This crime thriller started out well and then it shifted into a frustrating and disappointing conclusion.

Detective Madison Chase is on the hunt for a serial killer who is targeting sex offenders. The unknown suspect sends poems to the police giving hints about the next murder and signs them P.G. A witness can only say that the killer is a woman. It also seems that this villain is focused on Madison and her daughter, Emily.

The chapters are short and there are a lot of different characters with various points of view in the narrative. Madison and her ex-husband are engaged in a custody issue with their daughter and that takes up way too much of the book and the voice of Emily in the story was far too ridiculous for her age and I really got annoyed with that. The twist was out of nowhere and completely unbelievable considering that the reader has been in that person's mind.

Anyway, the book was good until the last half when it veered off and never recovered for me. This was an ARC.

Suspenseful: serial killer dealing out justice?😳

3-3.5🌟stars
Once Upon a Crime had me fooled and on tenterhooks, so it hit the mark for being a solid crime thriller but with caveats. It was terribly violent, not for the faint of heart, as Fort Worth is suddenly terrorized by a killer using novel ways to go after suspected molesters of minors. I found the author's method of moving between points of view and time confusing and just kept scratching my head about how this strong, intelligent police detective could have married such a sloppy, sleazy, philandering ex. And the killer's poetry left a lot to be desired!

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

As a police detective, Maddie Chase's life is always tense and challenging. Now her soon to be ex-husband has petitioned for full custody of their daughter. As her personal life spins out of control, so will her professional. The murder of a convicted sex offender will leave conflicted feelings as the killer makes clear that the killing has only begun.

Alan Brenham has developed a solid cast of characters set in the Ft Worth Police and surrounded them by some hard criminals that leave the readers twisted in whether they are good guys or bad. When the killer threatens Maddie's family......all bets are off. A great story set in a solid plot line. Just what every thriller fan wants to read.

Maddie Chase is a detective and presented with a most unusual crime - a sex offender is found dead ... beheaded on a horse. Ultimate punishment. We are told from the start that the killer is a woman, albeit a very strong one.

However, as Maddie pursues the serial killer, her personal life becomes tricky as she deals with harrassment from her ex-husband over their daughter Emily. He wants full custody, although Maddie is unsure he is even fit to have her over a weekend. Then it becomes clear that the killer is somehow wanting to taunt and punish Maddie, and may even threaten her family.

Its a real rollercoaster, the reader is unsure who is the perpetrator until the very end, as it is very skilfully handled. I enjoyed it very much, rooting for Maddie to find the killer and protect her loved ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Go Social for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Note** Due to a missing section of the audiobook, I requested and downloaded the print version to fill in the missing piece. Pasting the same review I sent for the audiobook below.

While I liked the concept, the author's writing style made this one difficult for me. I don't like when author's are overly detailed and verbose, but this was the extreme opposite. Everything felt short. I also did not care for the fact that everyone was called by their last name 95% of the time. For some reason, it made it harder for me to keep track of who was who- perhaps because you cannot infer gender? Or maybe it would have been less of an issue had I read it as opposed to listen to the audiobook? Not sure.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you like strong police procedurals which also focus on characters and their back stories, this is the book for you. The detective must investigate a complex case while also dealing with dark personal challenges and it is fascinating - and nail-biting - to go along for the ride.

I was hooked from the very beginning with the well written and well planned plot and the characters were written with such detail that I couldn't wait to read the next page!

Wow! What an ending! I did not see that one coming at all!! I'm usually pretty good at guessing but you got me good with this one! And u loved it! Lol this book had a bit of everything! It had great suspense, intrigue, action, gruesome murders, sadistic serial killer, great police work and some really crazy twists and turns! The storyline was so very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!