Liz's Reviews > A Killer's Mind

3.5 stars, rounded up
When starting a new mystery series, initial impressions are important to me. Do I like the characters? I have to say, I wasn’t initially drawn to Zoe. She just seemed a little too off kilter. But Tatum drew me in and his grandfather, Marvin, his cat and his fish really kept me listening. And as the chapters went on, I came to appreciate Zoe and her intelligence.
Zoe is a forensic psychologist who is a consultant to the FBI. Tatum Gray is a recently “promoted” and transferred FBI agent. Together, they are brought in to consult on a series of murders in Chicago where the victims have been embalmed and staged. The two really don’t get along. Zoe is prickly, intense and not tactful at all. Tatum is a little too self important. It takes them a while to learn to trust each other and their growing relationship is one of the strengths of the book.
As the book goes along, in addition to the murder investigation, we learn more about Zoe’s background and what has made her the way she is. Omer is smart to use Zoe’s early interest in profiling to teach the reader what it’s really all about. We hear from multiple characters, not just the two investigators. The killer’s chapters add a dark, quirky twist. The narrator’s Massachusetts’ accent for Zoe tends to come and go which was a little distracting.

The book moves at a nice, steady pace. It kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer. It was entertaining but lacked enough oomph to make this a solid four stars. Still, I will definitely seek out book two.