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Erin Blake #1
To Catch a Killer
Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
286 people are currently reading
13355 people want to read
About the author
Sheryl Scarborough
16 books251 followersSHERYL SCARBOROUGH, an award-winning writer for children’s television, is the author of To Catch A Killer and To Right The Wrongs, a YA mystery series with Tor Teen. The appearance of a habitual Peeping Tom at her home when she was twelve, sparked an obsession with forensics. After each visit, Sheryl diligently photographed his footprints and collected the candy wrappers he left behind. Unfortunately, he was never caught. But the desire to use evidence to solve a great mystery was sparked inside Scarborough all the same. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives with her husband and writer-cats in Washington state, across the river from Portland, OR.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 828 reviews
March 4, 2017
Yup.
Point. Five. Star.
Had to give it a rating......if anything but.
Here are SEVEN reasons why:
1) We have a 90 mph slam dunk INSTALOVE. Sorry, I'm getting rid of that shit, can't deal.
2) The main character is somehow smarter than every single adult character in this book, including the fucking police.....(cue eye roll).
3) Boring plot. Literally everyone I know has said this was a fast read...
....hells nuh-uh!
Holy shit I had to plod through this one. Seriously. Almost 5 DAYS TO FINISH.. No PLOT STRUCTURE WHAT-SO-EVER.
4) Love interest's name: JOURNEY.
Wait, what?
Yes.
JOURNEY .
Sigh.
5) Let me talk about how this girl's friends are the ONLY SMART PEOPLE in the whole damn book.
Actually, nah, I'm good. I don't want to.
6) To say that the twist was weak is a fucking understatement, because I found out who the killer was fifty pages into the book. Fucking fifty. Like, mkay, sure but to go through an entire book of eye rolling and sighing.....
BRUh, it ain't worth it.
7) All cheese and a barely structured plot with the lame cliche characters and tropes galore. I didn't like it. You might. I've read enough mystery/thrillers to know what I expect out of that genre and this book didn't do it for me. At. ALL.
We have the 'sketchy' red-herring guy who the MC clearly 'knows' is innocent. They have this certain special connection blah blah. Her two friends are clearly smarter than the MC, and somehow, conveniently, the MC has all the resources she needs to track and find the killer.
**Pretty sure if she found the behavior of a certain someone fifty pages in, the story would have been over by then but, alas, not meant to be. ;.(
Can't believe I stuck though it.
0.5 STAR.
Only because of the cover.
That stupid, stupid cover.
Dammit.
April 21, 2023
This YA mystery features a DNA trifecta with a sequel to look forward to boot. Looking forward to more answers for Erin and Journey. Love the Veronica Mars vibe.
February 12, 2017
*I was sent an advanced copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own!*
Possibly more like 3.5/5 stars
This was a fun and FAST read. There came a point that I seriously couldn't put it down, the second night I MADE myself put it down because otherwise I would have been dead at work.
Erin was such an interesting main character and I loved reading about her. The plot was SO intriguing and I loved following the mystery throughout. Her friends were also so fun and I loved the side characters. I personally felt like they were well fleshed out and had very distinct personalities of their own. I could picture them and even their voices so well in my head when I was reading about them.
The insta-love was a little too much (I will add a spoilery thought here later when I'm at a computer because SERIOUSLY) and I definitely knew who the perpetrator was from chapter 3? 4? Super early on. It was very predictable in that sense, but I loved seeing how everything came together and happened.
Overall, fun characters and interesting plot (though predictable) but it had too much insta-love for me. Besides those two main things, solid read!
Possibly more like 3.5/5 stars
This was a fun and FAST read. There came a point that I seriously couldn't put it down, the second night I MADE myself put it down because otherwise I would have been dead at work.
Erin was such an interesting main character and I loved reading about her. The plot was SO intriguing and I loved following the mystery throughout. Her friends were also so fun and I loved the side characters. I personally felt like they were well fleshed out and had very distinct personalities of their own. I could picture them and even their voices so well in my head when I was reading about them.
The insta-love was a little too much (I will add a spoilery thought here later when I'm at a computer because SERIOUSLY) and I definitely knew who the perpetrator was from chapter 3? 4? Super early on. It was very predictable in that sense, but I loved seeing how everything came together and happened.
Overall, fun characters and interesting plot (though predictable) but it had too much insta-love for me. Besides those two main things, solid read!
November 12, 2017
TO CATCH A KILLER REVIEW IS ALSO ON MY BLOG, AMONG OTHER POSTS AND REVIEWS
R A M B L E
Here’s the thing, I’m super into mystery/crime stuff. Always have been and always will be. My mum has a fascination with serial killers and only reads mystery/thriller novels. My sister when she reads only reads crime novels. I read a large variety of novels but I love crime fiction. Like, wow. I’m currently obsessed with the YouTube channel CrimeDaily that displays evidence of crimes. I’m severely interested in the twisted mentality it would take to murder someone.
Why did I just ramble about that? Well, the description for this book includes Elizabeth Smart who just happens to be a reporter on the CrimeDaily channel. Obviously, that allures to me. However, I wasn’t sure if How To Catch a Killer would be for me because I’m actually pretty sure I tried to read it some time ago and didn’t enjoy it? Nonetheless, I gave it a go and I finished it.
Ultimately, I wasn’t impressed. There was nothing that really made this book stand out. I say this because it was a typical ‘a teenage girl is smarter than the adults’ kind of book. Which is never really a good thing to represent in fiction because if there is a problem you should go to an adult.
I just really didn’t enjoy a lot of this book, to be honest. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters and the plot most certainly did not captivate me. Some parts really interested me but by the second chapter I had my guess who had done the crime and they had indeed done it, basically for the exact motive I had come up with too.
A lot of this book was just strange to me. I felt so much of it was unnecessary and ultimately led to wasted time. I did enjoy the forensics side of the book, the author really made sure to include the detail that gave that particular element further depth in my opinion.
P L O T
The plot forHow To Catch A Killer is pretty simple. Erin lived after her mother was horrifically murdered. Erin was two at the time and had survived for three days until someone came to check up on them. Erin doesn’t exactly carry feelings for this particular event. She never really seems to know how to feel about it herself. Then another tragedy strikes her life, she stumbles upon the body of her science teacher.
I really couldn’t become absorbed in this book. I don’t know why. I really didn’t like the focus on the relationship that formed; it was hard-core insta-love (I mean what boy wants to date a girl who has basically the whole town thinking he killed his science teacher?). I really couldn’t get on board that. Love over the death of someone kind of seems icky to me. But, hey, whatever floats your boat, friends.
Then there was the fact that Erin was smarter than everyone. Her friends were also, which honestly seems so ridiculous. It was a bunch of 17 (?) year olds and they could somehow work out a crime that the FBI and police had no idea about. Yeah, sure, I believe that. Not only was the actual killer super weird but also it was super obvious. I mean, wow. The motive was clear as well.
C H A R A C T E R S
I had a big rant planned for the characters. Honestly, I had dot points and everything to scream and rave about both Journey (the love interest) and Erin. However, about a sentence through I got tired even remembering this book and had to take a nap. I think that speaks volumes about my opinions on these characters more than anything, if you ask me. I truly believe that they could have been better developed, almost everyone felt like they were one dimensional and Erin truly only cared for herself and had great fun disregarding her friends when someone could benefit her more.
