Title: UNSUB (UNSUB book 1)
Author: Meg Gardiner
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Crime
Format: Paperback
Date of Publication: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Dutton Books
ISBN 13: 9781101985540
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?
Wow! This book simply fried up my brain! UNSUB is the most terrifying serial killer book I have read. It just crawled into my head and made it its home. It was amazing and heart-wrenching to see our protagonist Caitlin Hendrix try an solve this mystery. This book is a adrenaline pumping cat and mouse chase, where the antagonist is always ten steps ahead and knows how to play with your mind. I could actually feel as exhausted and stressed as Caitlin was throughout this book. Also, I could see the book play in my head as a movie. This book is definitely worth being made into a movie. Just saying. The murders were ruthless and gruesome and, for sure, difficult to read and digest. But they clearly showed the strong and powerful upper hand the antagonist had over the situation. Because the antagonist was so strong, the protagonist had to prove herself too, and sure she did! I loved how Caitlin poured herself into solving this case, trying to save as many people as she can. I love it when the protagonist and antagonist are at equal power and you never until the end who wins. The ending! Action-packed, hair raising, spine chilling, it was like falling into an abyss with no hope of return. But we do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Or do we? I loved how it all came together and tied up into a neat bow. I would have loved to talk about this book more but then that would be like giving out spoilers and I don’t want to ruin your fun. You must absolutely read this book and a word of caution – don’t want to read this book at bedtime. You might get a hard time sleeping. Also, UNSUB is the perfect read for Criminal Minds and Mindhunter fans.
Final Verdict:
UNSUB by Meg Gardiner gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.