The Recipient — Strong Concept, Predictable Execution

 ⭐⭐

Blurb: A year after serial killer Michael Rhodes is executed and allowed to donate part of his brain as an organ transplant, Wade gets called to a murder scene that shares uncanny similarities to those of the late Michael Rhodes. Other similar killings happen around Seattle, and Wade seems to be the only person still alive who knows enough about Michael Rhodes’s murders to be able to replicate them. When evidence found at one of the crime scenes points to Wade as the killer, he races to find the real culprit before it’s too late to clear his own name.

Elle is overjoyed when her husband, Brian, receives a lifesaving organ transplant. Their lives seem to return to normal, but Elle notices a disturbing change in Brian's behavior. When Elle learns that her husband's organ donor was Michael Rhodes, she fears that Brian now has the mind of a serial killer.

I received The Recipient for free to review on BookBub.

This book had a really intriguing and unique concept, and it started out strong enough to pull me in right away. The setup was well done and made it feel like I was in for a clever mystery.

Unfortunately, I had the entire plot figured out by Chapter 5, which was a big disappointment. Once the mystery was clear, the tension dropped significantly, and the story never quite recovered. While the idea itself was solid, the execution just didn’t deliver on the promise of such a strong beginning.

That said, I could see this being an enjoyable read for someone who is just starting out with mysteries or prefers lighter, more straightforward plots.