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Louis Kincaid #7
An Unquiet Grave
Not Every Soul Rest in Peace
In a remote corner of the Michigan woods, behind rusted iron gates and crumbling stone walls, lie one of the country's most notorious sanitariums and its forgotten cemetery. The sprawling ruin is empty now, and the bulldozers have come to raze it. But as they do, a terrifying secret begins to emerge.
The body in Claudia Olsen's grave is that of a stranger who died horribly. This much Louis Kincaid knows. But what happened to the woman who should be buried there? It's a question no one will answer, one that leads Kincaid to the long, dark tunnels below the asylum and crimes of unimaginable depravity. . .
Now, in a place where the walls are stained with secrets, the air thick with the lingering history of screams, Louis Kincaid is on his darkest journey yet, matching wits with a monster whose work will not be silenced. . .
In a remote corner of the Michigan woods, behind rusted iron gates and crumbling stone walls, lie one of the country's most notorious sanitariums and its forgotten cemetery. The sprawling ruin is empty now, and the bulldozers have come to raze it. But as they do, a terrifying secret begins to emerge.
The body in Claudia Olsen's grave is that of a stranger who died horribly. This much Louis Kincaid knows. But what happened to the woman who should be buried there? It's a question no one will answer, one that leads Kincaid to the long, dark tunnels below the asylum and crimes of unimaginable depravity. . .
Now, in a place where the walls are stained with secrets, the air thick with the lingering history of screams, Louis Kincaid is on his darkest journey yet, matching wits with a monster whose work will not be silenced. . .
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
27 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Parrish
26 books270 followersP.J. Parrish is the New York Times bestselling author of ten Louis Kincaid and Joe Frye thrillers. The author is actually two sisters, Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols. Their books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today best seller lists. The series has garnered 11 major crime-fiction awards, and an Edgar® nomination. Parrish has won two Shamus awards, one Anthony and one International Thriller competition. Her books have been published throughout Europe and Asia.
Parrish's short stories have also appeared in many anthologies, including two published by Mystery Writers of America, edited by Harlan Coben and the late Stuart Kaminsky. Their stories have also appeared in Akashic Books acclaimed Detroit Noir, and in Ellery Queen Magazine. Most recently, they contributed an essay to a special edition of Edgar Allan Poe's works edited by Michael Connelly.
P.J. Parrish as children
Before turning to writing full time, Kristy Montee was a newspaper editor and dance critic for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. Nichols previously was a blackjack dealer and then a human resources specialist in the casino industry. Kris in Tallahassee FL and Traverse City MI and Kelly resides in Traverse City as well.
The sisters were writers as kids, albeit with different styles: Kelly's first attempt at fiction at age 11 was titled The Kill. Kristy's at 13 was The Cat Who Understood. Not much has changed: Kelly now tends to handle the gory stuff and Kristy the character development. But the collaboration is a smooth one, thanks to lots of ego suppression, good wine, and marathon phone calls via Skype.
The first eleven books in the series, in order, are: Dark of the Moon, Dead of Winter, Paint it Black, Thicker than Water, Island of Bones, A Killing Rain, An Unquiet Grave, A Thousand Bones, South of Hell, The Little Death and Heart of Ice. They also wrote three stand-alone thrillers: A Thousand Bones, The Killing Song and She's Not There.
Parrish's short stories have also appeared in many anthologies, including two published by Mystery Writers of America, edited by Harlan Coben and the late Stuart Kaminsky. Their stories have also appeared in Akashic Books acclaimed Detroit Noir, and in Ellery Queen Magazine. Most recently, they contributed an essay to a special edition of Edgar Allan Poe's works edited by Michael Connelly.
P.J. Parrish as children
Before turning to writing full time, Kristy Montee was a newspaper editor and dance critic for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. Nichols previously was a blackjack dealer and then a human resources specialist in the casino industry. Kris in Tallahassee FL and Traverse City MI and Kelly resides in Traverse City as well.
The sisters were writers as kids, albeit with different styles: Kelly's first attempt at fiction at age 11 was titled The Kill. Kristy's at 13 was The Cat Who Understood. Not much has changed: Kelly now tends to handle the gory stuff and Kristy the character development. But the collaboration is a smooth one, thanks to lots of ego suppression, good wine, and marathon phone calls via Skype.
