Waiting On Wednesday (70)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that
spotlights upcoming releases that I’m really
looking forward to. Waiting On Wednesday
is the creation of Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Unsub
Meg Gardiner
Dutton, June 2017
Mystery, Police Procedural, Thriller

From the publisher—

A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier.

Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.

The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.

Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.

Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?

Why am I waiting so eagerly? It’s a police procedural and it involves a serial killer, both on my list of hot spots. Meg Gardiner has proved herself to me once or twice before so I’m looking forward to an intense read.

Book Review: The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone

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Title: The Unlikelies
Author: Carrie Firestone
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Genres: General Fiction, Young Adult

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Pre-order Links:

Barnes & Noble // Kobo // iBook
Amazon // Book Depository // Indiebound

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The Unlikelies
Carrie Firestone
Little, Brown and Company, June 2017
ISBN
Hardcover

From the publisher—

Rising high school senior Sadie is bracing herself for a long, lonely, and boring summer. But things take an unexpected turn when she steps in to help rescue a baby in distress and a video of her good deed goes viral.

Suddenly internet-famous, Sadie’s summer changes for the better when she’s introduced to other “hometown heroes.” These five very different teens form an unlikely alliance to secretly right local wrongs, but when they try to help a heroin-using friend, they get in over their heads and discover that there might be truth in the saying “no good deed goes unpunished.” Can Sadie and her new friends make it through the summer with their friendships–and anonymity–intact?

I couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for Sadie at the very beginning because she has lost all her close friends, even her ex-boyfriend who’s not quite totally ex to graduation. I had the opposite situation when I graduated from high school, leaving my best friend behind, and I know it’s awfully painful.

Sadie is a little at a loss the first day after her friends scatter but she’s not devastated; she has a life with a job at a farm stand, she’s saving for college, she has a good family. In short, she’s a normal, emotionally grounded teen who just happens to erupt into lifesaving mode when a baby needs help, proof that this sort of thing can happen to anyone.

On the other hand, this story has more than a touch of unreality, from the moment of Sadie’s heroism to the formation of a sort of do-gooder group. Still, these kids are interesting and we learn much about each one, warts and all, and it’s nice to see teens and parents dealing with the vagaries of life in healthy fashion.

Sometimes, the story gets a bit too sweet but it’s a nice summer read and I enjoyed it quite a lot. There are enough humorous moments to lighten what could be a preachy tale and I just couldn’t help liking these kids and their idealism that they turn into action. I recommend this for any teen or adult looking for a tale of good intentions carrying the day. Hate does not always win 😉

Note: For anyone who’s counting, this can be listed in the diversity column.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, May 2017.

About the Author

Carrie Firestone has lived in rural, urban, and suburban places, and, while she currently lives in the suburbs, she is decidedly a CITY person. She loves parties, and all kinds of music, and books about random people doing random things in random places. She loves to travel with her husband, and two daughters, Lauren and Emily. When she isn’t writing, you might find her reluctantly sharing her popcorn at the movies, trying to get people (or dogs) to do a conga line, or adding items to her loose ends list.

Website // Twitter // Facebook // Tumblr // Goodreads

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The Giveaway

3 Finished Copies of The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone
US only, no P.O. boxes
Follow the tour for more chances to win
Runs through June 6th
Rules & Regulations are in the Rafflecopter

Enter here.

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Follow the tour here.

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