O V E R A L L
Overall, I wanted more Stalking Jack The Ripper vibes and mystery that is not whatHow To Catch A Killer is. It is a bunch of teenagers doing whatever they want and ignoring both professionals and guardians. Thankfully the writing style was fast and I finished this book in a day.
R A M B L E
Here’s the thing, I’m super into mystery/crime stuff. Always have been and always will be. My mum has a fascination with serial killers and only reads mystery/thriller novels. My sister when she reads only reads crime novels. I read a large variety of novels but I love crime fiction. Like, wow. I’m currently obsessed with the YouTube channel CrimeDaily that displays evidence of crimes. I’m severely interested in the twisted mentality it would take to murder someone.
Why did I just ramble about that? Well, the description for this book includes Elizabeth Smart who just happens to be a reporter on the CrimeDaily channel. Obviously, that allures to me. However, I wasn’t sure if How To Catch a Killer would be for me because I’m actually pretty sure I tried to read it some time ago and didn’t enjoy it? Nonetheless, I gave it a go and I finished it.
Ultimately, I wasn’t impressed. There was nothing that really made this book stand out. I say this because it was a typical ‘a teenage girl is smarter than the adults’ kind of book. Which is never really a good thing to represent in fiction because if there is a problem you should go to an adult.
I just really didn’t enjoy a lot of this book, to be honest. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters and the plot most certainly did not captivate me. Some parts really interested me but by the second chapter I had my guess who had done the crime and they had indeed done it, basically for the exact motive I had come up with too.
A lot of this book was just strange to me. I felt so much of it was unnecessary and ultimately led to wasted time. I did enjoy the forensics side of the book, the author really made sure to include the detail that gave that particular element further depth in my opinion.
P L O T
The plot forHow To Catch A Killer is pretty simple. Erin lived after her mother was horrifically murdered. Erin was two at the time and had survived for three days until someone came to check up on them. Erin doesn’t exactly carry feelings for this particular event. She never really seems to know how to feel about it herself. Then another tragedy strikes her life, she stumbles upon the body of her science teacher.
I really couldn’t become absorbed in this book. I don’t know why. I really didn’t like the focus on the relationship that formed; it was hard-core insta-love (I mean what boy wants to date a girl who has basically the whole town thinking he killed his science teacher?). I really couldn’t get on board that. Love over the death of someone kind of seems icky to me. But, hey, whatever floats your boat, friends.
Then there was the fact that Erin was smarter than everyone. Her friends were also, which honestly seems so ridiculous. It was a bunch of 17 (?) year olds and they could somehow work out a crime that the FBI and police had no idea about. Yeah, sure, I believe that. Not only was the actual killer super weird but also it was super obvious. I mean, wow. The motive was clear as well.
C H A R A C T E R S
I had a big rant planned for the characters. Honestly, I had dot points and everything to scream and rave about both Journey (the love interest) and Erin. However, about a sentence through I got tired even remembering this book and had to take a nap. I think that speaks volumes about my opinions on these characters more than anything, if you ask me. I truly believe that they could have been better developed, almost everyone felt like they were one dimensional and Erin truly only cared for herself and had great fun disregarding her friends when someone could benefit her more.
O V E R A L L
Overall, I wanted more Stalking Jack The Ripper vibes and mystery that is not whatHow To Catch A Killer is. It is a bunch of teenagers doing whatever they want and ignoring both professionals and guardians. Thankfully the writing style was fast and I finished this book in a day.
December 19, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded up for SCIENCE :)
The actual crime/mystery was fairly obvious from the start, but the characters were well written and I enjoyed the journey to the "reveal" despite figuring it out.
The "instalove" in this book isn't really - we're dropped in to the story where the lead character has an established crush, so I gave it a pass on that. And the science really was interesting; as a kid I was always fascinated by forensics, and it's nice to see a book that treats that as scientific, rather than morbid, curiosity.
All in all enjoyable, and a series I'm likely to continue.
The actual crime/mystery was fairly obvious from the start, but the characters were well written and I enjoyed the journey to the "reveal" despite figuring it out.
The "instalove" in this book isn't really - we're dropped in to the story where the lead character has an established crush, so I gave it a pass on that. And the science really was interesting; as a kid I was always fascinated by forensics, and it's nice to see a book that treats that as scientific, rather than morbid, curiosity.
All in all enjoyable, and a series I'm likely to continue.
February 13, 2017
This book is a disgrace to murder mysteries everywhere.
Well, To Catch a Killer wasn’t the worst mystery I’ve ever read…. But it’s definitely up there in the top five. It was SO BORING.
It doesn’t give the perp right away, but it might as well have. I still saw the end coming from a thousand miles away. It failed to wow me with Erin, or Journey. It kind of makes me sob.
BECAUSE JOURNEY IS AN AWESOME NAME.
WHY. WhY SuCh An AwEsOmE nAme? With such a boring story?! Ugh.
It just plods along. And it’s completely idiotic, because she thinks Journey is the killer…but then there’s something that ties it to her mother’s murder.
Um…. He would have been an infant when her mother died. Yet everyone treated him as a legit suspect.
UM. BABIES CAN’T STAB PEOPLE REPEATEDLY.
The whole book made police look like fools, who only did a haphazard job of investigating anyway.
Attempted murder with a car? Sure, let’s just dust the car handle for finger prints. Not anything else. Let’s have a novice-investigator-teenage-girl find all the things because we are too stupid to do it ourselves. WE, the PoLiCe are BAFFLED by crime. Crime? We don’t know what that is!
It was all just too convenient, all the time. DUES EX MACHINA STRIKES AGAIN. *shakes fist*
It was almost laughable because she thought she was so good at forensics, yet she kept asking her uncle to tell her how it’s done.
So then, a pathetic masquerade comes off the page. You can tell that those moments solely exist for the reader.
I don’t mean to be so harsh, but there simply weren’t any good elements to it. It got one and half stars simply for not being the worst. Them’s the breaks.
*FTC Disclaimer* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way effected my review.
Well, To Catch a Killer wasn’t the worst mystery I’ve ever read…. But it’s definitely up there in the top five. It was SO BORING.
It doesn’t give the perp right away, but it might as well have. I still saw the end coming from a thousand miles away. It failed to wow me with Erin, or Journey. It kind of makes me sob.
BECAUSE JOURNEY IS AN AWESOME NAME.
WHY. WhY SuCh An AwEsOmE nAme? With such a boring story?! Ugh.
It just plods along. And it’s completely idiotic, because she thinks Journey is the killer…but then there’s something that ties it to her mother’s murder.
Um…. He would have been an infant when her mother died. Yet everyone treated him as a legit suspect.
UM. BABIES CAN’T STAB PEOPLE REPEATEDLY.
The whole book made police look like fools, who only did a haphazard job of investigating anyway.
Attempted murder with a car? Sure, let’s just dust the car handle for finger prints. Not anything else. Let’s have a novice-investigator-teenage-girl find all the things because we are too stupid to do it ourselves. WE, the PoLiCe are BAFFLED by crime. Crime? We don’t know what that is!
It was all just too convenient, all the time. DUES EX MACHINA STRIKES AGAIN. *shakes fist*
It was almost laughable because she thought she was so good at forensics, yet she kept asking her uncle to tell her how it’s done.
So then, a pathetic masquerade comes off the page. You can tell that those moments solely exist for the reader.
I don’t mean to be so harsh, but there simply weren’t any good elements to it. It got one and half stars simply for not being the worst. Them’s the breaks.
*FTC Disclaimer* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way effected my review.
