Unsub: 1 (An Unsub Novel)

Hells bells if you consider yourself to be a crime thriller lover then you MUST read Unsub by Meg Gardiner, it’s not just good it’s a flipping fantastic book and I would go as far to say it’s probably one of the best crime books I’ve read EVER. I read so many crime thrillers it takes a lot to scare me but this book unnerved me to the extent I had to keep checking that the doors were locked and the lights were on. Unsub caused my heart to thump and my pulse to race pretty much throughout. Drawing inspiration from the Zodiac Killer, and likened to Se7en, and Silence of the Lambs this is one book you don’t want to miss if you like your crime thrillers graphic and disturbing.As you can see this book comes with a pretty lengthy book description, so I don’t feel the need to rehash the plot in my review. I do enjoy a crime thriller with an intriguing serial killer at the heart of the plot, and Meg Gardiner has created a fascinating one, the Unsub aka The Prophet taunts law enforcement with his gruesome murders and his cryptic messages, he thrives on mind games and generating fear in a city where people are advised to be vigilant, no one knows who his next victim will be or why. I think The Prophet makes a very credible character I feel this is because as the reader you are aware the author drew inspiration from the very real Zodiac Killer, making him that much more terrifying and convincing.IMG_3736Meg Gardiner has done a superb job with character development, building her grisly psychological thriller around detective Caitlin Hendrix, whose father failed to catch the killer decades earlier. Caitlin Hendrix is probably one of the most exciting protagonists I’ve come across in a long time the author has breathed life into her, you feel her frustration, her empathy for the victims and her complex relationship with her father make her someone that I WANT to know so much more about. Unsub is an unforgettable book, fast paced, chilling and downright frightening but I loved every page of this gripping crime thriller. Every scene, every word written is pivotal to the plot and the tension that radiates throughout definitely make this one of my top reads of 2018. Now I really can’t wait to read the sequel Into The Black Nowhere. In case you haven’t already guessed I would highly, highly recommended Unsub.

I was aware of Meg Gardiner's crime-writing calibre before I read this book but have never reader her before. It wasn't until Stephen King recommended this book that I felt the need to pick her up. Caitlin Hendrix is a detective in San Francisco. She follows in her father's footsteps, he was a Homicide detective whose life fell apart during the investigation of the infamous Prophet case. The Prophet was never caught and Mack Hendrix was left broken, retired and ill - yet still always obsessed with catching the Prophet.Now, The Prophet has returned, and Caitlin, a somewhat, forced upon expert is invited to help the investigation. This rakes up bad memories as her father abandoned her and her mother for the Prophet investigation the first time round. And she risks her father's mental state now. On the other hand she does have an internet, amateur sleuth come mother of three and housewife, Deralynn helping her out.This was a solid crime read, keeps you turning the pages and the crimes are gruesome. The characters are even pretty well realised, but, and this is a big but, it feels like crime by numbers. Inexperienced cop with traumatic background? Check. Serial killer with a cool nickname? Check. Inventive MO? Check. Literary allusion? Check. I know most crime novels are formuliac, painfully so, but each successful one finds the elusive X, something that just grabs you and drags you in. Unsub doesn't have X. It was enjoyable but I fear I will forgotten it by the middle of my next read.

4.5*Recently appointed Narcotics Task Force Detective Caitlin Hendrix is taken to the scene of a gruesome murder, and recognises the man waiting for her. Senior Homicide Sergeant Joe Guthrie. When Guthrie shows her a body it hits her like a punch in the gut, taking her back twenty years to when her father, Mack, was the lead detective in the hunt for a serial killer. The Prophet, as he was called, was never caught and his subsequent reign of terror all but destroyed Mack, physically and mentally, as his obsession to catch the killer escalated. Then—after a five year killing spree—nothing. The trail and the case went cold. Now, after so many years, he’s back and has Caitlin in his sights.'You cannot hide. Caitlin read the note again, feeling the glare of every officer in the cornfield. They were all watching her.’When another body is found at the scene, both bearing the distinctive and terrifying hallmarks of the Prophet, Caitlin transfers to the Homicide Division as the case is reopened. She is determined to do whatever she can to help track down the killer who haunted her childhood and crushed her father.Despite warnings from her family and colleagues, Caitlin is drawn into the Prophet’s games of confusion and deception. It’s personal for them both – the killer wants to conquer her like he did her father, and Caitlin knows only one of them can survive.This is an intricately plotted and well crafted psychological thriller, beginning with the police procedural angle, getting better, twistier and more atmospheric as the story progresses. It’s fast paced, suspenseful and I enjoyed the fact we get to know about Caitlin’s personal life and relationships as well as her working environment. The romance with her FBI partner hit just right note and didn’t overwhelm the story.Meg Gardiner doesn’t hold back when it comes to the more gruesome aspects perpetrated by the killer, who is one of the scariest ever. Her characterisations are excellent, well drawn and believable. The clever use of symbolism throughout, even down to the cover art—the symbol for Mercury—is integral to the story. Given that it was inspired by the real life Zodiac killer who was never caught, it’s not surprising. A very tense final quarter leads to an explosive, surprising and dramatic (cliffhanger) finale which will continue in the sequel.