Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Called in the late-night hours, or rather early morning, to the last newspaper printing in Cleveland, Maggie Gardiner is tasked with collecting evidence off of a precariously hanging body in the print room. Other people on the scene are quick to call it suicide but the evidence Maggie collects, and her gut, tell her this was no suicide. When another body belonging to the newspaper staff appears, Maggie's suspicions are proved correct - someone is targeting the newspaper staff. The why of that question isn't under Maggie's job description but it does fall under Jack Renner's and they find themselves working another case together. This time their working relationship is colored by what Maggie now knows about Jack. He has become the perpetual suspect in her mind of every dead body in Cleveland. But Jack made a promise to Maggie and he's determined, he thinks, to keep it. Maybe. What he's definitely not lying about are these dead bodies stacking up at the paper. He has nothing to do with them and he's just as determined as Maggie to find out who is killing off people at the paper.

In this title, Black is setting up what a working relationship between Gardiner and Renner is going to look like based on the knowledge they have about one another. As the reader, we get a little more of the backstory to Jack's vigilante quest. It's not a bad series and I'm curious to keep reading it to see how Black develops the characters individually and together as they move further and further away from what happened in book 1 and the promises they made to one another.

I liked the first book in this series and liked this second offering as well. I like the unique characters and the way the mystery unfolds. Black has a knack for creating stories that are compelling and page turners.

When I initially started this book I didn't realize it was a series and struggled to finish. This one just did not do it for me. However, I read the first book to the series and enjoyed it much more. I wouldn't say that you need to read the first book to understand the second, but since the first one was significantly better, I would recommend it. The characters are interesting as well as the cases, just didn't like the pace of this one so much.

This book was great and twisted in all the right places. Especially at the end. I loved every minute of this book and I need more of it!!

I have to say that Book 2 in the Gardiner and Renner series is much better than book one. The story is better written and the characters are easier to understand. I hope there will be a third book as I really don't want this story to be over just yet.

The " killer with a conscience" theme is one that could easily turn trite or ridiculous, but it is told in a nice nuanced way with plenty of conflict and plot twists to keep me engaged until the very end. I liked the characters and how Black plays they off each other, and the descriptions seem very realistic. I highly recommend this book to mystery fans.

This book is exciting and boring in equal measure. I didn’t really enjoy the characters as much as I would have liked and there were certain times that the plot dragged. It was a solid 3 for me because I love a good thriller. I just wish there was a bit more going on throughout to keep the reader invested.

Overall, I thought this was a good story. I was not thrilled with the constant journalism tutorial and the barrage of print vs. Online arguments, if those things hadn't taken up so much of the book than the flow of the mystery would have been better. Good but not great.

Kensington Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Unpunished. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Someone has deadly intentions when it comes to the Cleveland Herald. Despite a past history that they would both rather keep secret, Detective Jack Renner and Forensic Scientist Maggie Gardiner must work together to catch a killer. Will Maggie, Jack, and the rest of the team find out the truth before there are more deaths?

The investigative portions of the book were very interesting, but they were not enough to elevate Unpunished to a level higher than merely good. I had a hard time forging a connection with either of the main characters and just did not feel the passion that they have for their jobs. As both swore an oath to search for the truth, I did not find it likely that both Jack and Maggie would be able to keep the secret so long. I am a big fan of police procedural thrillers, but Unpunished fell a bit short. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend the novel to other readers.

Unpunished is not your typical crime-mystery...the characters, and their circumstances, are unique. Despite being having unlikable qualities, the characters remain likable. Lisa Black does a great job of providing just enough information to remain interested, but not enough to solve the puzzle too early....she keeps the reader engaged throughout. The result is a page-turner! I highly recommend Unpunished

I love every book Lisa Black has written (I don’t think I’ve missed any).
In this sequel to “That Darkness,” Maggie Gardiner, a forensic technician, and homicide detective Jack Renner, investigate the death of Robert Davis, a copy editor at the local newspaper.
Found hanging in the three-story pressroom, it looks like suicide at first, but it turns out to be murder.
Black does a great job with her characters. Maggie is much like you’d expect a forensic tech to be: a precise, rule-following individual. Jack doesn’t play by the rules (once you read it you will understand).

