Tallyman

Tallyman

A murder that blindsides the victim. Sonny enjoyed his runs but right now concentrated on the essays he had to grade. The cold temperatures outside and then he sensed a shoelace flapping against his shoulder. Sounds all around and a woman coming out if nowhere on the trail. What happens next as a man chasing the girl and Sonny in the wrong place at the wrong time pays a heavy price. Then a young girl hits someone with her car and realizes the truth: it’s murder, not her fault but now it’s up to the police. Sonny is the victim and thinks are about to heat up.

Cain and Harper are summoned, and their unusual pasts are shared growing up in an unusual place with a half-Cherokee Indian mother. How they met, became brothers, and were summoned by the Ambassador to Nato and why sets them on a dangerous collision course to solve Sonny’s murder. Meet Erin Coleman and hear her request as Cain and Harper begin to investigate. Going to the college and meeting with the college deans and questions asked they learned that Sonny had many female friends and what might be addressed as a ladies ‘ man. The investigation goes cold but then things go in a different direction. Shortly after they arrive at the rural Tennessee town, the body of a young woman is found, and it appears to be the latest victim of a serial killer called the Tallyman. He carves the victim’s number into the body in a horrific way. His latest victim is marked with 7 but are there 2 missing? What about Sonny’s murder is it related? Now the focus switches.

The focus is no longer on Sonny’s murder but switches to a serial killer from the past. The missing coed is found and the mark of the killer, Tallyman who marks his victims with numbers, takes front and stage. As the police recount, the horrors and the killer marks the victim with a 7, 4 in the past did they miss 2? The small rural town of Laurel is rocked once again with these horrible murders.

His MO changes as in the past he kept his victim for two or three days, killed them and posed them and marked them making sure they were found. One was different kept a few hours and last one before he disappeared and now returned. Gina Campanelli is her name and 7-0 is marked.

As Cain and Harper recount events about this killer, it gets personal as Willa shares the photos and details of each of the four murders. But number 4 red flags as different how and why? Each of the first 3 appeared the same but number 4 a close friend of Patrick, Willa’s partner was different. With Harper and Cain’s thoughts we realize that this killer did not stop at 4 and wanted the attention from the media and police . Now with Gina’s murder it mirrors the first 3. Did they victims know the killer? Is it someone hiding in plain sight?

Each of the victims was abducted miles from where they were dumped. All the dump sites were in the same circle but the abductions far and wide from the mall downtown somewhere or the walking path between where they are and the college. They even connected Sonny’s murder since Gina was running along the same path, tried to get away, dropped pieces of jewelry they just found, and Sonny might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then Cain and Harper decided to contact the parents of the first three victims and what about the fourth? Each parent had their own take on their daughters’ lives. Not one thought that they Brad any enemies or problems. All might have been stopped to help someone or just taken as the age ranges were the same. All were to be somewhere or coming home but none reported missing due to the time frames. But the last victim was older, and her husband was friends with Patrick which might explain the changes in time frames.

The final scenes unfold, and we learn more about Holly and her relationship with Patrick it comes clear as to the motive for the deaths and why the killer was hiding in plain sight and just why he got away with it for so long and how specific time frame fit in. But Cain and Harper figure out where the killer took his victims and Patrick and Willa learned lessons in surveillance, handling a murder scene, drones, and how to solve murders.

As Harper enters the barn where the next victim is, Cain is in the backdrop waiting to take out his prey. The final scenes do well orchestrate as if you were watching a crime show. As Harper does her thing, Cain did his and the ending will change more than learning the truth behind the murders and why the killer wanted his revenge. Lives were taken, and videos recorded the horror, and Harper, Cain, Willa, and Patrick each learned hard lessons about themselves as the count they hoped would end before another murder is added to the Tallyman. Strong character, exciting ploy line, fast-paced, and filled with scenes that only author DP Lyle could create as he uses his expertise in the field of criminal science and criminology to teach how to take down the guilty and understand how.

Fran Lewis just reviews