October 1, 2017
I would rate this one 3.5, it was a great YA thriller and a quick read.
I'm very behind on my reviews currently but hopefully I'll get to them this month.
I'm very behind on my reviews currently but hopefully I'll get to them this month.
April 21, 2017
Let's start with the positive ones whitch are... The writing was fast, the characters were good, the love story between Erin and Journey was as much as it should be, all this forensic details were interesting (Im fan of CSI as well) so I enjoyed a little more this part, the background so much as Erin's as much as Journey were strong of itself, the writer would be done with it much more... which she didn't...
But....
But all positive ones are negated by the killer's discovery which was too soon... I was hoping that all this would somehow change it... but....
I hope in the next book that both the author and her team are more careful ... 2,5 Stars !!!
Σέριλ μού τα έκανες μαντάρα. Βέβαια για να εξηγούμαστε από το δείγμα (10 κεφάλαια) μου τα είχες κάνει μαντάρα αλλά είπα μπας και δεν κατάλαβα καλά ... αλλά όχι... έπεσες στην παγίδα του "σας ανακαλύπτω τον δολοφόνο από το 8ο κεφάλαιο... "
Σου αναγνωρίζω όμως ότι αυτό είναι το πρώτο σου βιβλίο YA (η γυναίκα πριν από αυτό έγραφε παιδικά βιβλία) και γενικά η κατηγορία των αστυνομικών είναι δύσκολη από μόνη της (φαντάζομαι).
Πρέπει οι συγγραφείς να είναι στην τσίτα προσπαθώντας να γράψουν έστω μία σκηνή και να προσέχουν να μην αποκαλύψουν πολλά (πάλι φαντάζομαι).
Ας τα πάρουμε λοιπόν από την αρχή....
Έχουμε λοιπόν την Έριν μια 16χρονη η οποία ζει με την Ρέιτσελ η οποία την μεγάλωσε (ήταν η κολλητή της μητέρας της) από την ημέρα που βρέθηκε δολοφονημένη (η μητέρα της), στο σπίτι τους, με εκείνη μέσα. Τότε ήταν 2 χρονών και παρότι δεν έχει μνήμες από το περιστατικό είναι το μόνο πράγμα που την στιγματίζει ακόμα και σήμερα, το όλο θέμα είναι ακόμα ποιο ευαίσθητο μιας και παραμένει ανεξιχνίαστη υπόθεση.
Η Έριν λοιπόν εκτός από το ερωτηματικού του δολοφόνου της μητέρας της, έχει και το ερωτηματικό ποιος είναι πατέρας της. Κανείς δεν ξέρει και κανείς δεν είναι διατεθειμένος να την βοηθήσει. Μέχρι που βρίσκεται στο μάθημα της Κυρίας Πι η οποία είναι ειδικευμένη στο DNA και αποφασίζει να την βοηθήσει να βρει ποιος είναι ο πατέρας της με την βοήθεια του DNA.
Όλα περιπλέκονται όταν ένα βράδυ πηγαίνοντας η Έριν στο σπίτι της, να της δώσει τα δείγματα, την βρίσκει νεκρή στο χωλ του σπιτιού της.
Και εκεί ξεκινάνε όλα...
Ας πάρουμε τα συν... η ιστορία από μόνη της έχει πολύ ζουμί... αυτό είναι σίγουρο... ο τρόπος γραφής είναι καλός, οι χαρακτήρες είναι ολοκληρωμένοι και δεμένοι...
Αλλά η συγγραφέας το έχασε στις λεπτομέρειες... Σε κάποια καίρια σημεία που έπρεπε να δοθούν λεπτομέρειες δεν τις έδωσε και σε κάποια άλλα (που δεν χρειαζόταν κιόλας) τα έδωσε απλόχερα έτσι ώστε στο 5ο κεφάλαιο να καταλάβουμε ποιος είναι ο δολοφόνος και στο 15ο κεφάλαιο για ποιο λόγο κινήθηκε έτσι όπως κινήθηκε... Και μετά προσπάθησε να βάλει στο παιχνίδι του ενόχου και άλλους χαρακτήρες που τελικά (προσωπικά πάντα) απλά το έκανε χειρότερο....
Και είναι και το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο που πλέων δεν σου κάνει εντύπωση η ανακάλυψη, απλά ότι επιβεβαιώνεσαι και σκέφτεσαι ότι, ενώ την Έριν την έχει φτιάξει έτσι ώστε να είναι ένα έξυπνο κορίτσι κολλημένη με τα στοιχεία και της αποδείξεις (CSI στυλ) πως δεν κατάλαβε αυτό που όλοι είχαμε καταλάβει.
So, 2,5 αστέρια και ελπίζω στο επόμενο Σέριλ να είσαι τόσο εσύ όσο και η εκδοτική σου ομάδα προσεκτική...
But....
But all positive ones are negated by the killer's discovery which was too soon... I was hoping that all this would somehow change it... but....
I hope in the next book that both the author and her team are more careful ... 2,5 Stars !!!
Σέριλ μού τα έκανες μαντάρα. Βέβαια για να εξηγούμαστε από το δείγμα (10 κεφάλαια) μου τα είχες κάνει μαντάρα αλλά είπα μπας και δεν κατάλαβα καλά ... αλλά όχι... έπεσες στην παγίδα του "σας ανακαλύπτω τον δολοφόνο από το 8ο κεφάλαιο... "
Σου αναγνωρίζω όμως ότι αυτό είναι το πρώτο σου βιβλίο YA (η γυναίκα πριν από αυτό έγραφε παιδικά βιβλία) και γενικά η κατηγορία των αστυνομικών είναι δύσκολη από μόνη της (φαντάζομαι).
Πρέπει οι συγγραφείς να είναι στην τσίτα προσπαθώντας να γράψουν έστω μία σκηνή και να προσέχουν να μην αποκαλύψουν πολλά (πάλι φαντάζομαι).
Ας τα πάρουμε λοιπόν από την αρχή....
Έχουμε λοιπόν την Έριν μια 16χρονη η οποία ζει με την Ρέιτσελ η οποία την μεγάλωσε (ήταν η κολλητή της μητέρας της) από την ημέρα που βρέθηκε δολοφονημένη (η μητέρα της), στο σπίτι τους, με εκείνη μέσα. Τότε ήταν 2 χρονών και παρότι δεν έχει μνήμες από το περιστατικό είναι το μόνο πράγμα που την στιγματίζει ακόμα και σήμερα, το όλο θέμα είναι ακόμα ποιο ευαίσθητο μιας και παραμένει ανεξιχνίαστη υπόθεση.
Η Έριν λοιπόν εκτός από το ερωτηματικού του δολοφόνου της μητέρας της, έχει και το ερωτηματικό ποιος είναι πατέρας της. Κανείς δεν ξέρει και κανείς δεν είναι διατεθειμένος να την βοηθήσει. Μέχρι που βρίσκεται στο μάθημα της Κυρίας Πι η οποία είναι ειδικευμένη στο DNA και αποφασίζει να την βοηθήσει να βρει ποιος είναι ο πατέρας της με την βοήθεια του DNA.
Όλα περιπλέκονται όταν ένα βράδυ πηγαίνοντας η Έριν στο σπίτι της, να της δώσει τα δείγματα, την βρίσκει νεκρή στο χωλ του σπιτιού της.
Και εκεί ξεκινάνε όλα...
