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kittietta's review against another edition
5.0
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of the book provided by Kensington publishing the author and Netgalley.
This is the second of the Santero & Rein myster/thriller series (first being the riveting Thief of All Light!) And I hope not the last!
It does read well as a stand-alone.
I love the writing style of Author Bernard Schaffer! His writing grabbed me from the first paragraph and it just flows like music! He has the ability to know when to add light banter between his characters, that takes the edge off some of the gritty police business. His characters are well written and easy to identify with. The plot was fantastic!! Edge of my seat loved it!! Read in one setting!
I love the cover and had an "ah-ha" moment after I read the book! (Where the cover tied into the story!)
This awesome action packed story gets a -5 star rating - and I BEG you not to miss this very well written, awesome series!!!
This is the second of the Santero & Rein myster/thriller series (first being the riveting Thief of All Light!) And I hope not the last!
It does read well as a stand-alone.
I love the writing style of Author Bernard Schaffer! His writing grabbed me from the first paragraph and it just flows like music! He has the ability to know when to add light banter between his characters, that takes the edge off some of the gritty police business. His characters are well written and easy to identify with. The plot was fantastic!! Edge of my seat loved it!! Read in one setting!
I love the cover and had an "ah-ha" moment after I read the book! (Where the cover tied into the story!)
This awesome action packed story gets a -5 star rating - and I BEG you not to miss this very well written, awesome series!!!
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
5.0
Chilling! Family tragedies. Cold case. Determined young detective. Fast paced. Excellent writing. Intense.
boozeandbooksnola's review against another edition
4.0
I received a this as an ARC for my honest review. Bernard Schaffer has recently become a new author to me. His stories tend to grip your attention right from the beginning and suck you right in. An Unsettled Grave is no different. Before I knew it, I couldn’t put the book down!
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
In this second book in this series by Bernard Schaffer, Carrie Santero is a full-fledged detective after solving an incredibly vile case. Carrie then worked with a former detective, Jacob Rein, who remains her mentor, even though he is highly disillusioned and really down on his luck.
The case Carrie is working on is a cold one. A foot was found, and it looks like it might belong to a young girl who went missing thirty years ago. At first Carrie approaches Jacob for help, and then realizes she must head to a small town. In so doing, Jacob's past is unearthed. Carrie learns all about a young boy, J.D. Rein, and discovers the connection the little girl lost so many years ago.
Carrie leaves no stone unturned, and reveals some disturbing and shattering evidence. Discovering a connection between Jacob and the formerly missing girl raised a lot of questions. However, Carrie showed remarkable integrity and ingenuity in solving this case.
Even though An Unsettled Grave is the second book in a series, it does remarkably well as a standalone. However, I did read the first book, The Thief of All Light, first as I wanted to become familiar with the primary characters. I generally read books in one sitting, including both of these, back-to-back. I was thoroughly entertained, even with the often gritty delivery as things played out.
I admire the writing style of Bernard Schaffer. His brilliance and honesty in the sometimes less-than-perfect police force shines. Another effective thing in this book was the determination showed by Carrie. I like how her character is written, and also how her past shaped her into the person she is now. I look forward to following this series in the future.
Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
The case Carrie is working on is a cold one. A foot was found, and it looks like it might belong to a young girl who went missing thirty years ago. At first Carrie approaches Jacob for help, and then realizes she must head to a small town. In so doing, Jacob's past is unearthed. Carrie learns all about a young boy, J.D. Rein, and discovers the connection the little girl lost so many years ago.
Carrie leaves no stone unturned, and reveals some disturbing and shattering evidence. Discovering a connection between Jacob and the formerly missing girl raised a lot of questions. However, Carrie showed remarkable integrity and ingenuity in solving this case.
Even though An Unsettled Grave is the second book in a series, it does remarkably well as a standalone. However, I did read the first book, The Thief of All Light, first as I wanted to become familiar with the primary characters. I generally read books in one sitting, including both of these, back-to-back. I was thoroughly entertained, even with the often gritty delivery as things played out.
I admire the writing style of Bernard Schaffer. His brilliance and honesty in the sometimes less-than-perfect police force shines. Another effective thing in this book was the determination showed by Carrie. I like how her character is written, and also how her past shaped her into the person she is now. I look forward to following this series in the future.
Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
frostatmidnite's review against another edition
4.0
Unputdownable and fast, with a good dose of chill inducing vibes, this book is a perfect pick for readers of this genre.
tbretc's review against another edition
5.0
TL;DR- If you like gritty police procedurals with well developed characters (think Tana French Into the Woods and Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke)- then give this a chance!
First of all, I would not recommend this for sensitive readers. Most of the violence happens off the page, but this is a gritty story. That said, I really enjoyed it. I went in with no expectations and was completely impressed. Throughout 5 sections, we follow 3 interlocking stories. The book opens with a young woman being raped by someone who appears to be a cop. When Detective Cassie Santero pushes to test the DNA of her fellow officers, the chief sends her off to do work on a cold case in a nearby small town. Turns out, her mentor Jacob Rein is intimately connected to the person whose foot they found in the Pennsylvania woods, making Cassie in danger of agitating both her recovering friend and her Chief. The third story is told via flashback, where we meet Jacob (then, J.D) as a kid and find out what really happened to the girl in the woods.
