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Gardiner and Renner #2
Unpunished
Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert who studies the dead, and Jack Renner, a homicide cop who stalks the living, form an uneasy partnership to solve a series of murders in this powerful new thriller by the bestselling author of That Darkness.
It begins with the kind of bizarre death that makes headlines--literally. A copy editor at the Cleveland Herald is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line, a wide strap wrapped around his throat. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner has her suspicions about this apparent suicide inside the tsunami of tensions that is the news industry today--and when the evidence suggests murder, Maggie has no choice but to place her trust in the one person she doesn't trust at all . . .
Jack Renner is a killer with a conscience, a vigilante with his own code of honor. In the past, Jack has used his skills and connections as a homicide detective to take the law into his own hands, all in the name of justice. He has only one problem: Maggie knows his secret. She insists he enforce the law, not subvert it. But when more newspaper employees are slain, Jack may be the only person who can help Maggie unmask the killer-- even if Jack is still checking names off his own private murder list.
It begins with the kind of bizarre death that makes headlines--literally. A copy editor at the Cleveland Herald is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line, a wide strap wrapped around his throat. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner has her suspicions about this apparent suicide inside the tsunami of tensions that is the news industry today--and when the evidence suggests murder, Maggie has no choice but to place her trust in the one person she doesn't trust at all . . .
Jack Renner is a killer with a conscience, a vigilante with his own code of honor. In the past, Jack has used his skills and connections as a homicide detective to take the law into his own hands, all in the name of justice. He has only one problem: Maggie knows his secret. She insists he enforce the law, not subvert it. But when more newspaper employees are slain, Jack may be the only person who can help Maggie unmask the killer-- even if Jack is still checking names off his own private murder list.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2017
340 people are currently reading
1521 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Black
291 books576 followersLisa Black spent the happiest five years of her life in a morgue. Strange, perhaps, but true. After ten years as a secretary, she went back to school to get a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Cleveland State University. In her job as a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes.
She had her life sorted out just the way she liked it until her husband got fed up with Cleveland snow and moved them to Florida, 1400 miles away from her family and her career. Not that she’s bitter or anything. Now she works as a Certified Latent Print Examiner and Certified Crime Scene Analyst for the city of Cape Coral, Florida, police department.
Lisa has lectured at writer’s conventions and appeared on panels. In her life as a writer she’s a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. In her life as a forensic specialist she’s a member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts. She has had over 1050 hours of instruction in forensic topics and has testified in over 60 trials.
Her book Perish was shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award by Putnam and Mystery Writers of America. Her That Darkness is a #1 Amazon bestseller and Evidence of Murder is a NYT bestseller. Lisa was a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.
She had her life sorted out just the way she liked it until her husband got fed up with Cleveland snow and moved them to Florida, 1400 miles away from her family and her career. Not that she’s bitter or anything. Now she works as a Certified Latent Print Examiner and Certified Crime Scene Analyst for the city of Cape Coral, Florida, police department.
Lisa has lectured at writer’s conventions and appeared on panels. In her life as a writer she’s a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. In her life as a forensic specialist she’s a member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts. She has had over 1050 hours of instruction in forensic topics and has testified in over 60 trials.
Her book Perish was shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award by Putnam and Mystery Writers of America. Her That Darkness is a #1 Amazon bestseller and Evidence of Murder is a NYT bestseller. Lisa was a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
March 29, 2017
"Give light and the people will find their way."
A thought-provoking motto of The Cleveland Herald engraved in stone on the entrance to the tall building. A bit of light cast on the news of the day. But, ironically, "the news" is "the news".
Maggie Gardiner, a forensic investigator, has been called to the scene of a horrendous situation within the walls of The Herald itself. The body of a man is hanging from the high ceiling of the thunderous printing room. Is this a suicide or the result of a grotesque murder?
Maggie is later joined by Jack Renner and his partner, both detectives of the Cleveland PD. Jack has a dark secret in which his previous extracurricular activities include permanently evicting shady characters from the scene. For now, Maggie has kept Jack's secret, especially since a few of those threads may entangle her.
It seems that the first corpse has not been a solo act. When more bodies in the same manner start turning up at The Herald, Maggie and Jack are kept busy trying to find the individual responsible for such heinous crimes. Was it someone within The Herald or an outside job? And what exactly would the motive be?
Lisa Black presents an eye-opening view on the slowly dissolving state of newspapers in America. The average reader of today wants news instantaneously 24/7. The smudge of newsprint on fingertips seems to be a thing of the past. Hand-held devices are king.
Unpunished tells the tale of greed and manipulation. It has received high marks here on Goodreads. I did find areas that were a bit bogged down by explanations and backstories in police procedures and forensics in order to move the storyline on. Although a standalone, it would enhance the reading experience by grabbing the first book in this Gardiner and Renner series. I intend to do that myself because of the early-on character development.
I am looking forward to the next in this series by Lisa Black.
A thought-provoking motto of The Cleveland Herald engraved in stone on the entrance to the tall building. A bit of light cast on the news of the day. But, ironically, "the news" is "the news".
Maggie Gardiner, a forensic investigator, has been called to the scene of a horrendous situation within the walls of The Herald itself. The body of a man is hanging from the high ceiling of the thunderous printing room. Is this a suicide or the result of a grotesque murder?
Maggie is later joined by Jack Renner and his partner, both detectives of the Cleveland PD. Jack has a dark secret in which his previous extracurricular activities include permanently evicting shady characters from the scene. For now, Maggie has kept Jack's secret, especially since a few of those threads may entangle her.
It seems that the first corpse has not been a solo act. When more bodies in the same manner start turning up at The Herald, Maggie and Jack are kept busy trying to find the individual responsible for such heinous crimes. Was it someone within The Herald or an outside job? And what exactly would the motive be?
Lisa Black presents an eye-opening view on the slowly dissolving state of newspapers in America. The average reader of today wants news instantaneously 24/7. The smudge of newsprint on fingertips seems to be a thing of the past. Hand-held devices are king.
Unpunished tells the tale of greed and manipulation. It has received high marks here on Goodreads. I did find areas that were a bit bogged down by explanations and backstories in police procedures and forensics in order to move the storyline on. Although a standalone, it would enhance the reading experience by grabbing the first book in this Gardiner and Renner series. I intend to do that myself because of the early-on character development.
I am looking forward to the next in this series by Lisa Black.
