A Good Kill

A P.T. Marsh Novel, Book 3

By: John McMahon

Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom

An electrifying mystery featuring a troubled small-town police detective faced with three interwoven crimes that reveal sinister secrets about his community - and the deaths of his family, by the Edgar Award- and Thriller Award-short-listed author whose novels have been described by the New York Times Book Review as "pretty much perfect".

In the years since the mysterious deaths of his wife and child, P.T. Marsh, a police detective in the small Georgia town of Mason Falls, has faced demons - both professional and personal. But when he is called to the scene of a school shooting, the professional and personal become intertwined, and he suspects that whoever is behind the crime may be connected to his own family tragedy. As Marsh and his partner, Remy, investigate the shooting, they discover that it is far from straightforward, and their search for answers leads them to a conspiracy at the highest levels of local government - including within the police force. The stakes in the case become increasingly high, culminating in a showdown that has Marsh questioning everything he knows and wondering if some secrets are better left undiscovered.

©2021 John McMahon (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Thriller Award finalist McMahon’s exceptional third mystery.... McMahon plants devastating twists like carefully concealed land mines, but never allows the story line to come at the expense of plausibility. This whydunit is sure to win him new fans." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“John McMahon’s third offering in his P.T. Marsh detective series, A Good Kill, is without a doubt his best yet - a complex, richly drawn, and utterly propulsive story in which the stakes couldn’t be higher or the outcome more uncertain. McMahon’s deft plotting, complicated characters, and gorgeous prose are evident on every page. I raced through the story at warp speed. Put yourself in McMahon’s eminently capable hands and enjoy the ride!” (Karen Dionne, internationally best-selling author of The Wicked Sister)

“With only three books into the series, John McMahon has gracefully dropped the needle into the groove. A Good Detective set the stage, The Evil Men Do kicked it up a notch, and A Good Kill solidified what we all knew was coming - that hard-ass investigator, P.T. Marsh is here to stay. He is every bit as relevant to a new generation of readers as Sam Spade or Mike Hammer was to the generations before us. McMahon breaths new life into characters that in the hands of a lesser writer would get lost in the glut. But not here. Not even close. This novel has every indicator that the McMahon train isn’t slowing down. A Good Kill isn’t just a good book, but rock-solid proof of the birth of one of the best new crime fiction writers in the business.” (Brian Panowich, author of Bull Mountain and Hard Cash Valley)

Addictive and even thought provoking

I just binged all three books. This is a breakout author - on a par with Hiasson, Grisham, Conolly. I was unable to stop listening. The books were excellent and the narrator matched them perfectly. Police noir probably best describes them.

Conspiracy runs deep

Five stars—A Good Kill was a total knockout. I’ve been hooked on P.T. Marsh since book one, and this might be my favorite in the series. The opening scene in the high school with the active shooter? Intense and unforgettable. McMahon nails the pacing—it’s sharp, fast, and packed with emotion. And the conspiracy Marsh uncovers goes deep—just when you think you’ve figured it out, another layer hits. I loved how personal this one felt for Marsh, and the tension never let up. If you like smart thrillers with heart and grit, this is a must-read. McMahon keeps getting better with every book.

PT & REMI

A unique combination of personalities were presented with the veteran white senior detective paired with a extremely fine black junior badass detective. Didn't realize I started with book 3, but immediately got books 1 and 2. LOVE REMI and Purvis, bad guys were very bad and believable. Not always the case. Thanks for a great story and new heroes!

Georgia Noir

I didn't know there was such a thing as a noir story settled in the present day South. I stand corrected. I listened to all three books so far and must say I like them. There is a thread of a plot that runs through all three books and a plot for itself in each one as well. I very much like the first person perspective and that you never know more than the chief protagonist. The reading is good. Mr. Lindstrom does a nice job with different voices and different accents. He can get monotone at times but that's also the key of his voice which is pretty low. Pleasant but low and smooth.
I will be back for future instalments.

My "Prayer Review" Happy to add a new guy to it.

I have not posted this in a while but John McMahon is just too good not to. I need to post it for two other guys as well. And Jon Lindstrom is fantastic. As good as Ferrone doing Lucas Davenport.

Dear God: Please let this man write another book soon and please let me be here to listen to it. I can't say something like 'even his worst book is good' because I can't think of anything he's done that is worse than anything else.

Before I post this list I have to say that Sandford, Parker and MacDonald are EXTRA special. And Richard Ferrone as John Sandford's voice is an amazing match. Like George Guidall with Craig Johnson and pretty much anything George reads.

Robert B. Parker lived in this space for me as did John D. MacDonald, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, John Hart, Craig Johnson, John Lescroart, William Kent Krueger Ridley Pearson ,and Jonathan Kellerman. Some others are really good but these guys have something special. If you are into mystery-thrillers I just gave you a back catalog I wish I could have...but I HAVE had it and it is an incredible treasure. I stopped going to libraries and swap places just so I can encourage these guys by sending them money. Please enjoy.

Great story

McMahon comes with his best story to date. Leverages the previous books, but doesn’t rely on them to weave a brilliant narrative.

love this series

loved this book and the whole series. Good who done it and why they did it. Cop under mental anguish over the loss of his wife and son. Puts the pieces of who was behind their death while solving other murders. Try it bet you'll love it.

Excellent!☆☆☆☆☆

Terrific! The last of a 3 part series. I totally enjoyed this character, this author. Hope that this is the beginning of this series and not the end. Love these new voices.

Holds Interest

The Lucas Davenport books are fairly addictive. Enjoyable with good mix of suspense and story line

Good if you've read the first 2

Do not read this one first. The entire story is predicated on knowing the characters and events from the first 2 books. I recommend reading them close together, as I was foggy on a lot of details I knew would help with this book.

I love P.T. and his partner Remy. The mystery is solid but really complex. To enjoy it you really have to pay attention to all the characters, even the ones that seem secondary.