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kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
What Lies Behind is a fast-paced and riveting mystery by J.T. Ellison. This fourth installment in the captivating Dr. Samantha Owens series is another meticulously plotted and intriguing police procedural that fans of the genre do not want to miss.
Former medical examiner Sam Owens' curiosity is immediately piqued when a crime occurs in her neighborhood and she readily agrees to her good friend Detective Darren Fletcher's request to take a look at the scene. Sam immediately concludes that what was thought to be a murder/suicide is in actuality a double homicide. When she uncovers hidden evidence that suggests a possible biological threat, a top ranking government official asks them to keep their investigation under wraps. Each clue leads to more dead bodies, and Sam is stunned when their case converges with her fiancé Xander Whitfield's current protection detail of a wealthy businessman. Sam and Darren team up with Xander and once all of the pieces of puzzle fall into place, they are horrified by the diabolical plot they uncover.
As a consultant for the FBI, Sam is also working on a series of unsolved murders spanning twenty years. While there is only a tenuous link between the killings, she and her boss John Baldwin are convinced they are the work of the same killer. Although they have just begun to scratch the surface of their investigation, the case will take on an unexpected urgency by the time the double homicide is solved.
What Lies Behind is a complex murder mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. The plot is brilliantly executed and frighteningly realistic. The characters from the previous novels in the series continue to evolve as new facets of their personalities are revealed while a few new faces help keep the series fresh and interesting. The main mystery is completely solved by the novel's conclusion, but J.T. Ellison ends the story with a cliffhanger that will leave fans impatiently awaiting the next installment of the Dr. Samantha Owens series.
What Lies Behind is a fast-paced and riveting mystery by J.T. Ellison. This fourth installment in the captivating Dr. Samantha Owens series is another meticulously plotted and intriguing police procedural that fans of the genre do not want to miss.
Former medical examiner Sam Owens' curiosity is immediately piqued when a crime occurs in her neighborhood and she readily agrees to her good friend Detective Darren Fletcher's request to take a look at the scene. Sam immediately concludes that what was thought to be a murder/suicide is in actuality a double homicide. When she uncovers hidden evidence that suggests a possible biological threat, a top ranking government official asks them to keep their investigation under wraps. Each clue leads to more dead bodies, and Sam is stunned when their case converges with her fiancé Xander Whitfield's current protection detail of a wealthy businessman. Sam and Darren team up with Xander and once all of the pieces of puzzle fall into place, they are horrified by the diabolical plot they uncover.
As a consultant for the FBI, Sam is also working on a series of unsolved murders spanning twenty years. While there is only a tenuous link between the killings, she and her boss John Baldwin are convinced they are the work of the same killer. Although they have just begun to scratch the surface of their investigation, the case will take on an unexpected urgency by the time the double homicide is solved.
What Lies Behind is a complex murder mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. The plot is brilliantly executed and frighteningly realistic. The characters from the previous novels in the series continue to evolve as new facets of their personalities are revealed while a few new faces help keep the series fresh and interesting. The main mystery is completely solved by the novel's conclusion, but J.T. Ellison ends the story with a cliffhanger that will leave fans impatiently awaiting the next installment of the Dr. Samantha Owens series.
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller featuring Dr. Samantha Owens. There is plenty of action, as well as several unexpected twists and turns. I've read some, but not all the prior books in the series and was able to enjoy the book and connect with the main characters. Fans of Rick Mofina or Robin Burcell would enjoy this well-written novel.
imzadirose's review against another edition
3.0
Finished ~ What Lies Behind (Samantha Owens 04) by J.T. Ellison
Completed 1/14/15
3.5 of 5 stars
400 page Kindle book
I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
While this book COULD be read as a stand alone, if you really want to know the players, it's better to read all the books that came before this one. Better yet to also read the Taylor Jackson series by Ellison, where we first meet Samantha.
