Book Review: A Killing Breath By Faye Snowden

Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd “Fire” Burns.

When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father’s crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away.

Decades later Raven’s hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd’s evil has settled in her bones.

*****

Homicide detective, Raven Burns has never felt like she belongs in Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana. The crimes of her father cast a very large shadow. However, she does what she can to keep the town safe. When a triple murder comes too close to home, Raven is on a race against time. Can she find the killer? Do all roads lead to the sins of her father?

A Killing Breath is book three in the killing series by author, Faye Snowden. Having not read the first two novels in the series, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I was not disappointed.

A Killing Breath starts as it means to go on. It’s fast paced, and grabs hold of you tightly, not letting go until the last page. The author does such a good job of throwing mystery, suspense, tension and red herrings that continued to throw me off. I couldn’t figure out who was responsible and how everything fit together. It’s a sign of a great crime novel in my opinion.

Raven Burns has been through a lot in her life. This has made her hard as nails. She’s a tough cookie but she is holding in a lot of emotion. Eventually, that is going to have to come out. She is certainly guarded. She’s also brave and fearless. Her friend, Billy Ray seems to be the one that understands her the most and I liked their interactions.

The other characters were a good mixture of personalities. I’m not going to say much more about them as I don’t want to spoil things. There were some I loved, Marna for example. Stevenson was someone I didn’t know if I could trust. What I will say is that these people made me cheer and feel broken hearted all in the same story.

The themes explored are heavy ones. Trauma, poverty, neglect, mental health, homicide and societal issues are only some of the topics that come up. Again, Faye Snowden doesn’t hold back as these are weaved into the narrative. It felt real, gritty. I can’t begin to understand what it would feel like to grow up in this type of place. I am still thinking about the issues in this book a lot even though I’ve finished reading.

A Killing Breath is an interesting, compelling, heart-breaking and believable look at life for poor communities as well as exploring how the actions of a parent can leave scars long after they are dead. This book has left an impression on me that’s for sure. If you like dark crime mystery novels, I recommend this one.

About Faye Snowden –

Faye Snowden is the award-winning author of the Killing series. The second book in the series, A Killing Rain, was named as one of the best southern gothic mysteries of 2022, was long-listed for CWA’s Gold Dagger, and won gold in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year awards.

She has received competitive writing fellowships from Djerassi and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Two of her short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense (2021 & 2023).

Faye is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, and Mystery Writers of America. Today, she works and writes from her home in Northern California while enjoying the company of her extremely rowdy and gorgeous grandchildren.

Say hello Faye via her website and Instagram. 

A Killing Breath is book three in the Killing series and was released by Flame Tree Press on 14th April 2026. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.