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Olivia R.

UNSUB by Meg Gardiner (4/5)

UNSUB is an award-winning novel written by Meg Gardiner, who specializes in the thriller genre. UNSUB continuously highlights that life as a cop is incredibly wearing and that it is quite easy to lose yourself in the job. This is thoroughly demonstrated by the main character and others working with her. This book follows the life of Detective Caitlin Hendrix as she works to find a resurfaced serial killer dubbed as “The Prophet”. This unknown subject, or unsub, first emerged during Caitlin’s childhood, and her father, Detective Mack Hendrix, was destroyed by the case years ago. Now that the serial killer has come back, Caitlin has transferred to the homicide to try and find the murderer who has terrorized her family and community. The book follows Caitlin’s investigation as the crimes intensify and allows the plot to naturally develop into a climactic ending. UNSUB is a very exciting and intense read but is not incredibly unique because the quick pace does not allow for much personal investment in the characters. I appreciated the author’s detailed descriptions of creative crimes, but at times they were a bit too disturbing for my taste. Additionally, I wished there were more narratives from the killer’s point of view since it would create more depth and suspense. I believe the author did a great job of adding suspicion to other characters, allowing the reader to come up with their own conclusions, only to get a shocking twist in the end. Similar to Don Winslow, another great thrill writer, I think this book is very hard to put down and will keep your mind distracted from everything else. The novel’s subtle ties to the Zodiac Killer and Ted Bundy make an interesting experience, as you can learn more about the crime-solving process while still taking comfort that the story is fictional. I enjoyed these connections because I felt like I was learning more about the justice system, but from enough distance that the storyline and victims were not real. I loved reading this book because the impressively built suspense made the book always intriguing and I never felt it was a chore to read, rather it was something I chose to read to do with my free time. Overall, I would highly recommend this book because not only is the plot fascinating, but it makes you more aware of violent crimes and their tolls on law enforcement. I think this book is best suited for people who enjoy true crime or anything in the thriller genre, as it brings both together in an impressive work of fiction.


Words: 431

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