4.5 stars for the fourth installment of the Unsub series! To be honest, I will always give high praise to Meg Gardiner's disturbing mind This series continues to be my favorite to read/recommend to others because it is just so realistic and utterly disturbing. I will admit that this one started off a little slower than the previous books, but quickly amped up and was incredibly well-written as well as addictive throughout the rest of the book. Now I will be (im)patiently waiting for the next installment of the series!!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley.

I loved this book! I read this book so quickly. The Unsub series is not for the faint of heart. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this, never knowing where Meg was going with the story.

This book was pushed back to June 2024 but I read it when I thought it was going to be released in October. It's been three years since the last book in the Unsub series was released, so was this one worth the wait? I think so. None of these have the same edge-of-your-seat suspense as the first one (Unsub) but the characters are likable and the plot was cohesive and creepy, navigating from the past to the present as one killer draws images of his victims from prison and another killer copycats his crimes. Something sinister connects the two and Caitlin must figure it out, all while worrying about her boyfriend Sean and his pursuit of an evil bomber. This is still a great thriller/mystery series and I hope it continues. 4 stars. Thank you to Blackstone and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Finally! Finally we got close to the intensity and thrills that book one provided.

After a set of disappointing middle installments in this series, SHADOWHEART brings us back to what initially captivated me by this series. And this was a twisty mystery indeed. This had so many connections, so many layers, that inevitably you are bound to guess a few -- early on, too, or at least I did -- but that in no way prepares you for how intensely this connects and where it all continues to go once you think you've thought it all through. And I really liked that.

What keeps this from a slightly higher rating, however, was one of the book's POVs. I don't think it was the character herself, because I understood the struggle, it was just how she was written; unfortunately, poorly. And as her involvement increases over the course of the story, this made some chapters a bit of a pain. I hope she ends up being a one-off but with how this ended.. who knows.

I definitely thought this would have more to do with the main over-arching mystery of the series based on how book three ended but, in fact, we hardly get any of it. Just bits and pieces of another thread from book two. This does mostly act as a contained thriller with just enough little crumbs to want you to continue to the next -- which I definitely will.

Having said that, this release seems to have been pushed back indefinitely as of the writing of this review, though, so I have no idea what the fate of the series might be. Before reading this one, I might've been indifferent. Now, though? Now I do want more. Dangit.

Meg Gardiner fans rejoice! Crime thriller fans rejoice! Anyone looking for an insanely addictive, edge of your seat l, truly propulsive read that can bust you out of any reading slump: REJOICE.

“Trouble breathed in the dark.”

While UNSUB remains my favorite book in the series, this runs up as a close second! Gardiner continues to juggle multiple threads as a visit to a convicted serial killer kicks off a spree by a copycat, at the same time, the specter of The Ghost and the Temescla Bombings are an ever present reminder of the swirling threats around Caitlin and her family.

“She now understood that she was not bound to annihilation.”

There’s a great balance to how the events of the previous books feed the present storyline, most critically seen in Caitlin’s character. A lot of her emotional scars and trauma have become key cornerstones to her behavior and character, which makes it feel like we’re on the same journey with Caitlin as she develops and hones her investigative skills and steps out of her father’s shadow.

Slight spoiler that while The Ghost and Temescla Bombings are mentioned in this book, they’re background, active investigations happening in parallel but not the main focus of the book.

The central crimes and mystery in Shadowheart is an intricate game that really showcases Gardiner’s ability to present complex and intriguing characters. These aren’t cookie cutter villains and clear cut motivations. The killers are enigmatic, interesting, and downright creepy. They pull you in just like they draw Caitlin and a number of moments had me sweaty, clammy, and adrenaline pumping. Despite a perhaps too quick and neat ending that made some of the villains feel…unfinished, this was unputdownable.

While I would love to see a full fledged return to The Ghost who started this all, there are some jaw dropping things in this book that definitely hint at so much more to come— which has me both anxious AND excited.

I can’t wait to readers to dive back into Caitlin’s world!

I am such a fan of the unsub series, and this made me an even bigger fan!

In this fourth book of the series, two serial killers end up locked in a rivalry. One creates haunting paintings of his victims, and the other is posing duct-taped bodies at the sites of the murders. Caitlin Hendrix rises to the occasion to figure out what connects the two killers before more bodies are found, and this case requires her to dive into the minds of two incredibly depraved minds.

This book was as terrifying as it was hard to put down. It was unnerving diving into the psyches of both killers, but the journey to discovering their connection was worth exploring the dark depths of their minds.

Another gripping and thrilling read by Meg Gardiner. I have enjoyed the UNSUB series since reading UNSUB, the shocking first book in this killer series!!!! FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix is back, and boy does she have her work cut out for her! She has not one but two serial killers to deal with in this book. It's intense, shocking, gripping, well written and hard to put down!

Imprisoned Efrem Judah Goode has been drawing pictures of women he claims to have killed. While he has been doing this, there is another killer who has been leaving duct tapped bodies at the sites of Goode's murders. Is there a connection between the two serial killers? That is what Caitlin must find out and fast!

Fans of the series are going to enjoy this book! New to the series? This will work as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading this addictive and riveting series from the very first book. Seriously, this series is fantastic!

This book has a little bit of everything: suspense, danger, tension, detective work and Caitlin & Sean. The wait for this book to come out paid off. Meg Gardiner always delivers, and I count on her to deliver captivating and well thought out books.

Well written, gripping, shocking and intense.

While Caitlin’s ATF boyfriend continues to hunt for the bomber who blew up a California hospital in the last installment, Caitlin is conducting a prison interview with a serial killer in max security. He provides her with drawings of women he claims to have killed — victims beyond those he was convicted of killing. Thus begins the hunt to figure out who they are, and how they tie into a recent surge of murders in the same areas the original victims were found.

I’ve been a fan of this series since the very first installment, but I have to say this one didn’t quite deliver. It started out slow, which wasn’t helped by dialogue that was a little stilted in places, as well as some unnecessary tangents, like Caitlin’s coworker’s kids soccer game, and Caitlin schlepping between Quantico, Tennessee and New York. What further hurt this installment was the pacing and how the two plots were threaded together, so when one found a rhythm, the reader was awkwardly bounced into the other.

The end does pick up, though, and there are some surprises, with a promising new lead in the Prophet investigation sure to be the focus of the next installment, so I’m looking forward to that. 2.5 stars

Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner is one of my favorites and if you’re a fan of Criminal Minds, you will definitely love it too!

Shadowheart follows FBI Agent Caitlin Hendrix as she chases one serial killer while also trying to figure out their connection to another. There is a lot of action and the twists and red herrings kept me guessing. I’m always trying to figure out the bad guy and I was definitely not expecting the way the story played out. I also love how as the series goes on, Caitlin continues to flourish as a profiler. She spends a lot of time traveling without her team, which goes to show her growth. There is still an unsolved mystery that continues from the previous books that gets some interesting clues, so I am hopeful there will be another book.

I love anything Meg Gardiner and the Unsub series. It always feels good to return to familiar characters and build on past books. I'm a fan forever. I'm sad that pub day is pushed back for this one, because then it will be that much longer until I can buy a copy for my shelves!

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 is #4 in the 𝘜𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘣 series and it is dynamite. Same badass female lead, with a smart and sassy team behind her as they look for a copycat killer and interview the creepy original in prison. Yes, it’s gory and violent at times but Gardiner knows how to up the tension and compel us forward. For those of us who’ve read the entire series, she does a nice job of weaving in the past as they continue to hunt the Ghost from the other books. But this book also stands on its own. If you liked Mindhunters tv series, this book is for you!

This was a truly thrilling read.

I loved our Main Character and I was definitely all in on this story about two serial killer rivals. It was seriously creepy!

Highly suspenseful and an absolute page-turner of a read. One of those I didn’t want to put down until the very end.

I definitely want more.

• ARC via Publisher

Argh, I don't know how this slipped through as I usually have all my books downloaded before the archive date, but here we are - finding this title in my 'Archived, Not Downloaded' Section. Therefore, I cannot give an accurate rating or review. I will be purchasing on publication as this is one of my favourite authors. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you so much to Meg Gardiner and Blackstone Publishing for my copy of this book! I am OBSESSED with the Unsub series and I feel like I’ve been waiting FOREVER for this book to come out! This book was about serial killer Efrem Judah Goode, a man who duct taped and murdered women before he was sent to prison. Now he is drawing haunting portraits of his victims, and a copycat is remaking his work. To stop the killings, Caitlin needs to find the connection between Goode and this new killer.

Thoughts: This book starts slower than the others, but is just as good. The story is complex and interesting and still has the underlying search for the Ghost. There were multiple perspectives in this story, as well as multiple psychopaths. The negative is that the reader gets a lot less of Caitlin than in the past, and a lot more of other characters. I wish she had been more of a focus, as well as a bit more of past storylines.

This book almost felt like a stand alone, and could definitely be read as one. I also didn’t notice a case that this book mimicked, so that was interesting as well. There was a lot of travel time in the book that broke up the fast paced tension, but besides that, this was another amazing hit! 4.5 stars for this wonderful book!

A new UNSUB book...sign me up! I am a big fan of this series, even though it is hard to get in Australia. I purchased the first 3 books in the series and binge read them, very sad when the last one was finished. I was thrilled to see that book 4 was coming out and I was even more excited when I was approved for an early ARC, so thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing.

It was so good to be back in Caitlin's world and the FBI BAU. Give me a book with a serial killer and I am on happy reader. Shadowheart gave me not just one sadistic murderer but multiple. Caitlin and the team are on the hunt for a copycat killer - the original killer is in prison and still denies 3 of the murders he has been put away for.

This is a faced paced, action-packed page turner. I do suggest reading the other 3 books in the series first or you will miss so much. It is dark and fairly messed up. That will make you want to keep reading well into the night like I did. An intense and satisfying read - bring on book 5

Meg Gardiner’s UNSUB series is my favorite series of all time. I said what I said! I fell in love with this series’ dark and unapologetic storytelling—you just never know who Gardiner will axe off and it’s so creepy! I loved every installment of this series and her latest, SHADOWHEART, is no exception.

