FBI agent Maggie O'Dell and her partner R. J. Tully are tired of being on the road. They've been crisscrossing the country on the hunt for a serial killer targeting weary travelers at rest areas and truck stops. A mobile killer is hard to catch, though--until he sends Maggie a map that leads them to a plot of land in Iowa that's full of bodies.
Meanwhile, in Kansas, a teenager appears at a rest stop covered in the blood of his missing best friend. Local police suspect him for the crime--but could it be the serial killer? Maggie and Tully must sift the evidence, and figure out if they're being led on a wild goose chase.
In Stranded, her 11th Maggie O'Dell mystery, Alex Kava has honed the thriller to a fine point, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as she shifts between Maggie and Tully's investigation and the unspeakable things the killer is doing to his victims.
In addition to the main crime, Kava has added some refreshingly softer human elements to the story, weaving in a potential love interest for Maggie and some surprising personal revelations for both her and Tully. Fans of shows like Criminal Minds, or authors like Lee Child or Karin Slaughter, will undoubtedly love Stranded.
I thought this was a fun read (well, if 'fun' can be used to describe a book about serial killing, ha), that went by really fast. In spite of the fact that I jumped into the series at book 11 it was easy enough to follow, and figure out what was going on. But I may never be able to stop at a rest stop after dark again...
Who is YOUR favorite thriller author?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Should I recommend this to my grandma? Sure, if she doesn't mind a little suspense. I actually think my dad would really like this one.
I originally wrote most of this review for Shelf Awareness. And the image is an affiliate link, thanks for supporting QB!
