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⭐️

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE the first 3 books in this, the UNSUB series. Combined, the first 3 books are a 5 star read for me.

Shadowheart was a bit disappointing, all things considered. It was slower than the first 3 books, but what I struggled with most was that it got confusing. I found myself going back to re-read to make sure I was catching everything.

I also wished there were more parts of Caitlin's personal life, like there were in the previous books.

Shadowheart has a great plot, and it's still a great installment in the UNSUB series, and I look forward to future books!

This pains me to write.

I absolutely loved the first three UNSUB novels. When I saw this one available on NetGalley, I immediately pushed the request button, crossed my fingers, and waited impatiently. Then I did a whoop of joy when the approval came through.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. The plot felt disjointed and convoluted. I needed emotional depth and connection, which was lacking. Something about the magic of the first three was missing here.

But I still love Caitlin's character, and I have high hopes for book 5. Also, this is just my opinion, which has a market value of exactly zero, so feel free to ignore me.

*Thanks to Blackstone and NetGalley for the eARC!*

A dark and riveting blend of true-crime with thriller elements led by a formidable protagonist you’d want watching your back. Meg Gardiner continues to reign over the dark genre of crime thrillers.

UNSUB was my quarantine obsession and I audibly squealed when I saw that the series was continuing. With cliffhanger after cliffhanger, this book is so hard to put down. (Me literally sneaking peeks at it during Sunday brunch). Between following the investigation of a prolific serial killer's cold cases and the appearance of a copycat killer? The thrills are impeccable.

And the TWISTS!! While I saw a handful of them coming, I was blindsided several times. And in a thriller, I absolutely looooove that. I don't know if I'll ever be tired of Caitlin Hendrix to be honest, but Book 5 may be a natural ending point for this series. Because god damn, Ghost deserves a book of his own.

*Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book will grab you from the first page. FBI agent Caitlyn Rainey is after a serial killer, make that 2 serial killers. One locked up and another loose copying the imprisoned serial killer. What is the connection between the two and how to stop the murders. It is a race against time to stop the killer before more dead bodies turn up. The book is filled with suspense from the first page and a few twists along the line. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I really liked the first book in this series, but somehow missed the next two... This is the 4th and I did not want to have to go back and read three books to catch up, so tried to just jump in. Unfortunately I found myself a little confused and much less engaged than I was with the first book. I think this might be a series you have to read in order, but even setting that aside, I just didn't feel engaged from the opening pages with this one as I did with Unsub.

I don't know if it's me or the series, but this one didn't work for me... I'm not really sure why. It's an engaging premise and starts with enough strange behavior to intrigue, but somehow I never connected to the story or the characters in the way that I wanted to. It was fine just didn't grab me as I expected it would.

This is the first book in the Unsub series by Meg Gardiner I’ve had the pleasure to read.

The lead character, Caitlin Hendrix has caught a new case. It seems as he sits in prison, the convicted killer Efram Judah Goode is being taunted by another serial killer. Caitlin, although working with others in the BAU is the lead in this wild ride. Just when you think you might have it figured out, nope another pebble drops.

Although, this is part of a series, it could stand on its own. Gardiner gives the reader enough of the back story that there shouldn’t be any problem. Except, you’ll want to go back and read the titles that came before. And that’s not really a problem. Right? We learn how Hendrix has dealt with a familiar loss. That she uses self harm to deal with problems such as stress. We see her interacting with her significant other and her coworkers.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reading Shadowheart is not for the faint of heart. Expect frayed nerves, heart palpitations, a daisy chain of gut punches, sweating the ending and yelling at characters who can’t hear you. It’s a thriller that causes a reaction you feel throughout your body. Brilliant and chilling stuff from the marvelous Meg Gardiner.

FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix is on the hunt to stop the Broken Heart Killer. This serial killer appears to be a copycat of Efrem Judah Goode, a man convicted of multiple murders and serving time in a Tennessee maximum security prison. The crimes and locations are very similar to the point where Hendrix wonders if there’s a connection and communication between the two. And she’s tasked with a clear mission – find the connection, stop the killings. Caught between a devious psychopath and a vicious UNSUB, this case will be anything but easy. But Hendrix will stop at nothing and risk everything to solve the case, hunt down the killer and put an end to the mayhem they have wrought.

The UNSUB novels constitute the best serial killer series in print today. Combining tremendous pacing with storytelling that will scare the ever-loving crap out of you – and featuring terrifying psychopathic killers that will cause you to have your head on a swivel anytime you leave the house – they will have you frightened of the dark and lead to questioning your sanity anytime you’re walking alone at night.

Shadowheart fits this to a T and is a superb continuation of the series after a three-year hiatus. Caitlin Hendrix continues to grow and evolve as a character while exhibiting incredible intellect and drive to relentlessly pursue and thwart a prodigious murderer. The plot is fantastic with The Silence of the Lambs vibes. Goode the Hannibal Lecter to Hendrix’s Clarise, the law enforcement officer needing the insight of a jailed sociopath convict to track down the new serial killer. And it works incredibly well, moving at the speed of light with tensions ratcheting up every single page until it explodes like a shotgun blast. It’s simply fantastic.

Meg Gardiner is an incredible writer and her talents are on full display in the remarkable Shadowheart. Don’t miss this book…but don’t read it in the dark. You have been warned.

I've been reading Meg Gardiner's UNSUB series since it started in 2017, and these books are always a fun, fast read. In Shadowheart, the fourth in the series, FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix is back on the hunt for a serial killer – or two.

The novel has two interwoven plots. In one, Hendrix and the FBI are tracking the case of killer who seems to be copying the crimes of a man imprisoned in Tennessee. Who is this copycat? What's the link to the original case? Readers are along for the ride as Hendrix follows the clues and unravels the mystery.

I love mysteries, and this type of plot is one of my favorites: the nuts and bolts of how the case was solved. I like it because it rings true to life. Son of Sam? Caught because of a parking ticket. Tim McVeigh? Pulled over because his license plate was missing. Ted Bundy's lousy driving got him caught more than once.

The other plot element is the thread that has run through all four UNSUB novels. Hendrix's father was a lawman whose life unraveled while he searched for a serial killer called The Prophet. The Prophet inspired a copycat called the Ghost, and Hendrix has him in her sights.

The Ghost also seems to have Hendrix in his sights – as well as her partner and other family members.

This could just be a personal quirk, but I really dislike the "killer becomes obsessed with the detective/detective's family" plot device. I understand that it raises the stakes and makes the danger personal. Maybe it's been done too much? In a series that features a compelling protagonist and details that seem believable, this ongoing Ghost plot line just didn't hold my interest the way the rest of the book did.

I really hope Caitlin Hendrix catches the Ghost in Book 5 and moves on to other cases.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of Shadowheart, the fourth novel in the Unsub series featuring FBI behavioural analyst Caitlin Hendrix, set mostly in New York.

In Tennessee convicted serial killer Efrem Judah Goode draws pictures of his other victims (the ones he wasn’t convicted for) for Caitlin. When the FBI publish them they start to find bodies in the same locations Goode left his victims. Is it a completion, an homage or something darker? Caitlin needs to track down the broken heart killer as they’ve called this new killer to find out.

I enjoyed Shadowheart, which is a tense, puzzling read with some good twists and turns. I am new to the series, but not the author, so I had a good idea of what to expect and wasn’t disappointed.

The novel concentrates on the hunt for the broken heart killer, so called for the heart graffiti left at the murder scenes, and the motive behind these recent killings. In the background there is an ongoing thread about the hunt for a serial bomber known as the ghost. Being new to the series I don’t have a lot of background on the thread, but there is enough information given for me to follow it without problems. The main plot is more interesting, not just because it’s self contained, but also because the motive is a big issue and the puzzle of it keeps the reader turning the pages. I have to say that while I finally understood the motive, I didn’t get it or the reasoning, although, of course, I’m not a psychopathic serial killer. Still, the journey to that understanding is exciting with tension, plenty of events, puzzles, twists, manipulation and a big showdown. It’s over the top and highly entertaining.

