Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the several mystery series with women detectives. The first book of every series is available as a free download on Amazon!

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Let’s meet the key characters.

Characters in “Before He Kills” by Blake Pierce

• Mackenzie White – A young, determined, and ambitious Nebraska police officer aiming to prove herself in a male-dominated field. Driven by past trauma and a desire for justice, she is intuitive and passionate, though sometimes emotionally raw and impulsive.

• Porter – Mackenzie’s dismissive and chauvinistic colleague, representing the professional resistance she faces as a woman in law enforcement. But he transforms slowly over the period of the story, and he saves Mackenzie in the climax. Oops! Spoiler alert.

• The Killer – A shadowy, methodical murderer targeting women in chillingly similar ways, whose patterns Mackenzie tries to decode. He’s a religious psycho.

• Ellington – An FBI agent introduced later in the novel. Experienced and calm, he becomes a mentor-like figure for Mackenzie and offers her a chance to join the FBI.

• Police Chief Clark Nelson.– Mackenzie’s boss, who has mixed feelings about her methods but ultimately allows her to pursue the case. Mackenzie has a very tense face-off with him towards the end.

• Mackenzie’s Father – A former detective whose past case continues to haunt Mackenzie and subtly influences her choices.

• Victims – Several unnamed or briefly detailed women whose murders form the core of the investigation.

• Zack – Mackenzie’s toxic boyfriend
• Stephanie – Mackenzie’s estranged sister

Non-Spoiler Recap

“Before He Kills” introduces readers to Mackenzie White, a determined young detective working in the Nebraska police force, where she faces constant skepticism and sexism from her predominantly male colleagues. When the body of a young woman is found in a cornfield—killed in a manner suggesting ritual or pattern—Mackenzie suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but her concerns are initially dismissed by her boss and her team alike.

Drawing on her exceptional intuition and analytical skills, Mackenzie pursues the investigation despite resistance from her department. Her persistence catches the attention of FBI agents when similarities between this case and others emerge, suggesting the presence of a serial killer preying on young women across Nebraska.

As Mackenzie works to track down the “Scarecrow Killer,” she must also confront painful memories from her own past, particularly the unsolved murder of her father. These personal demons both drive her determination and sometimes cloud her judgment as the investigation intensifies. She also struggles with her manchild of a boyfriend Zack.

Some Highlights

• “Good recall on that 1987 case,” Nelson told Mackenzie. It looked like it physically hurt him to pay her the compliment.
• It was hard to peg Porter as a man who respected his wife that much and on such an account, she was happy to be proven wrong.
• I’d go so far as to guess that he feels he’s doing the world a favor.”
• a long shot is better than no shot at all.
• Was small-town mentality that hard to break away from?
• Sometimes the small-town mentality is hard to break out of.”
• She looked out to the room and saw Porter sitting among the faces. He gave her a quick smile, almost like he wanted to ensure no one else saw it. It was probably the sweetest thing he’d ever done for her and she found that Porter was starting to surprise her at every turn.
• Suddenly, Ellington’s suggestion of trying to get into the FBI seemed more appealing than ever.
• The woman nodded and Mackenzie saw something broken in the woman’s eyes. The events of this night, no matter how they turned out, would traumatize this poor young woman for the rest of her life.