ON THE COUNT OF THREE
by Carolyn
Arnold
GENRE: Thriller
BLURB:
And they thought prison was hell…
When a woman’s disappearance ticks off all the same boxes as two
unsolved murders, Miami homicide detective Kelly Marsh is convinced there’s
about to be a third. If she’s right and the killer sticks to their previous MO,
she only has three days before Jenna Kelter’s decapitated head will show up
somewhere in the city. With no time to waste, Kelly reaches out to the one person
she knows can help: her former mentor and family friend Jack Harper, who just
happens to lead a team with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.
BAU special agent and profiler Brandon Fisher easily sees the
similarities between Detective Marsh’s missing person case and the two cold
cases: all three victims served time for DUI vehicular homicide and disappeared
three days after being released from prison. But is that enough to assume
Kelter has been abducted by a serial killer? Brandon’s not so sure and fears
his boss may have let his personal connection to Marsh cloud his judgment.
Surely there isn’t any other explanation for why they jumped into an
investigation less than twenty-four hours after Kelter was reported missing.
Then again, maybe Brandon is letting his own differences with the detective
affect his perspective. He’ll need to move past it, though—and quickly.
After all, this killer has evaded capture for the past six years,
and they may be looking at a lot more victims than originally suspected. This
serial killer is calling the shots and pulling them into a macabre game of cat
and mouse. While the team has no choice but to play, if they don’t make the
right moves, one of them may not make it out of Miami alive.
Excerpt:
The coffee in my gut was a churning,
acidic whirlpool. The victims had been alive when their heads were severed. Now
give me bloody murder scenes any day of the week. But decapitations? No thank
you. Maybe it all started with that “neck bone connected to the head bone” song
as a kid? Even kids know a head should always be attached to the body! I ran a
hand through my hair, basking in the fact that my head was still there.
My repulsion wasn’t because I was
still wet behind the ears. I’d seen my fair share of serial killers’ handiwork
since I’d come on board with the BAU about three years ago: Some who tortured,
some who raped, some who mutilated bodies. Even one who wore his victims’ skin,
but the latter desecration had been done postmortem.
And here I was, not even in Florida
yet, and my pops’s voice was in my mind. He’d have no sympathy for what I faced
every day on this job. He’d never been a fan of the BAU; he would have been
happier if I’d enrolled and served in the Navy as he had. To him, serving God
and Country was more in line with patriotic duty. That was all fine and good,
and I had no doubt it was because of him that I’d hoped for an assignment in
counterterrorism when I finished at Quantico. But that wasn’t meant to be. And
I’d adjusted. The work I did with the Bureau made a difference regardless of
Pops’s opinion. We brought closure to devastated loved ones, got justice for
innocent victims, and on the best days, even saved lives.
My gaze fell to a photo of Jenna
Kelter, and I stared into her eyes. She was the image of a thirtysomething girl
next door. She was a brunette with hazel eyes and a cute smile. We needed to
save her, and the fastest path there was to figure out what sort of killer we
were dealing with. I considered this killer’s actions thus far and drew a
preliminary conclusion. “Our unsub is intelligent, organized, yet adaptive,” I
posited. “They have the patience to wait until circumstances fit their needs.”
Paige nodded. “That could also
indicate they’d watched their targets beforehand.”
“Even if they were familiar with all
the victims’ routines before prison, what’s to say their schedules resumed that
within three days of release,” I opined.
“Well, they obviously knew where to
strike to get them alone. None of the families or their friends saw the
abductions.” Paige pressed her lips, a little smugness coming from her.
I flipped through the pages, looking
for details on their bail hearings. “I’m assuming Kelter got out on bail?” I’d
read enough of the file to know that she didn’t have any prior DUI offenses, so
the bail amount would likely have been set low.
“She did. And her trial came quickly
because she didn’t dispute the charges,” Zach said. “According to the file,
she’d expressed remorse.”
An Inside Peek at the
FBI Thriller ON THE COUNT OF THREE
There’s something that drives me, that reaches out to me no matter
whether it’s day or night. This taunting is a part of me and cannot be ignored
or dismissed. But I still find a way to exercise restraint and not greedily
indulge. I choose my victims carefully, selectively.
They’ve done things in their lives that have hurt people. No, they’ve
done more than that. They’ve killed people—and they should pay. They’ve served
time in prison for their errors but I’m not sure that’s enough. I’m not here to
be judge and executioner and yet I find that from time to time I take on the
role. Though that’s not what it’s all about.
The people I have chosen always deserve what they have coming and for
that I can’t feel remorse. –the serial killer
from On the Count of Three*
When I set out to write the killer for On the Count of Three, I met one who
gave me absolute shivers. The first chapter is shocking and appalling and will
leave readers taking pause before they continue—but I feel they will continue.
They’ll be drawn in the same way we are all curious of a car crash, and they’ll
want the killer found.
This book takes readers alongside the FBI team to
Miami, Florida. What could be viewed simply as missing person case explodes
into a hunt for a serial killer. It’s all because a local detective has
connected the dots between the recent missing person case and two previous
murders. What follows is a little bit of jurisdictional headbutting between the
detective and FBI agent Brandon Fisher, but they’re going to need to put their
personal differences aside if they are going to have any chance of saving the
missing person.
I invite you to download a copy of On the Count of Three or order in
paperback or hardcover from your favorite retailer. But be warned: this book
isn’t for the faint of heart.
Carolyn
Arnold
International
bestselling author
*The passage above was written specifically for this
post and does not exist in the book.
AUTHOR Bio
and Links:
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning
author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four
continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI,
McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty
books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to
hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been
praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading
her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time
outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots
and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her
stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to
entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and beagle
and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date
information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters
Giveaway:
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