Review: UNSUB by Meg Gardiner

 

Title: UNSUB

Author: Meg Gardiner

Series: UNSUB, #1

Published: June 2017, Dutton

Format: Hardcover,

Source: Personal copy

Summary: 

A riveting
psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about
a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who
destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier.

Caitlin
Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer
at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An
UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the
Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead
investigator on the case.

The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind
games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s
failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly
unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into
their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising
career.

Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the
haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the
shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the
ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her,
threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for
her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.

Determined
to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores
her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new
gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet
who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s
mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag
her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?

My thoughts: I cannot believe I have not read this book until now…OMG! First of all, I loved it, and second of all…this book scared the crap out of me, but I still loved it!!! And I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about this series and I finally got myself a copy. This book is one non-stop thriller ride that delivers on every possible level. It is completely action-packed and there was no time for any lulls…it moves, moves, moves. You need to be ready to pay attention and I totally was. And the other thing this book brings to the table that I absolutely loved is how completely atmospheric it was. It is disturbing and graphic, but knowing this is about a serial killer, you have to expect that and boy does this deliver on that front and then some. This definitely wasn’t a book I was reading at night – let’s just say that.

I loved Caitlin, our main protagonist. She is such a strong lead and her connection to the case makes this one all the more captivating. I loved how driven she was, never giving up until she got the answers she needed.

This book is full of just the right amount of twists and turns that keep you fully engaged and flipping those pages. I found myself gripped from start to finish and just might have looked over my shoulder a few times. This is such a chilling, creepy book that is totally addicting and that ending was just perfect…and has me itching to start the next book ASAP!

 

Books in this series:

1. UNSUB
2. Into the Black Nowhere
3. The Dark Corners of the Night