Fallen: A Cassidy & Spenser by Carey Baldwin – a Review

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
A body just fell from the sky onto Hollywood Boulevard.

When a beautiful prostitute is dumped onto the Walk of Fame, FBI profiler Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are called in to solve one of their most baffling cases yet.
The media’s dubbed him the Fallen Angel Killer – a crazed murderer who’s leaving the bodies of high-priced call girls in Los Angeles tourist traps.

Then the killer raises the stakes, demanding that a mysterious celebrity publically admit to his sinful secrets —or he’ll dispose of his latest kidnapped escort. With every “john” the team exposes in their search for Celebrity X, another Hollywood secret is revealed and another charmed life is left in ruins.

Now time is running out, and Cassidy and Spenser will do anything to find the twisted serial killer…before another innocent woman winds up as the next grotesque tourist attraction

Review:

Fallen…in love with this book, more accurately! Carey Baldwin is back to demonstrate her prowess with a psychological thriller. Special Agent Atticus Spenser is collaborating with Dr. Caitlyn Cassidy on a second case in my hometown of Los Angeles. Things were turning romantic in Judgment despite the Man in the Maze killer (review available here), but this new case will rearrange exploration of those feelings. Duty calls and they’re nothing short of dutiful. Fallen is an engaging story with intriguing layers that will hold your attention until the end.

Bodies are falling from the sky yet there isn’t a director yelling ‘Cut!’ to end the scene. Spenser and Caitlyn work fast to ascertain a commonality/pattern among the lovely female victims — profiling at its finest with this pair of experts. Spenser and Caity don’t always agree, but their opposing theories help to hone the process and exact an even more accurate assessment. The banter and dialogue is professional and productive.

Twists and turns lead you nowhere fast, but the investigation along the way is intelligent and compelling. Suspects are considered, but Ms. Baldwin keeps the plot dubious, making our heroes work for the case. When the actual Fallen Angel Killer makes an imperative, last hour demand for “Celebrity X” to reveal his identity (a provocative challenge to say the least), the mystery is spun yet again. Ms. Baldwin leads us down a riveting path to apprehend the killer.

Caity’s always been a wild card, IMO, because of her father’s death. She’s fluent in all things legal, there’s rarely a grey area for her, but there was a correlating epiphany that brought forth an unexpected emotional connection.

“…she couldn’t deny that she was beginning to believe the best way to protect the innocent was to see to it that the guilty were correctly identified in the first place.”

That realization made Caity cognizant and diligent: Don’t exonerate without finding the real killer. Spenser’s own abilities expand with Caitlyn’s new perspective. They are an omnibus force.

Spenser talking down a hostage situation with a calm explanation of lethal force was fabulous. It was described so perfectly, expert balance of facts and dark humor, Ms. Baldwin makes us fall for Spense even harder. That’s one of the brilliant qualities imbued in this character – Spense might be terrifyingly brilliant, but he’s approachable. The psychological profiling is elaborate yet understandable; you follow along like an amateur investigator. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was on their level — I just want them to be my friends in real life!

I don’t mean to cut to the chase, but the Fallen Angel Killer resolves ingeniously. It was creative and risky, expertly catering to the murderer’s pathology. It was epic. You outdo yourself, Ms. Baldwin.

Our H/H have more than earned that Tahitian diversion. Ms. Baldwin teases us with stolen kisses, we’re more than ready for more, but she’s touching on it with a finesse that keeps us entranced. The time is now, we’re ready, lol, but the long arm of the FBI beckons yet again…to Dallas, Texas. Spenser and Caity are in demand so we’ll need to be patient on the romantic front. Fallen is a terrific addition to a dynamic series.  

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author