Fast-paced and convoluted crime thriller.

This novel features the characters of the UNSUB series but goes away from the Prophet and the Ghost story line to focus on the manipulations of a serial killer who is locked in a Tennessee prison. Efrem Judah Goode claims to have killed dozens of women and is giving the FBI drawings of them to help their families get closure. Of course he wants something in return. It seems a new killer is putting their victims at the dump sites of Goode's previous murders. FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix must try to locate this new villain, dubbed the Broken Heart Killer, and try to figure out their motive in taunting Goode.

There was just way too much happening in this book. Although I liked the character of Caitlin Hendrix, it took forever to get the case unraveled and figure out what was going on. The whole situation with Finch and her adoptive mother bothered me, mainly because of how the concept and point of adoption was framed as well as what happened to the pair. Many convenient coincidences and the conclusion really bothered me. There was also this side plot going on with the boyfriend Sean, and the bomb squad, etc. but left unresolved with the Ghost still out there.

I suppose this could be a standalone as it really doesn't fit with the rest of the series but is more a tangent. I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher and didn't care for the voice of the narrator. This definitely would have benefited from a larger cast.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing, #partner for both the ALC and advanced copy of Shadowheart in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 4th book in the UNSUB series, one of my favorite series, and a book I’ve been waiting for since finishing book three a few years ago! I had read those three books just months apart and was so sad when I got to the end of that last one. But luckily we have this new one and the wait was totally worth it!!!

While this one gets off to a slower start, it definitely picks up and the twists and turns really kept me guessing. A serial killer and copy cat…yes, please! While this book will certainly work as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the series in its entirety. The case that FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix is working on is a self-contained case but there is one thread that has been running since the first book and we definitely get some movement here.

Now hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for the next book…I need another one soon! But in the meantime, I will definitely be rereading these books to reacquaint myself with the storylines and because they are just so good!

I’m a huge fan of the UNSUB series so you know I was not so patiently waiting for this one. Just as the others, this one was so action packed and full of adrenaline pumping scenes. And the gore factor? Through the roof. There were more dead bodies in the first 30% of the book than I’ve ever read. I do wish the book focused more on continuing the story from the previous book in the series, but otherwise another solid addition to the series and has me on the edge of my seat for the next one.

I waited so long for this and it was worth the wait! Loved this one it was action packed from the beginning and I absolutely love these characters. Sad I’m going to have to wait so long for the next one.

This book was good but took me a little longer than I wanted to finish it. I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook. I really enjoyed the audio. May have finished it sooner if I had had more time to listen. The narrator kept me interested and wanting to hear more. I really hate that it was released so much later than the others. Of course, I read the first 3 for buddy reads so I read them all close together in 2020. I kind of felt like I forgot about the characters because they didn’t sound familiar at first.
I love how intertwined everything was. A few things I didn’t see coming. A few things that were not how I wanted it to play out. I love the ending set up. Hopefully a 5th book coming soon! I need to know what happens with the unsub.

Meg Gardiner has written many thrillers/mysteries. This is the third in the Unsub group. Caitlin a vulnerable
But highly intelligent FBI profiler is on the hunt for a sadistic serial
Killer. The book has many twists that this reader did not see coming which made for a very satisfying read. Although several plot lines could have been developed more thoroughly, and others would have been better had they not depended on the reader having read the previous two books in the series the book was still quite enjoyable for those who like the serial killer genre.

Shadowheart by Meg Gardiner. Far too many characters and backstories with multiple POVs and timelines. Exhausting trying to keep all the stories and people straight. Was really interested in the serial killer/copycat arc. Disappointed with the train wreck ending and then a dangling thread was pulled creating an unresolved cliffhanger.
Thank you to the author, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thanks Meg for another fantastic Caitlin and team novel. The twists and turns for both plots kept me on my toes. Of course, we were left with not one but 2 cliffhangers.

Another suspenseful addition to the Unsub series by Meg Gardiner! This long awaited installment starts a bit slow but builds steam along the way. And the plot thickens, becoming more complex at the end where the connections finally make sense. I hope there are more coming in this series and that we don't have to wait as long for the next one. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Caitlin Hendrix is back at it, hunting a copycat serial killer. And this one is a tricky, sneaky perp, always seemingly one step ahead of Caitlin and her team. But not for long because if there's one thing Caitlin doesn't know how to do, it's give up. She's in it to win it and you had better believe that's exactly what she's going to do.

I loved watching the two homicidal rivers come together. The copycat is taking their lead from a convicted killer named Efram Judah Goode, leaving bodies in places where their mentor had. The two stories intertwined in a fascinating way and the slow reveal to who the killer was and their connection to Goode kept me riveted. I had to know the connection, to make sure they were caught and that the good guys would win this time. This is something that Meg Gardiner does well - she gives you little bits of information at a time, waiting for the right time for it to all come together.

Something else I really enjoyed were the little bits of everyday life we saw when Caitlin was home with Sean and his daughter, Sadie. Even though the case is always on her mind, Caitlin always manages to find a moment for her partner and the little girl they both love. It's also refreshing to see that Sadie loves Caitlin in return and that there isn't any animosity between Caitlin and Michele, Sean's ex-wife. It makes for a less drama, but also a happier family, which they all need after the events of the last couple of books.

The UNSUB series is one of my favorites and I'm always excited to see a new installment. The author is fabulous at crafting intricate, engaging stories. With this series, there's also a long running side story weaving through it all, and I appreciate the dedication it takes to draw something out over four books. They seem to have gotten a little closer to solving that one, but not close enough. I'm eager to see if more comes out in the next book.

Meg Gardiner has added another banger to the Unsub series! Since this is recently published, I will not bore you with my version of a blurb. FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix and the team we have come to love head into a very dark and disturbing adventure filled with serial killers, inmates and unknown victims. Gardiner’s knowledge of criminal procedure at so many levels will immediately immerse the reader into the story. It is so vivid it will make the episodes of any CSI show seem meek.
I will leave you with this. According to websites it states that this is Book 4 of 4 of the Unsub Series. People, the ending!! Like when is the next one? Or are we going down a path with Sean? Sweet nibblets! I need to know.

It had been a decade or more since I’d last read a book by Meg Gardiner, so I jumped at the opportunity to join her latest bestselling series, UNSUB, at Book 4, Shadowheart. I’ve rarely had issue joining a series a few books in, so was undaunted by that context.

The first thing that struck me was Gardiner’s writing style. While highly accessible and descriptive in all the usual places, somehow, as a reader I felt quite removed from the scenes depicted. The second, there is a lot of setup — vignette background scenes and character introductions in disparate places — required to support this novel’s ultimately complex crime plot. Perhaps it was a little more ‘telling’ than ‘showing’, or less nuance in dialogue and variety in descriptors than I have grown to expect from top authors.

Whatever the combination of causes, the execution was a barrier to my whole-hearted engagement with the Shadowheart narrative and its lead characters. Gardiner actually came closer to delivering the character authenticity and emotional spark I was seeking in two of her secondary characters. But unfortunately, to delve further into those would provide spoilers.

That all said, what I did find interesting was the myriad plot threads and the twisted psychology of the antagonists. In the end though, it was my desire to learn how all the puzzle pieces would come together that kept me reading, rather than the thrilling suspense I had originally expected.

But remember, this UNSUB series has been a great commercial success for Meg Gardiner, and just like books 1 to 3, at the time of writing Shadowheart has a 4+ Goodreads rating. So, many readers’ opinions differ from my own on this one.

The latest installment in Meg Gardiner's Unsub series was absolutely worth the wait. I've heard comparisons between this series and the Criminal Minds television show and I think that's pretty fair. If you're a fan of true crime TV, profiling, forensics, or just want a thriller that will grab you on page one and never let you go, Shadowheart has what you need. Don't miss this dark and daring tale. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the review copy.

4.5 stars
I was so excited when I got approved to read an early copy of Unsub 4 and it held up so well. This series is so good and the latest installment was thrilling, complex, and kept you wanting to learn more.
The latest installment has Caitlin continuing to work in the BAU and solve a series of copy cat murders of someone in jail. The complexity of the case has Caitlin going all over and working to solve the case.
This series is perfect for fans of Criminal Minds.

Thank you NetGalley and blackstone publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The wait for a new book in the Unsub series might be long, but it's always worth it. Anyone who was ever a fan of the Criminal Minds television series should be reading this book, as it also hits the right combo of investigative work with high drama, tension, depravity, and peeks into the mind of the killers that make that compelling. It's hard to put a book like this down (so I didn't).

This addition to the UNSUB series has a captivating, edge of your seat quality. The UNSUB books bear a resemblance to the Criminal Minds tv series (in my opinion!)- which is a compliment! It features a twisted, but believable ending and I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BlackstonePublishing for the book #ShadowHeart by #MegGardiner. This book, the fourth installment in the Unsub series, is absolutely phenomenal. Caitlin is after another serial killer, or a copy cat killer-Broken Heart Killer. It’s pack full of chasing, murders and drama and I cannot wait for the next book!

4.5/5

It’s been a long wait between book three and book four of this series but I can say it was definitely worth it. While you could read this as a standalone I don’t recommend it. The first three books are really great and the character development of Caitlin is so good so you would be missing out. This one starts out a little on the slow side but that doesn’t last too long so be patient because it’s worth it in the end. The case itself is fascinating and I had no idea how everything would end up connecting and I definitely didn’t predict it at all. Dueling serial killers is so creepy and the suspense was solid. I do wish we would’ve gotten more of Caitlin’s personal life but being back with her in any capacity was still great. If you like dark thrillers, behavioral analysis type of crime fighting and clever plots this was excellent.

This one was a real page turner!! I haven't read the rest of the series, but that didn't slow things down for me. Each character, especially Caitlin and Finch, pull you into their lives. They make you feel everything that they do and more. Caitlin, FBI agent, on the trail of a killer that like to work in the shadows. Finch, a confused teen, who only wants to know where she came from. I hope to read the rest of this series and highly recommend this one, wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!!

#Shadowheat #NetGalley A great addition to the series. If you haven't read the Unsub series by Meg Gardiner, you want to check out the others too! Great author and this addition will have you wanting to skip to the end, but Don't! Lol!