A well written plot an interesting storyline with a gritty backdrop, set the scene for this slow paced novel.
It was a good read, though a little slow for me and I couldn’t quite care much about the characters.
A good thriller though, worth a look.

There seem to be a plethora of "insecure female detective vs serial killer" themes - this one will keep you engaged and the story moves along. Some predictable themes, but not a bad read at all.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and the author, TJ Brearton, for the opportunity to read Sign of Evil in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was well written and intriguing.
The plot was easy of follow and fast paced. The characters were well drawn.
Worth a read.

Third in this series which works as a standalone but there is a better understanding if you've read the first two. Complex and intriguing thriller with lots of twists.. Some great characters.

I enjoyed the first two books in the series and was happy to meet Shannon Ames again! This time, she's investigating the horrific murders of customers of sex workers in the Bronx. The case takes her undercover as a streetwalker and forces her to confront a serial killer with their own agenda. I thought the story is intriguing and I liked how the book doesn't demonise sex workers or their clients. We get to hear their stories and get to know them. I liked the Biblical references included in the murders, it lends the cases an otherworldly feeling that is a little creepy.

I liked Shannon's personal life and I wish the book hadn't gone the usual thriller route of mixing them with her professional life. It makes the plot predictable. I also wasn't fully convinced by the killer's motives but they made an imposing opponent to Shannon which I appreciated. Overall. this is a fast-paced thriller with some arresting scenes and I look forward to seeing where the series takes me next.

TERRIFIC crime thriller involving the deviant world of prostitution & the surrounding fallout of such. Enjoyed the storyline & the writing with a lot of suspense leading up to a great finish. First time reading this author but will definitely look for more. Thanks to NetGalley & Inkubator Books for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Probationary Agent Shannon Ames is called in when a man's body is found burned to death. This is not the first body found in this condition, and two others have been found bludgeoned to death. The only thing these men had is common .... they are all known to have been visiting working girls late at night.

This serial killer is smart, leaves no clues, no DNA, no witnesses, and plans well in advance.

The FBI decides to put someone undercover into the mix .. the street walkers won't talk to cops ...maybe they'll talk to one of their own.

Shannon is young, single, has no family to speak of and with the right dress she can easily pass for one of them. She's also dedicated to her job and is willing to do what's necessary to bring this killer down.

Undercover work is hard and it starts to take its toll on her life. And when she gets a little too close in searching for this killer .. the killer lays eyes on Shannon.

This is fast-paced and packed with page-turning action. Twists and turns are riveting and the suspense starts at the very beginning and holds steady until the unexpected conclusion. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. although I recommend reading the books in order.

Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this. It was full of danger and intrigue. It unfolded at breakneck speed and kept me hooked. Looking forward to reading more.

Very well written and fantastic storyline. Quick easy read. Thank for the advanced copy Can't wait to read more by TJ Brearton

Sign of Evil is the third book in the Shannon Ames mystery series and may be read as a standalone but is so much better as part of the series. Young, FBI agent Shannon Ames faces down a serial killer in the South Bronx when she goes undercover as a prostitute. The case quickly takes a turn when the killer calls Shannon directly. Twists and turns lead Shannon to uncover a biblical link to the killings as the danger comes knocking at her door. I enjoy this series for the way the author puts the cases at centerstage. Shannon's personal life becomes a backstory that does not take up to much of the limelight. The mystery is heart pounding and not weighed down with personal drama for a refreshing mystery/suspense novel that will leave the reader coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

First off, I enjoyed this book. Shannon was not a character that I found myself relating to or sympathising with, but nevertheless I feel this added to the true feel of the book.

The story follows rookie agent Shannon Ames on her mission to solve the murders of several 'john's’ throughout New York City. Undercover as a local sex worker, she learns of the tough impact and sad progression of young girls finding themselves on the wrong tracks of life, and the dangers they face every day.

She finds herself being at the forefront of the killer’s mind, stuck in the trail that he is purposefully leaving behind for her and her colleagues. When Shannon speaks to one of the victims, she sees the killer as an omnipotent and omnibenevolent creature, who is all-knowing with no limit to his powers.

My one criticism of the book is the reveal of the killer and his motives. I simply wish that his background had been a little more explored, and his reasoning for somehow finding himself relating to Shannon and the need to protect her explained in more detail.

But the book was thrilling. The killer kept slipping through their fingers, and the inspiration behind his methods were well thought out and portrayed in a genius way. I can't wait to read more of Shannon Ames's career.

One thing I will say - everyone needs a friend like Bufort to eat donuts with.

“The yellow smiley face grinned up at Shannon. Hi there. I know something you don't know.”

In the busy, buzzling city of New York, a man is murdered. Special Agent Shannon Ames is called to South Bronx, the area where Jared D’Onofrio breathed his last lungfuls after a horrendous incineration. A killer is on the loose and to catch him, Shannon must turn into a (sort of) bait.

Shannon is a detached character. I did not feel much for her, didn't empathize with her. This though may be part of how the author molded her, a result of her ragged past life.

