Audiobook Review: Girl, Alone by Blake Pierce

Girl, Alone
Author: Blake Pierce
Narrator: Abigail Reno
Series: An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller (Book 1)
Publication: Self Published (January 6, 2021)
Length: 211p.; 8 hours and 31 minutes

Description: GIRL, ALONE (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1) is the debut novel in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.

FBI Agent Ella Dark, 29, is given her big chance to achieve her life’s dream: to join the Behavioral Crimes Unit. Ella’s hidden obsession of gaining an encyclopedic knowledge of serial killers has led to her being singled out for her brilliant mind, and invited to join the big leagues.

But face to face with a real murder, a real killer, and a real ticking clock, Ella realizes she can’t rely on her knowledge. She must learn to trust her instinct, and allow herself to enter the dark canals of a real killer’s mind.

If she gets it wrong, her career is at stake.

And so is the next victim’s life.

Will Ella’s talent be an asset?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the ELLA DARK series is a riveting mystery, packed with suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night.

My Thoughts: I didn't finish this one. I found it remarkably unrealistic and melodramatic. FBI Agent Ella Dark is pulled out of the Intelligence division and assigned to the Behavioral Crimes Unit. Then she is sent to Louisiana with a veteran and legendary agent to try to track down a serial killer.

Ella is an expert on serial killers having studied them for many years. She's quick to identify the crime scenes left by the current serial killer as being duplicates of crime scenes left by famous serial killers. At first, her partner Ripley doesn't believe that she is correct. But soon comes to believe she's onto something. 

My problems with this one were many. First of all, Ella has a secret past which I find hard to believe given the vetting done before someone is hired to work for the FBI. Second, things seem to fall magically in place when Ella joins the investigation.

I also had problems with Ella's character. She's scolded by Ripley and then pouts and doesn't share what she knows that can help the investigation. She also seems suspiciously competent. She's an expert shot and a master of two different martial arts both of which elude her when she's trying to catch a fleeing suspect. 

Agent Ripley's character also suffered from inconsistencies. One moment she scolding Ella, the next she's treating her like the best thing since sliced bread and showering her with fulsome praise. 

Minor things that bothered me included using the wrong word in a sentence or twenty. For example, "Ella quickly strafed to her left as Rick hurtled toward her." Strafe means to attack with bombs or machine guns from low-flying aircraft. I'm not sure what word the author wanted but it couldn't have been the one she chose. 

If you are interested in an unrealistic, melodramatic audiobook this one will work for you. The narrator did a good job with the material provided. 

I bought this one November 21, 2021. You can buy your copy here.