Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner is a very highly recommended psychological thriller/procedural inspired by the Ted Bundy case. This is an outstanding followup to UNSUB (6/27/17)

Caitlin Hendrix is back as a rookie FBI agent in the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. She is assigned to a case in Solace, Texas, near Austin, where women are disappearing on Saturday nights. There are six confirmed, but there may be more. The women, all blond, are disappearing from a wide variety of places - a movie theater, out of her car at a train crossing, from a mall parking lot, even from her home - and the clues are few. When they find their first body, the scene is disturbing. The victim is laid out on the ground wearing a white nightgown, and a second body is found deeper in the woods, also dressed in a white nightgown. Both bodies are surrounded by Polaroid pictures, stuck in the ground like headstones. All the photos are of blond women wearing a white nightgown and obviously dead.

It is Caitlin's job to profile the unsub (unknown subject), get into his mind, and determine how he selects his victims. The team ends up profiling a confident, charming, meticulous killer who somehow convinces his victims that he is not a threat. After they lower their guard, he takes them. At that point they are just a part of his twisted need to possess, control and destroy them. There is a tip that leads them to one suspect, who they watch closely, waiting for him to make a misstep. But he is also an expert in his own way at profiling people, identifying their weaknesses, and manipulating them.

Into the Black Nowhere is another complex, intense, fast-paced novel full of nail-biting suspense with a riveting plot. Honestly, I was hooked before even opening the novel after reading her brilliant UNSUB and knowing Into the Black Nowhere featured Caitlin and continued her story. Caitlin was already a well-developed character, flawed, but smart, insightful, and strong. The character development continues here along with Caitlin's profiling skills - interpreting clues, and insight into the suspect's actions. I can hardly wait for Caitlin's next case.

I loved the complexity of the plot and the twists it took. Sure it was based on the actions of Ted Bundy, but Gardiner takes this and does an excellent job using it to create a thriller to remember. Caitlin continues to be intelligent and clever. By sheer determination she will get the suspect. She's a great character and this is an exceptional series. It is no wonder a TV drama based on this series is in the works at CBS.

Yet again, this is definitely a stuck-over-night-at-the-airport book that will keep you awake and hold your complete attention - only you'll want to be in a well lite area, maybe near security.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Publishing Group via Netgalley.
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UNSUB, which is the first book in this outstanding series made my Best of 2017 list and while I was ecstatic to get my hands on the follow up novel, I was also nervous. When the first book in a series is as fantastic as UNSUB was I can’t help but be worried that the next won’t measure up, but rest assured this one was just as gripping, terrifying and all around amazing! Meg Gardiner is a master and I’ll follow this series as long as she keeps writing it.

I love that Caitlin is a full fledged profiler this time around, this picks up not long after the first book ended and the new FBI agent is raring to go. The case Caitlin and her team are working on is inspired by Ted Bundy and I have to say, it made for some chilling reading. This was once again diligently plotted and achieved brilliantly so I’ll be steering clear of the details that made this so superb. But suffice it to say that the intensity is at an all time high and I think my heart was in my throat for the majority.

I loved learning more about Caitlin as well as being introduced to her new coworkers as they were all very intriguing and I predict they’ll be much to explore as the series continues. Gardiner sets things up absolutely perfectly for the next book and I have no doubt that it’ll be another nail biting, high octane and exciting read.

Into the Black Nowhere in three words: Exhilarating, Incisive and Petrifying

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley, I was given an advanced copy of this book. The following review is honest as I found the book highly entertaining. Into Th Black Nowhere is an absolutely gripping edge of your seat thriller. Meg Gardiner has crafted a great protagonist that is sure to be a long lasting series of books. This one also contains one of the baddest bad guys in recent memory. An excellent read that is sure to keep many awake at night.

Thank you Dutton and Netgalley for the free advance copy for my unbiased review. Publish date: 1/30/18

This is the second book in the UNSUB series. You don’t necessarily have to read the first book to understand this one, but there is some context in the first one that is referenced in this book. Plus the first book is amazing!