This time around, FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix, is in New York City, trying to find a copycat killer who is repeating the work on a serial killer who’s been jailed since the late ‘00s. In a Tennessee prison, Efrem Judah Goode has been drawing the victims of his past in response to coming forward with their identities. At the same time, this copycat killer, nicknamed the Broken Heart Killer (you’ll find out why) is killing people in the same locations that Goode left his victims back in 2008. These two serial killers have a twisted relationship somehow and Caitlin needs to find out what it is before more people are murdered.

This book starts a bit slower than the previous Unsub novels, but once you get to about 80ish pages, you’ll be hooked. I am so tired because I read the book in one sitting. After I read the book, I double check the locks and behind the shower curtain before bed because this book seriously creeped me out. SHADOWHEART felt the most like a standalone than its predecessors because we didn’t get much insight into Caitlin’s personal life, so fans of the series may have opinions about that, but I loved it nonetheless. I hope this series continues to thrive because I can’t get enough.

Dueling Psychos......

Meg Gardiner is seeing double in this one. Shadowheart is sending out two rivers of thought here. One is a deviant of a serial killer now behind bars. The other is the infamous UNSUB: killer to be identified and perhaps caught as this tale unfolds. Seems like the work of a copy cat killer in the mean time. Stay tuned.

Caitlin Hendrix is a 31 year old FBI professional in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Her job is to offer investigative support for violent crimes. These violent crimes don't get any bigger than the one that she's currently working on.

Efrem Judah Goode is now behind bars. He was captured in May of 2018 outside his sleazy motel room where the bodies of three women were found bound and dead. Goode swears it wasn't his doing. That's small comfort when a known serial killer backs away from the bodies that are surely his.

When bodies start poppin' up from Tennessee to Kentucky to North Carolina and a recent one in New York City, Caitlin notices the trail parallels the Goode trail. She visits him in prison. Goode starts to draw portraits of the women he's killed. He intends to write a book one day. He still claims no responsibility for those three other murders.

Someone is slipping into Goode's identity. There's even broken heart graffiti found at the scene of those murders. But who is this individual? It's obvious that this person is glorifying Goode and replicating his murders. But why and what exactly is the end game?

Shadowheart has a lot of moveable parts. It's knotted and twisted beneath the surface. The storyline flips back and forth in time and the characters are plenty. It does read as a standalone even though this is the fourth book in the series. The main character of Caitlin tries to balance her stressful career while keeping things stable with her love interest, Sean, who is an ATF Special Agent. He has shared custody of his four year old daughter. Add to this a sixth sense that Caitlin has running through her veins. She's good at what she does. And that, dear readers, is what you'll find out when you crack this one open.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Blackstone Publishers and to the talented Meg Gardiner for the opportunity.

I was so excited to get my hands on an e-ARC of Shadowheart!

This is the fourth book in the UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner which has been a favourite the last few years. Unfortunately, this one just didn't hit the mark for me the way the others have.

One thing I have loved about this series is that the villain in each novel is based off of a real life killer, with Gardiner putting her own spin on them to create a unique story. I have enjoyed being able to make comparisons and see where the story diverged to go off in it's own direction. As far as I know, this was a completely unique story and did not draw inspiration from any real life events (please correct me if I'm wrong!) If I didn't go into this book expecting that aspect, I think I would have enjoyed it more as it really was a solid story, so keep that in mind!

As always, I really enjoyed Meg Gardiner's writing and storytelling methods. Her chapters are the perfect length to make it easy to keep turning the pages and there's enough variation in perspectives to hold your attention.

I am really hopeful that this isn't the end for this series as there's still an ongoing storyline that I would love to see a resolution to (IYKYK!)

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes - A new book from Meg Gardiner. Shadowheart is an addition to the Unsub story.

"FBI Profiler Caitlin Hendrix is working a case with a copycat serial killer whose crimes have a connection to another killer - Effrem Goode. Caitlin must unravel the connection between the two if she has any hope in stopping the copycat."

I really like this story from Gardiner. There are lots of connections that Gardiner shows us a little at a time. But the final reveals have lots of a-ha moments. She does a great job tying things together.
There are multiple psychopaths in this story and all are terrifying.
There is a side story continued from the previous books about a character called The Ghost that is not resolved but has some interesting continuation.
There are several names to keep up with - that was my only struggle. By the time you get to the end though you'll know them all.

Great story from Gardiner.

While I have a huge love for the Unsub series and will always recommend it, Shadowheart wasn’t what I was expecting.

The last three books were amazing and maybe I went into this with a lot of expectations but realistically, I know not every book will always hit the mark. But I really, really wanted it to 😭.

So what’s my problem? Not any one thing in particular 🤷‍♀️. This one just felt very different, like it was written by someone else. I missed the personal touches with Caitlin, the plot was all over the place as were time lines and everything felt a tad disjointed. While usually dark, which I love, this book definitely had some of the elements but also managed to feel YA at times. So overall I’m left a bit confused and disappointed but also hopeful for the 5th book. Again, this is just my personal experience and opinion and I’m all for readers to form their own, just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you 😁. 2.5⭐️