February 22, 2019
This is the second book in the Gardiner and Renner series from Lisa Black. Some typical detective/mystery/CSI type stuff going on here - very entertaining. There is a not so typical twist to the Gardiner and Renner relationship, but that gets spoiler-ish, so I will leave it to you to find out about it for yourself!
But, what I really want to talk about is the cover. I mentioned how unrelated to the book the cover of the first Gardiner and Renner book was in my review of it That trend continues here. I am not sure what design firm this publisher works with, but the lack of context is mind blowing. The cover features a tree-lined path in a forest or park. The leave are red, indicating a fall setting. Yeah . . . there is none of that in the book. The entire book takes place in Cleveland, with most of the scenes taking place at a newspaper office/printing press. They do mention willows a couple of times, but, while I know from experience that Cleveland has some very nice parks, none of the book takes place there. To me, this is kind of crummy false advertising. By putting an unrelated picture on the cover they might attract an audience not really interested in the story. Instead of a gritty, inner city mystery they might be expecting a drama set outdoors. They could have just put the name and title on the cover, so choosing to use this picture has to be sadly intentional. I do judge books by there cover if the publisher bothers to include an image or design!
Cover rant over!
Content-wise, I think this series is worth a try if you are into forensic detective stories. Also, the first two books have been fairly short, which is nice after just having read a couple of longer books.
But, what I really want to talk about is the cover. I mentioned how unrelated to the book the cover of the first Gardiner and Renner book was in my review of it That trend continues here. I am not sure what design firm this publisher works with, but the lack of context is mind blowing. The cover features a tree-lined path in a forest or park. The leave are red, indicating a fall setting. Yeah . . . there is none of that in the book. The entire book takes place in Cleveland, with most of the scenes taking place at a newspaper office/printing press. They do mention willows a couple of times, but, while I know from experience that Cleveland has some very nice parks, none of the book takes place there. To me, this is kind of crummy false advertising. By putting an unrelated picture on the cover they might attract an audience not really interested in the story. Instead of a gritty, inner city mystery they might be expecting a drama set outdoors. They could have just put the name and title on the cover, so choosing to use this picture has to be sadly intentional. I do judge books by there cover if the publisher bothers to include an image or design!
Cover rant over!
Content-wise, I think this series is worth a try if you are into forensic detective stories. Also, the first two books have been fairly short, which is nice after just having read a couple of longer books.
April 14, 2022
UNPUNISHED is the second book in Lisa Black’s Gardiner and Renner series and it really brings Maggie and Jack into focus as fully developed characters to follow. The plot of this book can be read as a standalone, but the first book “That Darkness” should be read before this to understand the complicated history and stand-off between these two.
Forensic investigator, Maggie Gardiner is called to an apparent suicide of the copy editor of the Cleveland Herald, the struggling daily newspaper. Maggie notices an inconsistency and realizes that this suicide is really murder. Jack and his partner, Riley are assigned the case and already at the scene.
Homicide Detective Jack Renner is a serial killer. If the courts cannot keep the worst of the worst locked up and away from innocent citizens, Jack personally takes care of them ---permanently. Maggie is the only one who has been smart enough to figure out his secret. Their truce has held so far, but Maggie still has her doubts about him stopping his personal form of justice.
As another body of a Herald worker is found, Maggie and Jack have to work together to find the killer and figure out what is going on at the Herald.
This book gives a lot of information on the current state of print media in this country. Maggie takes us through the interesting steps of the forensics of the case which I am sure are realistic since that is Ms. Black’s specialty. The plot is fast paced and interesting throughout. Ms. Black has really breathed life into Maggie in this book. That was my only problem with the first book in this series and I am very happy with Maggie’s character development.
Maggie and Jack are great characters and I am looking forward to many more books in this series!
Forensic investigator, Maggie Gardiner is called to an apparent suicide of the copy editor of the Cleveland Herald, the struggling daily newspaper. Maggie notices an inconsistency and realizes that this suicide is really murder. Jack and his partner, Riley are assigned the case and already at the scene.
Homicide Detective Jack Renner is a serial killer. If the courts cannot keep the worst of the worst locked up and away from innocent citizens, Jack personally takes care of them ---permanently. Maggie is the only one who has been smart enough to figure out his secret. Their truce has held so far, but Maggie still has her doubts about him stopping his personal form of justice.
As another body of a Herald worker is found, Maggie and Jack have to work together to find the killer and figure out what is going on at the Herald.
This book gives a lot of information on the current state of print media in this country. Maggie takes us through the interesting steps of the forensics of the case which I am sure are realistic since that is Ms. Black’s specialty. The plot is fast paced and interesting throughout. Ms. Black has really breathed life into Maggie in this book. That was my only problem with the first book in this series and I am very happy with Maggie’s character development.
Maggie and Jack are great characters and I am looking forward to many more books in this series!
February 6, 2017
Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner were first introduced in THAT DARKNESS. I highly recommend reading THAT DARKNESS before starting this one.
Maggie is a forensic expert while Jack is a homicide detective. Jack is a serial killer -- but he only kills the bad guys ... the ones who have never paid for their crimes. Maggie knows this, but she's keeping quite because she also has secrets .. and Jack knows what they are. They've managed to form a truce ... and only pray that no one else discovers what's really going on.
A copy editor at the local newspaper is found hanging at work. When Maggie is called in to work her CSI magic, she finds that this is really murder. And because it is murder, she's going to have to deal with Jack, as he is a homicide detective.
And then there's another death at the newspaper ... another hanging, another murder. As more bodies fall, Maggie and Jack have to work together to find out why ... and who's next?
What ties them all together?
I really have enjoyed both books in this series. Jack, although a killer, has his own personal moral and ethical codes. Other than his penchant for vigilante killings, he's quite likeable. Maggie is very proficient in her job, which is how she discovered Jack's "hobby". She doesn't quite trust him, but in this case, she has no other alternative.
I've learned everything I would ever want or need to know about the newspaper business. So much of what was written is very contemporary. If you're a fan of forensics, this will be a dream book for you. The author has certainly done her research well.
I've been reading Lisa Black for several years ... she just gets better and better.
My rating --- 5 for the book, another 5 for the series.
Maggie is a forensic expert while Jack is a homicide detective. Jack is a serial killer -- but he only kills the bad guys ... the ones who have never paid for their crimes. Maggie knows this, but she's keeping quite because she also has secrets .. and Jack knows what they are. They've managed to form a truce ... and only pray that no one else discovers what's really going on.
