In “By the Time You Read This,” the third installment of Brianna Labuskes’ Raisa Susanto series, we return to the complex world of FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto and her psychopathic sister Isabel. Following the foundation laid in “The Lies You Wrote” and “The Truth You Told,” this novel delivers a satisfying psychological thriller that examines how far the tendrils of a serial killer’s influence can reach—even from beyond the grave.
Labuskes has crafted a tale that is both a gripping procedural and a profound exploration of family bonds distorted by trauma. The central question isn’t just about solving a murder, but whether we can ever truly escape the shadows of our past.
A Linguistic Puzzle Box
The novel opens with Raisa finally settling into some semblance of normalcy—a quaint bungalow that feels like home after years of temporary living situations. This tenuous peace is shattered when she receives a cryptic note from her imprisoned sister Isabel: “By the time you read this, I’ll be dead.” Hours later, Isabel is found dead in her cell.
What follows is a masterfully constructed puzzle where every clue seems to lead deeper into a labyrinth of manipulation. Labuskes excels at weaving linguistic elements throughout the narrative, demonstrating her research into forensic linguistics. Raisa’s analytical approach to examining letters, journal entries, and verbal patterns offers fascinating insights into how language reveals personality and intent.
One of the novel’s strengths is how Labuskes seeds revelations throughout the story that force readers to continually reassess their understanding of what’s happening. As Raisa and her colleague, forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny, investigate a string of deaths that mirror Isabel’s methodical style, the question becomes: who is carrying on Isabel’s work, and why?
The Three Parker Sisters: A Study in Contrasts
The psychological depth of the Parker sisters—Raisa, Isabel, and their middle sister Delaney—provides the emotional backbone of the story:
- Raisa – The moral compass, dedicated to justice but struggling with her genetic connection to a monster. Her growth across the series culminates in this book as she confronts her greatest fear: that she might be more like Isabel than she wants to admit.
- Isabel – Even in death, Isabel maintains her grip on her sisters. Her meticulous planning and psychological manipulation extend beyond her demise, revealing the depths of her pathology and her obsession with making her sisters “broken” like her.
- Delaney – The middle sister occupies the moral gray area between Raisa’s righteousness and Isabel’s depravity. Her character arc in this novel is perhaps the most compelling, as she wrestles with her lifelong entanglement with Isabel and the growing realization that she may need to cross lines she’s never crossed before.
The complex dynamic between these three women forms the heart of not just this novel but the entire series. Labuskes explores how shared trauma manifests differently in each sister, creating three distinct responses to the same horrific origin story.
Strengths: Where the Novel Shines
- Tight Plotting: The narrative unfolds at a brisk pace, with revelations strategically placed to maintain tension throughout. The dual timeline structure—following both the present investigation and the events leading up to Isabel’s death—works well to gradually reveal the full picture.
- Compelling Supporting Characters: Beyond the Parker sisters, characters like Detective Maeve St. Ivany and true crime superfan Gabriela Cruz are fully realized, each with their own motivations and secrets. The true crime community portrayed in the novel feels authentic and timely.
- Thematic Depth: Labuskes explores weighty themes of nature versus nurture, the ethics of vigilantism, and whether we can ever truly escape our genetics. The novel doesn’t offer easy answers but invites readers to grapple with these questions.
- Authentic Procedural Details: The forensic linguistics aspects feel well-researched and integrated naturally into the story, never becoming mere information dumps.
Weaknesses: Where It Falls Short
While “By the Time You Read This” is a strong entry in the series, it’s not without flaws:
- Complex Web of Characters: Readers new to the series might find themselves occasionally lost in the elaborate backstory and connections between characters. A brief recap of previous events would have been helpful.
- Pacing Issues: The middle section of the novel occasionally drags as characters revisit theories and evidence that readers have already processed.
- Suspension of Disbelief: Some of Isabel’s posthumous manipulations require a significant suspension of disbelief regarding her ability to orchestrate events from prison and beyond the grave.
- Predictable Elements: While many twists land effectively, experienced thriller readers may anticipate some revelations before they occur.
Series Evolution: From First Book to Third
Labuskes has shown remarkable growth as a writer across the Raisa Susanto series. In “The Lies You Wrote,” she established the complex dynamic between the Parker sisters and introduced Raisa’s linguistic expertise. “The Truth You Told” expanded the world and deepened the psychological profiles of the main characters.
“By the Time You Read This” benefits from this foundation, allowing Labuskes to focus on psychological nuance and ethical complexity rather than character establishment. The result is a more confident narrative voice and more sophisticated exploration of the series’ themes.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Addition to Your Thriller Shelf
“By the Time You Read This” is a compelling psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of Tana French, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Gardner. Labuskes has created a unique protagonist in Raisa Susanto, whose linguistic expertise provides a fresh angle on the procedural thriller.
The novel works best as the culmination of a trilogy, with emotional payoffs that resonate most strongly for readers who have followed the series from the beginning. However, newcomers will still find plenty to enjoy in this taut, psychologically astute thriller.
What sets this book apart from standard fare in the genre is Labuskes’ willingness to let her characters exist in moral gray areas. There are no purely good or evil characters here—just people making difficult choices in impossible situations. The lingering question isn’t so much “whodunit” but “what would you have done?”
“By the Time You Read This” delivers on the promise of its predecessors, cementing Brianna Labuskes as a name to watch in psychological thrillers. With its blend of linguistic puzzles, psychological depth, and moral complexity, it’s a worthy addition to any thriller fan’s bookshelf.