The first eleven books in the series, in order, are: Dark of the Moon, Dead of Winter, Paint it Black, Thicker than Water, Island of Bones, A Killing Rain, An Unquiet Grave, A Thousand Bones, South of Hell, The Little Death and Heart of Ice. They also wrote three stand-alone thrillers: A Thousand Bones, The Killing Song and She's Not There.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
September 19, 2024
Not enough tissue connecting the solve to the crimes; waaaaay too many leaps. There were sporadic moments of excitement in the story, but also plenty of weird, overly dramatic ones to drag it all back below sea level.
Meh...
2 1/2 Synthetic Vanilla Stars
Meh...
2 1/2 Synthetic Vanilla Stars
June 30, 2012
This was a really good Louis Kincaid mystery. This book had Louis traveling back to Michigan to visit his foster parents, Phillip and Frances. Phillips asked Louis to help him locate the remains of his first love, Claudia who had died in an "insane asylum" in 1972. The institution was closing and her coffin was found filled with rocks. As Louis begins to investigate he discovers old family secrets, horrible abuses at the asylum . He also has to deal with an over zealous newspaper reporter that believes a serial killer that died in the asylum is still alive, since two more recent bodies have turned up with similar MO. Louis also has to deal with his own demons from his childhood and his years growing up with Phillip and Frances. The secrets Phillip has kept from his wife for over 30 years threatens to destroy their relationship.
I used to read a lot of P. J. Parrish, but over the years I have fallen behind on this series. I found this one stuck way up on the top shelf of my bookcase and remembered how good these were. This one was pretty lurid, and really spooky at times when they were walking around an old abandoned insane asylum and prowling through tunnels underneath the building. The treatments of days gone by are revisited here and this makes for some difficult reading. So, this one is not for the squemish. There a satifactory ending with some of the characters, but sort of leaves you hanging with others. I would have liked to feel that Phillip got the closure he needed and then was able to do the right thing by Frances, if she was able to accept things. Those issues may have been spoken of in later novels, and I'm just not aware. This book was published in 2006 and there have been several released since then I think. This may not have been my all time favorite P. J. Parrish/ Kincaid mystery, but it satified my craving for a good mystery. I think I'll try to catch up with P. J. Parrish.
I used to read a lot of P. J. Parrish, but over the years I have fallen behind on this series. I found this one stuck way up on the top shelf of my bookcase and remembered how good these were. This one was pretty lurid, and really spooky at times when they were walking around an old abandoned insane asylum and prowling through tunnels underneath the building. The treatments of days gone by are revisited here and this makes for some difficult reading. So, this one is not for the squemish. There a satifactory ending with some of the characters, but sort of leaves you hanging with others. I would have liked to feel that Phillip got the closure he needed and then was able to do the right thing by Frances, if she was able to accept things. Those issues may have been spoken of in later novels, and I'm just not aware. This book was published in 2006 and there have been several released since then I think. This may not have been my all time favorite P. J. Parrish/ Kincaid mystery, but it satified my craving for a good mystery. I think I'll try to catch up with P. J. Parrish.
September 6, 2018
I just love reading stories that take place in MI and I know the places they are talking about.
A good mystery story that takes place in Irish Hills, MI. It is filled with twists and turns and has yu wondering what will happen next.
A good mystery story that takes place in Irish Hills, MI. It is filled with twists and turns and has yu wondering what will happen next.
December 7, 2008
We are back in MI, in Plymouth, and there are so many places and even foods that remind me of home. It is eerily creepy and draws you into a deep, dark plot that twists and turns and even surprises Louis Kincaid. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize you are no where near the truth. As the book progresses you learn more and more about Louis' childhood, his foster parents, his love interest back in Flordia (Joe - she is also a recurring character) and it becomes a wonderful mix of mystery and character discovery!
December 19, 2017
This book kept me much more engaged than the last one in the series. This one takes PI Louis Kincaid back to Michigan and his foster family. Specifically he is trying to help his father determine what happened to a long lost love who ended up dying in a sanitarium many years ago because the grave he has been visiting turns out to be empty. More folks end up dead and it all ties back to the sanitarium. So many secrets from the patients and staff are uncovered and it kept me guessing until the end.
June 6, 2011
This book is written very well and there are many suprising twists and stuff like that.I think it's a great mystery book but somewhat disturbing and scary.(then again I was reading it at 3AM alone in the dark.Haha)If you like murder mysteries this book is perfect for you.
December 1, 2008
I loved this book, I finished it in 2 days and couldn't put it down.
January 1, 2009
Books keep getting better; I can't wait until the next. It would be nice if Kincaid had a break once in a while,though.
February 28, 2011
Creepy, haunting thriller. Not too much gore. Just enough goose bumps!