Ας πάρουμε τα συν... η ιστορία από μόνη της έχει πολύ ζουμί... αυτό είναι σίγουρο... ο τρόπος γραφής είναι καλός, οι χαρακτήρες είναι ολοκληρωμένοι και δεμένοι...
Αλλά η συγγραφέας το έχασε στις λεπτομέρειες... Σε κάποια καίρια σημεία που έπρεπε να δοθούν λεπτομέρειες δεν τις έδωσε και σε κάποια άλλα (που δεν χρειαζόταν κιόλας) τα έδωσε απλόχερα έτσι ώστε στο 5ο κεφάλαιο να καταλάβουμε ποιος είναι ο δολοφόνος και στο 15ο κεφάλαιο για ποιο λόγο κινήθηκε έτσι όπως κινήθηκε... Και μετά προσπάθησε να βάλει στο παιχνίδι του ενόχου και άλλους χαρακτήρες που τελικά (προσωπικά πάντα) απλά το έκανε χειρότερο....
Και είναι και το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο που πλέων δεν σου κάνει εντύπωση η ανακάλυψη, απλά ότι επιβεβαιώνεσαι και σκέφτεσαι ότι, ενώ την Έριν την έχει φτιάξει έτσι ώστε να είναι ένα έξυπνο κορίτσι κολλημένη με τα στοιχεία και της αποδείξεις (CSI στυλ) πως δεν κατάλαβε αυτό που όλοι είχαμε καταλάβει.
So, 2,5 αστέρια και ελπίζω στο επόμενο Σέριλ να είσαι τόσο εσύ όσο και η εκδοτική σου ομάδα προσεκτική...
March 10, 2020
Full Review on The Candid Cover
4.5 Stars
It’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller, but when I first saw To Catch a Killer, I knew I had to pick it up. This is a fast-paced mystery about a young girl who attempts to solve two murders that are connected. I absolutely adored the use of forensics to crack the case and the main character’s intelligence. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it, even to those who aren’t big mystery fans.
This book is an action-packed mystery about a girl trying to find the person who killed both her mother and her teacher. I enjoyed the main character’s approach and her group of friends who are able to assist her in solving the murders. There are many diversions and different suspects to keep the reader guessing, even if I did find the ending to be pretty predictable. The novel has everything I hope for in a thriller, and fans of the mystery genre will definitely adore this book as well.
One of the aspects I found to be the most interesting in this story is the use of forensics. I have never seen this before in YA and after reading this, I would love to see more. It is clear that the author really knows her stuff since the techniques that the characters use are described in a way that is so easy to understand. The fact that the main character hunts for evidence to analyze instead of just running around town looking for some sort of vague clue made me enjoy the story so much more. Forensic science has always intrigued me, which is probably why I loved To Catch a Killer so much.
I really enjoyed the main character, Erin. She is so resourceful and uses the tips in her uncle’s book to teach herself how to analyze DNA. Erin has such a captivating voice, and her cleverness makes her so likeable. She also has a very complex backstory which makes her such a developed character. Erin has her moments and makes some questionable decisions, but she is still an engaging character overall.
To Catch a Killer is an epic cliffhanger that features the use of forensics to solve two linked murders. The main character is so likeable and very talented. This story is a perfect mystery, even if it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.
4.5 Stars
It’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller, but when I first saw To Catch a Killer, I knew I had to pick it up. This is a fast-paced mystery about a young girl who attempts to solve two murders that are connected. I absolutely adored the use of forensics to crack the case and the main character’s intelligence. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it, even to those who aren’t big mystery fans.
This book is an action-packed mystery about a girl trying to find the person who killed both her mother and her teacher. I enjoyed the main character’s approach and her group of friends who are able to assist her in solving the murders. There are many diversions and different suspects to keep the reader guessing, even if I did find the ending to be pretty predictable. The novel has everything I hope for in a thriller, and fans of the mystery genre will definitely adore this book as well.
One of the aspects I found to be the most interesting in this story is the use of forensics. I have never seen this before in YA and after reading this, I would love to see more. It is clear that the author really knows her stuff since the techniques that the characters use are described in a way that is so easy to understand. The fact that the main character hunts for evidence to analyze instead of just running around town looking for some sort of vague clue made me enjoy the story so much more. Forensic science has always intrigued me, which is probably why I loved To Catch a Killer so much.
I really enjoyed the main character, Erin. She is so resourceful and uses the tips in her uncle’s book to teach herself how to analyze DNA. Erin has such a captivating voice, and her cleverness makes her so likeable. She also has a very complex backstory which makes her such a developed character. Erin has her moments and makes some questionable decisions, but she is still an engaging character overall.
To Catch a Killer is an epic cliffhanger that features the use of forensics to solve two linked murders. The main character is so likeable and very talented. This story is a perfect mystery, even if it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.
Read
February 7, 2017I'm always up for a mystery, so I was excited to try To Catch a Killer. And there's so much about this book to like. First, Erin was a great main character -- smart and relatable. She hasn't had an easy life -- after the death of her mother she's been raised by her mom's best friend, and the fact that her mom's murder remains unsolved has cast a shadow over her life.
Along with her friends, Lysa and Spam, Erin runs an investigation business where she delves into cases of cheating boyfriends, etc. She's also secretly trying to solve her mother's murder. And when her beloved biology teacher and she discovers the body, she's plunged into yet another dangerous mystery. Anyone else getting a Veronica Mars vibe?
I loved that this book featured a lot of forensic science. If you're a fan of shows like CSI, this story will be right up your alley. I loved the friendship between Lysa, Erin and Spam. And I loved the relationship between Erin and her "aunt" Rachel, who took Erin in after her mom's death and provides a great, supportive adult present. I also thought the mystery in this was well-crafted, with a lot of red herrings. The only thing that gave me pause was that Erin had a LOT of convenient sources of inside information -- a high school biology teacher who knows all about forensics, a best friend whose father is a lawyer, an uncle who's an FBI agent, her aunt's best friend who is a police officer, a part-time job at the police department. While I do understand that it's hard to get a teen detective access to information, this much access strained credulity a little bit.
Still, this book is engaging and fun, with a main character I loved and a mystery that kept me guessing. If you're a mystery fan or a Veronica fan, definitely give this a try. I'll be giving away a copy on Freebie Friday, so please stop by!
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable or not, and other readers may disagree with my opinion.
Along with her friends, Lysa and Spam, Erin runs an investigation business where she delves into cases of cheating boyfriends, etc. She's also secretly trying to solve her mother's murder. And when her beloved biology teacher and she discovers the body, she's plunged into yet another dangerous mystery. Anyone else getting a Veronica Mars vibe?
I loved that this book featured a lot of forensic science. If you're a fan of shows like CSI, this story will be right up your alley. I loved the friendship between Lysa, Erin and Spam. And I loved the relationship between Erin and her "aunt" Rachel, who took Erin in after her mom's death and provides a great, supportive adult present. I also thought the mystery in this was well-crafted, with a lot of red herrings. The only thing that gave me pause was that Erin had a LOT of convenient sources of inside information -- a high school biology teacher who knows all about forensics, a best friend whose father is a lawyer, an uncle who's an FBI agent, her aunt's best friend who is a police officer, a part-time job at the police department. While I do understand that it's hard to get a teen detective access to information, this much access strained credulity a little bit.
Still, this book is engaging and fun, with a main character I loved and a mystery that kept me guessing. If you're a mystery fan or a Veronica fan, definitely give this a try. I'll be giving away a copy on Freebie Friday, so please stop by!
