Book Review
Title: Aries (Murders of the Zodiac)
Author: A. P. Morgan
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Rating: *****
Review: Aries is the third book in the Murders of the Zodiac series and so far, Aquarius and Pisces have built up a wonderful crime, thriller, mystery that left me hanging so much I couldn’t wait to dive into the third book. From the synopsis of this book, I was right in guessing that Leslie and Ryan would be targeted, and I am interested in seeing how this will affect their dynamic and whether their relationship will change in the course of this novel.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we see that the killer has gained a new apprentice but this one is more bloodthirsty and curious than the others. While he is willing to kill people for his employer he does want to know why little does he know that the apprentices don’t live longer than a month in his employment. We open in California this time with five girls dead by an arrow to the heart and buried in shallow graves with the mark on Aries carved into nearby trees. Let’s say it takes little time for the Sherriff to call in the F.B.I. but the killer already has his sights set on Agent Perez.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, we then return to reliable Leslie’s perspective as she waits for the next string of murders to begin but everything seems unnaturally quiet. However, several days later she learns about the murders in California and immediately aids the F.B.I. which is accepted. She and Ryan fly out, but he doesn’t seem as excited about taking this killer as Jesse’s death in Pisces hit him very hard. It is hinted at in the synopsis that a mistake Ryan makes will lead to Leslie being taken by the killer and I can’t wait to see what that is.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the M.O. of the killer seems to be the same only killing the girls on their birthdays but with the F.B.I. involved now, they have more resources and manpower to put into the case. However, Ryan and Leslie are being treated like outsiders only being called in to help when it is convenient for the F.B.I. and Agent Perez, this doesn’t deter Leslie who seems more determined than ever to catch the Zodiac killer. When more bodies roll in and they are given the opportunity to go to the crime scene, Leslie jumps at it. However, working with the F.B.I. is new territory for Leslie and Ryan, this results in them often being side-lined, so they aren’t really getting a lot of information on the events. Compared to the previous two novels, this one feels a lot slower and I think that is because Leslie and Ryan aren’t the lead investigators, so we aren’t getting much about the killer or the murders right now.
As we cross the halfway mark in the novel, Leslie finally stands up to Agent Perez and it looks like she may be removed from the case because of her behaviour and Leslie’s involvement may make her more of a target. When the body Clint rides to fifteen they seem to be getting further and further inside the head of this apprentice in a way they haven’t before, Leslie and Ryan both believe that this time around they might actually be able to save lives. With Agent Perez out of the way temporarily Leslie and Ryan assist the Sheriff who gives them a lot more freedom and it actually leads them to the third burial site.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, more bodies are turning up, but we are getting a better sense of who this apprentice is and what motivates him to commit these murders. We can also get snippets of the master’s larger plan, but this apprentice seems to take some liberties with the plan and doesn’t want to end up dead when the deadline comes. One thing I can say for sure about this apprentice is that he uses intellect and cunning to kidnap and kill his victims and evade the police all at once.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, the stakes are taken to new levels when Leslie’s life is on the line and Ryan has to make the choices that could mean the loss of another partner. The ending of Aries was interesting, action-packed and really heartfelt and I can’t wait to jump into Taurus as soon as I can and see where the Zodiac Master takes us next.
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Kindle Edition: amazaon.co.uk amazon.com
I received this review copy from Booksprout.
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