Have read Andrea Kane before and usually found it quite gripping. Not so in case of this book. It was very repetitive in terms of the murders. Very little in terms of the reader connecting to the characters. I have not read Forensic instincts 1 and 2 so that might be a reason but i feel every series should not necessarily engage the reader only if it is read in order. ( )

The Stranger You Know, the third installment of Andrea Kane's Forensic Instincts series, hits close to home for the team members when a sadistic killer sets his sights on Casey Woods. Their investigation into a cold case bears a startling resemblance to a current string of grisly murders and leads the team to a murderer already behind bars. It soon becomes apparent the murderer is targeting Casey but why? And can they stop the murderous rampage before more innocent lives are taken?

In this third outing, the Forensics Instinct team is tighter than ever and all of their previous differences have been ironed out. While all of the members play vital roles in the latest investigation, it is Claire Hedgleigh who takes center stage as her unique abilities literally give her a front row seat to the killings. Her psychic talents are brilliantly showcased in The Stranger You Know and the in depth exploration of her special skills is incredibly fascinating.

The murderer is one step ahead of Forensic Instincts for pretty much the entire novel and some of the storyline is rather predictable. The team plays right into the killer's hand and some of their decisions fall into too stupid to live category. But in the end, all of the frustration is forgotten as Andrea Kane beautifully redeems The Stranger You Know with some very shocking and unexpected plot twists.

All in all, a pretty satisfying addition to the Forensics Instincts series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.
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Amazon Book Description:
It begins with a chilling phone call. And ends with another girl dead. College-age girls with long red hair are being brutally murdered, posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial offender now serving thirty years to life—a criminal brought to justice with the help of Casey Woods and her investigative team, Forensic Instincts. Call. Kill. Repeat. But the similarities are more than one psychopath's desire to outdo another. As more red-haired victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey…. Now the Forensic Instincts team must uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey, the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make two things clear: He knows everything about Casey. And he won't stop until she's dead.

My Thoughts:
This book filled all of my mystery loving needs. The plot of the story is chilling and thrilling. This story builds the relationship between Claire and Ryan who are as opposite as two people can be. She is a psychic and he is a techie. However, opposites clearly attract. I also liked the strong relationships among all of the Forensic Instincts crew and look forward to reading more adventures. 5 stars. ( )

In The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane the Forensic Instincts team is hired by a dying father to find out what happened to his college aged daughter, Jan Olson, fifteen years ago. It's a police cold case that was never solved. While it appears the team only has a scant police file of information to go on, team leader, Casey, who was in college at the time, had a friend, Holly, who was brutally raped and murdered. It appears that the cases are linked and the team is really looking for a serial killer. While the team starts to investigate Jan's disappearance, it suddenly becomes clear that the killer, or an apprentice, is back and killing young women with red hair - a description that fits Casey. Things become even more stressful when the current serial killer calls Casey after each brutal murder and lets her know that she will be the final victim. And even more chilling is the question how does serial killer Glen Fisher, who the team helped put behind bars, tie into these recent killer's actions?

Each member of the Forensic Instincts team brings a special set of skills and abilities that make them uniquely extraordinary to work together with other team members. Casey is the behaviorist, with a "sharp mind and keen instincts about people, their body language, their responses and reactions." Marc is her right hand who is "brilliant at everything from his mental to his psychological to his physical capabilities." Ryan is "both a strategic and technical genius." Claire is a gifted intuitive, a psychic, who prefers to be called a claircognizant. Patrick is a lifelong trained investigator. Finally Hero is a retired dog from the FBI Canine Unit. Hutch, though not a member of the team, is an FBI profiler who has close ties to Casey.

While the team methodically works the cold case they were hired to solve, the new cases push themselves to the forefront and have the team working with other law enforcement agencies in an effort to unite their strengths to solve the cases. In The Stranger You Know Claire's claircognazant abilities are strongly featured and play a major role. This makes it imperative for you to believe in her abilities in order to appreciate her role in the teams efforts. Some of the plot is predictable, but that is often the case with crime/mystery novels so it was noted but didn't deter my enjoyment. There is a palatable tension as the team tries to solve the murders. The team's actions, running headlong on an impetuous beat-the-clock-or-else rush of adrenaline, kept me reading the book straight through to the end.

However, after accepting and acknowledging the teams qualifications, there were a few moments in the narrative where I felt like saying, "Oh really?" because their established competence and expertise didn't quite line up with their actions. (I'd give examples but I don't want to spoil the plot.) I'm also not completely able to accept Claire's psychic abilities to the extent that they played in the plot. The Stranger You Know is the third book in the Forensic Instincts series and, while it works as a stand-alone novel, it would be nice to have more information on the team members and their previous two cases. (I'm going to have to read the first two books on my wish list.)

Highly Recommended

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. ( )

From my blog

The Forensic Instincts team is by far my favourite detective group, yes they are unorthodox and sometimes use research tactics and get their answers illegally BUT to save lives, that is ok, right....... They consists of a behaviorist, a techno-wizard, an intuitive and a former navy SEAL. If you watch the TV show Scandal, you will love these books.

Andrea Kane is one of my favourite suspense writers, I enjoy the characters and even if I guess some of the case there are always critical points I miss and are completely a surprise when revealed.

I enjoy this series because you can pick up any book and read as a stand alone but for the fans the building of relationships within the team and FBI connects and takes it to the next level, you become attached to the characters.

Andrea Kane takes you on a thrill ride during the investigation, you will be on the edge of your seat as the team have to keep up or more lives will be lost. This time the FI team know the killer's ultimate plan is Casey, their leader, and they are doing everything it takes to find him but the killer is always a step ahead of them and starts taunting Casey with telephone calls. Is it a copy cat killer or is the killer being directed from an ex murderer that is locked up?

I did think for a moment, why this, did Andrea Kane make a mistake, hmmm, keep reading. I got caught up in the story and forgot about my glimmer thought which in the end was the answer. I love that, like a true crime story, that thought in the back of your head may actually break the case.

I do think the end was a little to clean. Also, I can't believe her team would fall right into the killers plan but it just shows when tragedy happens all thoughts can be compromised when to close.

Another great story, I am loving being caught up with all of her new books and slowly catching up on her older. I recommend you try her. ( )