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable or not, and other readers may disagree with my opinion.
February 26, 2017
I liked the characters, the plot was pretty good and although in some moments it's easy to read by others it becomes a little heavy, on the other hand this isn't what mainly annoys me , actually was that I end up being quite predictable and I'm a little disappointed about because I think the most important thing in a crime and mystery book is to surprise you and leave you speechless, but that hasn't happened.
PS: The cover is incredible, I really love it and it goes well with the plot of the book
3.5 / 5 Stars
May 4, 2021
I loved this book it has all what makes these kinds of books great a well written mystery a great thriller story as well as a crime that started it all. I loved the characters so much especially Erin her group of friends and Journey I really liked how their relationship develops as the story progresses. I really liked Erin for her want to find out who killed her mother she is a genuinely interesting character she wants to know more about her mother she is a very complex character that I loved reading about. I also loved the other characters like Rachel her guardian and Victor her Uncle they both were well written adults that were so very likeable. I really liked the plot it started out with a bang which was Erin finding the murdered body of her teacher Miss P the story has Erin doing everything she could to solve this crime meets people along the way the story was very twisty I really loved how it ended I will be reading the next book soon.
August 1, 2020
I hated this book. It felt like the author thought I was twelve and had to baby everything. This book absolutely just filled me with insurmountable rage. This was most definitely one of my least-favorite (although coherent) books. For a bit of background I'm a Criminology undergraduate and I understand crimes and have been studying forensics and the psychology behind killers for a good part of my life. This plot was ridiculous, as were the characters and the motive. Also the ending but that is another matter. First of all I guessed who the killer was unsurprisingly early (like 50 pages in) it was so obvious that I almost dismissed it because it would be a stupid murderer. Next I want to address the love interest's father being in jail for murder with no proof because the head police didn't like evidence and liked things old fashioned. Excuse me, what? That is not a possibility nor even slightly believable. I truly believe the author read one forensic's book and went "wow look at me, I'm so smart I could be a detective, let me create this stupid plot". Actually I am certain of this. Not to personally attack the author (or profile her) but this book was very telling about her as a person. It mentioned in her author bio that her family was victim to a Peeping Tom and that when she was twelve she collected footprints and candy wrappers but that the police never found the Peeping Tom. It's clear that she thought she was superior to the police from this discovery as a child and this became a complex for her, despite not knowing what it would take to actually find someone doing the crime and arresting them. Her book is set up very similarly but with raised stakes (murder). This felt like I was reading the author's dream as well as her ego. Most books follow a character that is a piece of the author's personality but this felt like I was reading a book about her but with a different name and a tragic backstory that is never followed though. If I had all the time until the earth spontaneously combusted or the sun blew up, I would still lack the time to explained why this book sucked. I will try to get the key points in though. All of the characters were bad and I hated all of them. Erin's best friends were stereotypes that were just one word; one was a geek and the other was a prep. One hacked things and the other like gossip, can I make it any more obvious? They were flat. All the characters except for Erin were flat, and we've already established that Erin is the author in her dream. Don't believe me about characters? I will give you more examples. Journey; popular but with dark secret (that isn't actually a secret because he is surprised Erin doesn't know although the author backtracks on this later). Her mom figure is literally just strict. Also Erin is the worst. She is rude to everyone and withholds information and then blames the people she doesn't tell. She is constantly making fun of her friends in her mind for being the stereotypes that they are. She also has a very unhealthy obsession with her mother's murder just because she hasn't met her mother. That is not an excuse for what she was doing. Recreating her mother's crime scene in her attic is messed up on so many levels and everyone just brushes over this because she never knew her mother. Um no maybe don't do that. Although the forensic's in the book was fairly accurate (but clearly forced from a book that author had found) the psychological aspects and Criminology of how crimes are handled could not have been more wrong. Courts need forensic evidence. They aren't able to just put people in jail without a reason and even then unless the evidence is conclusive they can only be held between 24-72 hours. Also the lasting effects of trauma and how they affect relationship was explored in a way that was half-way-done and uncomplex and her mother figure goes from "raising you was a pain and I didn't want to" to "I love you and you have made my life better by living in it". The adults were so stupid in this book that it wasn't even funny, it was just kind of sad. The police were just cast as the "bad-guys". Now there are so many way police can be bad-guys, especially due to recent events, so why not make it realistic. The ways she discredited the police was so dumb because she wan't threatened by them, nor was anyone she knew so they just chose not to call the police. There were multiple scenarios where they could have called the police to say "hey we are in danger". Like multiple occasions, but despite having no reason other than "I don't have time to explain it to someone new" after just explaining it to her friend it was one of the dumbest things and it put many many lives at risk. Also, no killer brings around a 14 year old souvenir of a killing (despite it being illogical that someone keep a souvenir from a crime of passion) and then the accidentally drop it. That is probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. Also quick side thing that her idol/kind-or-uncle talks about her appearance being the same as her mom's after clearly stating he was attracted to her mom and talking about her appearance multiple time was uncomfortable. The motive was unrealistic, didn't match how her mother was murdered and seemed like an afterthought. Also the bio 101 at her school gets changed to forensics at the end. Um no. Kids need Bio 101 for universities. You can't just change it because the main character like it. Someone training to be anything from a doctor to a vet needs bio not forensics. Does this school just screw over everyone but Erin. I mean in all honestly, probably. The ending gave Erin everything she wanted and more. She suffered no consequences for stealing a police file and tampering with evidence and got literally everything her way. I haven't never been that frustrated with a book since Gold Fame Citrus (which is my all-time-least-favorite-book but it is quite incoherent). Also the romance was just lazy and had no conflict not development. I hated this book and will never read from this series again (or the author) no matter what I hear every again. Sheryl Scarborough I hope you realize how stupid this book and are ashamed of your debut novel.
July 20, 2016
I haven't read a mystery/thriller novel in years, and this was the perfect book to remind me how enjoyable they are. Erin has known tragedy her whole life, but instead of it sinking her into despair, it has made her smart. A lot of things made this book enjoyable, including Erin's friends, Spam, Lysa, and Journey (I found myself wanting more of Spam and Lysa sleuthing, in fact), and the parts with her uncle Victor, but Erin's smarts topped the list. The scenes where she uses forensic science to get answers to the mysteries she's embroiled in are made totally plausible and totally engaging by Scarborough's clever writing. And the mystery is wrapped up with a very satisfying ending. If you enjoy YA mysteries, pick this one up!
February 7, 2017
Es un libro entretenido y dinámico, con un regustito a Pretty Little Liars.
Va bien para un público muy joven, de preferencia no demasiado experimentado en el genero. Sobre todo porque quién es el verdadero asesino es obvio desde el minuto cero y las pistas que van dejando no son nada sutiles.
Además, es la típica novela en la que te la pasas gritando "¡Pero por qué no vas con la policía, nenaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!". Porque es lo lógico, pero sino no habría novela (eso no quita que no sea irritante).
Sin embargo, no está mal. Entretiene y es original.
Va bien para un público muy joven, de preferencia no demasiado experimentado en el genero. Sobre todo porque quién es el verdadero asesino es obvio desde el minuto cero y las pistas que van dejando no son nada sutiles.
Además, es la típica novela en la que te la pasas gritando "¡Pero por qué no vas con la policía, nenaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!". Porque es lo lógico, pero sino no habría novela (eso no quita que no sea irritante).
Sin embargo, no está mal. Entretiene y es original.
