Anytime a dog can be woven into a story, especially a police dog, it has my attention. This book does just that. Max, an off-duty FBI agent is walking his cadaver dog when the dog picks up the scent of death. Following the dog to a different area, Max gets the surprise of his life. He falls into a sinkhole. One filled with human bones.

FBI Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair, who is a neuroscientist, is called back from medical leave to supervise the discovery of what appears to be a mass grave. Meanwhile, she is doing ongoing research regarding the personality traits of psychopaths. The psychopaths she interviews by phone are promised anonymity. Though she receives disturbing information from one of her callers, it certainly doesn’t jump to priority status in this book, though I would guess it might reappear in later books.

What a great start to this book by involving a cadaver dog. But for me, however, it slowed down considerably from that point on, perhaps due to descriptions and backstory. And though I thought the backstory and information regarding the characters would bring them to life, it didn’t for me.

This book manages to take off in several different directions:

discovery of a mass grave,
gathering a team to help solve this mystery,
a hearing going on in Washington,
the apparent mysterious death of Altair’s fiancee,
the disappearance of the sheriff’s sister 17 years ago,
trying to raise a teenager that Sayer Altair has taken in (which you’d apparently need to read the first book to know why),
and more.
If lots of storylines appeal to you, then this will be the type of book you’ll want to pick up. It is original and the main mystery is cleared up, though others are left open to the next book in this series.

Dog lovers: To my disappointment, after the first few pages, very little of the book has anything to do with the dog.

What Concerned Me:
The main mystery felt drawn out, repetitive, and even far fetched. Could it perhaps happen? Of course. But the author seemed to be reaching a little far for the conclusion.

I think if the book was shorter it might have helped keep the exciting pace up.

What I Liked Best:
The far-fetched part was a learning experience for me and even somewhat interesting. The last half of the book did pick up speed and Cooper’s writing style is easy to read.

I would rate this 3.5 if that was available. But since it isn't, I'm rating up, since I believe the author deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Great story with great characters. I haven't read the first book in this series yet, which made most of the book a little confusing at times, but I still enjoyed the thrillness of it. I have to go back and read the first one now.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Agent Sayer Altair becomes involved in a case that appears to have spanned decades with more mysteries than clues surrounding it. A slew of mindboggling evidence piles up, much of it appearing unrelated, making it increasingly difficult to connect the dots until all is revealed in the last twenty or so pages.
I was unfamiliar with Sayer and the other established characters since I had not read the first book in the series, but the scenario and backstories are well enough described in this one to make that a non issue. I was especially intrigued by Sayer's research on pyschopaths, which leads her to Subject 37, who fits all 40 points on the psychopath checklist. His interactions were provide both help and another element of danger to the storyline, riding through it like a lurking riptide. This story felt different from the typical detective/murder mystery novel since it had some truly unique explanations with characters that didn't just live and breathe the investigation and had full lives outside of their careers, making it easier to become invested in what happened to them. I give this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone looking for something fast paced and very outside the box.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Buried – Ellison Cooper

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

FBI Agent and neuroscientist Sayer Altair is a week away from the end of her medical leave when she receives a call from her director, asking her to investigate a burial site that was inadvertently found deep in Shenandoah National Park, in the town of Rockfish Gap. With the FBI under congressional scrutiny after a serial killer was found in its midst, agents are spread thin, leaving Director Holt no choice but to activate Sayer early.

Off duty FBI & K-9 Agent Maxwell Cho was out walking his cadaver dog Kona in the park, when the dog unexpectedly alerted for remains nearby. Approaching the area, Max fell, literally, into an underground cavern with the skeletal remains of several individuals, prompting the mobilization of an investigative team.

Rockfish Gap’s sheriff, Kyle Nelson, also responds to the scene, and it becomes readily apparent that there’s bad blood between him and Max. Seventeen years ago, Kyle’s sister Cricket approached Max with a plea to help her disappear, and she’s never been seen or heard from again, leading Kyle to wonder if Cricket is one of the victims.

As the investigation begins, it becomes apparent very quickly that someone didn’t want those bodies found…and as the team struggles with identifications, they begin to receive some conflicting DNA data, leaving Sayer and her team mystified. But a killer is watching and waiting and soon another woman goes missing…
As they race to identify their killer, Sayer gets some unwanted help from a very unusual source – who just may have his own agenda for Sayer…

On my goodness, this was so good, and it kept me reading well into the night, and ever changing my mind as to who the protagonist was! A great read!! I cannot wait to read more of Sayer’s adventures in the hopefully very near future!