A copy editor at the local newspaper is found hanging at work. When Maggie is called in to work her CSI magic, she finds that this is really murder. And because it is murder, she's going to have to deal with Jack, as he is a homicide detective.
And then there's another death at the newspaper ... another hanging, another murder. As more bodies fall, Maggie and Jack have to work together to find out why ... and who's next?
What ties them all together?
I really have enjoyed both books in this series. Jack, although a killer, has his own personal moral and ethical codes. Other than his penchant for vigilante killings, he's quite likeable. Maggie is very proficient in her job, which is how she discovered Jack's "hobby". She doesn't quite trust him, but in this case, she has no other alternative.
I've learned everything I would ever want or need to know about the newspaper business. So much of what was written is very contemporary. If you're a fan of forensics, this will be a dream book for you. The author has certainly done her research well.
I've been reading Lisa Black for several years ... she just gets better and better.
My rating --- 5 for the book, another 5 for the series.
January 10, 2017
Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner are in the crime-solving business together. She as forensic scientist and he as a homocide cop in Cleveland. But they also have another partnership going: keeping each other's secrets to both's benefit.
When people start to die at a newspaper business, the duo end up working together again, pretending not to know each other on a social level. They mutually agreed that they were not friends, but did not regard each other as enemies either. The official blurb blasts the secrets of this team way out of the water, yet, I do not want to do the same.
What I do know about this book is that I liked the author's approach to her story. No chick-lit favors being dished out; no melodrama. The situation is embedded in reality as we know it and the events are possible.
The newspaper business are dying, throwing journalistic integrity out with the closing of premises and chasing journalists into oblivion. Unless they cater to the superficial Hollywood craze, publishing stories about famous people's shoe sizes or private lives, nobody bothers with the news anymore. Democracy is in crises when investigative journalism are nailed into coffins and buried, while internet media, often with profit and greed in mind, and truth positioned in the last place of importance, attend the funeral with ruthless apathy in tow.
I don't want to say more about the plot. It is a high-voltage, informative, entertaining murder mystery. There is a little bit of word dumping taking place in describing the News Business. It left me slightly bored.
It is also not the best whodunit I have ever read, but for various reasons I rate this book five stars. One of them is that there's not chick-lit elements in it. Another one is the absolute fast-paced storyline riddled with ruthless suspense. And a third is that it can be enjoyed as a standalone, even though it is the second book in a series. I haven't read the first one. That Darkness is number one. It is obvious in the ending that 'n third book is planned, yet, as a stand-alone it is a powerful ending, allowing the readers to honor the imagination and do with it what we like.
I really enjoyed the experience tremendously. And yes, I hope to read That Darkness as well.
Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to get acquainted with this author's work and providing a review copy. It was a delight. I can read this author again, for sure!
When people start to die at a newspaper business, the duo end up working together again, pretending not to know each other on a social level. They mutually agreed that they were not friends, but did not regard each other as enemies either. The official blurb blasts the secrets of this team way out of the water, yet, I do not want to do the same.
What I do know about this book is that I liked the author's approach to her story. No chick-lit favors being dished out; no melodrama. The situation is embedded in reality as we know it and the events are possible.
The newspaper business are dying, throwing journalistic integrity out with the closing of premises and chasing journalists into oblivion. Unless they cater to the superficial Hollywood craze, publishing stories about famous people's shoe sizes or private lives, nobody bothers with the news anymore. Democracy is in crises when investigative journalism are nailed into coffins and buried, while internet media, often with profit and greed in mind, and truth positioned in the last place of importance, attend the funeral with ruthless apathy in tow.
I don't want to say more about the plot. It is a high-voltage, informative, entertaining murder mystery. There is a little bit of word dumping taking place in describing the News Business. It left me slightly bored.
It is also not the best whodunit I have ever read, but for various reasons I rate this book five stars. One of them is that there's not chick-lit elements in it. Another one is the absolute fast-paced storyline riddled with ruthless suspense. And a third is that it can be enjoyed as a standalone, even though it is the second book in a series. I haven't read the first one. That Darkness is number one. It is obvious in the ending that 'n third book is planned, yet, as a stand-alone it is a powerful ending, allowing the readers to honor the imagination and do with it what we like.
I really enjoyed the experience tremendously. And yes, I hope to read That Darkness as well.
Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to get acquainted with this author's work and providing a review copy. It was a delight. I can read this author again, for sure!
February 2, 2017
Maggie Gardiner is a forensic investigator who gets a call to a new case where a copy editor from the local newspaper is found hanging above the newspaper assembly line. Maggie has her suspicions about the apparent suicide and soon the evidence begins to point to the death actually being a murder.
Maggie finds herself teamed up to solve the case with Jack Renner, a homicide cop with an enormous secret that Maggie stumbled upon in the past. In the past Jack had taken his skills as a homicide detective and turned into a vigilante taking justice into his own hands until Maggie discovered his secret. Now this duo must team up together to solve the murder before the killer strikes again.
Unpunished is the second book in the Gardiner and Renner series. I actually didn't realize this was an ongoing series when I first picked up the book to read and will say that a bit of my problem with the story came with feeling a bit left out having not read the first book with the history between this pair. Eventually their story is revealed but I think I would have been a lot more invested had I known it going into the book so in the end I decided to rate this one 3.5 stars just due to the slow start for me to become engaged in the story. Otherwise the book is an interesting story to follow along while the detectives try to solve the murders and find their killer.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Maggie finds herself teamed up to solve the case with Jack Renner, a homicide cop with an enormous secret that Maggie stumbled upon in the past. In the past Jack had taken his skills as a homicide detective and turned into a vigilante taking justice into his own hands until Maggie discovered his secret. Now this duo must team up together to solve the murder before the killer strikes again.
Unpunished is the second book in the Gardiner and Renner series. I actually didn't realize this was an ongoing series when I first picked up the book to read and will say that a bit of my problem with the story came with feeling a bit left out having not read the first book with the history between this pair. Eventually their story is revealed but I think I would have been a lot more invested had I known it going into the book so in the end I decided to rate this one 3.5 stars just due to the slow start for me to become engaged in the story. Otherwise the book is an interesting story to follow along while the detectives try to solve the murders and find their killer.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
August 23, 2017
Well what a satisfying read that was. Good story well told with two fascinating central characters that make me want to seek out the previous book to feature them - That Darkness.
Those characters are Maggie Smith, a forensic expert,and homicide cop Jack Renner, a man whom we soon discover takes the law into his own hands dishing out fatal justice, a secret that Maggie knows about.
