Unsub by Meg Gardiner (thoughts)

Summary from 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?"

My Thoughts:

I requested this one from the library after hearing so many good things about this author and this series.  It had been on my radar but it was the comparison to Criminal Minds (a television show I enjoy) that bumped this one to the top of my TBR list.  I can honestly say that this book was just as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be!  From the very beginning, Caitlin is pulled into the hunt for a serial killer - the same one that her  father was hunting when she was a young girl.  This book starts off fast paced and that pace doesn't stop until the very last page.  Like I was seriously reading so fast that there were times that I had to go back and reread.  There was this constant layer of fear and tension that the author created in this book.  It had me unable to put this book down as I just needed to see how it would all end.  It was intense, dark, and twisted - just everything that I enjoy from a good thriller.  I really enjoyed how while reading this book I never knew what going to happen next.  I was just along for the ride and I enjoyed every minute of it!  It's funny because this author has been on my radar for awhile now but I'm just now finally giving her books a try.  This was a great book to start with and has me really excited for the next book in this series!  I really don't want to give you too many details as this is a book to experience for yourself.  I'll leave you with a READ THIS BOOK recommendation!   

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book and am super excited about this series.  I almost brought the second book home from the library with me the other day but I wasn't ready to be completely caught up with this series yet.  I'm so weird like that.  I don't think that I'll be able to hold out for very long though since I enjoyed this first book so much!  I can't say enough good things about this book though which should tell you how much I enjoyed it.  I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and mysteries.  Be warned that it is dark and if that isn't your type of read, you might want to pass on this one.  This is exactly the type of book I enjoy though so I couldn't get enough of it!  I love when I find a book that I can't put down and has me unable to stop reading.  I also adore when that same book gives me creepy vibes as well.  I would highly recommend this one for just those reasons alone!

Bottom Line:  A tense and thrilling read that I couldn't get enough of!

Disclosure:  I read this book courtesy of my local public library!