Closer Than She Knows

Written by Kelly Irvin

Narrated by Tiffany Williams

A serial killer bent on revenge . . . and striking too close to home. 

Teagan O’Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She’s slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She’s listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she’s never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim. 

Until now. 

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels. 

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she’ll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God’s “tough love” he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he’ll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out. 

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan’s police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jun 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9780785231882

Kelly Irvin

Kelly Irvin is a bestselling, award-winning author of over thirty novels and stories. A retired public relations professional, Kelly lives with her husband, Tim, in San Antonio. They have two children, four grandchildren, and two ornery cats. Visit her online at KellyIrvin.com; Instagram: @kelly_irvin; Facebook: @Kelly.Irvin.Author; X: @Kelly_S_Irvin.

Reviews for Closer Than She Knows

[Connie Bosley Ferrell · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Slowest moving book EVER! Gave up! Def NOT a fan!

[lamb521 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Title: Closer Than She KnowsAuthor: Kelly IrvinPages: e-bookYear: 2020Publisher: Thomas NelsonMy rating is 5 out of 5 stars.Teagan O’Rourke is a court reporter who runs a free library from her front yard. She lives in San Antonio, TX. Her father is a retired policeman, and her friend is Max who is a part-time youth minister. Teagan and Max both have feelings for each other that have turned from friendship to romance but they each have pasts that cause them to hesitate or doubt themselves or the viability of a relationship.Teagan becomes the focus of a serial killer, but why? Is it something she has done to someone? Is it a former criminal her father knows? Did one of her siblings antagonize someone? Teagan and Max along with her father follow clues the killer leaves at the scene of each murder in the form of a note signed by a literary killer. However, as time advances, the killer murders those closer and closer to Teagan. Will she end up a victim too? Not if Max has anything to say about it!This is a great suspense novel! The action moves the story along quickly. I was glued to my seat from beginning to end. The two main characters, Teagan and Max, are strong people of faith and not afraid to show it. Teagan perhaps initially has a weaker relationship with God, but that is soon grown stronger with the trial she undergoes. The author’s research is evident in the text, making the story more believable. The intensity was full-on throughout the book, building until the final scene. The ending was satisfying and wrapped everything up nicely. Suspense lovers will definitely want to check this one out! Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.

[samantha71020 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Closer Than She Knows is a suspenseful read that kept me guessing. This book would be considered Christian fiction which is something that some readers would definitely want to know beforehand in case that isn't their thing. The characters beliefs do play a major part of this book at times which is why I felt like it was important to mention. I found myself instantly intrigued by the setup of this book. Teagan finds herself in the sights of a serial killer at the very beginning of this book which really started this book off with a bang. I found myself trying to figure out who the killer could be right along with all of the other characters. I liked that the author also hit on some other heavier issues within this book. For example, Max is a former alcoholic. This isn't something that is just glossed over but is something that he deals with throughout the book. The need for foster parents is another issue that was also brought up within the pages of this book. I thought that the way that the author brought these things into this book added to the mystery without distracting from it. It made the book feel more like real life as these are issues that are faced by so many all of the time. I spent the entirety of this book trying to figure out who the killer was and the why's behind it all. While I did end up suspecting the correct person at one point, I wasn't for sure until the very end when everything is revealed. I thought that this book was a page turner - especially with that ending!Overall, I liked this one and would be open to reading more by this author in the future. I thought that the author did a good job of writing a suspenseful read that kept me guessing. I really liked Teagan's family and would love to read more of them in future books. I also enjoyed the fact that the author's love of mysteries was interspersed throughout this book. The killer would leave Teagan notes signed as the killer from different mystery novels that Teagan had read and loved. I just thought it was a fun way to pay homage to the mystery genre and the author's love of books. I think that readers who enjoy suspenseful reads, Christian fiction, or just mysteries in general would enjoy this book.Bottom Line: A suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher as part of a PICT book tour. Honest thoughts are my own.

[eccl-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great modern day stand alone Christian thriller. This is one of those stories that pulled me in very quickly and I didn't want to put down. The story is fast-paced with lots of twists and turns. The story kept me guessing who the murderer could be. The characters are so realistic and well introduced it felt like I knew them. Just the simple thing of Teagan's sister moving home until she found a new apartment, so realistic.One of the issues that stands out the most to me is the way Teagan handled her relationship with Max. He wanted children and she felt it was wrong to bring a child into evil world. Another thing that stands out for me is the amount of times God tells us in the Bible to not have fear. It is a reminder to have faith and trust God to handle things for us in the bad times as well as the good. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is the romance is very mild and does not take over the crime story.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[melissa_o-399736 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsKelly Irvin is a new to me author. The synopsis of this book intrigued me and it was definitely a well-written plot. This book grabbed my attention from page one. Court reported Teagan O'Rourke figures out she is in the crosshairs of a serial killer when people around her start dying and the killer is leaving messages cryptic messages for Teagan at each crime scene. Her whole family is in law enforcement so they quickly get involved to protect her. But who could be after her? Someone from a case she was involved in or someone from a case of someone in her family or someone else entirely? It's a race against time to figure out who is behind all this before this person goes after Teagan herself!Although I really enjoyed the plot and was interested to get to the end to see what happened, I had a problem with some beliefs of the main character, Teagan. I don't want to say too much to fear giving too much away and spoiling something for a reader, but I did not find some of her beliefs to be realistic or believable given the situation she was in. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read many of this author's books, mostly Amish, this one is so different, and wow, most I didn't see coming.Evil, but who is this horrible individual, I was sure guessing, but I was fooled all the way to the end. Got part of it right, but I really didn't know.Kelly Irvin has given us a Suspense Novel that will have you looking over your shoulder, you will never see or know whom the next victim is. The big question is why? There are hints as to who, but then that becomes impossible, a copy cat, or more.We are given a young court reporter, along with a young man who is crazy about her, and her wonderful family that surround her with love.Don't get to comfortable here the killer has no regard for life, sadly!I received this book through Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.