David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "ted-bundy"
Into The Black Nowhere
If you're a fan of “Criminal Minds” or seen the movie “Silence of the Lambs” you're familiar with the BAU and the term “unsub”. Meg Gardiner has authored an UNSUB series using the FBI profilers as her major characters.
Unlike “Criminal Minds” Gardiner doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on the personal lives of the FBI agents, although there is some of that. Caitlin Hendrix is the Clarice Starling of this novel. She's a rookie FBI agent recently assigned to the BAU, which basically hunts serial killers. Her boyfriend is a fellow agent working on a bombing case in California. She doesn't see him often enough.
Blond women are being killed, centering on Texas and New Mexico, but gradually moving north. Caitlin gets a tip from a woman who thinks an ex-boyfriend may be the killer. She says he set fire to his apartment after an argument; she was saved by his roommate.
The bad guy likes to clothe the bodies in baby doll nightgowns, and this guy had a picture of the woman asleep with a white nightgown cloaked over her body. Gotta be the guy, right?
Let's skip ahead to a preliminary hearing where Ted Bundy seems to have risen from the dead. If you remember that case, Bundy, a law student, was so good looking he had groupies at the trial. I don't think they were willing to overlook murder, though, so this part of the book seems like kind of a stretch. This hearing occurs about half way through the book so you know a twist is coming. The guy also seems able to be in two places at the same time; the BAU thinks he might have a partner. If you watch closely you may be able to guess who that is.
The woman who sent the tip, eventually becomes a target as does her daughter, who's in college in Portland, Oregon. Emily just happens to be a member of a female rugby team. Have you watched a rugby game? Do you know what a scrum is? Gardiner seems to have an agenda. Her female characters aren't afraid to take on guys in physical confrontations. There's a scene toward the end that'll have you on the edge of your seat, and it's between a female FBI agent and the serial killer.
There's one thing wrong with a mystery series. If you've seen a likable character for several books in a row, you're not too worried about he or she getting snuffed, unless Cormac MacCarthy is doing the writing, and he doesn't write serials.
Unlike “Criminal Minds” Gardiner doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on the personal lives of the FBI agents, although there is some of that. Caitlin Hendrix is the Clarice Starling of this novel. She's a rookie FBI agent recently assigned to the BAU, which basically hunts serial killers. Her boyfriend is a fellow agent working on a bombing case in California. She doesn't see him often enough.
Blond women are being killed, centering on Texas and New Mexico, but gradually moving north. Caitlin gets a tip from a woman who thinks an ex-boyfriend may be the killer. She says he set fire to his apartment after an argument; she was saved by his roommate.
The bad guy likes to clothe the bodies in baby doll nightgowns, and this guy had a picture of the woman asleep with a white nightgown cloaked over her body. Gotta be the guy, right?
Let's skip ahead to a preliminary hearing where Ted Bundy seems to have risen from the dead. If you remember that case, Bundy, a law student, was so good looking he had groupies at the trial. I don't think they were willing to overlook murder, though, so this part of the book seems like kind of a stretch. This hearing occurs about half way through the book so you know a twist is coming. The guy also seems able to be in two places at the same time; the BAU thinks he might have a partner. If you watch closely you may be able to guess who that is.
The woman who sent the tip, eventually becomes a target as does her daughter, who's in college in Portland, Oregon. Emily just happens to be a member of a female rugby team. Have you watched a rugby game? Do you know what a scrum is? Gardiner seems to have an agenda. Her female characters aren't afraid to take on guys in physical confrontations. There's a scene toward the end that'll have you on the edge of your seat, and it's between a female FBI agent and the serial killer.
There's one thing wrong with a mystery series. If you've seen a likable character for several books in a row, you're not too worried about he or she getting snuffed, unless Cormac MacCarthy is doing the writing, and he doesn't write serials.
