Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the authors but have voluntarily provided a review.
Active Shooter
A term that has struck fear into the hearts of many over the years. Schools, Shopping Malls, you name it, the phenomenon of the active shooter seems to become more and more prevalent with each passing day. This is the situation facing FBI agents Violet Darger and Victor Loshak in the follow up to “Dead End Girl” by Tim McBain and LT Vargus. Having been pulled from a family function by Loshak, Darger hops a red eye to Atlanta where an active shooter has taken aim at drivers and good Samaritans alike on a busy highway outside of Atlanta. She hasn’t even arrived on scene when the shooter strikes again, this time at a crowded shopping plaza. Running on sheer wits alone, the duo must use all resources of the local PD and FBI office to identify and bring down the suspect or suspects before the rampage escalates any further.
The timeline of Killing Season is approximately one year after Dead End Girl. Darger is now a fully trained agent and the once lone wolf Loshak has found a worthy adversary in Violet as a partner. I love the dynamic between these two! It’s a professional relationship that’s also familial in a Father/Daughter or Big Brother/Little Sister sort of way. The rapport between Violet and Victor is easy, but that doesn’t stop them from getting serious when the situation calls for it. For me, the Violet Darger I saw in Killing Season seems to be a more confident, less self-conscious person that was portrayed in Dead End Girl. It appears that the past demons that plagued our protagonist have been resolved, or at least gotten far enough under control that the memories aren’t a hindrance to her any longer, and that’s a good thing. Considering the suspect she’s up against this time, she may as well change her last name to “Danger” as she finds herself dodging bullets, shrapnel and more in this explosive thriller.
If you haven’t yet read Dead End Girl, or the short Image In A Cracked Mirror, what are you waiting for? All kidding aside, you will not miss anything vital by reading Killing Season out of sequence. The story works perfectly as a stand-alone novel and as a compliment to the prior books in the series. For lovers of crime/police procedural novels with tons of action Killing Season will not disappoint.
Jennly Reads 
I’ve been subscribed to their mailing lsit for a while, and keep meaning to check out some of the novels. Somewhow, I never quite find the time though 😦
LikeLike
When you do, you won’t be disappointed! They are very diverse. Their Scattered and the Dead Series is amazing. A apocalypse novel that’s more than zombies. If you’re looking for quick reads you can check out “Casting Shadows Everywhere” or “The Clowns”. So far I have read all of their stuff and am a big fan. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you had to pick just one as the best though, what would it be?
LikeLike
Between The Clowns and Casting Shadows everywhere I would go with Casting Shadows. It was the first one I read by McBain and Vargus and I really loved it. The Clowns is good but that one may be best saved for a creepy Halloween evening sort of read. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds good too to be fair though, creepy is fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! Yes Creepy is fun! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person