Unspeakable-Laura Griffin

Unspeakable
Laura Griffin
Pocket, Jun 29 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9781439152959

All her life, Elaina McCord wanted to be a profiler in the B.A.U. unit of the FBI like her father did. She is assigned to the Brownsville, Texas Branch of the agency, but her boss SAC Scarborough makes it clear he does not respect her or want her on his team. Elaine believes that without a miracle, her probation will end with her firing.

On Lito Island, Texas, two women have been killed in gruesome ways that make even veteran officers used to ugly homicide scenes need to puke. Elaine is assigned to the case because her chief figures she will quit once she sees the corpses. Her profiles are to be given to Police Chief Matt Branch. He dismisses her as a loser; saying she is out of her league. When a third female goes missing, they lack proof they are dealing with a serial killer. True crime writer Troy Slaton wrote a book re a killer who certified killing one of the victims from another series of murders that happened five years ago, but the author now believes that psychopath lied. He teams up with Elaine to find the real murderer. Elaine links the homicides from five years ago to those happening now and she receives help from the San Marcus police officer who worked the previous cold case. The killer contacts Elaine who sees a butterfly design on two of the victims and traces that to an online game. She begins to figure out who took the web game from virtual reality to reality.

Laura Griffin’s fantastic romantic suspense will be enjoyed by fans of Nora Roberts and Andrea Kane. Elaine is hurt by the sexist treatment of her superiors at the FBI, but she is also is not a quitter; instead she is obsessed to prove her worth and is determined to help solve the case. Her bull dog tenacity to demonstrate she is more than equal to the law men putting her down and almost out enhance a strong investigative thriller.

Harriet Klausner