Review: Out for Blood - Adam Nicholls

Review: Out for Blood - Book #1 Private Investigator Logan Fox - Adam Nicholls - May 2022

There's something deeply satisfying about finding a crime thriller that doesn't just tick all the boxes but manages to surprise you along the way. Adam Nicholls' "Out for Blood" did exactly that for me, delivering a gritty serial killer story that had me glued to the pages well past my usual bedtime.

The story follows Logan Fox, a former detective turned private investigator who's been running from his demons for six years. When his family was brutally murdered during a serial killer case, Logan's world imploded. He left the force, turned to private investigation, and built walls around himself that would make a fortress jealous. But when a new serial killer emerges, one who's carving up female victims and stealing body parts, Logan finds himself reluctantly pulled back into the darkness he's been trying to escape.

What hooked me immediately was the personal stakes. This isn't just another cop-chases-killer story. When Logan fails to find a missing woman before she becomes the killer's latest victim, the guilt tears at him. The parents had hired him, trusted him, and he let them down. It's that raw emotion that makes Logan such a compelling protagonist—he's broken, flawed, and carrying more baggage than an airport carousel.

The thriller really kicks into high gear when it becomes clear that this new killer isn't just randomly targeting victims. He knows Logan. He's studied him. And now he's set his sights on Jenny, Logan's neighbor and one of the few people he's allowed himself to care about. The parallels to his family's murder six years ago are impossible to ignore, and Adam Nicholls does an excellent job of weaving these threads together without making it feel contrived.

I kept getting strong "The Mentalist" vibes throughout—particularly the Red John storyline. There's that same cat-and-mouse dynamic between the protagonist and a killer who seems to know everything about him. The psychological warfare is intense, and I found myself constantly trying to piece together the connections between the past and present crimes.

Adam Nicholls has created a solid foundation for what feels like the beginning of a series. Logan Fox is the kind of damaged hero that crime fiction readers love—someone who's been through hell but still has enough fight left in him to protect others. The writing is tight, the pacing relentless, and the mystery kept me guessing until the final chapters.

"Out for Blood" is perfect for readers who enjoy their crime fiction with a heavy dose of psychological thriller elements. It's dark, it's personal, and it's the kind of book that makes you want to immediately hunt down the next installment.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4034aMq