A serial killer is loose in texas. He is targeting blonde woman and leaves them in a white negligee with wrists slashed, suicide style. The FBI is called in to help with the investigation and Caitlin Hendrix, who is new to the FBI is on the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She helps to put a new perspective on the profile of the serial killer and with her help they begin to develop new leads. But when all the tips and even the profile isn’t leading anywhere a news bulletin catches someone’s attention and she is the key to figuring out who the UNSUB is. But the killer is one step ahead of Caitlin and the only way she will catch him is by using all of her skills and weaknesses.

This was unputdownable. I often found myself fighting sleep to finish this book. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, and there will be based on the hints at the end of the book! I really enjoy Caitlin’s relationship with Sean her bomb-tastic boyfriend.
4⭐️’s

Into the Black Nowhere is the second installment in Meg Gardiner's UNSUB series.
Gardiner’s UNSUB series follows rookie FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix, whose recent brush with a merciless serial killer in California’s Bay Area, has launched her new career hunting down the nation’s most dangerous and notorious serial killers. The UNSUBs, or unknown subjects, at the heart of each installment are inspired by real-life killers—the Zodiac Killer, Ted Bundy, the Babysitter Killer—lending each book a terrifying level of authenticity.

As the story picks up, Caitlin has a new job. She is an agent in training & rookie criminal profiler for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Caitlin is still searching for the man she is calling the Ghost after he severely damaged her hand, left her boyfriend ATF agent Sean Rawlins struggling to live, and then taunted her. He was also accomplice to the serial killer known as the Prophet. Now, we are on to Solace, Texas where 5 women have gone missing without a trace left behind. The latest is the most disturbing of all of them. The killer just walked in and walked out without leaving any clues behind.

It will be up to Caitlin, Special Agent in Charge CJ Emmerich, and Special Agent Brianne Raines to put the facts together before any more women go missing. If you think there is anything easy about this story and that just because the author reveals who the killer is, this man is devious, clever, intelligent, and above all, arrogant. He gets inside of people's minds. Is he the cat, or the mouse in this game of catch me if you can?

One of the things that Gardiner does well is get inside her characters heads. Caitlin is remarkably good at knowing things others have missed. Plus, in this story, we actually get the narrative of the killer who, as the summary says, will remind you of Ted Bundy in he is able to walk right up to the woman he wants and take her without any sort of struggle or evidence left behind. The story has a chase will take Caitlin from Texas, all the way to the Pacific Northwest where thrilling the game will be played out in spades.

Like the first book, this book had me from the onset and kept my attention riveted to the action. There's a secondary storyline which I also won't spoil since it leaves a heart wrenching cliffhanger ending that I am too afraid to even talk about for fear of losing my mind. I am also afraid that once Hollywood producers get hold of this story, they will screw it up badly. I don't put much path in book to move adaptations because they don't always come out as the author intended.

5* Stars!

This book was amazing... well-written, fast-paced, fantastic storyline and characters. I loved every minute reading it! If you enjoy the tv show Criminal Minds you will definitely love this book... has the same vibe to it. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series! Highly recommend!

*I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ARC!

Wheeewwww! What a thrill ride! [author:Meg Gardiner|61237] sure knows how to keep me on the edge of my seat and that was certainly the case with Into the Black Nowhere! While the story continues with the story of Caitlin Hendrix (from [book:UNSUB|32811580]), the story takes on a new case, reminiscent of that of Ted Bundy, rather than the Prophet case that filled book #1.

While I was happy this book spared some of the gory details that filled the pages of book one (not that there weren't gory parts here, just not as many...), I also felt that the action was a bit lacking until further in. Once the action really picked up, I sped through the rest and finished in under a day. I also missed Caitlin's handsome FBI boyfriend, Sean, in this iteration, but, I have a feeling we will be seeing him again in book 3, which I'm already clamoring for (and this one hasn't even been released yet!)