Maggie is called out to a newspaper - The Cleveland Herald, where the copy editor is found hanging in the building in an apparent suicide. Upon investigation Maggie suspects this apparent suicide may be a murder and has to call in Detective Jack Renner to investigate.
It becomes clear quite quickly that they are looking at a murder and as more employees are murdered Maggie relies on Jack to help find the killer, while knowing herself that Jack himself is a killer, murdering known criminals that have evaded justice.
Unpunished is an excellent read as much about the decline of printed media as it is about a murder whodunit story. The pacing throughout is even and very well paced to the story. Slowly but surely things are figured out, which I really enjoyed. The two central characters are well written and very interesting. I'm only sorry I didn't read the novel that they previously appeared in - That Darkness(which I fully intend to now) as there is plenty of reference to their back story in this and it sounds both fascinating and intriguing.
The level of detail the author goes into about the process of printing a paper and the descriptive detail of the newspaper building and the mechanics were mostly very interesting although at times a little long winded.
The story though is great. Beautifully paced novel. Although only 320 pages the novel never felt rushed at any point. The story is fleshed out at its own pace, with time to breath and explain. The final act was very well done and in keeping with the rest of the novel played out in its own time.
I was drawn in from the start with this one. I wouldn't describe it as a page turner as such but it had some sort of hold on me as I managed to finish it in about half the time I usually take for a similar sized novel. It's the story and the story teller that always draw you in and that's what happened here. A really enjoyable and satisfying read, I shall be seeking out That Darkness, the other previous novel in this series.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Kensington Books and the author Lisa Black for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Those characters are Maggie Smith, a forensic expert,and homicide cop Jack Renner, a man whom we soon discover takes the law into his own hands dishing out fatal justice, a secret that Maggie knows about.
Maggie is called out to a newspaper - The Cleveland Herald, where the copy editor is found hanging in the building in an apparent suicide. Upon investigation Maggie suspects this apparent suicide may be a murder and has to call in Detective Jack Renner to investigate.
It becomes clear quite quickly that they are looking at a murder and as more employees are murdered Maggie relies on Jack to help find the killer, while knowing herself that Jack himself is a killer, murdering known criminals that have evaded justice.
Unpunished is an excellent read as much about the decline of printed media as it is about a murder whodunit story. The pacing throughout is even and very well paced to the story. Slowly but surely things are figured out, which I really enjoyed. The two central characters are well written and very interesting. I'm only sorry I didn't read the novel that they previously appeared in - That Darkness(which I fully intend to now) as there is plenty of reference to their back story in this and it sounds both fascinating and intriguing.
The level of detail the author goes into about the process of printing a paper and the descriptive detail of the newspaper building and the mechanics were mostly very interesting although at times a little long winded.
The story though is great. Beautifully paced novel. Although only 320 pages the novel never felt rushed at any point. The story is fleshed out at its own pace, with time to breath and explain. The final act was very well done and in keeping with the rest of the novel played out in its own time.
I was drawn in from the start with this one. I wouldn't describe it as a page turner as such but it had some sort of hold on me as I managed to finish it in about half the time I usually take for a similar sized novel. It's the story and the story teller that always draw you in and that's what happened here. A really enjoyable and satisfying read, I shall be seeking out That Darkness, the other previous novel in this series.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Kensington Books and the author Lisa Black for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
January 9, 2017
Unpunished is Lisa Black's second book about forensic expert Maggie Gardener and homicide detective Jack Renner. Although the plot here works as a standalone, I would suggest reading That Darkness first in order to fully understand Maggie and Jack's complicated relationship and their shared history.
This case starts off with the apparent suicide of a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald. But soon further deaths follow, all related to the Herald newspaper. Why would anybody target the staff of a struggling newspaper?
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Maggie's character, in particular, is far better developed here. Jack's entertaining relationship with his cop partner, Riley, and his strained, ambivalent relationship with Maggie was fun to follow. The only thing that really slowed this down a little too much for me at times was the very detailed information regarding the decline of the print media industry. Ms. Black has obviously put a lot of research into this. I felt properly educated as to the processes of producing a newspaper and the sorry state of the print industry after reading this. Aside from that, this was a solid murder mystery. The vigilante theme is less prominent in this one than in the first book, but the ending leaves plenty of scope for an exciting third book in the future.
I look forward to it.
This case starts off with the apparent suicide of a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald. But soon further deaths follow, all related to the Herald newspaper. Why would anybody target the staff of a struggling newspaper?
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Maggie's character, in particular, is far better developed here. Jack's entertaining relationship with his cop partner, Riley, and his strained, ambivalent relationship with Maggie was fun to follow. The only thing that really slowed this down a little too much for me at times was the very detailed information regarding the decline of the print media industry. Ms. Black has obviously put a lot of research into this. I felt properly educated as to the processes of producing a newspaper and the sorry state of the print industry after reading this. Aside from that, this was a solid murder mystery. The vigilante theme is less prominent in this one than in the first book, but the ending leaves plenty of scope for an exciting third book in the future.
I look forward to it.
January 2, 2017
4.5 stars
Lisa Black’s second installment in her Gardiner and Renner series is every bit as good as her initial one. I loved That Darkness, and Unpunished is a great addition to the series. Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert, and Jack Renner, a homicide detective, are thrown together again when a series of bizarre murders occur at the Cleveland Herald. The two work to solve the murders while Maggie also struggles to come to terms with her knowledge that Jack operates as a hero vigilante ridding the city of criminals that have eluded punishment for their crimes. The two have reached an uneasy truce that is constantly threatened by a variety of outside factors.
The mystery in Unpunished was highly entertaining to me and is very relevant to today’s world. The Cleveland Herald is struggling to stay afloat as newspapers are dying a slow death. Black spent countless hours immersing herself in the newspaper business even touring one to accurately depict the ins and outs of that industry and the difficulties currently facing the newspaper world. She manages to relay very detailed information in an engaging and interesting manner so I learned a lot without feeling like it was hard to wade through the story. Black also addresses the age old issue created by new inventions - the loss of jobs (sometimes entire professions) in certain fields, but the creation of entirely new fields and jobs that are created as a result. I found her reminder helpful as I was bemoaning the projected loss of printed newspapers as I read Unpunished.
