Meg Gardiner | UNSUB

Plot (via Goodreads):

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?

Review:

This novel is a prime example of the brilliant novels that bring people together, make a non-reader pick up a book, and chill even the biggest crime fiction fans to the bone. I had been seeing this novel all over Instagram and the reviews were always fantastic. I was eager and ready to get my hands on a copy of this novel and let's just say, the minute I did, I didn't put it down.

UNSUB is a well crafted novel that blends together the past and present in a plot that is so well-constructed, it's hard to believe this is a work of fiction. Everyone in this novel is either a hero, a red herring, or a victim. There is no in between...I promise you that. This novel is perfect for fans of The Silence of the Lambs, Law & Order, and any serial killer thriller novel, movie, or TV show. What I really enjoyed about this was the multi-layered plot that blended together so many different genres. This is an utterly immersive piece of crime fiction that doesn't hold back on violence, is brilliant in its police procedural, and dripping with suspense. 

The plot to this novel is not the only thing enjoyable. Each character plays their part strikingly well, whether you hate them, love them, or suspect them. Gardiner gives us this story mostly through the eyes of Caitlin Hendrix, but teases us in introducing new victims and gives us a small insight into the killers life as the tension grows uncomfortably. With over 50 chapters in its 400+ pages, there were plenty of twists and turns and mini-cliffhangers that it's not only impossible to stop, it's impossible to grow bored of this terrifying novel. 

The best part of this novel? The chilling and macabre ending that got right under my skin and gutted me from the inside. Not continuing this series would be an injustice to fans of crime fiction and readers alike. Be on the lookout for the sequel releasing this month!

Rating: 4.5/5