The stories seamlessly weave into one another and I never lost track of what was going on. (I hate when alternating stories are so far apart that you spend half the book trying to figure out how they’re connected, and we didn’t get that here). I loved Cassie as a Detective- you can tell the author has a lot of respect for women in law enforcement and for women in general. The police work was so authentic- which makes sense, as the author currently works as a Detective. The story was gritty and filled with tension and small town politics, but I thought it was very well paced. Without spoiling anything, I really liked the end of the story line in the flashback, despite how macabre it was. This reminded me of a blend of Tana French’s In the Woods and David Joy’s The Line That Held Us. My only regret is that I read book 2 first- although I will say, it does hold up as a standalone.
First of all, I would not recommend this for sensitive readers. Most of the violence happens off the page, but this is a gritty story. That said, I really enjoyed it. I went in with no expectations and was completely impressed. Throughout 5 sections, we follow 3 interlocking stories. The book opens with a young woman being raped by someone who appears to be a cop. When Detective Cassie Santero pushes to test the DNA of her fellow officers, the chief sends her off to do work on a cold case in a nearby small town. Turns out, her mentor Jacob Rein is intimately connected to the person whose foot they found in the Pennsylvania woods, making Cassie in danger of agitating both her recovering friend and her Chief. The third story is told via flashback, where we meet Jacob (then, J.D) as a kid and find out what really happened to the girl in the woods.
The stories seamlessly weave into one another and I never lost track of what was going on. (I hate when alternating stories are so far apart that you spend half the book trying to figure out how they’re connected, and we didn’t get that here). I loved Cassie as a Detective- you can tell the author has a lot of respect for women in law enforcement and for women in general. The police work was so authentic- which makes sense, as the author currently works as a Detective. The story was gritty and filled with tension and small town politics, but I thought it was very well paced. Without spoiling anything, I really liked the end of the story line in the flashback, despite how macabre it was. This reminded me of a blend of Tana French’s In the Woods and David Joy’s The Line That Held Us. My only regret is that I read book 2 first- although I will say, it does hold up as a standalone.
tiffanyreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second installment of the Santero & Rein series and it was freaking fantastic! It can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading the first book.
A mysterious disappearance from Rein's childhood becomes the focus of this book and gives us more insight to Rein's character. Santero has matured more in her roll as a detective and is still dealing with the 'boys club'.
This book made me cry for Rein, for the little boy he had been and the man he his today.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of the book provided by the author and Netgalley.
A mysterious disappearance from Rein's childhood becomes the focus of this book and gives us more insight to Rein's character. Santero has matured more in her roll as a detective and is still dealing with the 'boys club'.
This book made me cry for Rein, for the little boy he had been and the man he his today.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of the book provided by the author and Netgalley.
sashacarpenter's review against another edition
4.0
Carrie Santero is a tough, hard-working, female cop, moving up in the ranks as she serves and protects. When she is brought in to help out with a rape case, she finds herself involved in a much bigger crime: a cold-case murder. With her strong desire to see justice done, and with some help from her friend Jacob, she does everything possible, including almost setting a hotel room on fire, to unlock to mystery of what happened to little Hope Pugh back in 1981.
Bernard Schaffer does a great job interweaving the past with the present to create a complete and eventful story. The characters are easily liked (and disliked), and many are very sympathetic, especially Jacob. He is my favorite, hands down. Overall I enjoyed An Unsettled Grave; this won’t be the last book by Bernard Schaffer that I read.
Thank you to Bernard Schaffer and NetGalley for a digital arc of An Unsettled Grave in exchange for an honest review.
Bernard Schaffer does a great job interweaving the past with the present to create a complete and eventful story. The characters are easily liked (and disliked), and many are very sympathetic, especially Jacob. He is my favorite, hands down. Overall I enjoyed An Unsettled Grave; this won’t be the last book by Bernard Schaffer that I read.
Thank you to Bernard Schaffer and NetGalley for a digital arc of An Unsettled Grave in exchange for an honest review.
canary20's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books that I have read in a long time. At first I was trying to figure out how to tell the Author how bad it was and that I just couldn't get into it. There were times that I was lost with all the characters but man am I glad that I continued to read because I read it all in one sitting and was hooked! I want more more more! Everything comes together pretty quickly and it is a very enjoyable read. There are a few storylines that are within this book and I loved how it all came together. Can not wait to read more by this author. Received this book as an ARC and voluntarily gave my review.
wendysimon's review
5.0
While this book is a good thriller on its own, the back story explaining Jacob Rein's early life and influences is key to understanding his actions as you look back on this book and the last book. The story starts with the rape and murder of a young woman by a man posing as a police officer. When Carrie Santero starts to make waves with that case, she is shipped off to deal with a cold case that has implications in Jacob Rein's life. Event though she gets significant pushback from the local law enforcement, she still aims to uncover the truth and give a family closure and justice. Excellent read!
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