Quite rarely do I give 5 stars to a police/murder mystery; it has to be incredibly well-written with complex and well-developed characters, as well as a thoughtful, realistic yet filled-with-shockers plot line. Meg Gardiner's second book in her Unsub series hits all these criteria - it is just outstanding! Question is...do you have to read the first book, titled Unsub? Nope - Into the Black Nowhere can absolutely stand alone (but the Unsub is awfully good so why not?!) This second book reintroduces the reader to Caitlin Hendrix, recently trained at the BAU at Quantico after leaving the SFPD and her ATF boyfriend. Loosely based on Ted Bundy, Caitlin and her team encounter a slick, intelligent, well-to-do serial killer who has the Austin area of Texas held in fear. As the team uncovers more victims and the murderer unravels, it becomes apparent that the psychological genius of the killer is going to lead both the team, the community, and we, the reader, on the chase of a lifetime. I ferociously turned pages, with twists upon turns upon surprises, all the way until the end. This is what I call a "humdinger" of a book. If you like Mind Hunters on Netflix, the Jo Nesbo series with Harry Hole, Criminal Minds on CBS, this book is definitely for you.

From the moment I started reading this book I couldn't put it down! I literally read it all the way through until I had finished!
FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix gets a chilling call. Young blonde women in Texas are disappearing from places they should be safe: from home, from work, from the theater. All in the middle of the night....all on a Saturday. 5 women in 6 months are gone, simply disappeared from the town of Solace, Texas. At first it seems unrelated but then 2 women are found near each other. Both have been staged, and the elements of the staging are similar. Clearly the killer is acting out some fantasy, but what? And who will be next?

Caitlin and her partners Special Agent Brianne Rainey and SAC C.J. Emmerlich in the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit are responsible for figuring out just what kind of person would do this and why, and therefore find and stop the killer before he strikes again. As the team, and particularly Caitlin, dig into the crimes looking for clues, she feels her past coming back to haunt her: an unstable father, teenage suicide attempts, past depression...what do these things have to do with the vicious killer who is out there?

Gardiner does an outstanding job of building suspense, and bringing us to an understanding of Caitlin's past, at the same time as she bit by bit lets us into the nature of this twisted killer. The writing is fast paced, the characters human, vulnerable, believable. Caitlin takes us with her on the car rides to meet suspects, into the suspects workplace, into his home, into his mind., and manages to throw in a few surprises along the way. I could not put the book down. In short, I loved this book, and since this is the first of Meg' Gardiner's books I have read, I am heading off to read the rest!

WOW! Suspenseful, terrifying and hard to put down: Into the Black Nowhere is a heart thumping standalone thriller on its own and a fantastic sequel to Unsub. I couldn’t get through this one fast enough! I devoured Unsub and eagerly awaited it’s follow up in Into the Black Nowhere, sure that my high hopes could only lead to disappointment and boy was I wrong! Into the Black Nowhere is the perfect serial killer guilty pleasure read for anyone who loves a good murder (that’s me!).

Caitlin Hendrix has been assigned to the FBI Behavorial Science Unit. Women have been disappearing in So. Texas. Their bodies are found staged, clothed in white night gowns with photos around them. We know from fairly early on who the killer is but he is charming, narcissistic man who always seems to be one step ahead of the law. Nothing seems to rattle him. There is a twist at the end of the book that caught me off guard. This book will grab you from the beginning and hold on to you til the last page. This is the 2nd book in a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars.

Sent from my iPad

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Dutton for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

This is the second book in the Unsub series. Holy crap! Meg Gardiner knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's hard for a series to keep the momentum going to the point where the reader still enjoys the characters. She's done just that. Caitlin and the FBI team have gone to Texas because women are disappearing without a trace. I found the parts about the Unsub's mind fascinating. There's enough twists to keep the story moving, but not too many where the story seems impossible. I also enjoyed the glimpses into Caitlin's life and relationships and didn't think that this part took away from the FBI components of the story. Great read and cannot wait for the next one in the series!

