Under Cover Of Darkness

by James Grippando

The youngest lawyer ever to grab the helm of Seattle's most prominent law firm, Gus Wheatley has found success–as well as money, power, and prestige. He thinks nothing can interfere with his meteoric rise to the top. Until his wife, Beth, vanishes.

Beth's disappearance coincides with a series of brutal murders the FBI dubs the "bookend killings." They think Beth is the killer's latest victim... or his willing accomplice. But Gus knows his wife would never ally herself with a cold–blooded killer. The further he searches, however, the more he discovers that Beth isn't the woman he thought he knew.

Beth may be alive. She may or may not be innocent. She may have come up against evil far more reaching than a serial killer. And for Gus and his family, that evil is much too close to home.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Audiobook, Legal Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

The first thing you should know about bestselling author James Grippando is that he is no longer clueless—or so they say, after “A James Grippando Novel” was a clue for #38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. James is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction and a New York Times bestselling author with more than 30 novels to his credit, including the popular series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck. His latest, "Goodbye Girl" (HarperCollins 2024), is the 18th in the Swyteck series. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages. As an adjunct professor he teaches "The Law & Lawyers in Modern Literature" at the University of Miami School of Law. He is also counsel at one of the nation’s leading law firms, where he specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients who have won more than 40 Tony Awards. He writes in south Florida with Atlas at his side, a faithful golden retriever who has no idea he’s a dog.
Series:
* Jack Swyteck

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But most of all," she said, her voice shaking, "I want to thank Linda, my lovely sister and maid of honor." She glared to her right.


"For sleeping with the groom last night."

Under Cover Of Darkness by James Grippando



Man oh man, I loved this book. This was one tightly wound, intense read. This was a fresh take on the "wife is missing" plot and wow did I enjoy it. My eyes couldn't leave the page.


The writing is great, the mystery original and the pacing is excellent.

Usually, with this type of book, I do sort of expect something average, maybe a bit dated, cliche. No way! This was a fresh plot that always managed to keep the reader guessing.

Also, the book grabbed me from the start. And yes I'd recommend it. That's a given!


The writer is great at crafting tension. It is a fast paced story that I could not pull myself out of. But also the dialogue keeps coming and it never goes the way of to bizarre or to crazy. I loved it.


It doesn't fall apart at the end either. I liked the gritty feel of the book which had unexpected moments of wit as well. Good choice for a mystery fan!

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the first few pages and was instantly hooked, I couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened to Beth. I liked how the plot was consistent through the book, I also liked how you got to see the different perspectives of different characters. It did feel a little bit far fetched with the cult ideology, ascending to higher levels and leaving your past self behind. I would have loved to find out more of the serial killers back story, I think it would’ve helped understand the history and formation of the cult.

I would recommend this book to a mystery lover.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a couple other books by James Grippando, and liked both. This book was a bore and I couldn't wait for it to end. I kept thinking it was bound to get better, more interesting...but it just never came through. The small rise in suspense near the end wasn't enough for me to give this book anything higher than 2 stars. The plot had potential to be something better, but unfortunately, this author did not make this a book that I could not put down. In fact, I nearly did put it down...before I finished it. I did indeed finish it, but would not recommend this one to any suspense/thriller lovers out there. I will try another one of James Grippando's books in the future, but I certainly hope it's more gripping and less blah.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Grippando, Under Cover of Darkness (Avon, 2000)

Boy, does this novel start out wonderfully. A workaholic lawyer discovers his wife has gone missing. A local FBI agent with an eye towards the serial killers' profiling unit is given the job of liaison between the branch office and the rep from Washington, her idol, after dumping her groom at the altar for sleeping with her sister. The missing wife might be dead...or she might be an accomplice to a string of serial killings. People keep turning up dead. And somehow, a fitness guru factors into it all. Everything's set up perfectly.

Then it all goes down the tubes. The last fifty pages or so of this novel have "Hollywood ending" written all over them, as if just before he started writing them, Grippando got word that this book had been optioned, and he had to come up with an ending that would work in Hollywood. The whole tone changes; what would have taken two hundred pages earlier in the novel is rushed into far less than half that. Aside from the lack of wires and big masks, a lot of the ending has "deus ex machina" stamped on it.

That's not to say it's not worth reading for the first three quarters of the book. Just beware the last quarter and the disappointment that comes with it. ** ½

[Deborah Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gus Wheatley is a successful lawyer, married and has a little girl. Life seems to be going pretty good until the day his wife doesn't pick up his daughter from school. Beth, his wife, has disappeared without a trace. Frustrated by the lack of progress by the police, Gus takes action. In the process of trying to locate his wife, he realizes how little he knows her and their daughter. As the investigation unfolds, it's not clear on just exactly what has happened. Gus's sister thinks Beth has had enough and left, the police think she may be involved in her own kidnapping and Gus is left with a lot of questions and not very many answers. Love a book with a twist at the end and this one had a great one.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gus Wheatley's wife, Beth, disappears without a trace with a serial killer on the loose in town. The FBI are called in and think that Beth might be in the killers sight since some of the victims greatly resemble her. Somehow a cult is brought up and an FBI agent goes undercover to see if there is any connection. A few twists and a rather surprising ending.

This is interesting and does keep your interest but once it gets into the whole cult thing I kinda got bored.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not up to usual standards

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting through this book. Not a compelling Grippando.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth Wheatley vanishes after failing to pick up her daughter, Morgan, from school. Her aloof husband, Gus, barely knows Morgan’s school, let alone Beth’s life. As Beth’s absence stretches on, Gus confronts his ignorance about her. Is she a victim of a serial killer or entangled in Seattle-area murders?

