became wards of the state and they were sent to live with different foster families. Now, after bouncing from one bad home to another, both Sharlah and Telly are living with good families who care about them. Although she has been unable to verbalize her feelings, Sharlah is happy that Quincy and Rainie are adopting her. Meanwhile, Telly is less than a year away from aging out of the foster system but Frank and Sandra are making progress in preparing him for this next stage of his life. So everyone wants to know: what precipitated Telly's suspected killing spree? And after discovering evidence that he has apparently been stalking Sharlah, what does he plan to do to his sister? There are no clear cut answers to any of the investigators' questions and they are frantic to capture Telly before he kills again.
Initially, Sheriff Atkins and Quincy's suspect that Telly's killing spree has something to do with his and Sharlah's past. However, the deeper they dig into Telly's life with the Duvall's the less certain they are that his troubled childhood has anything to do with the current crimes. A few incongruous details turn the investigation in a completely new direction but Telly remains the focus of their investigation. As the manhunt for Telly continues, will newly discovered information prove he is innocent?
With fiendishly clever twists and turns, Right Behind You is a spellbinding police procedural that fans of the genre are going to absolutely LOVE. The storyline is intriguing with plenty of suspense as the chapters alternate between different perspectives including enlightening chapters from both Telly and Sharlah's points of view. The investigation moves at a fever pitch as Sheriff Atkins and Quincy feverishly follow every new lead while at the same time, the manhunt for Telly adds increased urgency to the storyline. Lisa Gardner brings the novel to a very dramatic and quite shocking conclusion with a plot twist that is impossible to predict. An absolutely outstanding mystery that I highly recommend to old and new fans of the Quincy & Rainie series.
ianmcnamara's review against another edition
5.0
When I heard there was another book in the series, I was really excited. I have read all previous books in the series and really enjoyed it. This one did not disappoint, I was not sure where it was going and did not even figure it out. Lisa Gardner is a very talented authar and I have in joyed every think I have read by her.