I very much enjoyed UNSUB and #2 was even better! What a great new series! Can't wait for #3.

This book would have been so easy to read I a single sitting, had I not had other things to do! As it was, it didn't take many sittings as I found myself reading at an alarming speed.
Once again, Caitlin Hendrix is on the trail on an unsub, this time through nearly every imaginable backdrop. The book was well written and unsettling, terrifying and fast paced in the way thrillers should be.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the first book in the series held me enthralled even more. Meanwhile, I wait with baited breath for the next from Meg Gardiner.
I received this advance reader copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't read the first in the series (UNSUB), but was able to follow along easily.

This book was like watching an episode of Criminal Minds, only a whole lot better. The characters are strong, the thrilling aspect of the hunt for the killer compelling. This is definitely more of a thriller than a mystery (the dunit is pretty obvious), but the how and why delves deep into the psychology of crime. FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix is a strong, likable main character, which makes this book shine.

Very different from Gardiner's previous novels, yet with the great pacing she brings in all her books. I hope this series continues...

**NetGalley copy provided for review**

This is the second book by Gardiner featuring FBI profiler, Caitlin Hendrix. Caitlin and her crew are called to Texas where there have been a series of young women who have disappeared. Why have they disappeared without a trace from such unlikely places as the concession stand at a movie theater and waiting for a passing train? Are there other victims? Is there a serial killer on the loose?

Although the ending may have been just a bit over the top, in all it was a thrilling read and I could not put it down. I thought there was good insight into suspect profiling along with realistic characters and solid plot development.

I did not read the first Caitlin Hendrix book and although I do not feel that it is necessary before reading this one, I am now going to go back and read it. Looking forward to the next in this series……

***CRACK***

That is the sound of Meg Gardiner hitting it out of the ball park once again!!!! She has delivered another well-written, edge of your seat, page turning book that gets your heart beating and one's pulse elevated

FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix, who we first met in UNSUB, is now facing off against another serial killer. In Southern Texas, women are going missing from various locations. Caitlin and the FBI discover two women's bodies in the woods after receiving a phone call from a woman whose dog has come home carrying a bloody piece of clothing. Both women's bodies have been staged and are wearing white nightgowns surrounded by Polaroid pictures.

To find the serial killer, Caitlin must bet into his mind but by doing so, is she also letting him into her mind as well? After a phone tip, Caitlin believes she has a suspect, but this individual brings her to the attention of another person of interest. A person so arrogant, so intelligent, so cunning, so crafty that Caitlin and the rest of the Behavioral Analysis Unit will have to dedicate every waking hour to trailing and bringing down this killer. But will they be able to stop a man who always seems to be step ahead of them?

This book, just like its predecessor UNSUB, had me at page one and did not let go. Caitlin continues to be a strong female lead who will not stop when it comes to bringing criminals to justice. She is dedicated to her job and in this book, we also see her trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Sean, who is also an agent who specializes in bombs and works on the opposite coast.

One thing I really like about Gardiner's books is that her characters are strong yet flawed. She also can present the investigation in an interesting and intelligent manner. Her plots are very well thought out, and the pacing of the story is spot on. Nothing feels rushed nor drawn out in this book. There was never a point, where I felt bored and wished the story would hurry along. Having worked with serial killers, I will say that I am very impressed with her portrayal of them in her books.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I want to know what exactly was going on the night Caitlin called her friend and she was with Sean...hmmmmm...yes, they have history but why didn't she come right out and say, "Sean and I are having drinks" made things a little suspicious. Looking forward to learning who is safe in book 3, more character development, will Caitlin and Sean work a case together in the next book?????? I have no idea, but I can't wait to find out.

