I love the kind of book that Ms Masterman wrote--historical fiction--which in this case is from not that long ago. This story is about an aspect of the Clutter/Walker murders fictionalized in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. We learn of a possible third party involved and that is the character and those he interacts with that is fictionalized in this thriller. I thought the characters of the ex-FBI agent and her husband, a college philosophy professor, were perfect for this and they were extremely well-developed, so much so that I thought I had missed the first novel of a series. The action was taut and everyone seemed to behave as you would imagine them too but there were still surprises throughout the story. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of #wewerekillersonce ahead of publication.

We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman is book #4 in a series but it can be read as a stand-alone. When I am picking out books, I look for a unique plot, something I haven’t seen a million times before and I was intrigued by this one.

In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote’s masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo’s days as a prison chaplain–a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo’s old things–has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he’d like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he’ll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.

This gritty story is told from two different points that of Brigid and Jeremiah Beaufort. It’s a chilling, sinister read.

Due out June 4.

Clear your calendar, put out your Do Not Disturb Sign and fasten your seat belt!!!

We Were Killers Once is a chilling story based on the book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote that told his version of the killers of the Clutter Family

Brigid Quinn is right in the middle of the tale along with her husband Carlo and the story implies there was a third killer in this crime that rocked the world.

Brigid is a retired FBI agent (4th in the series but you could read as a stand alone) and I would love to have her on my side and have her strength.

This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

Please take time to read the Author's notes.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's press for the opportunity to devour We Were Killers Once. Can't wait to get my paper copy.

We Were Killers Once - Brigid Quinn #4 by Becky Masterman (2 Stars)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.


Truman Capote’s masterpiece In Cold Blood details the murders of the Clutter family in 1959 and gives a comprehensive look at the killers (Hickok and Smith) behind the massacre. Absolutely chilling classic.

There has been a more recent publication, In Colder Blood: True Story of the Walker Family Murder by JT Hunter, which makes the case for Hickok and Smith also being behind the massacre of the Walker family in Florida. The two were in the area, and there are eerie similarities to the Clutter murders. Circumstantial evidence, but a very interesting read nonetheless. The book is short, very well written and mostly speculation, but it will leave you wondering. It is not in the same class as Capote’s book, but it was still a worthy read.

My hope was that We Were Killers Once would continue along the same vein, introducing the possibility of a third killer into the mix. While I made it halfway through the book, I decided I needed to skip to the end, but I couldn’t even finish it. First, I had a very hard time with the writing style. It is told from two perspectives, Brigid Quinn and the Jeremy Beaufort/Jerry Nolan, the third killer. It becomes convoluted when first person and third person for each is used interchangeably. Second, the characters were extremely flat. Brigid is a retired FBI agent who comes across as hardboiled and childish at the same time, her husband, Carlo, is a former Catholic priest who she likens to a saint, and they two just don’t mix. There are some crass marital encounters thrown in, which just seemed so out of place in the context of the story. Jeremy/Jerry has spent most of his 70 years in prison, and while he was in prison and out of society, he comes across as naive and unworldy. Third, the plot line just didn’t ring true. Jeremy/Jerry is looking for Hickok’s deathbed confession, naming Jeremy/Jerry as the third killer. Problem is, he made this confession to a Catholic priest. I found it hard to suspend belief that the priest would have kept a written confession, that he would have kept it for so many years and that he would have passed it along to someone. Fourth, there are so many coincidences in the story it gets to be old. It seems like it is much easier to explain it away by coincidence than actually write a storyline. Fifth, this moved so slowly. It was not thrilling in the least.

My recommendation is to pass on this one.

www.candysplanet.wordpress.com

This is the first of Becky Masterman's books I've read. I received an ARC through Netgalley for this book. I initially started reading this book and finding that it's part of a series decided to start at the beginning and read the three previous books before continuing this one. I really enjoyed this book, it ties present day events with an old cold case and the assumed solved case of the murders of the Clutter family which was written about by Truman Capote in his book, In Cold Blood. I will be watching for more books by this author.

