The Confession Artist

A Thriller

By: Christine Carbo

Narrated by: Abigail Reno, Anne Marie Lewis

A Montana ex-cop becomes the target of a vengeful killer’s viral guessing game in a propulsive novel of suspense by a bestselling and award-winning author.

A killer dubbed the Confession Artist is posting sketches of potential victims on social media. And paranoia spreads as strangers across the nation admit to their sins—fearing the consequences: You have six days to confess or die.

Then former cop and first-year PI Crosbie Mitchell sees a sketch that bears a striking resemblance to her. How can that be? She’s a nobody from Flathead Valley, Montana. Crosbie dismisses it as an unnerving coincidence. If not for one unmistakable detail that makes the threat hard to ignore. When the FBI is contacted, they are convinced that Crosbie is the next target. So is she.

Crosbie has six days left to fess up online to something plaguing her conscience. But even if she wanted to play the killer’s game, she has more than one secret. And if she ever dares to expose them for the world to see, the truth will destroy her. That’s exactly what the Confession Artist wants.

©2026 by Christine Carbo. (P)2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“In this masterfully crafted psychological thriller set against the stunning backdrop of northwest Montana, Carbo weaves vivid prose and atmospheric suspense into a gripping tale that will leave readers breathless. A must-read for fans of thought-provoking crime fiction.”—Laura McHugh, award-winning author of What’s Done in Darkness

“In The Confession Artist, Christine Carbo has written a terrific mystery full of intricate plots and intriguing twists that capture the reader and hold on to them to the end. She has created, in Crosbie Mitchell, a flawed but inspiring protagonist with the tenacity to resolve the mystery while putting others first. The Confession Artist is a tense and wild ride that lives up to its promise, a page-turner that will grip you from beginning to end, and a must-read to be added to your TBR pile."—Allen Eskens, bestselling author of The Life We Bury and The Quiet Librarian

“A riveting and richly-layered thriller…Expertly captures the swerve and urgency of life in America right now, while also taking deadeye aim at the deepest parts of the human heart.”—Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of Crooks

Fabulous story

What a great story — the descriptions of what Crosby was/is going thru was riveting — I could not put it down

And Abigail Reno rendered a great story into the exceptional one it is!!!

Not as good as her other books

I really enjoyed Christine Carbo’s other books but wasn’t a fan of this one. Maybe it was written more toward a female audience.

disappointed

not a very good storyline. super disappointed because I reactivated my audible just because I was wanting to hear another book from the author. but it is not even close to her other books.