February 7, 2017
A really fun YA thriller, especially for a My Favorite Murder podcast fan like me.
October 22, 2019
I thought this book was an interesting read, I don't usually feel super absorbed into a particular book. Yet I remember feeling the tension while reading about a kidnapping that has happened. Erin and her friend was driving at full speed, trying to track down where the kidnapper had brought her friends. I also remember opening my mouth in astonishment very often. One major theme in this book is to never give up even after being scapegoated. The main character in this book was first suspected of being the murder of a crime, but after a lot of hard work, she cleared herself and her boyfriend from the suspect list. This book is a mix of mystery and romance, so I would recommend this to anyone who likes the genres mystery and crime.
October 27, 2022
This book was absolutely amazing. I'm super interested in forensics and it taught me a lot of cool tricks in an entertaining way! My only complaint is that it was quite predictable. But oh well. I tend to think a lot of mystery books are predictable. Maybe it's just me. Either way, I loved this book and I cannot wait to get the sequel!
February 28, 2017
2.5 stars
There’s always right and wrong. And then there’s what your gut tells you to do. My gut has never steered me wrong.To Catch a Killer was an entertaining and engrossing story (as most mysteries are), but even the fast pace of the story can't cover up the fact that the reveal itself was extremely predictable and the plot overall was very unrealistic.
When Erin Blake was a toddler, her mother was murdered. Now sixteen, Erin has made it her mission to discover what exactly happened to her mother with the help of her biology teacher Miss P. But when Miss P is found murdered, Erin realizes that whoever killed her mother might still out there...
Basic eyewitness testimony is only accurate about half the time. Science has a much better track record than that.As an aspiring attorney, I found myself intrigued by the use of forensic chemistry to solve the murder. Sheryl Scarborough clearly did a lot of research on the subject, and it shows. In that manner the story almost feels like an episode of CSI or Bones.
While the forensic aspect was fascinating, the mystery was not quite as engrossing. The culprit was extremely easy to guess and I wasn't surprised whatsoever at the reveal. While some red herrings were scattered throughout the story, they were rather ineffective.
Additionally, there were aspects of the story that felt rather unrealistic. Frankly, it's hard to believe that a biology teacher would help a student solve a murder investigation like Miss P did with Erin.
While To Catch a Killer is entertaining and engrossing, the bad elements outweigh the good. If you're looking for a quality YA mystery I'd highly recommend Dangerous Girls, The Westing Game, or Damage Done instead.
I don’t know why terrible things happen to good people, but sometimes they just do.
February 16, 2017
GRADE: A-
4.5 stars
Erin Blake is that girl. You know the one. The toddler who walked around in the blood of her murdered mother for three days until she was found hungry and crying, because she couldn't wake her mommy. Now she's a teenager with a penchant for forensics, hoping to solve the identity of her father, and maybe her mother's killer. When her science teacher is murdered in a similar manner, Erin finds the body. Her amateur detective work makes her a suspect. With the help of her friends, she may just solve the mystery of both murders.
TO CATCH A KILLER is one of those special books that's fun to read. Though the subject matter was serious, Erin's engaging, often humorous voice made Sheryl Scarborough's debut novel an enjoyable page turner. I pegged the killer(s) nearly at the beginning, it didn't detract of my enjoyment and interest in discovering the whys. Scarborough did a fantastic job showing how Erin's knowledge of basic forensic techniques could be plausible by describing enough of the methods to explain without being so technical I zoned out.
I loved the characters unique, multidimensional personalities and backstories. Erin was a particular smart, strong, believable protagonist.
Some readers might be frustrated with a few convenient coincidences, but I enjoyed the story and characters so much I bumped my rating up to five.
The ending of TO CATCH A KILLER left open the possibility of a sequel. Which I will be excited to preorder.
4.5 stars
Erin Blake is that girl. You know the one. The toddler who walked around in the blood of her murdered mother for three days until she was found hungry and crying, because she couldn't wake her mommy. Now she's a teenager with a penchant for forensics, hoping to solve the identity of her father, and maybe her mother's killer. When her science teacher is murdered in a similar manner, Erin finds the body. Her amateur detective work makes her a suspect. With the help of her friends, she may just solve the mystery of both murders.
TO CATCH A KILLER is one of those special books that's fun to read. Though the subject matter was serious, Erin's engaging, often humorous voice made Sheryl Scarborough's debut novel an enjoyable page turner. I pegged the killer(s) nearly at the beginning, it didn't detract of my enjoyment and interest in discovering the whys. Scarborough did a fantastic job showing how Erin's knowledge of basic forensic techniques could be plausible by describing enough of the methods to explain without being so technical I zoned out.
I loved the characters unique, multidimensional personalities and backstories. Erin was a particular smart, strong, believable protagonist.
Some readers might be frustrated with a few convenient coincidences, but I enjoyed the story and characters so much I bumped my rating up to five.
The ending of TO CATCH A KILLER left open the possibility of a sequel. Which I will be excited to preorder.
May 20, 2018
At 2 years old, Erin Blake was found next to the body of her murdered mother. Determined to find her mother’s killer, a now teenaged Erin enlists the aid of her biology teacher who plans to create a forensic lab on campus.
In the next breath, said teacher is also murdered and none other than Erin has to be the one that finds her cold, bloody lifeless body.
The story had a great start and the opening chapters drew me in. The support characters especially Samantha aka Spam were funny and likeable. At times I forgot Erin completely even if she was the narrator.
At midway, I started to zone. The romance with classmate Journey, who Erin initially pegged at the scene of the crime then recanted, felt convenient and contrived. It diluted the suspense.
The last few chapters, especially when Erin’s Uncle Victor of the FBI steps in, brought back the focus although by then one could already figure out the suspect.
Pluses for the cool DNA lessons!
In the next breath, said teacher is also murdered and none other than Erin has to be the one that finds her cold, bloody lifeless body.
The story had a great start and the opening chapters drew me in. The support characters especially Samantha aka Spam were funny and likeable. At times I forgot Erin completely even if she was the narrator.
At midway, I started to zone. The romance with classmate Journey, who Erin initially pegged at the scene of the crime then recanted, felt convenient and contrived. It diluted the suspense.
The last few chapters, especially when Erin’s Uncle Victor of the FBI steps in, brought back the focus although by then one could already figure out the suspect.
Pluses for the cool DNA lessons!
dnf
February 16, 2017I feel really bad about DNFing this but I just am not even really interested in the rest of this book. I read the first 145 pages and I'm just not engaged, I'm not connected to the characters at all, and everything so far seems to keep working out nice and smoothly for the characters. Every time there's a hitch or complication, the MC just happens to know someone or have something that solves that little problem. She knows someone who works at the police station, the FBI, as a lawyer, in technology, etc... Plus, I had a sort of feeling of who had done it and when I skimmed through to the end, I saw I was right. I'm almost never right.
If you like mysteries, you still might like this one. There's some forensics stuff that's kind of interesting and a couple of friendships that I liked but otherwise, I wasn't very impressed.
If you like mysteries, you still might like this one. There's some forensics stuff that's kind of interesting and a couple of friendships that I liked but otherwise, I wasn't very impressed.
August 15, 2017
I really don't often go out of my way to read thrillers or mysteries since it's not necessarily always my cup of tea. However, I decided to give TO CATCH A KILLER a shot simply because I thought the forensics angle was interesting. It was definitely engaging, and I was glued to the story till the end. I also liked the bits of forensics that were included, since I'm only familiar with forensics on a crime show basis. But there were also definitely things that made me roll my eyes a bit, and also made it hard to truly suspend my belief completely.
January 20, 2019
This book was awful. So far fetched that it’s almost laughable. I even think that the teens it was marketed towards would find the concept silly. None of it made sense, techniques used in the book were highly unrealistic and downright inappropriately skewed. The instant romance cliche was the icing on the flop cake. Answers fell into the lap of the main character like candy. Unrealistic, problematic candy. If you value your time, don’t bother picking this up.
April 29, 2017
Erin needs to get over herself.
August 3, 2017
I knew who done it
November 2, 2020
I read this book two years ago and don’t remember anything about it except for a fun fact that impresses people when I say it!
February 7, 2017
To Catch a Killer left me with mixed feelings. I enjoyed the overall story but I wasn't impressed with the mystery. It left more to be desired. However, as a hardcore crime show fan I was crazy excited about the forensic aspect in the book.
My main problem with To Catch a Killer was the lack of suspense to the story. I was expecting something gritty and dramatic but what I got was a little plain. Almost anticlimactic. Don't get me wrong, the story kept me guessing till the end but there just wasn't any real twists or turns. The clues were very in-your-face and too easy. I feel like the overall storyline wasn't developed enough. Some of the facts and ideas weren't incorporated into the story and only came up when needed or when it's convenient. Maybe I watch too many crime shows but a lot of my predictions came true. Nothing surprised me. A major point of the story was left unresolved but the possibility presented definitely peaked my interest. I'll be looking forward to book two for some answers.
Now what I love the most about this book was the forensics. It was thrilling and stimulating to read about the procedures and experiments Erin conducted. You can tell Ms. Scarborough did her research. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were super insightful. I confess that I rated this book a little higher because of all the forensic talk~
Erin was a likable character. I sympathized with her need to know but I did not enjoy seeing how lovesick she was for the school's golden boy Journey. Especially after he gets entangled in her investigation. Barely any time passed before they're into each other. There wasn't enough development to their relationship to convince me of their romance. And the way Erin fretted over her feelings for him irked me. We're in the middle of solving a murder, maybe two, and all you can think about is your crush/boyfriend? *cue eye roll*
There's a case of awesome friendship in To Catch a Killer. Erin's best friends, Spam and Lysa were essential to her (investigation). Without them she wouldn't have been able to solve anything or even stayed alive. They're smart, quick and resourceful but most of all they cared deeply for Erin. The way they always stood by her makes them total keepers.
Don't go into To Catch a Killer expecting a dramatic murder mystery because you will be disappointed. But if procedural dramas are your thing then this book will be a fun read with useful forensic facts and a bonus of amazing friendship rep.
My main problem with To Catch a Killer was the lack of suspense to the story. I was expecting something gritty and dramatic but what I got was a little plain. Almost anticlimactic. Don't get me wrong, the story kept me guessing till the end but there just wasn't any real twists or turns. The clues were very in-your-face and too easy. I feel like the overall storyline wasn't developed enough. Some of the facts and ideas weren't incorporated into the story and only came up when needed or when it's convenient. Maybe I watch too many crime shows but a lot of my predictions came true. Nothing surprised me. A major point of the story was left unresolved but the possibility presented definitely peaked my interest. I'll be looking forward to book two for some answers.
Now what I love the most about this book was the forensics. It was thrilling and stimulating to read about the procedures and experiments Erin conducted. You can tell Ms. Scarborough did her research. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were super insightful. I confess that I rated this book a little higher because of all the forensic talk~
Erin was a likable character. I sympathized with her need to know but I did not enjoy seeing how lovesick she was for the school's golden boy Journey. Especially after he gets entangled in her investigation. Barely any time passed before they're into each other. There wasn't enough development to their relationship to convince me of their romance. And the way Erin fretted over her feelings for him irked me. We're in the middle of solving a murder, maybe two, and all you can think about is your crush/boyfriend? *cue eye roll*
There's a case of awesome friendship in To Catch a Killer. Erin's best friends, Spam and Lysa were essential to her (investigation). Without them she wouldn't have been able to solve anything or even stayed alive. They're smart, quick and resourceful but most of all they cared deeply for Erin. The way they always stood by her makes them total keepers.
Don't go into To Catch a Killer expecting a dramatic murder mystery because you will be disappointed. But if procedural dramas are your thing then this book will be a fun read with useful forensic facts and a bonus of amazing friendship rep.
March 20, 2017
Erin Blake's name is famous in the way where when people hear it especially the police; they are transported back to the murder that rocked the small town where a mother was killed, and her toddler was left with the dead body for three days before discovery. Nobody knew who killed her mother and why Erin was left unharmed. Erin went on to live with her mom's best friend Rachel, and for the next fourteen years, she was unharmed. During her time with Rachel, Erin found a love for crime and forensics and helped with her two best friends to start a side PI Business called Cheaters Anonymous. At her high school, Erin had a favorite teacher who was currently helping her test DNA and evidently discovers who her father is. When Erin's teacher shows up dead, and Erin discovers the body, she is hauled down to the police station, and from then her past will be dredged up including her mother's murder. Erin wasn't alone that night at her teacher's house as her biology teacher was helping another student with a DNA project - Journey Michaels. To Catch a Killer moves along fast at first with Erin and Journey being the two main suspects but hits a slow patch when the pair alongside Erin's friends decide to solve the murder themselves. In doing so though, will they be able to solve the cold case of who killed Erin's mother and who is Erin's father? I have to admit that I was a little disappointed at the way the last two questions were touched on in To Catch a Killer as I was hoping for a bit more information rather than the novel focusing on the current murder of the Biology teacher which was clearly connected. Also, the way the police system was viewed in To Catch a Killer makes me hope that some of the stations and police aren't as clouded in judgment and views and that these days they look outside of the box for suspects as not all cases are clear-cut and black and white. Overall though if you are looking for a good YA suspense with teen detectives like Nancy Drew or Veronica Mars, then Erin Blake is your girl.
February 7, 2017
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
Every now and again, I love reading a mystery/thriller much like this one. They tend to be full of tense, edge of your seat action, and honestly make you guess at what's going on throughout the novel, leading up to this spectacular twist of a conclusion that you never see coming. I read so many thrillers throughout the year, and I can't resist a new one when I see it.
To Catch a Killer was on my list of must read books the second I heard about it, and I was so lucky to get a copy from Tor Teen for review (thank you!). When I sat down with this book, I didn't even bother to pace myself while reading it (I like to draw out my reading time sometimes when I read thrillers, because it helps build suspense) - I kind of just started the book and then got lost in it. I read half of it before going to sleep one night, and then finished it as soon as I woke up. It was such a fun book - fast paced and full of clues and all kinds of plot twists that I just couldn't wait to discover.
"I didn't just think about my mother's killer, I obsessed over him. Is he tall? Short? Mean? Nice? Old? Young? He could be any man walking down the street."
Erin Blake is a common household name. When she was young, her mother was killed, and she was locked in the house, alone with her mother, until she was found. Unfortunately, they never caught her mother's killer. Because of this, Erin is known by everyone, and people immediately think of the tragedy that she suffered when she was young as soon as they meet her.
Living with her mother's best friend, Rachel, Erin has grown up without a father and knowing only the basics about her mother - Rachel doesn't like to talk about her mother, and Erin has no other family. But she does have her best friends - Lysa and Spam - and together the three of them do and talk about everything together.