Book Description
"Former FBI agent Brigid Quinn, with her trademark toughness, raw humor, and human frailty, is back and better than ever in Masterman’s latest novel. As Quinn is drawn into an infamous cold case with a possible link to the two killers immortalized by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, she finds danger closing in. A gripping premise, brilliantly executed—you won’t be able to put this one down!"—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?
Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo's days as a prison chaplain--a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo's old things--has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he'd like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he'll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.
Becky Masterman's unputdownable thrillers featuring unique heroine Brigid Quinn continue with this fascinating alternative look at one of America's most famous crimes.
My Thoughts
Truman Capote wrote about the Clutter murders in his book In Cold Blood. Two men were convicted for this heinous crime, and in Becky Masterman’s story, the point is raised that there may have been a third perpetrator. This was my introduction to this author and her husband and wife characters Bridget Quinn (ex-FBI), and Carlo (ex-priest).
Jerry Beaufort, newly released from prison, believes that Carlo has a written confession which incriminates him. He is willing to do whatever it takes to stop anyone from seeing it, but he isn't prepared to encounter Bridget. She may be retired, but she is still sharp and a worthy opponent to Jerry. I was drawn into the story partly because I am familiar with In Cold Blood and partly because I wanted to see where the author would go with this ‘re-imagined’ story. The plot moved along quickly and I found myself reading a little more than I planned to reach the end. I didn't feel lost by not having read the prior books but I did enjoy it enough to want to read more by this author. True Crime fans would find this a good read.
Some information about the author from Goodreads: Becky Masterman created her heroine, Brigid Quinn while working as an editor for a forensic science and law enforcement press. Her debut thriller, Rage Against the Dying, was a finalist for the Edgar Awards and the CWA Gold Dagger, as well as the Macavity, Barry, ITW and Anthony awards. Becky lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband.
I received a DRC from St.Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

This was an interesting read. I didn't particularly care for the writing style, but found the characters likeable enough. Not sure I'd necessarily recommend it, but didn't hate it.

WE WERE KILLERS ONCE by Becky Masterman is the fourth novel in the Brigid Quinn series. The novel will be published on June 4th 2019 by Minotaur Books.
WE WERE KILLERS ONCE is a what-if crime novel about the Walker family murder outside of Sarasota, Florida in 1959. Richard Hickock and Perry Smith – the two men who were immortalized by Truman Capote in his novel IN COLD BLOOD – were in that area of Florida at the time of the Walker family murder, and they were suspected of committing the crime since it was similar to the murders of the four Clutter family members in western Kansas not long before. Masterman introduces a third killer into the mix – putting him with Hickock and Smith at the Clutter murders and then having him commit the Walker murders by himself in Florida. Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn is drawn into the Walker’s cold case when she finds a note from Richard Hickock in her husband’s possession. Back when Brigid’s husband was a priest, he worked with the priest who Richard Hickock spoke with not long before he was executed. Believing that the other priest may have Hickock’s written confession, Brigid goes in search of the truth. What she doesn’t realize is that a recently released criminal is on her trail. This criminal is determined to get his hands on Hickock’s confession, and he will get rid of anyone who gets in his way.
I was intrigued by the concept of WE WERE KILLERS ONCE because of its connection to IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote. I thought it was an interesting concept for Masterman to add a third killer into the mix. I wanted to be into the story, but it just did not grab me. Despite not really being captured by the story, I still wanted to know how it ended. But then I got to the ending, and I was highly disappointed. I found the confrontation between Brigid and the killer ridiculous, and the aftermath between Brigid and Carlo was bizarre. The only way I can really sum it up is to say that the more I read of the novel, the less I liked it. I did enjoy the back-and-forth between Brigid’s first-person perspective and Jerry Beaufort’s third-person perspective. That being said, I did not like any of the characters. Brigid comes off as a childish sociopath who is out for revenge. Her husband, Carlo, is annoying and dumb. I mean, who opens the front door and lets someone in the house despite being told by your wife – who is an ex-FBI agent – that this person is a killer and a criminal??? And the killer, Jerry, is an idiot. How the man has gotten away with multiple homicides for over fifty years is beyond me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The exploits of Brigid Quinn, the former FBI Agent, fill the pages of this thriller. Partially factual and completely mesmerizing, We Were Killers Once is a book that you won't want to put down. Engaging characters lead you from crime to punishment as only Becky Masterman can. An excellent read.