**the killer in this book was inspired by Ted Bundy. I wonder who the inspiration will be for her next killer?

They go out and they don't return. Cameras catch them walking around a corner or down an alley but they're not seen again until their bodies are found. The bodies are posed and there are Polaroid pictures of them as they slowly die. This unsub is dangerous, crazy and deadly. But they can't get a picture of him...

Dutton and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 30th.

This is a chilling story. The suspect is picking pretty blonde girls in their twenties. He rapes them and cuts them. They know he's full of anger but why?

As they weed through the past and try to connect the dots, they find there's no direct tie to the killer. Then someone informs them of a man who sent her threats when she was going to college. It's the jump start they need but they don't realize how smart he is.

Even when he's jailed he's the best prisoner ever and manages to escape and then the body count picks up even more. They are scared enough about the damage he's doing and working hard on finding him when they realize he has an accomplice...

The whole story is full of tension and the potential of death. The killer wants to kill whole families to get even for the past. Even cop secrets are being found out. The author made me worry about the female FBI agent because she has a weak spot and he found it. Was she going to die too?

Once I started reading, I didn't stop. If you want to take a walk on the dark side, this book will take you there.

I love this series! The first book, Unsub, is definitely a necessary read before you pick up this one. I enjoyed the character development that continued in this book, and the hints connecting the situation at the end of the first book in the series, and the upcoming third book. Even though we figure out who the "bad guy" is in this book fairly early on, it's still a suspenseful read with plenty of twists and turns.

Meg Gardiner makes an interesting choice with her follow-up to Unsub, the first book in a new series, published in 2017. Although Into the Black Nowhere follows that earlier book chronologically, it does not directly pursue an unresolved thread from the end of it.

Since her experiences with the Zodiak-like killer known as the Prophet, former Alameda police detective Caitlin Hendrix has joined the Crimes Against Adults division of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit—in a very short period she has risen from rookie detective to rookie Special Agent.

One of her first field cases involves a series of disappearances in the small town of Solace in Central Texas. Five women have been reported missing on Saturday nights over a six month period, taken without a struggle often from public venues. This UNSUB must have a way of charming his victims without raising alarms. The pace is accelerating, so the FBI is summoned. Shortly after they arrive, the first body is found, suggestively dressed and posed, together with evidence of the magnitude of this killer's spree. Not to mention evidence revealing of his psychological pathology.

Gardiner, who lives in Austin, makes good use of her knowledge of that region of Texas, delving into the small town politics and relationships that might provide the FBI with the evidence they need to identify the killer. Caitlin's profile—in unison with a helpful tip—points her in the direction of one man, although there's no hard evidence against him.

She and her colleagues decide to pressure their prime suspect, a character inspired by Ted Bundy, through the use of overt surveillance, which flirts with harassment. Per the profile, this suspect, no longer unknown, won't file a complaint because he thinks he's smarter than the authorities. The pressure to kill builds within him, though, so he takes a calculated risk to satisfy his needs, but the FBI is one step ahead, or so they think. Just when they have him within their grip, he pulls off a daring escape and leads Caitlin and the others on a cross-country chase. The bodies of those who have worked against the killer pile up.

The shadow of the Ghost, the one who got away from the Prophet case, who may still be plotting against her, lingers in the background throughout the novel. Caitlin is also dealing with a long-distance relationship with boyfriend Sean Rawlins, who works for the ATF in San Francisco, where he remains in close proximity with his ex-wife, with whom he shares a daughter. His work is dangerous—there's a serial bomber at work—but Caitlin has to keep her head in the game because her nemesis is cagey and resourceful, and he may have allies as well, so she can't allow herself to be distracted by domestic issues.

This is another solid serial killer novel that explores the type of profiling that will be familiar to viewers of Criminal Minds, although this team flies on domestic airlines instead of on a dedicated Lear jet. The psychological profiling is well-researched and utilized in the story, both in assembling the events that created this twisted killer but in creating the character of Caitlin, too, who has her own psychological baggage to mine. Her life is personally at risk in this case because she has dared to challenge a lunatic with delusions of grandeur and murderous intent.