Jacob's Descent (A Liv Bergen Mystery Book 6)

“"Good and scary"—Library Journal THE FIRST Action-Packed Mystery in the Liv Bergen Mystery Series!

MEET A FRESH NEW FEMALE SLEUTH – Liv “Boots” Bergen – AS TOUGH AS HER STEEL-TOED BOOTS, firmly planted in the Colorado Rockies, and as vibrant as her Norwegian middle name: Liv.

One fan called her the love child of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone and Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Probably they never met, but it's not a stretch: She has the smarts of a CEO, an eclectic knowledge base inspired by her childhood hero, Encyclopedia Brown, and on the Reacher side, the self-confidence of an athlete, born of a rugged upbringing in a sprawling South Dakota mining family.

She currently a manager in a granite mining company, high up in the Rockies, so much a part of the craggy environment it's hard to see her anywhere else. But her contented, organized life is shattered by the murder and mutilation of her beautiful and well-liked summer temp worker Jill Brannigan. And right here, a warning: This action-packed thriller isnot for the squeamish.Someone is attempting to imitate famous but gruesome works of art using real bodies. And author Brannan isn't afraid to go inside the head of a sick, twisted serial killer acting out his gruesome fantasies.

The investigation moves close to home—in fact right into Liv’s home, when her close friend and former basketball teammate, FBI Special Agent Lisa Henry, is called in as a consultant on the case and sets up headquarters in Liv’s living room. When Liv pitches in to help find Jill’s killer, Lisa recognizes and admires Liv’s talent for sleuthing, seeing her steel-trap mind spring into action and begin piecing together the surreal details. The other agents are impressed, too – especially handsome Special Agent in Charge Streeter Pierce, the one with the piercing blue eyes!

But identifying the madman and staying safe from him are two entirely different things. As the FBI’s net draws tighter around him, the killer becomes more desperate, drawing Liv’s friends, family, and Liv herself into his deadly grasp.

Who will like it: Although our heroine is warm and likeable—she’s always feeding people--this fast-paced thriller is no cozy! Serial killer aficionados, hard-boiled fans, and readers who love smart, gritty heroines comfortable in a man’s world,--the sort of sleuth who’d prop her feet on the coffee-table to throw back a beer with Liv after dinner (like Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta, and Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon), will find themselves up with Liv in the wee hours, devouring this disturbing yet riveting story.