Review of advance reader eBook

The release of Jeremiah Beaufort from prison after thirty-some years behind bars sets in motion a series of events that leaves a trail of bodies as he searches for the one piece of evidence that can tie him to a murdered family. Ultimately, that search leads him to Carlo DiForenza . . . and to retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn.

The 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas served as the basis for Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” and is the true story around which this fictional tale weaves its narrative. Positing that Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, the two men convicted and executed for the Clutter murders, had a third accomplice, this stunning what-if narrative captures the reader from the outset and ramps up the suspense all the way to the final page. The well-drawn characters and the seamlessly-incorporated historical fact combine to strengthen the masterfully-executed plot while unexpected reveals ramp up the tension.

Although this is the fourth in the Brigid Quinn series, there is sufficient backstory for readers new to the series. As always, the complex, growing-older-but-definitely-capable Brigid is delightfully intriguing and this is a first-rate story.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#WeWereKillersOnce #NetGalley

What a well written and complex novel this is! It is a fictionalized account of the murders Capote briefly covered in his “In Cold Blood”. Hickcock and Smith were suspected in these murders and it was also thought that a third person may have been with them however nothing could be proven and both were executed for the primary murders. Jerry Beaufort, in this tale, was just released from prison after serving approximately 55 years of a life sentence (three strikes). He goes on the internet and begins to look for information about the other murders, DNA and fingerprints. His ultimate goal is to cover up for himself. Brigid and Carlo are a married couple in Tucson. He is a former Jesuit Priest and Philosophy professor and she is a retired FBI agent. The novel leads up to the meeting of these people and it’s subsequent consequences. Fascinating reading. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > We Were Killers Once

We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman
We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn, #4)
by Becky Masterman
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Apr 02, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

This is my first exposure to Becky Masterman's writings and she'll be officially added to my
"Must read list!" This compelling tale of ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn will certainly appeal to all fans of Alan Jacobson's "Karen Vail" series. Brigid is an older version of Vail ... with an extra twist of nastiness for the bad guys. Petite and 50 and full of fire, brimstone and sarcasm. Even though retired she cannot help herself and continues as a Private Investigator. She's married to ex-priest Carlo DiForenza and so-called retired to Tucson, Arizona. But never can avoid to stick her nose into a good mystery.
Masterman provides a masterful tale mixing fiction with history and supposition. There has always been unanswered questions and possibilities in linking the famous Clutter family murders in Kansas (1959) with those occurring 2 months later to the Walker family in Osprey, Florida. Truman Capote's excellent "nonfiction" novel has numerous inaccuracies and bias .... especially painting Perry Smith in a far less harsh light than is confederate, Richard Hickok. Smith is painted with a sensitive side while Hickok is portrayed as a harsh, stupid sociopath. Was there a third party involved with the Clutter massacre? Smith and Hickok were in the vicinity when the Walker family was slaughtered .. were they somehow linked to this unsolved mystery ... or is there yet a third person? Perry Smith
in his multiple interviews with Truman Capote mentions crossing paths with a "boy and his grandfather" on the roadside in their journey to the Clutter house.
The Walker family murder has remained unsolved and a frequently re-opened cold case by many criminal investigators. This masterful narrative spins a complex and compelling tale involving a
"third person" named Jeremiah "Jerry" Beaufort ... only 14 at the time crossing paths with our famous killers. He was on the road due to extenuating circumstances ... he had shot and killed his younger brother and after spending 2 years in reform school returned home only to be shunned by his parents ... and then mysteriously their home burned and killed both of the parents.
Eventually Jerry crosses paths with Brigid and Carlo ... and the fun and twisted mystery unravels.
Tension is mercilessly ratcheted up to an unexpected and violent denouement. But, totally in keeping with the developed character of Brigid Quinn. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This apparently is the 4th Brigid Quinn .. and I'm going right now to download the first three. This wonderful novel can certainly be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

To get the basics out of the way.