Brearton's writing style joins the ranks of the literary world's aristocracy. Using a mysterious character's POV is a genius move! It made my brain overheat just wondering wether the persona was a friend or foe.

This is a relatively long book but the pace is good, enough to make it a 2-nighter for fast readers.

Fans of Angela Marsons' DI Kim Stone Series will find this book very enjoyable indeed

Sign of Evil by T.J. Brearton
A Shannon Ames Thriller #3

Dark, gritty, gruesome, and painful to read…this story’s serial killer is not easy to determine till late in the story. An intriguing killer with a motive that is difficult to unearth and even more difficult to understand. What a read this one was!

What I liked:
* Shannon: her belief in the good she does working for the FBI is tangible; and her willingness to tackle difficult jobs seems to be known/expected by her superiors. Perhaps she is a bit too gung-ho? At times I wondered what anchored her…perhaps her faith, as it is referred to from time to time, but what else keeps her steady and balanced?
* Luis Cardoza: he doesn’t show up much in this book but he seems to be a dedicated NYPD officer, loving father, divorced man that stands on the side of right and keeping the world safe. His humanity shows in his response to one case mentioned that he dealt with. I like him but wonder if he and Shannon will be able to stay together throughout the series.
* The creep-horror factor of the killings and then contemplating how one person could do what was done to those that were killed.
* Bufort: as Shannon’s backup this colleague is intriguing…I would like to see more of him in the future
* It seemed real and utterly believable
* That it included the idea that not everyone can be saved no matter how much one might want to save them.
* The darkness of drugs, prostitution, the sex trade, abuse, and all the rest
* Wondering about what will happen in the next book and who will show up to work with and be part of Shannon’s next case.

What I didn’t like:
* The baddie…even the backstory didn’t legitimize the killing…
* Knowing that there are real “working girls” out in the world and that their lives are just as difficult and even more difficult than the ones in this book.
* Having to wait for the next book to be written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is a decent thriller about an FBI rookie who goes undercover in order to catch a killer. This undercover work is as a sex worker and as such, Shannon (the lead character) is pushed to the limit.

This is one of a series, but, can also be read as a solid stand alone thriller and it’s a decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Inkubator Books for the ARC.

This is the third book in the Shannon Ames Thriller series and although I haven't read the previous ones, this reads well as a standalone.
It's well-written and reasonably fast-paced, although I did find the beginning intriguing; the middle a little slow, and the resolution seemed too frenetic.
With 3 months still left on her probation period, Special Agent Shannon Ames is asked to go undercover in the Bronx district of New York posing as a street girl. They have a serial killer on the loose. All the victims are male and all are customers of the street girls. Some had been smothered in petrol and burned, others had been beaten to death. Is one of the girls responsible? Shannon is going to find out as she becomes Giselle Ford and begins her temporary new life. She befriends some of the girls, antagonises others and has to reject the advances of a pimp; she hates the world she's entered but she wants to make a difference.

Somehow the killer stays steps ahead of the investigation, anticipating every move. Shannon's being watched, the killer knows too much, especially when it comes to a very personal confrontation.

This is a good read but not an exceptional one.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of Sign of Evil the third novel to feature Special Agent Shannon Ames of the FBI’s New York Brooklyn-Queens office.

Someone is killing the customers of working girls in the South Bronx. Shannon is called to the latest scene, the fourth, and she’s puzzled as it’s outside her jurisdiction but not for long as she’s asked to go undercover as a working girl to try and find the killer.

I enjoyed Sign of Evil which is an eventful novel with a well hidden perpetrator. It held my attention throughout, through both the puzzle of the perpetrator’s identity and motive and all the different happenings that push the narrative forward. It’s safe to say that there is rarely a dull moment and this culminates in the heart stopping final action scenes.

The novel is told from Shannon’s point of view, so the reader can plunge straight in and live the investigation with her. I find that one narrator concentrates my mind and offers a more immersive experience, allowing me to speculate on the known facts and potential scenarios. I didn’t get much right in this read but it was engrossing to try. I like the format of the procedural which starts with everyone as a suspect and gradually narrows in on one person. This is slightly different in that there are few persons of interest until suddenly there is the one.

Going undercover in “the life” is not easy for Shannon with her strong morals and law enforcement background. The novel is a thriller so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the life but it offers enough colour to make it believable. She is a strong character, surrounded by men who don’t always appreciate that strength. You just know that she wasn’t written by a woman.

Sign of Evil is a good read that I can recommend.

Very entertaining and well written book with great characters. There are some errors and a logical flaw in the plot, but it's still a good story.

Dark, interesting and leaving me with questions.

I really like this series. There is something about the main character that just stands out. She is fierce and talented. The ending left me a bit sad. And I just can’t pin point why. I’m really looking forward to more.

A good story,3rd in the series although I have not read the other 2 and can be easily read as a stand alone,the book starts immediately and you are thrown into the story and the pace continues all the way through
An easy style of writing and a good read