Remnants: A gripping and heart-pounding serial killer thriller

Carolyn Arnold

Apr 2017 · Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.

About this ebook

He wrenches at the chains on his wrists and ankles—to no avail. Tears stream down his cheeks as his captor comes at him all dressed in black, chanting and mumbling incoherently, a large knife in his hands…

When multiple body parts are recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law enforcement calls in the FBI. Special Agent Brandon Fisher and his team with the Behavioral Analysis Unit set out to investigate, but with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this isn’t going to be an open-and-shut case.

With no quick means of identifying the deceased, building a profile of this serial killer is more challenging than usual. Why are these victims being selected? Where are they are targeted? Why are their limbs being severed and their bodies mutilated?

The questions compound as the body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. The FBI will need to convince the Deep South to give up her secrets if they’re going to catch the killer. After all, one thing is clear: the killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…

Remnants is “a gritty nightmare of a tale that will churn the stomachs of even the most hard-boiled of FBI agents…” (Tome Tender Book Blog). Buy this heart-pounding thriller today and hunt a serial killer alongside the FBI! Perfect for fans of Catherine Coulter, JT Ellison, and Patricia Cornwell.

Readers love Remnants:

“WOW!! And again wow. I thoroughly enjoyed this gritty, psychological, twisted thriller.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The perfect thriller to keep you up at night…” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The plot has that gripping intensity to it.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Enthralling from beginning to end.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Gripping & intriguing.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A thrilling book, full of twists and turns.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book is gritty, sometimes almost gross, with plot twists that will keep you guessing for hours.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book was fast paced from page one. It had me sucked in, and I hated putting it down.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“All the details in this story are amazingly accurate.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It’s twisted, mind-reeling, and captivating!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Arnold makes the reader feel like part of the team.”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

Brandon Fisher is now a full-fledged FBI Agent, finally finished with his probationary period. Jack is the leader of this team, which also includes Paige and Zach. I mention these because this is book 6 of a series. I was afraid jumping in at this late date might lead to a lot of frustration and confusion as I haven't read any others of this particular series. No fear .. this is perfectly done as a stand alone. But as always, I recommend starting from the beginning to pick up all those back stories that make the storytelling credible. The local police in Savannah, Georgia call in the FBI after multiple body parts are discovered along a river. The body parts are remnants of several different victims. A foot here, a hand there. How on earth is anyone going to be able to identify them without the rest of their remains? And the more they discover, the sicker they become. Tongues have also been removed. Hearts have been cut out of the victims while still alive. And why are they painted blue? And why are the body parts of 20-something men? Building a profile is almost impossible. And more and more body parts are surfacing. They just need to find one thread to pull .... and when they do, a house of cards falls. Full of twists and turns and surprises, this is a well-written police procedural. There is a nice blend of the professional, while learning more of the personal of the characters. I'm eager to go back to the beginning to read of Brandon Fisher and how he got to where he is now. Many thanks to the author for the advanced digital copy of REMNANTS. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Suspenseful thriller set in Georgia. Great if you are into procedural mysteries and ready for some creepy scenes. As many book bloggers, I receive a lot of offers of books every week. The synopsis of Remnants sounded very promising, so I succumbed and said yes. It was actually quite well done and I’m glad to talk about it today. NB for authors and publishers: work hard on your synopsis! I noticed that Carolyne Arnold’s Marketing & Sales Director, her own husband, provides even three different size synopses to the reviewers. Well done! The book opens in a mall in Atlanta, when a killer selects his victim. Then we are sent to Savannah four days later, on St Valentine’s Day, with four FBI agents in charge of a special investigation, as human remains were found on a nearby river and marshland area. The body parts actually belong to three different victims, all white men in their twenties. The discovery of a torso painted blue, its heart removed, opens unto some interesting cultural data. Many chapters actually alternate between the FBI agents and the killer’s actions and perspective. You really get the feeling you enter into the killer’s psychology. I’m not going to reveal more about the mystery. It is well built, with plenty of possible leads and red-herrings to keep you guessing for a while, and lots of suspense. Just a word of warning for a few violent sacrificial scenes… This is actually the sixth installment in the Brandon Fisher FBI series, but I never felt I was missing something. I got to know well profiler Brandon, his boss Jack, and the two other agents, Zach and Paige. They are sent two by two to interview various people all through the story, and it was neat to see how they were interacting and working together. Not sure why, but it seems that the common canon for many thrillers includes difficult issues in the personal life of detectives, policemen, and FBI agents. Nothing original here: each has relational problems with their friend or spouse. And the fact that they are called out of town on St Valentine’s Day, instead of having a date night, makes it even worse for them. What I really appreciated was all the procedural aspects of the work: you have the four agents on the Behavioral Analysis Unit, plus an anthropologist, the chief medical examiner at the morgue, a super smart analyst, and a few extra detectives. It was neat to see them brainstorm together, each helping to solve the case. Apart from the main heroes/anti-heroes, there are also plenty of colorful characters, weirdos, and very sick people. Reflecting upon this thriller, I realized there were actually a few points in common with another mystery set in the south (South Carolina) that I read some time ago, and even translated into French: Tell No Lies, by Tanya Ann Crosby. Some scenes in the marshes felt the same, the killer partly does similar things, but for different reasons, and he even has the same first name!

Filled with nonstop action, FBI and police procedures, Remnants will grab the reader immediately. With twist and turns and excellent plotting, Arnold holds the reader's attention. Arnold crafted several worthy suspects in Remnants and developed them fully; never giving away the villain until absolutely necessary. I found myself with goose bumps as Arnold described the murder scenes. Arnold descriptive prose was skillful and the story-line original. Reader also sees the story from the killer's perspective which greatly intensified the suspense in this story.I felt I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds or CSI; the story felt realistic. I felt the characters full-bodied and the police procedures accurate. It is intense, realistic, and relates to our world today as serial killers become more prolific. Additionally, I received this book from the author and chose to voluntarily review the book with an honest thriller suspense crime book/novel review.

About the author

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Book Series by Carolyn Arnold:

Detective Madison Knight

Brandon Fisher FBI

Detective Amanda Steele

Matthew Connor Adventure

Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy mysteries, police procedurals, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

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