(This review is scheduled to publish on my blog, on July 16, 2019).

Unfortunately this book was very disappointing. The story line is very confusing and it was just not as good as the first book in this series. I think most people know what certain phrases mean and the author did way too much explaining. I feel the author tried way too hard with this story line which in turn made this story very unbelievable.

Caged is the first book with these characters, and if you like to read as a series, there are spoilers in this book if you haven't read caged. But overall I think you could jump into this book and not feel lost. the characters are great and well developed, the story line is gripping and exciting if not a little disturbing :)

Once again Ms. Cooper delivers with Buried her second Sayer Altair book. Great Character development with Sayer being the primary focus and she is such a great lead. In addition we have several of the characters from her first book and some new faces to round out the cast.

The story takes place primarily at Shenandoah National Park which provides a wide range of dark and creepy settings. The fall's stormy weather just adds to the tension.

Ah and the mystery itself has some pretty unique aspects and it is hard to figure out who the bad guy(s) is. And to top things off the twist at the end is while not shocking is good and unexpected.

I only wish that the background story going on dealing with her husband and corruption with the FBI had been a little more wrapped up. Not sure how I feel about that being dragged on for the last two novels. Hopefully it will wrap up a bit in next book.

A big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martain’s Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book.

This was quite the story!

I think I read Caged (1st in the series) or at least part of it?!?! Anyway, long story short, don’t let the fact that you haven’t scare you off this one.

This starts off pretty creepy but then delves into the characters and their backgrounds. It was an interesting assortment. There is some drama leftover from the first book and that carries over here but you get enough detail to understand the gist.

There are a few story lines to follow (and some has carried over from the first book). If you are the type of reader that needs complete closure then you might get a bit irritated with this series. It gave me enough to look forward to the next.

As far as the (main) mystery and conclusion? It got pretty crazy, it was out there. Was it believable? Eh? I’m not sure but It was different and pretty cool so I’m all in. I’m on board for the next!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

I will say right off, if you are interested in this as part of a new series, you should start with the first one, which is called “Caged”. There are many clues and downright spoilers included in “Buried” that going back later and reading the first book would be anti-climatic.

Having said that, this is a book which can be read stand-alone easily. I haven’t read the first book but am trying to convince myself to go back anyway as I really enjoyed this book.

FBI agent Sayer Altair is just coming back from an injury from the previous book. She is not top-notch yet physically but is itching to get back to work. She is pulled into action a tad earlier when another FBI stumbles upon human bones while he is out at a national park walking with his cadaver dog.

The FBI is currently under investigation and agents and teams are spread far and thin. Because of that, there are limited resources for Sayer and her small team to get their job done.

Local park and police officials step in to fill up the gap. The crime escalates and becomes a search for recently missing individuals. The psychopath seems one step ahead of Sayer.

At the same time, Sayer is conducting a study of non-violet psychopaths and Subject 037 (her newest participant) seems to be someone she either knows or who most certainly knows a lot about her. The study is supposed to be anonymous but Subject 037 starts involving himself in Sayer’s life.

I enjoyed the story and the whodunnit, which was something that was surprising to me. There were a lot of twists that I didn’t suspect and I will be looking forward to the next book in this series. When I have time, I will purchase “Caged” and read it but with less expectation of being surprised. Still, I am sure it will be a good read based on how much I enjoyed this book.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is the second book on the Sayer Altair series. I really am lovin’ this new author. Gritty, heart pounding suspense. Sayer has been on leave since the events of the last book. She’s eager to get back in the field. A cave full of bones sends her back. Lots of political fall out in the background from the events from her last case. The shadowy figure of subject 037 is something I hope to see more of in future books.These are definitely not your run of the mill serial killer books. I’m eager to see what this author comes up with next.

Having read Caged a few weeks ago, I was not surprised to find myself loving this. The setting in the Shendoahs was a plus as well as all the forensics. (Criminal major here loves it.). Dr. Cooper's background in anthropology and murder investigator has been put to good use.

