Signature Kill

David Levien continues the story of Frank Behr in "Signature Kill." I have been a fan of this series and was very excited to dive into this book. In this book, Behr transitions to a private investigator who struggles to find meaningful cases that pay while trying to maintain a semblance of a domestic life with his girlfriend and child. In this book, we see his vulnerabilities and inner conflicts manifest in a compelling way. Without giving away plot details, I'll say that I was as intrigued with his personal journey as I was with his missing girl case that promises a $100k payday.In this book, Levien expertly switches POV narratives between Behr and the killer, leaving us in suspense as the readers are taken from Behr's POV to the killer's and vice versa. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to others. You don't have to have read the previous installments (though I recommend you should for your own pleasure) because Levien seamlessly re-introduces recurring characters without taking the momentum away from the story at hand.

Former Indianapolis cop and now private investigator with no money or clients, Frank Behr takes a shot at getting the $100,000 reward for finding information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the disappearance of a twenty-something year old blond girl. His efforts cause him to discover that a serial killer exists in his city who brutally rapes, tortures and then murders his young, blond, female victims before dismembering and displaying their bodies. Because the murders have taken place over a long period of time, the police haven't tied them together. I had some trouble accepting this point because Frank figures it out almost at immediately. This, however, was the only major problem I had with this not so original story. David Levien's writing is very good. The characters, both major and minor, are well drawn and interesting. Frank's relationship with his estranged wife, former police associates and especially Lisa Mistretta a criminal psychologist and profiler make for a well rounded cast of characters, each of whom relates differently to him. If you are sensitive to graphic descriptions of brutality this book is not for you. If you can handle that, this book is definitely an enjoyable read and slightly different take on the serial murder/mystery.

Levien is a must read, I have never heard of him before the write up on Amazon. This book was read in 2 days by me, could not put it down. Promptly ordered another one of his novels and am finding the same thing. Same thing again, cannot put it down, and will probably order all of his novels. Turned my wife on to him, and she also cannot put the book down. He is up there with John Sanford, Baldacci, etc. Why his novels are not one the best seller list as soon as they are published is a mystery to me. To all crime novel readers out there, get on to this guy as he is super.

i liked his earlier novels better

This is a solid book series. But like another reviewer stated, if you look closely you will find mistakes, the kind that a Michael Connelly wouldn't make. One of the characters in the book was in the military and got out after five years as a first sergeant! That is quite the rapid promotion with no explanation for it. All in all, though, the Behr novels are entertaining and that's the most important thing.

Having read the other three books in this series, I was really looking forward to read this one. This was a lot darker than the previous three and that is saying something of a series that can be pretty dark. Frank is your classic protagonist for this genre and his personal issues seem to mirror the case that he is dealing with. I cannot give away a lot but will say that if you liked the last three, you will love this one. If you have yet to read any of them, start at the beginning and work your way through.

Signature kill is a novel that brings the sociopathic mind into blazing clarity. On one hand you have the monster that is so twisted and insane, he feels his life was brought forth to destroy beauty and life...and on the other hand, Frank Behring who is a sociopath of sorts, out to remove the monsters by any means available.A struggle between pure evil and vigilante justice that leaves us appreciating the efficiency of the law according to Behring!

You can take this book at face value: an expertly plotted story where the good guy ferrets out the bad guy. But there's an entirely different narrative beneath the surface.Evil exists, it must be confronted and only a few are able to competently execute this onerous task. That bravery comes at a price, one too high for most of us to pay.

Damn damn damn, got really into this book, best so far, and finished it way before I should have. Now have noting of comparable quality to read.

Great character and a great read. I will continue to buy and read Levien's Frank Behr series.

After reading, I had to buy all his books!

Great read. Couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading David's next.Pick it up you won't put it down

This is crime fiction at its best. The main character is dark, complex and heroic;an unusual combination. I would hughly recommend all four books and I am looking forward to the next in the series.