I liked the characters in We Were Killers Once. My one regret is that I haven’t read the 3 previous Brigid Quinn books. I’m intrigued enough that I will go back and read all 4 in order.

The early part of the book moves languidly along like a smooth glassy river. Brigid’s story is told in the first person. Jerry’s in the third. This works to draw a more intimate portrait of Brigid but keeps us at arms length from Jerry. As the river begins to pick up speed you can sense the rapids will come unexpectedly. This keeps the reader from drifting away. And the rapids do come quickly.

Brigid is a former FBI special agent. Jerry is a felon who was sentenced to life in prison under the 3 strikes sentencing guidelines. He is released early but has an agenda to fulfill. This is when his and Brigid’s paths intersect. It revolves around an eddy of the In Cold Blood true crime novel written by Truman Capote. In We Were Killers Once the Murder of The Walker family in Florida is loosely tied to the Clutter’s crime as written by Capote.

I look forward to starting the series from the beginning with avid expectation.

This is my first book by Becky Masterman and I did not realize this was a series. I did not have a hard time though just jumping into this one and felt like I had enough background to get to know the main character Brigid. I found the book a bit slow to start but it quickly picked up and pulled me into the story of the Clutter family murders. I liked that it was told from two different point of views and did not have a hard time following it at all. I will definitely search out her previous books.

Loved the characters in the book right from the start. Even though Carlo who is Brigid's husband is an ex priest to me he kind of made the book with his snarky comments. It's a page turner but then again all the what if thoughts come up all through the book. Loved it.

I love this series of books. The story moved at a great pace. I could not put this down. Thanks for the Arc NG

**I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
*I have not read the other books in this series*

In this book, Becky Masterman explores the possibility of there being a third person involved in the Clutter murders detailed in Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD.

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn has a new neighbor in town who seems a little too eager to ingratiate himself into her and her husband Carlo's quiet life.... And she's right. Told in dual perspective we get both Brigid and Jerry's POV. At times, I found that this POV flipped flopped mid chapter and without page breaks, leading to confusion on my part and a general sense of whiplash as I tried to figure out which perspective I was in. Hint: Brigid's POV is first person, his is third.

The pace builds steadily throughout the book, but I found the writing style, half removed and rather passive, to take away from the tension and really pull me from the story at times. It's my personal opinion, but I am not a fan of the 'come sit on my knee here and I'll tell you a story' style. I like my thrillers to be a little more immersive, but hey, that's my two cents.

The characters were fully fleshed out and I liked Brigid's struggle to come to terms with her husbands truth from his previous marriage where he was left widowed. I also like how the tables turned and he found himself having to reconcile his idea of his new wife with her reality. It's one thing to know something about a person's past, and quite another to watch it. Watching this inner journey unfold was hidden pleasure and I loved that the main character was a little older than the average hero, with white hair and fine lines to boot.

The story was fun to read and the author did a good job mixing her fiction with the facts from Capote. I appreciated she didn't hold back from the violence the book required, but she didn't go into too much detail either. It was a nice balance.

I would recommend reading a sample of the book and if you enjoy the unique writing style, then i think you will enjoy reading this book.

This was a great read. Almost like a cold case file that moves to modern day. I little history of the past and history of the main characters to pull it all together. I would recommend anybody to give it a try

Free copy given to me for my review!!

I am not a series person much but I may go back a few. Nice story wrapping the "In Cold Blood" piece around a sixty year old lead character. Finally an author knows there is life after you get old, injured, and no longer have abs!!!

Playing off of true crime story Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the narrative alternates between former FBI agent Bridgid and recently released criminal Jerry, looking to prevent his incrimination for an old crime.

It’s classified as a thriller but everything felt a bit lukewarm. There was no mystery, no suspense, no real stakes... everyone was who they appeared to be. It was written well but I kept getting bored and the ending didn’t really hit hard enough to make up for the lackluster beginning and middle.