ARC Review: The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan

The Wrong Victim
Author: Allison Brennan
Series: A Quinn & Costa Thriller (Book 3)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (April 26, 2022)

Description: A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime—the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.

Forensic profilers know there are two types of domestic terrorists: those who use violence to instill fear for political purposes but stop at murder because it detracts from the cause, and those who crave attention and are willing to maim and murder for their own agenda.

Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel that caused a massive fish kill, the West End Charter companynmay itself have been the target. But as special agent Matt Costa, detective Kara Quinn and the rest of the FBI team begin their investigation, they discover that plenty of people might have wanted someone dead on that yacht. Now they must track down who is responsible and stop them before they strike again.

My Thoughts: This is the third Quinn & Costa thriller. This time the team is called in when a boat on a sunset cruise in the San Juan Islands explodes killing eight people including retired FBI Agent Neil Devereaux. The first thing they need to do is determine who the target was, and they have lots of possibilities.

West End Charter fleet has drawn a lot of attention from Island Protectors who are convinced that they are deliberately polluting the ocean. Devereaux has been pursuing a cold case since he retired, and he might be getting close to find a murderer. The wife of one of the passengers backed out at the last minute. Perhaps she wanted her wealthy husband dead. There was a last-minute crew change. Maybe either of the crew was the intended victim. 

There are lots of leads to explore and there is also tension on the team. Kara Quinn is a recent addition to the team. After her career as an undercover cop in LA was blown, she needed a place to hide while waiting to testify. Since she had begun a relationship with the team lead Matt Costa, and since she was a great investigator, Matt wanted her on his team. Another team member Dr. Catherine Jones doesn't like her; she thinks she might be a borderline psychopath. She knows their styles of investigating are very different. The friction pulls at Matt who has to mediate between them.

As the investigation proceeds, there is a second bombing and another death which points the finger at IP. Kara begins to wonder if someone close to the investigation is trying to steer it away from the correct path. 

This was an entertaining police procedural filled with complex and interesting characters. It was also packed with action and filled with tension. Fans of thrillers will enjoy this story. 

Favorite Quote:

Kara considered. Cal seemed forthcoming, and the second bombing pointed more fingers at IP, but she still couldn't get Neil's investigation out of her head, or the gas leak at his house.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.