May 21, 2012
The insanity of this book is off the roof. It's so creepy, especially when Kincaid was at the tunnel. Damn, this book is great!
January 19, 2021
I'm a big fan of Louis Kincaid, and he's the reason I kept turning pages in this book. The subject was DARK, often disturbing. But the characters were riveting, and Louis is...Louis. And I love him. I have problems with the inhumanity of early mental institution treatments to begin with, and this story dealt with some of the worst of the worst. The doctor over those treatments admits that before new meds became available, a lot of what they tried to "help" people was cruel by today's standards. I guessed many of the things that happened before Louis--besieged and struggling--understood them, but that actually added to the story for me. P.J. Parrish did a brilliant job on the doctor's character, and the sister writing team showed the kind, gentle side of mental problems with Charlie. This is a great read, but a grim one.
March 16, 2018
Another very good book and story. One of the best in the series....so far.
June 22, 2023
This book was fine. I haven't read any of the prior books in the series, but it didn't seem to be an issue. I didn't love the main character. The plot was okay. The secondary characters were entirely useless.
But my biggest issue with the book's hero is that he knew the bad guy from the jump and why he did it--and then he found something else out and now he knew in his heart the actual bad guy. And then he would learn more information and yet again amend his "knowledge" of what happened. The author seems to think that's good investigative work. I call that jumping to conclusions--incorrect conclusions at that.
I can put down most books in one evening and pick them up the next (typically at chapter breaks) without having to go backwards and try to remember contextually what's happening. That was not the case with this book--I always felt like I had to read the prior page when I picked it up after a break. In other words, it was very forgettable.
The plot was pretty straightforward. There were some lines or characters that caught attention but were ultimately throwaways, which felt frustrating that I was giving more attention to details than the author did.
But my biggest issue with the book's hero is that he knew the bad guy from the jump and why he did it--and then he found something else out and now he knew in his heart the actual bad guy. And then he would learn more information and yet again amend his "knowledge" of what happened. The author seems to think that's good investigative work. I call that jumping to conclusions--incorrect conclusions at that.
I can put down most books in one evening and pick them up the next (typically at chapter breaks) without having to go backwards and try to remember contextually what's happening. That was not the case with this book--I always felt like I had to read the prior page when I picked it up after a break. In other words, it was very forgettable.
The plot was pretty straightforward. There were some lines or characters that caught attention but were ultimately throwaways, which felt frustrating that I was giving more attention to details than the author did.
August 31, 2009
When a cemetary is being relocated, Louis Kincaid gets roped into a locating a Claudia's body which wasn't in her casket. His foster father dated this girl and lost touch when she was committed to an asylum back in 1951. During his investigation, Louis discovers the many atrocities committed in the name of mental health as well as a lead or two on Claudia. Other more sinister mysteries come to light and Kincaid nearly gets killed in the discovery process.
This is one of the better mystery novels I've read recently. Totally convoluted plotlines with lots of intersecting characters and deadly secrets. Louis Kincaid is one determined private eye. He doesn't give in, even when the chips are stacked against him.
This is one of the better mystery novels I've read recently. Totally convoluted plotlines with lots of intersecting characters and deadly secrets. Louis Kincaid is one determined private eye. He doesn't give in, even when the chips are stacked against him.
July 29, 2010
Maybe previous books in this series are better or maybe I am just burnt out on mysteries. I picked this up at work and read it on breaks. The premise seemed promising: PI and former cop Louis Kinkaid returns to his foster family in Michigan to help his foster father find out what happened to the remains of his first love, who died twenty years after being committed to an insane asylum. The story lurches along from one implausible revelation to the next and so many of the characters seem clichéd: the mentally ill man-child, the cold, clinical psychiatrist, the police officer who thinks PI’s are a nuisance. Other readers seemed to like it, so it is probably just me.
November 2, 2011
Was at times a bit too descriptive, as the Louis Kincaid books tend to be, but overall a captivating and interesting read. P.J. Parrish has officially become one of my favorite authors.
I found the mental health discussions riveting and insightful - it was a bit like Shutter Island. I read the entire book in two days, just like the last P.J. Parrish book I read, and it was definitely a page-turner, although occasionally I felt compelled to skim several pages as the suspense was dragged out far too long in descriptions of flowers and decorations when all I really wanted to know was who had just been killed. Overall, a great mystery.
