If you're a fan of the Criminal Minds TV show, you are going to LOVE this book from the start! A psychological thriller that dives right into the heart of an FBI investigation into an active serial killer, You'll find yourself cheering for the FBI team and trying to figure out who the gruesome killer is. Fast paced and tantalizing, a perfect read for a stormy night.

Received for review ( )

I was graciously contacted via my blog, to receive a copy of “Remnants” in exchange for an honest review. That being said, it has not altered my opinion of the book whatsoever. “Remnants” will be published on April 11th 2017 and available for purchase here.

Carolyn Arnold is a new author for me, however the genre is not. I've always been a fan of CSI (although it HAS to be Las Vegas) and Bones, however for some reason or another, these genres do not grace my shelves too often.

Upon doing my normal new author research, it appears that Arnold has written many books, that spans many series, as well as a few standalone titles.

Brandon Fisher FBI series (Remnants will be book 6 of this series)
Detective Madison Knight Series (A total of 7 books at the moment)
McKinley Mysteries (A total of 10 books with number 11 due out in October 2017)
Matthew Connor Adventure Series (1 book with book 2 due out in January 2018)
And 3 standalone titles


When I received this particular request, and reading over the specifics, it said that "Remnants" was a part of a series. . .well crap. I never pick up a book (unknowingly) that isn't the first book of the series. Does anyone else feel me on this? Usually it just does not make sense. Had I continued reading the e-mail in it's entirety, I would have learned that EACH book in this particular series can be read as a standalone. Makes complete sense. HOWEVER! (One) of my favorite authors [James Rollins] has his Sigma series that states the same. Personally, I wouldn't read the Sigma series out of order. I enjoy knowing what came before and building that relationship with the characters while reading each book. Reading the synopsis provided in the e-mail made me jump at the opportunity to read "Remnants", and I'm so glad I jumped.

"Remnants" opens in the south, Georgia to be exact, in the perspective of the killer. At the moment he is enjoying the hunt for his victim, savoring in the time it's taking to pick the perfect specimen, and return home unnoticed.

Switching perspectives, the reader's are introduced to Brandon Fisher; an agent in the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, along with his team. It's Valentines Day, and what better way to spend it than to answer a call that two arms and a leg were found in a river in Georgia. Upon arriving at the crime scene the team realizes they are looking at three separate victims- the arms are missing the hands, and the leg is missing the foot.

As any good investigative book/movie goes, the list of suspects starts wide and narrows as you go. The team starts with those closest to the site and expand their list- which includes the local Georgian banker. Interviews lead to a myriad of missing person cases with one key component- all of them are missing men in their 20's.

With a fresh missing person's case on the table, and more body parts being washed up by the river, the suspect list narrows, and the killer decides to change his MO.

Does the team catch the killer? What role does the banker play in all of this? How many victims were at the killer's mercy? Please do yourself a favor, and put "Remnants" on your TBR list for April 11th. In the meantime, check out the rest of the books that I mentioned above.

As any good thriller should be, Caryolyn Arnold is able to make you fear the mundane of everyday life. She takes something as simple as running an errand and has you looking over your shoulder.

As I mentioned earlier, "Remnants" is a part of a series. While I have never read any book written by Arnold, I do believe "Remnants" can be read as a standalone. While it may be easier to know the backstories of the main characters, I do not find it integral to the storytelling.

And let's talk about that storytelling. I found Arnold's writing to be not only engaging, but painting a picture for the reader. There was never I time I felt as though she were talking over my head. All of the detail was well researched. For me, I do believe that Carolyn Arnold is an up and coming author for the thriller genre.

While this is my FIRST Arnold novel, I certainly hope it will not be the last. Ms. Arnold, I honestly hope to work with you again, and I absolutely will be adding some of your works to my TBR list. PS: Have you checked out the Matthew Connor Adventures?! That book ALONE moves it up in my TBR list!



( )

Remnants by Carolyn Arnold is an heart-pumping Suspense/Thriller/Mystery set in Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia. #6 in "Brandon Fisher FBI series". While, can be read as a stand alone, readers will find re-appearing characters from the previous books. This was my first time reading Ms. Arnold's intense FBI series but I was not lost. I found it to be exciting, heart-pumping, intensive, and frightening at times. What a wild ride of police procedurals, FBI tactics, and so much more.

Gritty, with gore, a serial killer, twists and turns, and non-stop action, that will keep the reader turning pages. The details and police procedures were well-researched and explained so the reader understood. It was as if Ms. Arnold was speaking to the reader directly and in person. The characters were well-developed and engaging. The plot, WOW, was unique, but original, who the serial killer was, was hard to figure out, as all is revealed, you wonder, how did I not figure this out sooner. A nail biting Psychological Thriller, to be sure. Don't read late at night, you might hear monsters (or a serial killer) go bump in the night.

If you enjoy CSI or Criminal Minds T.V. series, you will definitely enjoy "Remnants". Readers will be engrossed from the beginning to the end. I found this story to be an overwhelmingly gritty story, but what a joy to read. I look forward to reading more from Carolyn Arnold. Highly recommended for fans of Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers, and hard-core FBI series.

I received a complimentary copy.

Rating: 5

Heat rating: Hard-core action

Reviewed by: AprilR ( )

Carolyn Arnold is a very prolific author with numerous books in her Detective Madison Knight and Brandon Fisher FBI series. I have read a couple of the books and have enjoyed them.

Remnants is book 6 in the Brandon Fisher series. A serial killer is out there and is dismembering the victims and parts are being found in Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia. Brandon Fisher and his team are tasked with figuring out who the killer or killers are. The bodies are identified as men and when a torso turns up painted blue, the FBI are immersed into mythology of Mexico. They also turn up a phone that was thrown into the river and they think that they have their suspect. But it is not as simple as that. More body parts and clues lead them to more questions.

Most of the book is in the perspective of Brandon, but in other chapters we get a glimpse into the killer. A book that is character driven and a believable plot, you have to wonder if this was based on a real case. It is that real. The author conveys a talent for police procedural's and is able to keep the reader enthralled in the story.

Like I said, this is the 6th book in the series, and the only one I have read in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone novel. I personally will be going back and reading more of this series. If you love a good police murder mystery, this is an author that you really need to take a look at. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was a fast read for me. ( )

This is my first time reading anything by this author. This book started out strong and ended just as strong. There is nothing worse than reading a book only to get a weak ending. Although, I must say that Brandon did not have as much of a huge presence with me as his team did. Together they all worked well together. It was a nice balance of men and women.

I want to stop and take a moment to talk about the killer. The author made sure that the killer's time in the spotlight was not lessened by the storyline. I have read many books where sometimes the killer is overshadowed by the storyline or the killer comes off as weaker so that it appears that the people brought to stop the killer seem smart. No, this was not the case in this book. Every character had a purpose. Although, the killings were horrific with limbs severed, the details were not graphic in nature. Therefore, those readers who like murder mystery or police procedural books, you will be happy with this factor. One more aspect that I wanted to point out about this book is that the flow was steady with no down time. If you are looking for a new author to try than you should check out this book. Coming from a fan of murder mystery or police procedural books; Remnants is a worthy read with sharp, skilled characters and a strong storyline. ( )