Thank you, NetGalley for my ARC. I enjoyed this book and the 2 main characters, it just seemed a little too slow-moving for me. I didn't realize this is a series, so maybe I should have read the first one beforehand, as this one is the 2nd. Overall though, it was a good read!

In this sequel to That Darkness Maggie Gardiner, a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, is called to the Cleveland Herald when a body is discovered in the newspaper’s assembly line. Maggie quickly realizes that this was not a simple accident and the victim was murdered.

So once again Maggie’s path will cross with homicide detective Jack Renner. In the last installment Maggie had just found out that Jack is hiding a very dark secret. He’s the one who’s been acting as a vigilante in the area and killing off criminals who have committed murder.

Somehow now Maggie has become an accomplice in that she still hasn’t said anything about Renner and now has to work with him. Jack doesn’t know how much he can trust Maggie and he thinks it might be just a matter of time before she says something. But first, they have a murder to solve.

What are the editor and investors at the newspaper hiding and why are they finding more bodies? So while there is an interesting mystery to solve and I find the dynamics between Maggie and Jack fascinating. All of the tension was lost when there was so much emphasis on today’s status of the newspaper industry. It’s no secret that newspapers are closing thanks to digital media and the fast pace of news but it seems like most of this story is spent on that rather than solving the mystery and our two main characters.

I do have the next book in the series waiting for me and I hope this next installment will be a bit more like the first book. I want to know what will happen between Maggie and Jack and if they end up forming a closer alliance or will one day Jack be on the run. Lots of great material and hopefully more will be explored in the next book.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

Forensic scientist and a homicide cop in Cleveland are in the crime-solving business together. Jack had taken his skills as a homicide detective and turned into a vigilante taking justice into his own hands until Maggie discovered his secret. Now this duo must team up together to solve the murder before the killer strikes again. I would suggest reading That Darkness first in order to fully understand Maggie and Jack's complicated relationship and their shared history.

This story is centred around a forensic examiner who is as nosy as they all seem to be. She (as they tend to be in this genre) is never happy with the easy answer and always finds extra clues.

That said, I really enjoyed this novel. I had not read the previous books about this forensic/detective/killer combination and as a fan of the TV series 'Dexter' I was hooked by Renner.

I found both characters believable and the writing had me guessing the ending wrongly - so good for Lisa!

This is the second book in the Gardiner and Renner series. I highly recommend reading "That Darkness" first it is not only just as great of a book it will help you understand the characters better. This second installment in the series is great sequel in this series. I loved it! Highly recommend if you love suspense and great characters.

I previously reviewed this book, but my review seems to have not saved.

Interesting story line. A man is found hanging above the newspaper assembly line. Suicide or not? Forensic investigator Maggie Gardner has her suspicions. She also has suspicions, no knowledge, about the lead detective assigned to the case.

Jack Renner is a seasoned homicide detective with a hobby...he takes out the trash. Individuals who get away with crimes don't get away from Renner. But Maggie knows his secret...and she wants him to stop. Their uneasy pairing makes for a great conflict of interest within the story.

A good read, with a plot line that keeps you guessing until the end. I recommend!

This was confusing in places due to not having read the first in the series.
Having written that, it did not spoil this fast paced thriller.

For those who have not read the 1st book in the series, you owe it to yourself to read "That Darkness" before "Unpunished.

"Unpunished" didn't work as well as the 1st book in the series. The interchages between Maggie and and Roger, a Cleveland Herald reporter, slow the story down. They talk about the death of not only print journalism but investigative journalism as a whole. While some of this seems necessary to the plot, the amount of time spent talking about this seemed burdensome. Not to mention that Roger is one of many potential suspects.

There is symbolism in some of the forensics that relates back to journalism. There is passing reference to these clues but in my opinion there isn't enough. So instead of talking about the death of reporting maybe time could have been spent talking about the murders and the symbolism. But honestly that's nitpicking on my part. Maggie is still an interesting character. So is Jack. Although his murderous impulses seem to be on hold from the previous installment.

Overall this novel keeps your interest throughout. It is quite evident Lisa Black likes to write. So I look forward to the next Gardiner and Renner book.

I wish to thank the Publisher, Lisa Black, and NetGalley for my copy of "Unpunished" in exchange for this unbaised review.