I found the mental health discussions riveting and insightful - it was a bit like Shutter Island. I read the entire book in two days, just like the last P.J. Parrish book I read, and it was definitely a page-turner, although occasionally I felt compelled to skim several pages as the suspense was dragged out far too long in descriptions of flowers and decorations when all I really wanted to know was who had just been killed. Overall, a great mystery.
December 30, 2016
Halfway through and I was on my way to getting bored.....
It was 2:00 pm and I had missed both breakfast and lunch and I realized I wasn't bored anymore! The storyline is unusual and unique. It really started to pick up speed. It has it's share of killing, and fear, and blood. It has multiple tunnels under an old hospital for the insane, torturous methods used on both the insane and sane, and a horrifying ending. I finally ate lunch around 4:00 p.m. Read and enjoy if you like this scenario!!
It was 2:00 pm and I had missed both breakfast and lunch and I realized I wasn't bored anymore! The storyline is unusual and unique. It really started to pick up speed. It has it's share of killing, and fear, and blood. It has multiple tunnels under an old hospital for the insane, torturous methods used on both the insane and sane, and a horrifying ending. I finally ate lunch around 4:00 p.m. Read and enjoy if you like this scenario!!
April 4, 2012
This book takes place in Michigan, and obviously by the descriptions of the neighborhoods, they must have lived in Detroit. Really knows the locale. The mental hospital in the book is obviously Eloise, but they moved it to Adrian, Mi.Story is well developed. Dialogue is good. Mystery follows well.Can't wait to read more by this author.
June 9, 2010
PJ Parrish is just good readin'...There has not been one of the sisters books that I have not given 5 stars to I believe. The Louis Kincaid character is one that a reader can easily buddy up to and looks forward to getting to know more and more!
March 17, 2016
7th book in the series. Louis Kincaid is back in Michigan. An old cemetery for an insane asylum is being moved. A coffin is found filled with rocks. Louis is asked to track down where the body might have gone. Very suspenseful.
April 16, 2010
The only complaint I have is I'm getting too close to finishing the books Parrish has written.
August 29, 2014
I can see right now, P.J. Parrish is going to be one of my favorites!
February 11, 2018
I've been working my way through the P.J. Parrish series and find they are consistently good. This last one was so scary in parts (trapped underground in tunnels in an old mental asylum) that I couldn't put it down!
The fun part about this series is that it is written jointly by sisters: one in Michigan and the other in Florida. So the cop transitions between the two locations, book by book, in a remarkably ingenious set of circumstances.
Donald Maas recently wrote a book about writing in which he says the author must engage the reader through emotion. This series does that!
The fun part about this series is that it is written jointly by sisters: one in Michigan and the other in Florida. So the cop transitions between the two locations, book by book, in a remarkably ingenious set of circumstances.
Donald Maas recently wrote a book about writing in which he says the author must engage the reader through emotion. This series does that!
May 2, 2019
This is the first book I have read of this series and I am very impressed. I couldn’t put it down. I am now on a mission to start reading this series right from the start. Thankfully, this is one of those series that can be picked up part way through and still make sense. I am drawn to stories about old insane asylums and this is one of the better stories I have read. The characters are likeable and leave the reader with the feeling of wanting to know more and more about them.
July 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this mystery. I haven't read any of the other books, so I knew I was missing out on some of the backstory, but it didn't really matter. I liked Kincaid, and he only did a few things that I thought were stupid! LOL! The story is pretty horrifying and gets a little gruesome, but the characters were well done and became people I cared about. I'll probably read more in the series.
April 24, 2019
It was so close to being a good read...I like the characters and the writing...but it dragged on and on and on and on. I was so ready for the book to end. It didn’t help that I figured out the plot line early in the book.
April 27, 2019
One of the Michigan books in this series of murder mysteries/detective novels by this sister team who have combined to make one good writer! Here's a thing I wrote many years ago now:
https://annarborobserver.com/articles...
https://annarborobserver.com/articles...
April 25, 2022
Content warning: rape.
Made it to Chapter 14 for my book club. I kept waiting for it to get interesting but I guess all of the action happens later on. Then I learned a main plot point is rape and sexual abuse.
That's a nope for me. Will not finish.
Made it to Chapter 14 for my book club. I kept waiting for it to get interesting but I guess all of the action happens later on. Then I learned a main plot point is rape and sexual abuse.
That's a nope for me. Will not finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2025
From the frying pan into the fire…thats this book. What started out as a single mystery developed into several and I couldn’t figure out who the killer was! Kept me intrigued with multiple mysteries going on!
February 8, 2018
Wow! This is a page turner. If you liked Shutter Island by Lehane, this is your next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews