Quick Take
- Narration: Andrew Tell handles FBI procedural territory with authority, his pacing suits the investigative rhythm, and he gives Agent Winnett’s voice a precision that matches her character.
- Themes: Serial predation, the psychology of control, vulnerable women as targets and as investigators
- Mood: Relentless and clinical, with genuine dread building across a tightly wound structure
- Verdict: A strong standalone entry in the Tess Winnett series that complicates its formula in interesting ways, the killer controlling the game is a riskier structure than usual, and Wolfe makes it work.
I was three chapters into Taker of Lives during a late-evening listening session before I realized I had stopped noticing that I was listening. That’s Leslie Wolfe’s particular skill, she constructs procedurals that disappear their own mechanics. The FBI investigative framework, the profile-building, the evidence accumulation: all of it feels propulsive rather than procedural because Wolfe is genuinely interested in the psychology underneath the process.
The setup is deceptively simple. A well-known model commits suicide, or appears to. Agent Tess Winnett refuses to accept the finding and pushes for an investigation into the reasons behind the beautiful young woman’s decision to end her life. What she finds, the synopsis notes, surpasses her wildest fears. That pivot from apparent suicide to something more elaborate is the book’s structural hinge, and Wolfe handles it with restraint: she doesn’t reveal everything at once.
Our Take on Taker of Lives
What makes this entry distinctive within the Tess Winnett series is the power dynamic Wolfe builds around the UNSUB. Most serial killer fiction puts the hunter in a position of eventual advantage, more resources, more intelligence, the institutional weight of law enforcement on their side. Wolfe inverts that. The Taker of Lives controls the game, controls the players, and, crucially, controls the course of the investigation itself. Winnett recognizes this early and it doesn’t help her. That helplessness is uncomfortable to sit with, and the book makes you sit with it.
One reviewer describes the storyline as completely different from the previous three entries while remaining relevant to today’s virtual world, suggesting the twist at the end involves a technology component that updates the serial killer template. Another notes the intellectual dimension: these books are not fluff, and the analytical dimension of Winnett’s profiling is taken seriously rather than used decoratively. The comparison to Baldacci, Melinda Leigh, and James Patterson in the marketing copy is accurate in spirit if not in tone, Wolfe is darker and more procedurally interested than Patterson, more psychologically specific than Leigh.
Why Listen to Taker of Lives
Andrew Tell’s narration is well-chosen for this material. FBI procedurals require a voice that can carry clinical language without making the story feel like a case file, and Tell manages that balance. He gives Winnett’s precision a personality, the character’s certainty and her tolerance for professional friction (her supervisor gives her significant leeway, a detail reviewers note as possibly unrealistic but dramatically effective) comes through in the performance.
At eleven hours and three minutes, this is a full immersion. Wolfe doesn’t rush. The evidence accumulation is given proper time, and the escalating sense that Winnett is not in control of this investigation, that she’s being played, builds slowly enough to feel genuine rather than manufactured.
What to Watch For in Taker of Lives
One reviewer acknowledges that the latitude Winnett receives from her supervisor may strain credulity for listeners with knowledge of actual FBI structures. This is a character-first procedural, not a documentary, the institutional realism is adjusted to give the protagonist room to operate. If procedural authenticity is your primary concern, be aware of that trade-off.
The book is also, depending on how you count, either a standalone entry or part of a series. The Tess Winnett character has an ongoing arc, and reviewers consistently recommend starting from the beginning. If this is your first Leslie Wolfe, the book works without prior knowledge, but you’ll want to go back for the context.
Who Should Listen to Taker of Lives
Recommended for fans of FBI psychological procedurals with female protagonists, listeners who enjoy a killer who’s more than a body-counter, and anyone who wants a thriller that sustains genuine unease rather than just surface tension. Also strong for listeners already in the Tess Winnett series who want confirmation the formula is still working. Pass if you need a quick, light listen, Wolfe asks for sustained attention. Also skip if procedural implausibility is a persistent irritant; the supervisor-latitude dynamic is a known feature of the series, not a bug the author overlooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taker of Lives part of the Tess Winnett series, and does it need to be read in order?
Yes, Tess Winnett is a recurring protagonist with an ongoing arc. The book can be understood as a standalone, but reviewers consistently recommend starting at the beginning of the series for full appreciation of the character’s development.
What makes the Taker of Lives UNSUB structure different from a standard serial killer thriller?
Wolfe inverts the usual power dynamic: the UNSUB controls the game, the players, and the course of the investigation itself. Winnett recognizes she is not in charge of this case, which creates a sustained unease that most serial killer fiction doesn’t sustain for a full novel.
How does the technology element fit into what is otherwise a Florida-based FBI investigation?
One reviewer specifically notes that the storyline is relevant to today’s virtual world and that the twist at the end will jolt you, suggesting the technology dimension becomes structural rather than incidental. The specifics are best discovered in the listening.
Is Andrew Tell’s narration consistent with the series’ established voice?
Tell’s procedural authority and measured pacing are well-suited to Wolfe’s material. His handling of Winnett’s precision and certainty matches what readers describe as the character’s defining traits, a self-possession that both drives the investigation and occasionally strains professional relationships.
