The Third Victim [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2001

The past isn't over....

An unspeakable act has ripped apart the idyllic town of Bakersville, Oregon, and its once-peaceful residents are demanding quick justice. But though a boy has confessed to the horrific crime, evidence shows he may not be guilty.

Officer Rainie Conner, leading her first homicide investigation, stands at the center of the controversy. It's hitting too close to home, bringing back her worst nightmares, threatening to expose her secret sins. But with the boy's life at stake, she won't let anything stop her from finding the real killer.

With the help of FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, Rainie comes closer to a deadly truth than she can imagine. Because out there in the shadows a man watches her and plots his next move. He knows her secrets. He kills for sport. He's already brought death to Bakersville and forever shattered the community. But what he has really come for is Rainie -- and he won't leave until he has destroyed her....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her new thriller (following The Other Daughter), Gardner deftly probes the psychology of school shootings while developing a cast of complex, compelling characters. Rainie Conner initially joined the small-town police force in Bakersville, Ore., to escape the ghosts of her past. When she responds to a call from the local school and discovers students screaming, bodies lying inert in the rooms and one young boy holding two guns, however, Rainie find herself leading a controversial investigation and struggling to contain her childhood memories. The fact that the boy is the son of the town sheriff, Rainie's superior and friend, only intensifies the pressure Rainie endures from members of the community, the FBI and the media. Although she tries desperately to do her work amid the growing criticism, Rainie begins to question her own fragile psychological stability. Fortunately, she finds solace in the arrival of the gentlemanly Pierce Quincy, an FBI profiler with a sharp mind and a soft shoulder. The duo eventually reach the conclusion that someone else must be responsible for the massacre, someone who may have recruited the boy to do the shootings. A suspenseful, curl-up winter read, this thriller teems with crisp, realistic dialogue and engaging characters. (Feb.) Forecast: Even though Gardner has only three titles under her belt, her adept use of language and her strong characterizations will ensure her a broad, loyal following. Readers won't be disappointed to learn that Special Agent Pierce Quincy will reappear in her next offering, which is still untitled.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A suspenseful, curl-up winter read, this thriller teems with crisp, realistic dialogue and engaging characters."
— Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Riveting, hold-your-breath suspense."
— Iris Johansen

Don't miss these chilling novels from a new master of the thriller, Lisa Gardner:

The Perfect Husband
"A dark, powerful tale of nerve-shattering suspense."
— Tami Hoag

The Other Daughter
"Sheer terror...a great read."
— Iris Johansen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (January 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553578685
• ISBN-13: 978-0553578683
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Women Sleuths

More About the Author

New York Times #1 bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of thirteen bestselling suspense novels, including her most recent release, Catch Me.

Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual "Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate" Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa's latest novel. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected for Literary Immortality. It's cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa's website.

Lisa lives in New England with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent thriller from Lisa Gardner!, August 11, 2001

By 

Jonathan Burgoine "bookseller" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Third Victim (Mass Market Paperback)

Having read "The Perfect Husband," and "The Other Daughter," I was well ready to pick up "The Third Victim," when I saw it on the shelf in my store. I gobbled the book in a single night, and have to say that this is definitely of higher calibre writing than the other two.

For one, the character depth of the heroine and the villain is much more complex: I was three-quarters of the way through the book and still unsure of who I could trust, who might be the killer, and why this was all happening. Starting with a contemporary ugly reality: the school-shooting slaying of two students and a teacher, this book takes off from there and continues with a semi-manic pace throughout.

Gardner allows you into the mind of the killer without giving who the killer is away, which is a rewarding experience, but it is in Lorraine, a sherrif in the town where the shooting has happened, that the truly good writing occurs. A woman with a somewhat shady past of her own, this shooting may be about her in some way, and it's a great ride finding out just how.

The only quibble I had with the book was the occasional plot wrinkle that made me blink in confusion. There were a few passages I had to read twice to understand - not many, mind you, maybe only twice, but it did call a minor break in my reading.

Regardless of those minor stumbles, grab this book. It's a thriller perfect for those of us that like a healthy mix of mystery tossed in to our edge-of-seat-reading.

'Nathan

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A DIFFICULT SUBJECT, BUT A GREAT BOOK, February 22, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Third Victim (Mass Market Paperback)

School killings are on the increase these days, but it is certainly not a subject one could say makes for "enjoyable reading." This is a work of fiction, not a true story where the facts and real-life situations are beyond the author's control. Taking that into consideration there are an endless number of other plots the author could have developed; one based on a school killings was simply not my cup of tea. For that reason alone, I simply could not give the book higher than a three star rating.

Much to the book's credit is a consistent writing style and a plot (whether you like it or not) filled with suspense. The characters of both FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and Officer Rainie Connor intrigue the reader and grab your attention from the start. From a psychological point of view and based on the information given, there was clearly some very accurate and in-deepth research work undertaken on the profiling of mass murderers during the writing of this book, and that is also worthy of merit.

Overall, if you do not mind the subject matter, you will probably enjoy the book. It does have drama and action.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, Ms. Gardner - Waiting for another book!, April 4, 2001

By 

Ginny - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Third Victim (Mass Market Paperback)

I had not read any of the reviews or blurbs about "The Third Victim" before I read the book. When I was reading it and realized it was about a school shooting, I almost put it down, feeling that we have had enough of this subject in the news, I didn't need to read it in ficton.

I'm very glad I didn't leave it. "The Third Victim" is about so much more than 'another school shooting'. I promise you will never see the news in the same light again.

Another surprise for me, was the author's reference back to "The Perfect Husband". This is not a series book however, the reference is made and dropped. I was also surprised that I remembered the previous book so vividly after reading it more than four years ago. That alone is testament to Lisa Gardner's writing ability.

"The Third Victim" is a well plotted mystery with characters who are flawed, but very real. Once started this book is very hard to put down for annoying things like work and sleep.