The last novel that I read in the Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska series was Prior Bad Acts.

Please read the preceding novels in this series in order to catch yourself up with the history of both characters.

After I finished that novel I hoped that Tami Hoag would return to Sam and Nikki's tales so I could see how things turned out with the characters. At the end of Prior Bad Acts a lot of things were left up in the air. The only thing I was disappointed with was that Sam is still quite alone.

This novel is really a prequel to Tami Hoag's [[ASIN:0525952977 The 9th Girl]] and this Kindle Single re-introduces both Sam and Nikki and have them investigating the murder of a Jane Doe on New Year's Eve.

I was happy to immerse myself back with these two and Sam and Nikki's partnership is still cracking right along. The murder is quite brutal and that part of the novel did make me feel a bit queasy. I did like that the chapters alternated between Sam and Liska and the mother. I loved hearing her story and definitely felt for her angst in trying to find her daughter.

I know some reviewers were not quite happy with this being a Kindle Single but for the price I thought I got a great deal and this was a nice way to introduce readers to "The 9th Girl."

I 100 percent recommend this novel to long time fans and those who love a great mystery/thriller novel. ( )

The First Victim by Tami Hoag is a fantastic crime thriller series featuring (Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska #3.5) novella, two detectives making a witty team; full of mystery, suspense, and humor. A short audiobook, narrated by David Colacci, delivering an outstanding performance, as an intro to the upcoming Doc Holiday serial killer series.

Have read the newer books in the series, and making my way backwards to catch up with the ones I missed. If you enjoy sarcastic humor with your crimes, this dynamic duo will keep you entertained throughout this series. As usual, Tami Hoag is "tops" when it comes to crime thrillers! ( )

Murder most foul! An excellent short for murder mystery fans!
Reviewed @ My Shelf Confessions

The 1st Victim was an extremely engaging and well written short story. I didn’t realize this until after I read it but there are several books already released featuring these two homicide detectives and this particular short was written as a precursor to Tami Hoag’s latest book in their series The 9th Girl. The 1st Victim is where we are introduced to the serial killer that they have nick named Doc Holiday who brutally kills young women and dumps them along roads.

Now I went though a phase of reading murder mysteries but I haven’t picked one up in many years. This particular story really wet my appetite for more. The detectives Kovak and Liska are an excellent team. They have strong believable character voices that fit right in with how I’d imagine detectives would be. I liked how emotionally involved I felt with all of the characters and the fact that I saw how sympathetic and driven these detectives were and it was believable. They seemed jaded in some respects of course but still determined to do their jobs.

The 1st Victim was the perfect quick fix that I needed and it delivered everything I thought it would and more. I’m already aching to see how things unfold with Kovak, Liska and the Doc Holiday killer.

*A review copy was provided by the Publisher. All opinions are my own ( )