I don’t think the characters are particularly well drawn and seem to be there to service the plot, but that doesn’t bother me as I’d rather have thrills than nuanced characterisation.

Shadowheart is a good read that I can recommend.

Quite honestly, I DID NOT WANT THIS BOOK TO END. It is so fabulously written by Ms. Gardiner... and Shadowheart featuring FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix picks up very close to when the previous book left off. In addition to chasing the Ghost, Caitlin and her incredibly talented team are drawn into the life of convicted serial killer, Efrem Judah Goode. He's drawing pictures of his victims and leading the FBI on a chase to try to determine the identities of the women in his drawings. To compound this, a copycat killer is recreating Goode's kills and leaving a broken heart drawing at their body drops. As Caitlin digs deeper, the entire case seems to circle around a girl named, Finch, who believes her Mom was one of Goode's initial victims. Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year! And the ending... WOWZA! Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for an advanced reader of this book - the opinions expressed are my own.

Part of me is beyond excited that there’s more UNSUB books, that our MC Caitlin Hendrix continues to grow and change and adapt, that our killers branch out and get way more interesting, that we keep creeping ever closer to the Ghost. Part of me is terrified because the longer the series gets, the more likely I am to get disappointed or not enjoy the next book.

Safe to say, though, that Shadowheart did not disappoint! Highlight reel: a great antagonist in the Broken Heart Killer, dangling one twist you’ll see through in order to slap you with another twist you won’t, developing healthy coping mechanisms and going to therapy, more side characters of color (who I assume will continue to become more important), casual mentions of queerness (they’re not pivotal to the story, but it’s so important to see that even in passing in the very allocishet thriller genre), a teenager acting like a teenager and actually facing consequences (they fuck around, they find out).

Things that fell a little short: Caitlin spends a lot of time traveling (DC to TN to NYC and back) so that felt a little tedious, we spent a lot more time with other POV characters than we have in the past (between the killer and Finch, it feels almost like Caitlin got less than half of her own story), and Caitlin flies solo or coordinates with locals so our familiar faces are few and far between. Some of these things really messed with the pacing, slowing us way down (kind of in the same vein as Into The Black Nowhere)

However, once the chase is on, it’s ON. And Gardiner writes a very good chase, every time: high tension, living on the knife’s edge of fast and loud vs quiet and cautious, giving us the scene in snapshots to ratchet that intensity up even higher. And we lucked out getting a bonus chase scene early on in the story.

Sign me up, y’all, I’m a Gardiner fan for the long haul.

Shadow heart
Meg Gardiner
Pub Date Oct. 3, 2023
Blackstone
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is #4 in the Unsub series and I have loved the others. Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I feel it could benefit from more editing.
3 stars

Shadowheart is book for in the UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner.
I love a good police procedural plus as serial killers in the mix and I’ve got myself a date with a book.
Gardiner doesn’t disappoint with her newest addition to this fantastic series.
I was so engrossed in her writing that I almost felt like I was part of the story .
A fast moving and exciting story. Meg Gardiner is an excellent storyteller and the book flows in such a way that kept me up late at night to finish the story.
The suspense is palpable and keeps the reader flipping this pages.
This series reminds me a lot of Criminal Minds! If you enjoy the show then you’ll really enjoy this book/series.
Gardiner has written another wonderful thriller!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this
amazing eARC!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review, but I can't say I am an unbiased reviewer. Meg Gardiner is one of my favorite authors, and I was tremendously excited to read an advanced copy of her latest UNSUB novel. I stayed up all night reading it because I made the mistake of starting it just before I intended to go to bed! Let's just get this out of the way: SHADOWHEART is a GREAT thriller that was gripping, fun to read, and it's definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

This UNSUB novel brings us on another adventure with FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix, Rainey, Sean, and the rest of the crew you've come to look forward to seeing in this universe. You can read the plot outline on Goodreads or Amazon, so I won't give too much detail on the story specifics. This UNSUB entry takes Caitlin into decidedly more feminine territory, which was really refreshing to read and experience. Almost all the characters in this book are women, and it's ultimately a story about mothers and daughters, and the nuances of that special bond.

Another aspect of this novel I greatly appreciated was the attention Gardiner paid to Caitlin's mental health. Caitlin has struggled with self-harm and stress overload in the past, like many other detectives in many other books and movies, but Caitlin has recognized that this behavior is both unhealthy and ineffective for herself and her work, and she is working with a doctor (I can't remember if it was a psychiatrist or psychologist) to develop healthier patterns and responses to her stressful and emotionally grueling work as a detective. Caitlin actually has a day off in this book! And takes time for herself and her little family! I almost cheered for her when she put on some Janelle Monae at the end of a long day.

I LOVED SHADOWHEART and I hope the rest of the UNSUB and Gardiner fans enjoy it as much as I did! Can't wait for the next one.

Meg Gardiner is back with another pulsing serial killer thriller. Caitlin Hendrix, FBI agent, must make the connection between a killer in lock up and one still at large. Efrain Judah Goode murdered multiple women years ago. Now a new killer is on the loose, playing connect the dots with Goode's murders. Caitlin must look beyond her training to see how the two could know so much about each other. She races to save innocent lives from destruction as the two killers clash.

Caitlin Hendrix is such a likeable character. This series has been great to follow. Her dynamic has changed and so has her circumstances. Caitlin continues to face cases that push her to the limits. I could read this series for days. There's so many moving parts that all come together so nicely.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. I truly enjoyed reading this one way early. Now just to wait for the next one.

When 2021 came to an end, I hopped on a call with the rest of the BTB crew, and we gave our year-end award winners, while also mentioning what books in 2022 we were most looking forward to. I had mentioned that I was looking forward to an untitled Meg Gardiner book, although there had yet to be any mention of one. As I sat down, now in 2023 to read the newest novel in her UNSUB series, Shadowheart, I was so excited.

Meg Gardiner once again absolutely crushed it. With one of my favorite book series, Meg Gardiner delivered another brilliant serial killer thriller that will leave readers gasping for breath.

When a killer, drunk out of his mind, drives his car into a police station parking lot with dead people in his backseat, Caitlin Hendrix is called in to investigate. The deeper she digs, and with the killer behind bars, she realizes there is a copycat - the Broken Heart Killer - killing people under the cover of night and dumping them in the river. The deeper Hendrix digs, the more she discovers about the killer and the copycat, racing against the clock, trying to stop the copycat before they kill another victim. On top of this, she is still trying to solve another investigation simultaneously.

Meg Gardiner once again delivers a top-of-the-line thriller with Shadowheart. One of the most intriguing and pulse-pounding novels I've read in some time, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those 'read it while you walk around the house', 'read it while you eat breakfast', 'read it during work meetings', 'read it in the washroom' type of books. It was literally hair-raising (I took a picture of the goosebumps one of the parts gave me). Gardiner is second to none when it comes to crafting a twisting and turning plot, creating lovable and hateable characters, and keeping readers locked in from page one until well after the book is over. This is a novel I will remember for a long time - Gardiner's best book to date.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!

Do you love criminal minds and ever thought: I want this in book form, with a strong female lead?
If yes, this is the book for you.

The twists and turns, the characters, the deep dives into their psyches, everything was like an episode of cm.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat every time I picked it up. You never truly knew what, or who, each character was going to act on.
The simple sentence "What happens when two serial killers begin to compete with each other?" Is just the tip of the iceberg on what this book is about.
Please, while you wait for the next episode or season of your true crime podcast, or cm like show, pick this book up. It will scratch that itch.

Just as the previous 3 before it this novel holds true that it’s brilliant. So categorically good. I did feel like the ending was a bit more predictable than I’m used too, but maybe that was just foresight.