FBI Agent Andi Henning dives into the case, with extra time on her hands. Moments before her wedding, she learns her fiancé slept with her sister. Andi exposes the betrayal to the guests and calls off the ceremony, trading a Hawaiian honeymoon for investigating Beth’s disappearance.

Andi’s character pulls me in. As a fan of Grippando’s Jack Swyteck series, I admire her arc as a devoted wife and mother. Seeing her dismantle a doomed engagement to a unworthy man feels deeply rewarding.

Gus Wheatley captivates as a complex figure. Years ago, Beth accused him of abuse, yet he kept his job. Now, with her gone, his once-loyal law firm shuns him. Unwilling to sit idle, Gus searches for Beth, hoping to rediscover himself and reconnect with their confused six-year-old, Morgan. The path proves grueling.

The story stumbles with a cult subplot that slows the pace. Still, the suspense propels the narrative, and though I trusted Andi would emerge unscathed, Grippando’s skill sparked fleeting doubts. This earns a dynamic four-star rating.

[ReneE · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a slog at times, but the premise kept me going as I just had to know what happened to Beth. I thought about jumping to the end just to find out and end it, but I have never done that and didn't want to start a precedent.... ;-) If I find a book slow going, I either dump it or stick it out depending on just how boring I find it. This one at least kept me going but it took a while. There was just nothing there to really grab you. Good writing, yes, and the characters were well written. It was just one of those ho-hum books. I remember reading his books a lot in the past, but I don't think I'll pick up another.

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I've never read any of Grippando's other books. This one, his latest, is set in Seattle and my bookshop owner put it in my hands with a request that I give it a go. I did and now I'm going back to check out his others. Gus Wheatley is the youngest managing partner his prestigious law firm has ever had. He's married to his job. His wife and daughter are just trappings. And then his wife goes missing. Is the a victim of a serial killer who's been making the rounds in Seattle? If so, why hasn't her body turned up? His life is turned outside in as he tries to find out and rediscovers what's important to him.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, a few good twists. Andie is a FBI agent with hopes of eventually profiling, Issac is her ASAC, but was formerly her direct supervisor. Reeling from a personal issue, Andie is available as her planned vaction time is canceled, so she gets assigned to be liaison to the local police department on a possible serial killer case. Gus is a high powered attorney whose wife may have been kidnapped or killed. He tries his own investigation and bumps heads with the police and Andie. Like the characters of Andie and Issac, hopefully they show up in future books. Gus takes a hard journey to self awareness, discovering his faults and actually learning from them.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent! What happens to push a father to the edge. A mother missing, victim or perpetrator? A daughter looking for answers. Backstabbing, loyalty, lies, and losing the most precious thing. Period. All of this doesn’t even begin to give you any idea what happens at the end of the book. My father who realizes what is important, a mother who longs for something lost, a six-year-old child just simply looking for comfort. It all boils down to a surprise twist, at the end, you will not see it coming. I mean that, you will not see it coming!

[Carrie Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story! I was into it in the first chapter. Very well written. A prominent attorneys' wife goes missing. There is a rash of brutal murders that occur at the same time. His wife closely resembles the victims. The FBI, working with local police, are investigating. Gus, whose wife is missing, is also investigating. He is determined to find Beth and bring her home. Andi, the FBIs' agent on the case, has gone undercover in a cult, where she thinks she may find the serial killer. The question on everyones' mind is if Beth will be found alive. Or dead,

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this one and the narrator did a wonderful job of making Andie Henning come to life for me.

I don't really like to read books about cults. But I did enjoy this one. Cults have always scared me and I don't like the way things normally turn out for the residents.

This was a slow moving thriller, about a missing lawyers wife and what the lawyer does to try and find her. They travel all over the Pacific Northwest and living there for over 30 years, I could actually picture all the places that they went to.

I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

[Marianne Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I did think it was a little long though. The author has a tendency to be quite verbose. About midway through I began to skip paragraphs. There were even a few pages I would just scan. However; the story was good, and I was a bit surprised at the ending. Sure, read it if you like crime and mysteries.

[Rebecca Einbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off good first 3 chapters seemed ok then it really dragged on repeating the same thing over and over but not moving forward in the story it seemed. The last 5/6 chapters finally picked back up. (There's 68 chapters all together). I finished it but this wouldn't be a book I'd read again.

[Tyler Lukey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping thriller, unpredictable until the end. A foggy mystery with intricate characters made this book. It was full of the usual: troubled detectives, subdued love interests, insane killers, group-think scheming, and lots more twists and turns you'd expect from an entertaining novel in this genre.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this book full of murder and mystery. It’s a good mix of police investigation, kidnapping, serial killer and culte that reminds me of the movie Midsommar. There’s a lot of different characters, actions and there’s multiple story link to each other which will required your attention and focus. Throughout the book we learn to like Gus.

[Bryson Rominger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much kept me on the edge of my seat and I thought it had a great ending. Maybe slightly too detailed at times, but in ways I think those details were necessary to fit the story all together. Good book.

[Chetan Shet · Rating 3 out of 5]

its a good book, suspense till the end, bit long i thought it was dragged for no reason.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read ! Great writer!!

[Randa Mcnair · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was ok, the characters could have been more relatable. The conclusion, again, felt lazy.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this about seventeen years ago, and don’t remember details, but I noted that I thought it was pretty good, involving a hunt for a serial killer in Seattle.

[RUTH · Rating 4 out of 5]

New author for me. Typical mystery/suspense but with a twist at the end I did not see. Fans of Harlan Coben will like this.

[Glenn Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not see this ending coming.

[Kathy Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

Easy to read with a plot that keeps you interested from cover to cover. Ending was a real surprise to me.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrill of a read.
It had a interesting story however i felt it didn't flesh out the serial killers story.
Still enjoyable

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed very much.

[Andy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists and turns. Really good!