Samantha Owens is a Medical Examiner turned teacher and consultant. She's been in DC for a while now and is pretty settled in. In this book, two people were killed on Samantha's street, so while she's not a medical examiner anymore, she finds herself wanting to know about what happened. When her friend Fletch gets the case, Sam is all over it and eventually is called in an official capacity for it. The case itself is very complex. It looks like one thing, but is another. It looks like one person is doing some killing then another. It's very back and forth and weird. The underlying subject of the book is trying to stop a bioterrorism attack.
I really like the characters of the book. Sam is flawed but strong. Xander and Fletch are good character as well. I especially liked a new to the series character ~ Marcus Daniels, and I hope he stays around. That being said, a lot of the book actually bored me. It was pretty slow moving with pockets of action mixed in. They seemed to be going in circles a lot as well. What I really didn't like was the over abundance of coincidences that take place in this book. It HAPPENS to start out on Sam's street when Sam also happens to be being stalked (though she doesn't know it). Xander's storyline also happens to mesh in perfectly with what Sam is doing on many fronts. It's just way too many coincidences, but hey, it's fiction, so I guess that's ok. :/
Overall it was good, not great. I love the characters, I just didn't care for this storyline. The end was great, so I think the next book shows a lot of promise, hopefully it'll be really enjoyable. I do recommend this series, and the one before it featuring homicide detective Taylor Jackson. I definitely do enjoy Ellison as an author and will continue to read her books.
Setting = A
Plot = B
Conflict = B
Characters = A
Theme = B
craftycsw's review
3.0
I liked that there was a female main character and other key female characters in the book. A nice change from the usual in books of this type. The plot was pretty farfetched, would have liked a little more science. I listened to this on audiobook and I thought the (female) narrator did a good job with the male voices, but the female voices, esp Samanatha, were rather annoying.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book was so fantastic! And so complex, and so connected! Absolutely loved it, it was really fantastic, and that ending, oh! We don't have another book to resolve that ending, yet! Hopefully it'll be her next full length book that she writes by herself after Lie to Me, because I needs it!
imzadirose's review against another edition
3.0
Finished ~ What Lies Behind (Samantha Owens 04) by J.T. Ellison
Completed 1/14/15
3.5 of 5 stars
400 page Kindle book
I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
While this book COULD be read as a stand alone, if you really want to know the players, it's better to read all the books that came before this one. Better yet to also read the Taylor Jackson series by Ellison, where we first meet Samantha.
Samantha Owens is a Medical Examiner turned teacher and consultant. She's been in DC for a while now and is pretty settled in. In this book, two people were killed on Samantha's street, so while she's not a medical examiner anymore, she finds herself wanting to know about what happened. When her friend Fletch gets the case, Sam is all over it and eventually is called in an official capacity for it. The case itself is very complex. It looks like one thing, but is another. It looks like one person is doing some killing then another. It's very back and forth and weird. The underlying subject of the book is trying to stop a bioterrorism attack.
I really like the characters of the book. Sam is flawed but strong. Xander and Fletch are good character as well. I especially liked a new to the series character ~ Marcus Daniels, and I hope he stays around. That being said, a lot of the book actually bored me. It was pretty slow moving with pockets of action mixed in. They seemed to be going in circles a lot as well. What I really didn't like was the over abundance of coincidences that take place in this book. It HAPPENS to start out on Sam's street when Sam also happens to be being stalked (though she doesn't know it). Xander's storyline also happens to mesh in perfectly with what Sam is doing on many fronts. It's just way too many coincidences, but hey, it's fiction, so I guess that's ok. :/
Overall it was good, not great. I love the characters, I just didn't care for this storyline. The end was great, so I think the next book shows a lot of promise, hopefully it'll be really enjoyable. I do recommend this series, and the one before it featuring homicide detective Taylor Jackson. I definitely do enjoy Ellison as an author and will continue to read her books.
Setting = A
Plot = B
Conflict = B
Characters = A
Theme = B
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