Jersey Girl Book Reviews: Night Fall by Nancy Mehl (VBT: Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Night Fall by author Nancy Mehl!

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Book 1: The Quantico Files Series

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Format: Hardcover - 329 pages

Paperback: 336 pages

Audiobook: 9 Hours 25 Minutes

Kindle: 4261 KB / 333 pages

Nook: 3 MB / 336 pages

ISBN (HC): 978-0764238185

ISBN (PB): 978-0764237638

ASIN (Audiobook): B08ZGG7LSL

ASIN (Kindle): B08CJ7TP4N
BNID: 978-1493429899

Genre: Suspense

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Buy The Series: The Quantico Files Series

Book 1: Night Fall

Book 2: Dead Fall (Publication Date: November 2, 2021)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christianbook.com

Goodreads

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Book Description:

Now that Alexandra “Alex” Donavan is finally free of her troubled upbringing, she’s able to live out her childhood dream of working for the FBI. But soon after she becomes a member of the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, authorities in Kansas and Missouri contact them about bodies found on freight trains traveling across the country–all killed in the same way.

Alex never expected to be forced to confront her past in this new job, but she immediately recognizes the graffiti messages the killer is leaving on the train cars. When the BAU sends her to gather information about the messages from her aunt in Wichita, Kansas, Alex is haunted by the struggles she thought she’d left behind forever.

In a race against time to solve the case while battling her own weaknesses, Alex must face how far she’ll go–and what she’s willing to risk–to put a stop to the Train Killer.

Book Excerpt:

Four murders. Only a week or two between each one, and they all look random. Nothing about the victims is similar—as if our UNSUB is selecting whoever is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three men, one woman. Two Caucasian, one Black, and one Hispanic. Three of them younger, one in his seventies. All the bodies were discovered on trains and were stabbed multiple times.”

They could hear him take a deep breath before going on. “Unusual tags on the outside of the boxcars. Something like Bible verses, but we’ve searched several Bible apps to find them, and they’re not in any version we could locate. We’re not sure what the UNSUB is trying to tell us. He signed his work, but we have no idea what the initials TM mean. His name? Or something else?”

There was a slight pause. “I’m sending you some photos of the tags right now, along with everything else we’ve got, which isn’t much. We don’t have any real evidence. This guy is careful . . . and smart. At this point, we’re not in charge. He is. Have your team look over this information before they get here, okay? I’ll expect them at the command post in the morning. We’re setting it up now. Does that work for you?”

“They’ll be there, Stephen. Talk to you soon.”

The call done, Jeff turned on his laptop and pulled up the information Barstow had just emailed. He sent the file to a large screen on the wall and began slowly clicking through the photos.

In mere seconds, Alex felt like all the blood in her body had frozen, as if time itself had come to a halt. Her mind couldn’t seem to process what she was seeing.

How could this be happening?

***

My Book Review:

In Night Fall, the first book in The Quantico Files Series, author Nancy Mehl transports the reader to Kansas City and Wichita for an intriguing suspense story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

Author Nancy Mehl weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale written in the third person narrative that follows FBI Special Agents Alex Donovan and Logan Hart on their investigative mission to find a serial killer who calls himself The Train Man after an eery nursery rhyme, and who is determined to fulfill a prophesy on the world by releasing a strain of the Ebola virus airborne that would make Covid-19, H1N1, and MRSA look like mild colds. Alex and Logan are part of an elite team who are determined to bring the killer to justice before the prophesy of releasing the virus airborne is fulfilled and spreads out into the world.

I loved reading this slow-building and action-packed story. Alex and Logan kept me intrigued as their investigation takes on a dangerous cat-n-mouse game with a psychotic killer who is determined to fulfill the deadly prophecy. The reader will be easily drawn into this well written story that alternates between Alex and Logan's investigation, with that of the killer's clever and well thought out plan to fulfill the prophecy, it's a race against time that is like a game of chess.

The story's richly descriptive plot will keep the readers guessing as secrets, possible motives, and clues are uncovered during the investigation. And to add to the intensity of the cat-n-mouse game, Alex's traumatic past is brought to the surface, and she struggles to keep her PTSD in control as it is intertwined with the killer's shared upbringing and plan of destruction. The reader will definitely be kept guessing, as the chilling twists and turns and surprising conclusion will leave them simply stunned. I look forward to reading Dead Fall, the second book in The Quantico Files Series.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how eerie this story is considering what our world has been going through with the Covid-19 pandemic. While the story was written possibly before and during this pandemic, it does make you wonder what if ... hmmm ...

Night Fall has enough drama, tension, action, dark secrets, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

RATING: 5 STARS

About The Author

Nancy Mehl is the author of more than 40 books and a Christy Award and Carol Award finalist as well as the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year award. Her short story, Chasing Shadows, was in the USA Today bestselling Summer of Suspense anthology. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

Contest Giveaway

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nancy Mehl. There will be three (3) winners (U.S. addresses only) for this tour. ONE Grand Prize winner will receive: ONE (1) physical copy of Night Fall, ONE (1) $10 Amazon.com Gift Card; and ONE (1) physical book set of the Kaely Quinn Profiler series (including Mind Games, Fire Storm, and Dead End). Additionally, TWO (2) winners will each receive ONE (1) physical copy of Night Fall. The giveaway begins on April 19, 2021 and ends on May 2, 2021. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway