Into the Black Nowhere: An Unsub Novel

Inspired by the Ted Bundy case, Edgar-winner Gardiner’s excellent sequel to 2017’s Unsub finds newly minted FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix still feeling her way on the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit and working on a long-distance relationship. Her skills as a profiler are soon put to the test by another unsub—unknown subject. Women, who appear to have nothing in common, are disappearing on Saturday nights near Austin, Tex. Two of the victims were found dead in a wooded area, both surrounded by Polaroid photos that show other dead women dressed in white negligees. Caitlin and the other team members deduce they’re looking for a confident perp who can charm his victims into coming with him. Caitlin’s intelligent perceptions lead her to a killer whose arrogance may be his undoing. Gardiner expertly integrates the FBI science of profiling with a suspenseful plot and believable characters. It’s no wonder a TV drama based on this series is in the works at CBS. Agent: Shane Salerno, Story Factory. (Feb.)