However, when Erin is at her teacher's house one night, she comes upon an unfortunate encounter - her teacher has been murdered, and Erin is the one to discover her body. The only other person at the scene is a basketball player at school, Journey.
"Now come the questions, hard and fast. They'll expect me to have answers. But all I have are more questions.
Beginning with, who killed Miss P?"
Miss P was Erin's favorite teacher - a teacher who was helping her to uncover some information that she didn't feel anyone else would help her with. However, now Miss P is gone, and Erin is one of the suspects of her murder, along with Journey. At first, when Journey sees Erin after that night, he's none too happy - after all, Erin pretty much told the police he was there, and now everyone things Journey killed her. But did he?
Eventually, Erin confronts Journey, learning his side of the story. Much to their dismay, when Erin and Journey decide to team up, Erin's friends Spam and Lysa aren't too happy - they feel as if Erin is making rash decisions, especially due to the fact that Erin has had a crush on Journey for years.
As more and more things pop up, including encounters that almost leave Erin dead, she has to try to put the pieces together and find out who the real killer is, and quickly, before the next time when she might not be too lucky.
This book was a really great thriller, and although crime thrillers aren't typically my thing, I think this book may have changed my mind about feeling that way. It had me trying to piece together the things that were going on to figure out who the killer was.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of hints, and I guessed at who it was quite early in the novel - if you pay careful attention, you might be able to guess as well, but if you don't read into things as much as I tend to, then you might be in the dark. While I knew exactly who the killer was before I even reached the middle of the book, I still found this to be quite the enjoyable read, and I loved watching Erin, Journey, Spam, and Lysa try to gather evidence and solve the murder the best they could.
While I liked Erin's character and I thought that her sassy yet smart attitude brought a lot to this book, there was one instance where I found her a little unsettled. Erin spends a lot of time up in her attic, where she has some things that were her mother's - and at one point in the book, her friends discover a chalk outline on the floor - something that made them all a little uneasy. The weird part was, after that section in the book, the outline isn't talked about again, and during that chapter, Erin's character seemed a little bit off from the rest of the book, but then she was fine. It's hard to explain without giving too much away and ruining the story, but I thought that was kind of...strange. It just seemed out of place and made Erin seem unreliable. But then again, she has dealt with a lot in her life, including the death of her mother and not knowing the identity of her father, so of course she's going to be grieving in different ways.
This was definitely a well rounded book - with the whole murder investigation going on, there is still time for Spam, Lysa, and Erin to spend time together, and we learn about some neat things that they have going on, such as Cheater Check, a service they provide to the girls at school where they investigate their boyfriends (and the hair or lipstick on their clothes) to make sure they're faithful. It's interesting, and really nice to see a main character (and supporting characters) that have plenty of talent and skills that allow them to do this sort of thing. I love strong and driven characters in books, and this one definitely has them.
I loved the ending of this book, too. It all gets wrapped up neatly, so there's no loose ends hanging around. There's closure (subtle closure, maybe, but still closure), and I loved that. It made the story feel complete.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review - Thank you, Tor Teen!
Every now and again, I love reading a mystery/thriller much like this one. They tend to be full of tense, edge of your seat action, and honestly make you guess at what's going on throughout the novel, leading up to this spectacular twist of a conclusion that you never see coming. I read so many thrillers throughout the year, and I can't resist a new one when I see it.
To Catch a Killer was on my list of must read books the second I heard about it, and I was so lucky to get a copy from Tor Teen for review (thank you!). When I sat down with this book, I didn't even bother to pace myself while reading it (I like to draw out my reading time sometimes when I read thrillers, because it helps build suspense) - I kind of just started the book and then got lost in it. I read half of it before going to sleep one night, and then finished it as soon as I woke up. It was such a fun book - fast paced and full of clues and all kinds of plot twists that I just couldn't wait to discover.
"I didn't just think about my mother's killer, I obsessed over him. Is he tall? Short? Mean? Nice? Old? Young? He could be any man walking down the street."
Erin Blake is a common household name. When she was young, her mother was killed, and she was locked in the house, alone with her mother, until she was found. Unfortunately, they never caught her mother's killer. Because of this, Erin is known by everyone, and people immediately think of the tragedy that she suffered when she was young as soon as they meet her.
Living with her mother's best friend, Rachel, Erin has grown up without a father and knowing only the basics about her mother - Rachel doesn't like to talk about her mother, and Erin has no other family. But she does have her best friends - Lysa and Spam - and together the three of them do and talk about everything together.
However, when Erin is at her teacher's house one night, she comes upon an unfortunate encounter - her teacher has been murdered, and Erin is the one to discover her body. The only other person at the scene is a basketball player at school, Journey.
"Now come the questions, hard and fast. They'll expect me to have answers. But all I have are more questions.
Beginning with, who killed Miss P?"
Miss P was Erin's favorite teacher - a teacher who was helping her to uncover some information that she didn't feel anyone else would help her with. However, now Miss P is gone, and Erin is one of the suspects of her murder, along with Journey. At first, when Journey sees Erin after that night, he's none too happy - after all, Erin pretty much told the police he was there, and now everyone things Journey killed her. But did he?
Eventually, Erin confronts Journey, learning his side of the story. Much to their dismay, when Erin and Journey decide to team up, Erin's friends Spam and Lysa aren't too happy - they feel as if Erin is making rash decisions, especially due to the fact that Erin has had a crush on Journey for years.
As more and more things pop up, including encounters that almost leave Erin dead, she has to try to put the pieces together and find out who the real killer is, and quickly, before the next time when she might not be too lucky.
This book was a really great thriller, and although crime thrillers aren't typically my thing, I think this book may have changed my mind about feeling that way. It had me trying to piece together the things that were going on to figure out who the killer was.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of hints, and I guessed at who it was quite early in the novel - if you pay careful attention, you might be able to guess as well, but if you don't read into things as much as I tend to, then you might be in the dark. While I knew exactly who the killer was before I even reached the middle of the book, I still found this to be quite the enjoyable read, and I loved watching Erin, Journey, Spam, and Lysa try to gather evidence and solve the murder the best they could.
While I liked Erin's character and I thought that her sassy yet smart attitude brought a lot to this book, there was one instance where I found her a little unsettled. Erin spends a lot of time up in her attic, where she has some things that were her mother's - and at one point in the book, her friends discover a chalk outline on the floor - something that made them all a little uneasy. The weird part was, after that section in the book, the outline isn't talked about again, and during that chapter, Erin's character seemed a little bit off from the rest of the book, but then she was fine. It's hard to explain without giving too much away and ruining the story, but I thought that was kind of...strange. It just seemed out of place and made Erin seem unreliable. But then again, she has dealt with a lot in her life, including the death of her mother and not knowing the identity of her father, so of course she's going to be grieving in different ways.
This was definitely a well rounded book - with the whole murder investigation going on, there is still time for Spam, Lysa, and Erin to spend time together, and we learn about some neat things that they have going on, such as Cheater Check, a service they provide to the girls at school where they investigate their boyfriends (and the hair or lipstick on their clothes) to make sure they're faithful. It's interesting, and really nice to see a main character (and supporting characters) that have plenty of talent and skills that allow them to do this sort of thing. I love strong and driven characters in books, and this one definitely has them.
I loved the ending of this book, too. It all gets wrapped up neatly, so there's no loose ends hanging around. There's closure (subtle closure, maybe, but still closure), and I loved that. It made the story feel complete.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review - Thank you, Tor Teen!
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