I can’t believe I forgot to review Right Behind You when I finished it. I was just so blown away that it slipped my mind. Better late than never, right?

This was my first Lisa Gardner book. I happened to have picked up The Perfect Husband from 2nd & Charles a while ago, but just hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I don’t remember when I got Right Behind You, but it was the perfect first Gardner book to read.

The Story

Eight years ago, Sharlah May Nash’s older brother beat their drunken father to death with a baseball bat in order to save both of their lives. Now thirteen years old, Sharlah has finally moved on. About to be adopted by retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner, Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts on monsters.

Then the call comes in. A double murder at a local gas station, followed by reports of an armed suspect shooting his way through the wilds of Oregon. As Quincy and Rainie race to assist, they are forced to confront mounting evidence: The shooter may very well be Sharlah’s older brother, Telly Ray Nash, and it appears his killing spree has only just begun.

As the clock winds down on a massive hunt for Telly, Quincy and Rainie must answer two critical questions: Why after eight years has this young man started killing again? And what does this mean for Sharlah? Once upon a time, Sharlah’s big brother saved her life. Now, she has two questions of her own: Is her brother a hero or a killer? And how much will it cost her new family before they learn the final, shattering truth? Because as Sharlah knows all too well, the biggest danger is the one standing right behind you.

My Thoughts

This would have been a five star read. However, I’m super impatient and need to figure things out, so I had flipped to the end to see what happens. Still, it was a solid 4-4.5 stars.

According to Goodreads, this is the seventh book in the series of Quincy and Rainie. Honestly, I had no idea about that. Before I started reading, I thought it was a standalone. I do not feel that I missed out on any piece of the storyline by not having read the first six in the series. I think they’re designed to be a bit Hercule Poirot-like where it’s a consistent character (or set of characters) that makes the series.

Right Behind You kept me guessing the whole time. If I hadn’t peeked at the end, I definitely would not have seen that twist coming. It was the perfect mix of family values plus suspense.

I just discovered that Amazon is starting book clubs! Go ahead and join my virtual book club. Let’s connect online and talk books.

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