I really enjoyed reading this book and love the originality of the series. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lisa Black’s second installment in her Gardiner and Renner series is every bit as good as her initial one. I loved That Darkness, and Unpunished is a great addition to the series. Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert, and Jack Renner, a homicide detective, are thrown together again when a series of bizarre murders occur at the Cleveland Herald. The two work to solve the murders while Maggie also struggles to come to terms with her knowledge that Jack operates as a hero vigilante ridding the city of criminals that have eluded punishment for their crimes. The two have reached an uneasy truce that is constantly threatened by a variety of outside factors.
The mystery in Unpunished was highly entertaining to me and is very relevant to today’s world. The Cleveland Herald is struggling to stay afloat as newspapers are dying a slow death. Black spent countless hours immersing herself in the newspaper business even touring one to accurately depict the ins and outs of that industry and the difficulties currently facing the newspaper world. She manages to relay very detailed information in an engaging and interesting manner so I learned a lot without feeling like it was hard to wade through the story. Black also addresses the age old issue created by new inventions - the loss of jobs (sometimes entire professions) in certain fields, but the creation of entirely new fields and jobs that are created as a result. I found her reminder helpful as I was bemoaning the projected loss of printed newspapers as I read Unpunished.
I really enjoyed reading this book and love the originality of the series. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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February 6, 2017Maggie Gardiner is a forensic expert and Jack Renner is a homicide cop. Jack has a secret - he is also a serial killer. He only kills the bad guys who escape justice. Maggie knows Jack's secret. Maggie also has secrets - Jack knows what they are.
A body is found hanging above the grinding wheels of a newspapers assembly line. Maggie has been called in to investigate. She thinks that it was murder rather than suicide. Then there is another hanging at the newspaper. Will Jack & Maggie find out who is behind these murders before there are any more.
I have not read The Darkness which is the first book in which Maggie & Jack appear. I think you should read it before starting Unpunished tho. This is a well written who-did-it novel that's fast pace kept me turning the pages.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author Lisa Black for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A body is found hanging above the grinding wheels of a newspapers assembly line. Maggie has been called in to investigate. She thinks that it was murder rather than suicide. Then there is another hanging at the newspaper. Will Jack & Maggie find out who is behind these murders before there are any more.
I have not read The Darkness which is the first book in which Maggie & Jack appear. I think you should read it before starting Unpunished tho. This is a well written who-did-it novel that's fast pace kept me turning the pages.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author Lisa Black for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner had come to an uneasy alliance due to their past. Maggie is a studies the dead and Jack is a homicide detective on the same police force. Now they are both investigating a series of murders at the local newspaper, the Cleveland Herald. As more and more people from the paper are dropping dead it seems that someone has a vendetta against the employees of the paper. Can they stop the killer before he can murder more employees. Good read. I would like to thank the Publisher and net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
March 1, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There isn't much that I can say on this one. Some parts I really enjoyed since the author does a wonderful job on the gory details which kept me reading. However, the pacing was very slow through the rest of the book, and I found myself putting this down quite often and struggled to finish. Not sure if I'll read this author again.
There isn't much that I can say on this one. Some parts I really enjoyed since the author does a wonderful job on the gory details which kept me reading. However, the pacing was very slow through the rest of the book, and I found myself putting this down quite often and struggled to finish. Not sure if I'll read this author again.
October 23, 2017
Book 2 in the Gardiner & Renner series.
This time, Maggie Gardiner, a forensic scientist is called to a crime scene: A body has been found in a newspaper office, an apparent suicide.
Jack Renner is part of the investigation team.
There's a complicated relationship between them, as Renner not only a policeman, but a vigilante, a cop that takes justice in his own hands, and Maggie is the only one that knows it.
As more murders happen, they must find a way to work together without compromising the investigation.
I don't recommend reading this book alone, as there are many references to the first one in the series: "That Darkness".
While I found this a very good book, it took me a long time to "get" into it, and I think I prefer book 1, as I found this one to be on the slow side. There was too much talk about the newspaper industry and how it's slowly dying.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This time, Maggie Gardiner, a forensic scientist is called to a crime scene: A body has been found in a newspaper office, an apparent suicide.
Jack Renner is part of the investigation team.
There's a complicated relationship between them, as Renner not only a policeman, but a vigilante, a cop that takes justice in his own hands, and Maggie is the only one that knows it.
As more murders happen, they must find a way to work together without compromising the investigation.
I don't recommend reading this book alone, as there are many references to the first one in the series: "That Darkness".
While I found this a very good book, it took me a long time to "get" into it, and I think I prefer book 1, as I found this one to be on the slow side. There was too much talk about the newspaper industry and how it's slowly dying.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2017
I've been given the chance from NetGalley to review Unpunished - Lisa Black's second book in the Maggie Gardiner series. I have not read the first book, so this review may benefit people who are looking at the novel as a whole, rather than part of a series.
The plot is one of a classic detective novel, only the hero is a rather grey police worker and not an all mighty DC or DCI: Gardiner is a forensic expert who studies the crime scene and handles the post death technicalities. The other main character is Jack Renner, a homicide cop who's a vigilante serial killer "at night", but one with an ethical code of disposing only of the bad guys. If you had read "That Darkness" you would have known this by now as well as the fact that Gardiner is the only living soul who shares Jack's secret.
The mystery revolves around the murder of a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald, who is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line. When more newspaper employees are killed, Maggie and Jack continue their unholy partnership, in an effort to uncover the eluding killer.
I liked "Unpunished". It has the elements of a classic thriller, and Albeit it is secretly an exaggerated editorial advocating for the dying American news industry, it was still fun to see murders taking place above and under the printing press wheels. Sure, the journalistic facts (told mainly by the suspects) were tedious and all too lecture-y, but the story is well written and like any good thriller you'll find it nearly impossible to guess who is the culprit.
The one thing that I thought the book had lacked, and that's something I tend to look for in a series within the crime detective genre, is whether the novel can stand alone or not. And to be honest, it can't. I immediately wanted to find out more about the incident that entangled Maggie Gardiner with Jack Renner - and even though on its own that's not a bad thing - it still goes to show that if we take the element of their relationship out of "Unpunished", it might have been a bit boring and one dimensional.
Having said that, the killer and now accomplice crime fighters are there, and "Unpunished" is interesting and gripping. I especially liked Gardiner as a CSI grey-worker who is the centre of things, and would have loved to see her character evolve a bit more... Luckily it's a series :-) 3 stars .. 3.5 on a better day.
