Fair Warning
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4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The hero of The Poet and The Scarecrow is back in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly. Jack McEvoy, the journalist who never backs down, tracks a serial killer who has been operating completely under the radar—until now.
Veteran reporter Jack McEvoy has taken down killers before, but when a woman he had a one-night stand with is murdered in a particularly brutal way, McEvoy realizes he might be facing a criminal mind unlike any he's ever encountered.
Jack investigates—against the warnings of the police and his own editor—and makes a shocking discovery that connects the crime to other mysterious deaths across the country. Undetected by law enforcement, a vicious killer has been hunting women, using genetic data to select and stalk his targets.
Uncovering the murkiest corners of the dark web, Jack races to find and protect the last source who can lead him to his quarry. But the killer has already chosen his next target, and he's ready to strike.
Terrifying and unputdownable, Fair Warning shows once again why "Michael Connelly has earned his place in the pantheon of great crime fiction writers" (Chicago Sun-Times).
A Kirkus Best Book of 2020
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Some one-night stands are forgettable. Others send cops to your door. The long-awaited third installment in Michael Connelly’s Jack McEvoy series finds the investigative reporter quietly working for a consumer affairs website after the downsizing of the newspaper industry. But one day the police come calling, looking into the unsolved murder of Tina Portrero, a woman Jack had a fling with over a year earlier. Mystified by Tina’s savage death, McEvoy returns to his old bloodhound-on-the-trail ways, creating a podcast about the case. Connelly keeps us on the edge of our seats, especially when he reconnects Jack with former FBI agent Rachel Walling, a flame from his past, and the pair use the power of DNA and the dark web to discover how Tina was targeted. As the host of the true-crime series Murder Book, the author also has real experience with podcasting, making Fair Warning feel lived in and up to the moment, even though it’s been 11 years since the last book in the series. Bravo to Connelly for finding the perfect way to bring a great character out of retirement!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Edgar-winner Connelly's entertaining if subpar third thriller featuring L.A. reporter Jack McEvoy (after 2009's The Scarecrow) finds McEvoy, once a bestselling true crime author, working for FairWarning, an online news site that focuses on consumer fraud. He's pulled back into the world of violent crime when he becomes a person of interest in the murder of Christina Portrero, with whom he had a one-night stand a year earlier. Portrero was killed by "internal decapitation," her head having been twisted 180 degrees. McEvoy volunteers a DNA sample, confident he'll be quickly cleared, though the LAPD homicide detectives on the case don't welcome McEvoy's subsequent probing of the murder. McEvoy gets a break when he posts a question on the unusual killing method on a forum used by medical examiners and learns that several other women have recently been killed the same way. His theory that one person is responsible for all the deaths is buttressed after he discovers another connection among the victims. Connelly keeps things moving briskly, but neither the plot nor the lead is up to his usual high standard, and he doesn't stick the landing. Fans will hope for a return to form next time.
Customer Reviews
Jack is just plain stupid
Of all of Michael Connelly’y characters I dislike Jack McEvoy the most. I’ll speak to the character here, not the author. Some may laud his journalistic zeal, but I think he’s single minded and selfish. His desire to be first in line in actuality perpetuates the negatives with journalists today. His quote “I’m the press, I have a right to be here” shows just how out of touch he is. He feels his rights usurp common sense, and this is why I don’t like him. I’m going to go into a soliloquy here, but in his love live, again his stupidity comes to the forefront. Let me just say that he deserves to be alone. Michelle could do better! Good story, but frustrating character to follow.
Fascinating story
I love murder mystery and this was one of the better ones. It was interesting with lots of twists and turns.
Good page turner
I enjoyed this book. Quite different from MC’s other work in the Bosch series and it’s spin off’s.