We Were Killers Once

A Thriller

By: Becky Masterman

Narrated by: Kate Harper

"A gripping premise, brilliantly executed - you won’t be able to put this one down!" — Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo's days as a prison chaplain - a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo's old things - has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he'd like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he'll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.

Becky Masterman's unpausable thrillers featuring unique heroine Brigid Quinn continue with this fascinating alternative look at one of America's most famous crimes.

©2019 Becky Masterman (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

The best of the Bridget Quinn series . Loved it .
Suspenseful , beautifully written .
Worth the credit !

intriguing connection to In Cold Blood

First I think the narrator may have really made me want to know what the connections were between the antagonist (for lack of a better word) and the original killers in In Cold Blood. Because actually the story is a bit slow and really at times over the top unbelievable. I would have liked MORE psychological depth to the original killers as well as "Jerry Nolan". As it was a lot was set up and then the plot took over.

Bridget and Carlo see each other with new eyes.

I have been following both of them through all the previous books, the storyline was fantastic, edge of seat, very cleverly developed and resolved at the very last minute. Such a “great read”. This book gave you everything you want from a thriller, along with watching your “friends” find a new level to their relationship. Just loved it! Highly recommend this book!

Good story terrible reader

I almost quit listening several times. The voices for different characters were embarrassing- especially Jerry and Carlo. Readers in the other books are great-especially the first one.

Great series

I have enjoyed every book in this series. Kate Harper did a great job and her voice is as I imagined Brigid. I hope this is not the end.

Creativity and Intelligence

Both of which I expect from Masterman, and which are delivered to my delight in this story I hate to love and love to hate.

Brigid and Carlo, in a "mixed" marriage between an ex FBI agent who was drug up by her ears and a refined priest/philosopher, find their present lives intertwined with the past, with new realizations about Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, killers who were the subjects of Capote's In Cold Blood.

Under threat of violent death for Carlo unless Brigid can successfully outwit a new character in that long ago story, both the fictional revelations and the ones we can all take to our hearts about love, and what it takes to make a marriage, make for riveting suspense.

This is the most ambitious of Becky Masterman's Brigid Quinn tales, and to me it's the most powerful.

Kate Harper's narration is different from previous narrators, but was no less equal to bringing the characters to life for me. Her voicing of the villain of the piece was just right and contained a lot of insight into how such a person thinks and feels. Made me detest him all the more.

I'm now off to wait around for the next in this series (hope there is one!)

Very Disappointing

I have read all of the books in this series and loved them until this one. You know who the killer is from the beginning and the story is in large part from his side which is not in keeping with the series style. Also the narrator was really really really monotone making listening very difficult. Sorry this one is a hard one star 😞

Back on the shelf

Have you ever been shopping and found an item that caught your eye, added it to your cart and then after wandering around the store for a while you put it back where you found it? Well, that was me and this book was that item. I really tried to like this book because I liked the idea behind the story that there may have been a third person at the Clutters and the added tie-in to the Walker family murder in Florida. I stuck with it for 5 hours and 38 minutes partly because I liked the narrator's voice and the little voice in my head telling me that I had already returned 2 books in the past week and maybe this one would pick up. It didn't.

Such a disappointment! Don't waste your credit.

It's almost like it was written by someone else! Recently rented "Rage against the Dying" it was so awesome. I think the voice performance made it for me. Having served in the military and back country land management agencies myself I have known many a "tough old broad" who were also secretly sensitive and good people. Rage against the dying was so realistic and great character development!

This book is the opposite, very cringeworthy gross corny sex scenes awful narration, why switch narrators in a series like this they usually keep the same one!? The plot was unique and interesting (why I gave 2 stars) but the author managed to make the lead protagonist seem mean, spiteful and absurdly insecure. Goes from being likeable and relatable in the first book to completely annoying in this one. I never write bad reviews, but I can safely say I would not have finished this book if I didn't spend a precious credit on it.