The plot is one of a classic detective novel, only the hero is a rather grey police worker and not an all mighty DC or DCI: Gardiner is a forensic expert who studies the crime scene and handles the post death technicalities. The other main character is Jack Renner, a homicide cop who's a vigilante serial killer "at night", but one with an ethical code of disposing only of the bad guys. If you had read "That Darkness" you would have known this by now as well as the fact that Gardiner is the only living soul who shares Jack's secret.
The mystery revolves around the murder of a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald, who is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line. When more newspaper employees are killed, Maggie and Jack continue their unholy partnership, in an effort to uncover the eluding killer.
I liked "Unpunished". It has the elements of a classic thriller, and Albeit it is secretly an exaggerated editorial advocating for the dying American news industry, it was still fun to see murders taking place above and under the printing press wheels. Sure, the journalistic facts (told mainly by the suspects) were tedious and all too lecture-y, but the story is well written and like any good thriller you'll find it nearly impossible to guess who is the culprit.
The one thing that I thought the book had lacked, and that's something I tend to look for in a series within the crime detective genre, is whether the novel can stand alone or not. And to be honest, it can't. I immediately wanted to find out more about the incident that entangled Maggie Gardiner with Jack Renner - and even though on its own that's not a bad thing - it still goes to show that if we take the element of their relationship out of "Unpunished", it might have been a bit boring and one dimensional.
Having said that, the killer and now accomplice crime fighters are there, and "Unpunished" is interesting and gripping. I especially liked Gardiner as a CSI grey-worker who is the centre of things, and would have loved to see her character evolve a bit more... Luckily it's a series :-) 3 stars .. 3.5 on a better day.
February 25, 2017
** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I struggled with this book and ended up giving up on it part way through. I don't know if it was the fact that I was sick when I tried to read it or if it was because it was the second book in a series. Something just wasn't working for me. It didn't read well as a stand alone because I kept feeling like I was suppose to know the characters but I didn't and it made it confusing. They felt grossly under developed to me because I didn't know them before this book.
I struggled with this book and ended up giving up on it part way through. I don't know if it was the fact that I was sick when I tried to read it or if it was because it was the second book in a series. Something just wasn't working for me. It didn't read well as a stand alone because I kept feeling like I was suppose to know the characters but I didn't and it made it confusing. They felt grossly under developed to me because I didn't know them before this book.
February 7, 2017
This is the second in the series in the Gardiner and Renner series and the first book of Lisa Black's that I have read. Maggie Gardiner is a Forensic investigator and Jack Renner is a detective and also a serial killer.
They both end up investigating the supposed suicide of Copy Editor of the Cleveland Herald. The newspaper is also on the verge of collapsing. But this is no suicide it turns out this is a murder and not only that but, a serial killer is on the loose killing and more employers end up dead as the story goes on.
I struggled with this book, first of all you need to read the first one and I thought this was a crime novel. But I thought this story was more about diminishing newspapers then actually a crime novel.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book.
They both end up investigating the supposed suicide of Copy Editor of the Cleveland Herald. The newspaper is also on the verge of collapsing. But this is no suicide it turns out this is a murder and not only that but, a serial killer is on the loose killing and more employers end up dead as the story goes on.
I struggled with this book, first of all you need to read the first one and I thought this was a crime novel. But I thought this story was more about diminishing newspapers then actually a crime novel.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book.
June 13, 2017
Review to come
July 21, 2017
Good second book in the Maggie and Jack series. Although there are some hints in this book as to what happened in the first book, I do suggest reading the first book to get a clear understanding of Maggie and Jacks very complicated relationship.
March 13, 2019
This was an interesting novel from a technical standpoint. Black obviously did her homework with this one. After having read her background, I see why the detail in this story was so lifelike and spot on. Unfortunately, though, that was part of the problem I had with this story. It was entirely too detailed for my tastes. By no means was this a bad read, it just wasn’t my type of read.
Our story opens with a rather bizarre death. For whatever reason, someone found it necessary to murder a copy editor for the Cleveland Herald. This poor guy was found hanging where the newspaper is produced. Maggie, the forensic expert, was charged with finding the clues as to who did this, but it was Jack Renner’s responsibility to find out the why? And it seemed the more those two dug into this crazy murder scene, the more bodies began to stack up.
The relationship Maggie and Jack shared, I gathered, was a rather strained one. Even though this story reads as a standalone, perhaps I would have felt more at ease with this story, had I known more about these characters’ development in the first installment. This story is the second in the series. There seemed to be so much detail of situations I personally couldn’t connect to. I found myself asking more questions about the characters and that completely threw off my reading pattern and caused me to get a little frustrated. To be fair to Black, she writes very well and spins quite a tale of corruption, murder and mayhem, but again, I think it’s best that readers start with the first story before beginning this one, and then some of the characters’ behavior will probably make more sense. The ending surprised me and the story kept me pushing forward, but I found the side stories to be a bit much.
I give Unpunished three and a half stars. It certainly wasn’t a bad book and it’s quite entertaining, if you’re the type of reader that likes extreme detail. I’m the type of reader that wants enough to let me know what’s going on, and then let my mind do the rest imagining. I do encourage you to read, but, like I mentioned, you may want to learn more about the characters from the first book before you delve into this one. Happy Reading, Intellectual Minds.
Our story opens with a rather bizarre death. For whatever reason, someone found it necessary to murder a copy editor for the Cleveland Herald. This poor guy was found hanging where the newspaper is produced. Maggie, the forensic expert, was charged with finding the clues as to who did this, but it was Jack Renner’s responsibility to find out the why? And it seemed the more those two dug into this crazy murder scene, the more bodies began to stack up.
The relationship Maggie and Jack shared, I gathered, was a rather strained one. Even though this story reads as a standalone, perhaps I would have felt more at ease with this story, had I known more about these characters’ development in the first installment. This story is the second in the series. There seemed to be so much detail of situations I personally couldn’t connect to. I found myself asking more questions about the characters and that completely threw off my reading pattern and caused me to get a little frustrated. To be fair to Black, she writes very well and spins quite a tale of corruption, murder and mayhem, but again, I think it’s best that readers start with the first story before beginning this one, and then some of the characters’ behavior will probably make more sense. The ending surprised me and the story kept me pushing forward, but I found the side stories to be a bit much.
I give Unpunished three and a half stars. It certainly wasn’t a bad book and it’s quite entertaining, if you’re the type of reader that likes extreme detail. I’m the type of reader that wants enough to let me know what’s going on, and then let my mind do the rest imagining. I do encourage you to read, but, like I mentioned, you may want to learn more about the characters from the first book before you delve into this one. Happy Reading, Intellectual Minds.
