It looks like a straightforward animal attack... but Eva Louts' death is a cleverly disguised murder. Eva was a graduate student working on her seemingly harmless thesis in evolutionary biology, but what deep secrets did she uncover? Chief Inspector Franck Sharko is assigned the case, never expecting it to lead him back to Lucie Hennebelle and a very dark day one year prior. Will Sharko and Lucie be able to work together yet again in order to stop a deadly mastermind?

BRED TO KILL picks up a week after the events of Syndrome E, as Franck Thilliez delves right into a parent's most horrifying nightmare. From there, we jump forward a year to where we see that neither Sharko nor Lucie have remained unscarred by the awful events that occurred on one otherwise beautiful day. I like that Franck Thilliez doesn't shy away from hammering his characters with some of the worst things life has to offer and then showing us the glimmer of hope that allows them to live past the pain.

Franck Thilliez is a sheer genius at taking deeply flawed characters and making them both likable and sympathetic. My heart aches for what Lucie has endured as Franck Thilliez does a spectacular job at conveying her anguish, pain, and guilt. I love the clever twists as we gain a deeper insight into the characters while delving into a very perverse mystery. There is a lot of scientific information provided as part of the storyline, but Franck Thilliez explains it all in a way a layperson can easily grasp the necessary information.

BRED TO KILL is yet another deliciously dark and compelling thriller from the talented Franck Thilliez! Fans of Stieg Larsson should definitely give Franck Thilliez a try as they will appreciate the scope of his stories. I can't recommend BRED TO KILL highly enough as I eagerly wait to see what Franck Thilliez has in store for us in future books!