nixbix_reads's review against another edition
2.0
This started out really well. I really liked the dual timeline, with Cal’s present day & one day six months ago - the worst day of Cal’s life. Alternating these timelines gave us an insight to Cal’s struggles since that day - survivor’s guilt, repressed memories, the attitudes from other cops. However, once the flashbacks stop, I found the story & characters to be flat and dull. There was plenty of action & twists but it just felt really confusing. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat - I finished this so I would know the outcome. Ultimately, this book had an interesting premise but it was just not for me.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
kmbooky's review
5.0
I did not see any of that coming. Oh my gosh. The trust and turns this book takes. I thought I knew who it was the entire time and was totally shocked when it was revealed. Very entertaining book and kept my attention the entire time.
scknitter's review
5.0
Patrol officer Cal Farrell dreamed of being a detective one day, but he never dreamed he would make detective so suddenly and solely because the dept decided the city of Alexandria, VA needed a hero after a horrific mass shooting in which Cal’s partner was killed and Cal was the last person to see the killer alive – before the killer shot himself. Cal couldn’t remember anything that happened once he made it into the conference room with all of the bloody bodies and the killer. But he and the rest of the dept know the killer actually took his own life. Cal knows he wasn’t a hero and his fellow cops know so he has no confidence at all in himself. And, then people around him start dying. This book veered off in directions I never saw coming. What started out as an interesting psychological look at what happens when a young, inexperienced policeman witnesses things no one should have to see turns into an intense thriller that you won’t be able to put down.
toriwestendorf's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This book is exactly what I wanted from a psychological thriller, and utterly unpredictable! The story was intense from the very beginning, and I ended up binging the audio because I couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened!
Detective Cal Farrell is a town hero; he stopped an active shooter six months ago on a very grisly day. The only problem is that he can’t remember anything of importance from that day. He is working with the police psychiatrist to try and recover his memories, but in the meantime, he’s working through his depression and anxiety that was left after that day.
On one of his early morning runs, he happens to be the one that finds a body hanging impossibly high on a tree. Suddenly, there is another victim, and the town could be looking at a serial killer. There are patterns to the killings that only Cal seems to notice. Who could be committing these awful crimes, and is Cal himself in trouble?
This book has twists and turns to the very end, keeping the reader hooked. I did not love all the characters, and sometimes they got a bit annoying, which is the only reason this is not a five-star read for me. I never saw the biggest reveal coming, which is incredibly rare for me, and therefore something I treasure! The audio narrator was also very enjoyable, and I would recommend the audio book if you are someone who likes to read that way. Bill Schweigart did such a good job keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the story; and if you are a fan of thrillers then I think you’ll really enjoy this book!
This book is exactly what I wanted from a psychological thriller, and utterly unpredictable! The story was intense from the very beginning, and I ended up binging the audio because I couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened!
Detective Cal Farrell is a town hero; he stopped an active shooter six months ago on a very grisly day. The only problem is that he can’t remember anything of importance from that day. He is working with the police psychiatrist to try and recover his memories, but in the meantime, he’s working through his depression and anxiety that was left after that day.
On one of his early morning runs, he happens to be the one that finds a body hanging impossibly high on a tree. Suddenly, there is another victim, and the town could be looking at a serial killer. There are patterns to the killings that only Cal seems to notice. Who could be committing these awful crimes, and is Cal himself in trouble?
This book has twists and turns to the very end, keeping the reader hooked. I did not love all the characters, and sometimes they got a bit annoying, which is the only reason this is not a five-star read for me. I never saw the biggest reveal coming, which is incredibly rare for me, and therefore something I treasure! The audio narrator was also very enjoyable, and I would recommend the audio book if you are someone who likes to read that way. Bill Schweigart did such a good job keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the story; and if you are a fan of thrillers then I think you’ll really enjoy this book!
nebulous07's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
The Guilty One is a suspenseful, page-turning and thrilling read. The sparring between past and present events kept me on my toes. Detective Cal Farrell is dealing with an unfavourable deck of cards of what truly happened when he was one of the responders to an ill-fated mass shooting. He's enveloped in a thick blanket of an identity crisis, testing his work relationships. Bill Schweigart has made it to my list of memorable suspense and thriller writers who sets the scene with sarcastic humour, pseudonymous murder theories, tension and wonderfully crafted puzzle pieces. Cal Farell is a protagonist that grows on you with relatable struggles in mental health and an unfailing will to decipher the truth. Add a dash of secret pining and awkwardness; this goofball of a character had me cheering for him. In terms of the killer, gravity lured my jaw into dropping and staying there for a while. The crescendo was well executed, full of action, uncertainly and acceptance. I'd love for Cal Farell to have a series, and I'm already volunteering as a reading tribute. A 5-star read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.
mysterymom46's review
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Blood, Gun violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Murder, Gore, Mental illness, and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol
minipanda's review
3.0
Six months earlier, Cal was one of the first officers to be on the scene of a mass shooting. Many people called him a hero for going head-to-head with the shooter. He was even promoted to detective. He doesn't feel like a hero. He doesn't even remember what happened. It was such a traumatic experience that his memories of what happened were suppressed.
Now, six months later, people he knew started to turn up dead. When bodies started to pile up, people started to point fingers. Could the city's hero become a murderer? Or was someone trying to set him up?
This novel started well. There was action and suspense! Not to mention humor and comic relief to break up the tension. I was intrigued and excited to see where the story would go. I wanted to know what happened to Cal. What traumatic experience caused him to suppress his memory? Unfortunately, somewhere around the 35%-40% mark, I kind of lost interest. The story lost its momentum and started to drag. Also, the characters started to feel one-dimensional.
Overall, a decent read but I wanted more from the characters and story.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Bill Schweigart, Matt Godfrey, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Now, six months later, people he knew started to turn up dead. When bodies started to pile up, people started to point fingers. Could the city's hero become a murderer? Or was someone trying to set him up?
This novel started well. There was action and suspense! Not to mention humor and comic relief to break up the tension. I was intrigued and excited to see where the story would go. I wanted to know what happened to Cal. What traumatic experience caused him to suppress his memory? Unfortunately, somewhere around the 35%-40% mark, I kind of lost interest. The story lost its momentum and started to drag. Also, the characters started to feel one-dimensional.
Overall, a decent read but I wanted more from the characters and story.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Bill Schweigart, Matt Godfrey, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***