January 9, 2017
The second book in the Gardiner and Renner series. Maggie Gardiner is a forensic investigator with the Cleveland Police department. Jack Renner is a detective. Jack also is a serial killer, a vigilante killer who takes the law into his own hands when bad guys go unpunished. Maggie knows Jack's secret, but because he saved her life, they have an uneasy truce.
When a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald newspaper is killed, Maggie and Jack both become involved in the case. When more newspaper employees turn up dead, they realize they have another serial killer on their hands. But what is his motive?
I have read the first book in the series That Darkness and really enjoyed it. This one was quite good too. The mystery is intriguing and not too easy to solve. There is much talk about the decline of newspapers in this country, as everything moves to a digital format. The newspapermen in the story love their jobs and are sad by the current state of things. The reader gets a real education on this topic.
It seems like there is going to be another book in the series, as there was talk by other detectives about the "vigilante" killer, who is really Jack. I hope this series continues, because I really like it. It is fun, and enjoyable, and the book held my interest the whole way through.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald newspaper is killed, Maggie and Jack both become involved in the case. When more newspaper employees turn up dead, they realize they have another serial killer on their hands. But what is his motive?
I have read the first book in the series That Darkness and really enjoyed it. This one was quite good too. The mystery is intriguing and not too easy to solve. There is much talk about the decline of newspapers in this country, as everything moves to a digital format. The newspapermen in the story love their jobs and are sad by the current state of things. The reader gets a real education on this topic.
It seems like there is going to be another book in the series, as there was talk by other detectives about the "vigilante" killer, who is really Jack. I hope this series continues, because I really like it. It is fun, and enjoyable, and the book held my interest the whole way through.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2017
Unpunished by Lisa Black
Gardiner & Renner #2
This police procedural has no romance but provides plenty of CSI detail while building the personalities of the main characters solving what proves to be multiple murders that revolve around the newspaper world.
I did not know this was the second in a series and might have benefited from reading the first book BUT was able to make heads and tails of this one anyway. I am not sure what the details of the relationship are between Jack and Maggie but there is plenty of tension between them and soul searching on Maggie’s part as they work the case together. In future books I can almost see them becoming close or at least closer as they figure out the dynamics of how their lives might be able to overlap and perhaps mesh into a more comfortable working relationship/friendship…maybe.
As for the murder mystery and figuring out who the murderer was – I figure it out fairly early on though I had no idea so many would die and for, in my opinion, so little cause. There was a great deal of information about the demise of print newspapers that I found especially interesting since I have discussed this issue recently with someone who believes in paper copies and is currently subscribing to more of them in hopes that she can help sustain them…at least for a while.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Gardiner & Renner #2
This police procedural has no romance but provides plenty of CSI detail while building the personalities of the main characters solving what proves to be multiple murders that revolve around the newspaper world.
I did not know this was the second in a series and might have benefited from reading the first book BUT was able to make heads and tails of this one anyway. I am not sure what the details of the relationship are between Jack and Maggie but there is plenty of tension between them and soul searching on Maggie’s part as they work the case together. In future books I can almost see them becoming close or at least closer as they figure out the dynamics of how their lives might be able to overlap and perhaps mesh into a more comfortable working relationship/friendship…maybe.
As for the murder mystery and figuring out who the murderer was – I figure it out fairly early on though I had no idea so many would die and for, in my opinion, so little cause. There was a great deal of information about the demise of print newspapers that I found especially interesting since I have discussed this issue recently with someone who believes in paper copies and is currently subscribing to more of them in hopes that she can help sustain them…at least for a while.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.
4 Stars
March 5, 2020
It's easy to like a strong left brain forensic expert who sees the world mostly as a series of facts while processing the data abstractly into trans-lateral invariant transformations until the riddle of reality is abductively resolved by letting facts fit the best explanation while not multiplying entities unnecessarily while the protagonist enables a Dexter like serial killer. This series is available on Hoopla and is better than most detective series and strives for current relevance within the stories such as the author does with this one by delving into the chaotic nature of the newspaper business and besides seldom is Cleveland, Ohio ever made into a background character as this story does. It's free at Hoopla and entertaining.
March 4, 2017
This novel is the second in the Gardiner and Renner series. I was invited to read and review it by Kensington Press and Net Galley. I appreciate the invitation and have enjoyed other titles published by this house; unfortunately, this particular book didn’t work for me. It is now available for purchase.
The premise is that a man has been found hanging at the office of the Cleveland Herald. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner is called to the scene. Ultimately, she will pair once again with Jack Renner, a vigilante killer that uses his homicide cop skills to enforce his own code.
This aspect of the story is not without appeal. As traditional relationships between the public and law enforcement become more fraught with injustice, it’s hard to relate to a traditional cop, though for the sake of a good yarn, I can pretend. While it is unthinkable, in real life, for anyone to make their own private hit list according to who’s good and who’s not—in the mind of the list maker—it does make for good fiction.
That’s about all the good I found here, though. Stereotypes, women referred to as “girls”, at-risk urban youth all lumped into the category of “gangbangers” and made disposable; these things all set my teeth on edge. There’s some over-long dialogue that is flat, and there’s more information about the production of newspapers than I ever needed to know.
The place I reacted the most strongly was at the beginning, where we get detailed information about neck ligatures that tell whether a body on a rope committed suicide or was strangled and left there to swing. For some readers, I think this will be fascinating. But for those that have been close to someone that died by his or her own hand, particularly in this manner, let this review serve as a neon trigger warning. There’s no scooting past it to get to the story; the forensic aspect plays heavily here.
For fans of Lisa Black’s other novels, of which there are several, this will likely be a welcome read. And perhaps I am a wee bit harsh simply because I have read so much strong fiction lately; every reviewer is susceptible to the urge to compare work. What else is on the table that I could be reading? How good is it? And right now, the answer is that the table is groaning under the weight of excellent literature, and those with limited time and resources can likely find a better book than this one.
Not this book; not this time.
The premise is that a man has been found hanging at the office of the Cleveland Herald. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner is called to the scene. Ultimately, she will pair once again with Jack Renner, a vigilante killer that uses his homicide cop skills to enforce his own code.
