Into the Fire

Blake Pierce presents Left to Die and Left to Run, Books 1 and 2, of the Adele Sharp Mystery Series. 

Meet FBI Special Agent Adele Sharp, daughter of her American cop father living and working in Germany and murdered French mother, having grown up in both countries, now works in the USA and holds triple citizenship. She's got a serial murder case in California nicknamed The Benjamin Killer. He slices his victims and lets them bleed out with no evidence of struggle and no clues as to what he's using to subdue them. When something bizarre provides a link to a case in Paris, she's on a flight to assist the DGSI, where she once worked, with its manhunt.  

Left to Die opens with a perfectly written breakup scene capturing the intense emotion but quickly moves on to the murders. 

Once in Paris, Adele's memories surface of her youth there with her mother, of her mother's murder, and of her previous stint at the DGSI which ended in conflict with her female supervisor when Adele did the right thing without knowing the fallout. Being reunited with the elder agent Robert, who was as much a father to her as he was her mentor while there, she sees how the DGSI is trying to phase him out because of his age when in Adele's opinion he's the very best, the superior professional of all the investigators there.

Added to the mix is the handsome John Renee, an unprofessional former French Spec Ops, with scars both physical and emotional who derisively calls her "American Princess" and treats her with something considerably less than respect at first. 

The murder of a young woman is the same as those committed in the states. Same age group, which is the only common denominator of the victims, same method, same results. Adele knows it's the same killer, but the French aren't convinced. Why is he in Paris, and what's he using to disable his prey before he slowly and mercilessly carves them up and leaves them to die? 

When the killer is finally confronted, it's terrifying, creepy, and nearly deadly. 

Left to Run opens with a distressed rookie partnered with FBI Special Agent Adele Sharp back in San Francisco in a dangerous confrontation which, because of the inexperience of her partner, does not go well. Adele, longing to return to Paris in her consultant position for Interpol, is notified of a particular case of serial murders of young ex-pat American women and finds herself back on a plane to the DGSI. 

Her arrival is anything but the pleasant reunion she previously experienced with Robert. Instead it's the bitter Agent Paige who suffered a demotion and humiliation after Adele turned in some questionable information she discovered to the Director. Adele had no idea that information would expose her superior as having an extramarital affair and shielding evidence which could've been related to her lover's guilt. 

She'd hoped to get John back as her partner, but instead he'd taken another case. She can't help but wonder if their final experience together after the previous case tarnished their potential friendship – if she could call it that. The war between the two women accelerates due to the bitterness and hatred the French agent carries toward Adele, refusing to help her or consider her expressions of remorse. On the contrary, she makes it impossible for them to work "together", and eventually the situation explodes. 

Meanwhile, each murdered female has two things in common in their deaths which lead to far bigger discoveries and John's eventual partnership.

I must say I'm impressed with Blake Pierce's writing, the characterizations, complex plots, and, so far, in spite of the commonality of serial murders, the antagonists present different motives and personalities although both intensely creepy and extremely violent.

Profanity present. 

(A few typos.)  

Father, you know Blake, and I pray you would continue to give this author stories to tell. You've blessed Blake with a prolific career, and may that great writing ultimately serve your purpose. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.