I finally made it to the last book in this length series. I don’t know that I am ready for this series. to end yet—-but it appears to be the end at least for the foreseeable future. I personally feel like there are more stories in this series as there are some reoccurring characters in the books that I think could have interesting stories to tell—-the one I am thinking of inparticular is Ben. He’s been a long standing character in the books and I would love to see him have his own book. Same with Ric Santos’s brother.
Who knows maybe there will be other books in this series in the future but considering this book was written in 2019 and author Laura Griffin has since written a number of other books and side series, I feel like this one could be over at least for now. Obviously I am a big fan of this series as I have been reading it for the last couple of months now and haven’t really taken much of a break. I promised myself I would switch to something else after I was done with this book.
Spoiler—-I didn’t. I picked up MORE Laura Griffin books. For whatever reason, I am so invested in her books and I think it’s because I haven’t been disappointed yet! Her mysteries are so wonderfully complex and interesting not to mention the romance that is subtly woven in really makes for quick reads for me. If you haven’t read her books yet just jump right in! Each can be read as a standalone so hope around if you want!
Summary
When local rock climbers stumble upon abandoned human bones in a remote Texas gorge, Sara Lockhart is the first to get the call. She has a reputation as one of the nation’s top forensic anthropologists, and police detective Nolan Hess knows she is just the expert he needs to help unravel this case. Although evidence is scarce, Nolan suspects the bones belong to a teenage climber who vanished last summer.
But as Sara unearths strange clues, she finds chilling similarities to a case from her past—a case that now threatens to rock Nolan’s community. While Sara digs deep for answers, the stakes rise higher as another young woman disappears without a trace. Investigators work against the clock as Sara races to discover the truth, even if her harrowing search brings her face to face with a stone-cold killer. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
This book was a mixed bag for me. The mystery was interesting and I loved reading about the rock climbing and cave parts and of course the investigation had lots of twists and turns that kept me interested and reading. In this book, Sara, is a forensic anthropologist which I think is such an interesting field. I really enjoyed seeing how that played out in the story. I am always in awe of Griffin’s ability to really bring fresh new content to each book. I love the DNA, forensic and scientific details she adds. She clearly spends HOURS researching her books and it shows in every single page. I am never disappointed in the mysteries. They are twisty, sometimes dark, fast paced and well written. Any it isn’t always a murder, sometimes it’s a terrorist plot so she always keeps things interesting. In this book it’s a serial killer and those are always fascinating and quick reads.
The thing that was lacking for me was the romance. Something about Sara kind of put me off. I mean she wasn’t terrible but she seemed just stand offish and I didn’t feel invested in hers and Nolan’s romance. I liked Nolan just find. I thought he was thoughtful, patient, and kind but for Sara I just didn’t feel like I connected with her character’s romance. I liked her just fine as a forensic anthropologist working the case—-from that aspect she was smart, detail orientated, and sharp but when it came to showing her more soft side through her romance, I simply didn’t feel it in the way that I was hoping to. It wasn’t bad or anything, it just didn’t live up to my expectations that I had for this book. Nolan and Sara together just lacked chemistry which was a little disappointing.
However, even though this book didn’t have the romance that I was hoping for or have some to expect in this series, it did have a wonderful twisty mystery. The serial killer angle really kept this one moving and I loved trying to solve the case and taking the little clues and forensic evidence and trying to solve it right along with the characters. I am never let down when it comes to a solid murder mystery from Griffin. She always makes sure that her readers have something interesting to read, sometimes the romances are better than others but that’s totally ok with me. I love getting to meet new characters, dashing heroes, and intriguing mysteries so overall even if I didn’t LOVE the romance in this one, the mystery was so good which earned it a 3 star rating from me!
Book Info and Rating
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by Pocket Books
ISBN 150116239X (ISBN13: 9781501162398)
Review copy provided by personal collection. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: mystery, thriller, romantic suspense.
The Lit Bitch 