Definitely looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of Buried in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. It's so easy for thrillers/suspense to be redundant or to feel like you've read it before. But this kept me at attention throughout the whole book!
I loved the FBI elements of this book. Special Agent Sayer Altair studies the minds of psychopaths. This leads her to a murder in the Virginia Shenandoah National Park. I loved the twists and turns all the way through to the suspenseful end. Would recommend!

This book had a truly "wow!" ending that came as an utter surprise. Some heinous murders have occurred, with the bones of multiple bodies dumped in a rough, out-of-the-way hole by a lake. Authorities are stumped, and bring in a forensic specialist to help unravel the mystery. What she ultimately discovers will leave your mouth hanging. Highly recommended tale for those who seek intelligently-written murder mysteries!

*My sincerest thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing an ARC at no charge.*

Good read, lots of suspense and action. I really enjoyed the forensics and all the supporting cast of characters. The DNA evidence and theories in the book were really fascinating. I also enjoyed the setting in the Virginia Shenandoah Park. The park was like its own character. I would of loved more to read on Sayer's work with psychopaths, and subject #37, and also more storyline for the cadaver dog. Very interesting. Great book!

Thrilling mystery you will not be able to put down.

This book has an excellent story, it is complexly plotted with a great dialog, very real characters, and a devious twist.
Off-duty FBI Agent Maxwell (Max) Cho and his service dog Kona, are taking a quiet walk through the Shenandoah National Park when Kona, who is trained to find both missing people and cadavers, starts going to work. Max tells Kona that they are not working but Kona convinces Max that he needs to work. In a very short period over a rocky and thick trail Kona becomes aggravated because he cannot see the person he smelled. Max is laughing thinking that Kona has his first false alarm. However, Max decides to look around when he falls into a deep whole. Once his eyes acclimate to the dark he looks around for a way out. Telling Kona, he is alright. When he moves forward he finds his first human bone and shortly thereafter finds more bones. Once back on solid ground Max calls the local police department and the FBI revealing his discovery. Max indicates that he will stay with the find until law enforcement can arrive to the location.
Shortly, after this revelation, FBI Sayer Altair is assigned the case. During her prervious case, she was shot in the shoulder, and one of her FBI partners lost both of his legs. where Upon arriving at the location, she finds the local sheriff, who does not care for Max, because he believes Max helped his sister disappear and a friend of hers who is a seasoned pathologist. As the identification of the human bones gets underway, women in the area also start to disappear. With everything happening at one time, Agent Sayer calls her boss for additional help but the FBI is under the scrutiny of Congress they can only spare one additional agent. This story gets more intriguing as you read further. I read this book in two days because I could not put it down. I am sure that Ellison Cooper will be one of my favorite authors because they are able to write such an engaging novel.
Thank you Net Gallery for allowing me to read and comment on this book.

Found myself pulled in to this story from page 1. While this appears to be a follow up to another book I wasn't overly confused and didn't feel like I had walked into the 3rd act of a play. This was a thrilling and somewhat wild ride with all the appropriate twists and turns and a really satisfying ending. Now I need to go back and read the book before this. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy for review.

Wow this was a great one. This is the follow up to Cages, but you could read it as a stand-alone. It has everything you could want in a thriller. It was fast paced and really just an overall page turner. I can't wait for book 3. And 4,5,6!!! Very well done!

Intense reading! This book had it all, fascinating storyline, well developed characters, and a smooth rhythm .
It was thought provoking and intriguing reading. It will make you wonder about what if's until late in the night .
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy .
#netgalley

Buried is a fast paced mystery that grabbed me from the first chapter. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the writing.

Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair has recovered, at least physically, from the last missing persons case. And her return assignment is a doozy. A mass grave, an ancient sword and 2 fresh bodies make for quite the case. Due to political issues she doesn't have a task force so she pieces together a team, but can they be trusted?

This book, like Caged, is dark but so good. It's got a science, a serial killer and characters you care about....for me, the perfect recipe for a thriller.

If you've read #Caged by #EllisonCooper you need to read this now. If you haven't, you need to read #Caged now (especially if you love thrillers) and then pick up #Buried as soon as possible. Do it.

I'm really hoping we get a third Sayer Altair novel. We need to find out what happened to Jake and who is Subject 037. I'm such a fan of this series.

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for an advanced reader's copy of #Buried by #EllisonCooper.