This aspect of the story is not without appeal. As traditional relationships between the public and law enforcement become more fraught with injustice, it’s hard to relate to a traditional cop, though for the sake of a good yarn, I can pretend. While it is unthinkable, in real life, for anyone to make their own private hit list according to who’s good and who’s not—in the mind of the list maker—it does make for good fiction.
That’s about all the good I found here, though. Stereotypes, women referred to as “girls”, at-risk urban youth all lumped into the category of “gangbangers” and made disposable; these things all set my teeth on edge. There’s some over-long dialogue that is flat, and there’s more information about the production of newspapers than I ever needed to know.
The place I reacted the most strongly was at the beginning, where we get detailed information about neck ligatures that tell whether a body on a rope committed suicide or was strangled and left there to swing. For some readers, I think this will be fascinating. But for those that have been close to someone that died by his or her own hand, particularly in this manner, let this review serve as a neon trigger warning. There’s no scooting past it to get to the story; the forensic aspect plays heavily here.
For fans of Lisa Black’s other novels, of which there are several, this will likely be a welcome read. And perhaps I am a wee bit harsh simply because I have read so much strong fiction lately; every reviewer is susceptible to the urge to compare work. What else is on the table that I could be reading? How good is it? And right now, the answer is that the table is groaning under the weight of excellent literature, and those with limited time and resources can likely find a better book than this one.
Not this book; not this time.
February 6, 2017
I’m somewhat at a loss on how to review Unpunished by Lisa Black.
What I didn’t like: Although the synopsis sounded thoroughly entertaining. The story didn’t keep me engaged. I think this is the longest it’s taken me to read a book from start to finish.
I think there were too many facts and not enough of the characters. I love character driven books and to me, Unpunished fell short in that area. I couldn’t connect or empathize with the characters. They seemed a bit flat and almost boring.
Even the “bad” guys seemed flat. I really hate that as there are some positives about this series. By the end of the book, I never want to hear how published news is dying again. While that is part of the plot, I heard the words newspapers are a dying breed so often, it lost its importance.
What I liked: Unpunished is very well researched and Ms Black’s writing style is easy to read. I knew this was the second book in the series and bought at some expense, $9.99 for the Kindle edition, the first book, That Darkness, as the synopsis drew me in. About half way through That Darkness I was getting a bit worried as I just didn’t find it compelling. I was worried I’d feel the same about the NetGalley ARC of Unpunished.
When I request and am approved for an ARC from NetGalley, I feel obligated to read the book unless there’s just no way for me to finish it. I stuck to it and at about 65 percent through Unpunished I was finally getting the story I thought I’d be getting at the beginning.
I will say the way Ms Black wrote the story, I had an idea who the villain was but there was still enough mystery to keep me guessing. As I said, Ms Black’s writing is good but the story and characters just didn’t resonate with me.
If you like Ms Black’s novels, you might enjoy this series but at the prices, I would recommend borrowing from a library or a friend.
No Recommendation.
What I didn’t like: Although the synopsis sounded thoroughly entertaining. The story didn’t keep me engaged. I think this is the longest it’s taken me to read a book from start to finish.
I think there were too many facts and not enough of the characters. I love character driven books and to me, Unpunished fell short in that area. I couldn’t connect or empathize with the characters. They seemed a bit flat and almost boring.
Even the “bad” guys seemed flat. I really hate that as there are some positives about this series. By the end of the book, I never want to hear how published news is dying again. While that is part of the plot, I heard the words newspapers are a dying breed so often, it lost its importance.
What I liked: Unpunished is very well researched and Ms Black’s writing style is easy to read. I knew this was the second book in the series and bought at some expense, $9.99 for the Kindle edition, the first book, That Darkness, as the synopsis drew me in. About half way through That Darkness I was getting a bit worried as I just didn’t find it compelling. I was worried I’d feel the same about the NetGalley ARC of Unpunished.
When I request and am approved for an ARC from NetGalley, I feel obligated to read the book unless there’s just no way for me to finish it. I stuck to it and at about 65 percent through Unpunished I was finally getting the story I thought I’d be getting at the beginning.
I will say the way Ms Black wrote the story, I had an idea who the villain was but there was still enough mystery to keep me guessing. As I said, Ms Black’s writing is good but the story and characters just didn’t resonate with me.
If you like Ms Black’s novels, you might enjoy this series but at the prices, I would recommend borrowing from a library or a friend.
No Recommendation.
February 4, 2017
Unpunished (Gardiner and Renner #2) by Lisa Black, is being promoted as a mystery, suspense story, but I felt like it was more of a statement on the diminishing newspaper print industry Vs the digital model of the news presentation.
Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert (very little forensic work done in this story), and Jack Renner, a homicide detective team up to investigate a series of suspicious deaths at a newspaper. I found the deaths of the newspaper employees to be an analogy of this dying business model.
I found the book to be drawn out, filled with too many newspaper facts, very little investigation, or forensic work. The characters were flat and uninteresting, I didn’t come away knowing any more about Maggie or Jack than when the book started. There was no edge of your seat mystery or suspense, it was more like a TV crime drama that would be wrapped up in an hour.
I think if the characters were developed more, some actual forensic work was performed, and the murders were more descriptive the book would be improved. Sadly the book didn’t grab my attention or give me a driving need to finish it so the mystery would be resolved.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley on behalf of Kensington Publishing Corporation for an honest review. The book was published January 31st, 2017.
For me this was a 2 star read.
Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert (very little forensic work done in this story), and Jack Renner, a homicide detective team up to investigate a series of suspicious deaths at a newspaper. I found the deaths of the newspaper employees to be an analogy of this dying business model.
I found the book to be drawn out, filled with too many newspaper facts, very little investigation, or forensic work. The characters were flat and uninteresting, I didn’t come away knowing any more about Maggie or Jack than when the book started. There was no edge of your seat mystery or suspense, it was more like a TV crime drama that would be wrapped up in an hour.
I think if the characters were developed more, some actual forensic work was performed, and the murders were more descriptive the book would be improved. Sadly the book didn’t grab my attention or give me a driving need to finish it so the mystery would be resolved.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley on behalf of Kensington Publishing Corporation for an honest review. The book was published January 31st, 2017.
For me this was a 2 star read.
January 13, 2017
This book is part two in a series and definitely a series that you want to start with book one. While it can be read as a stand alone, you get so much more from the story if you have read book 1, That Darkness, first.
This book is part mystery and part suspense and the topic is one that I love to read. Police drama and who-done-it with the forensic twist.
The author is combines her skill at the evidence and tells a story about how one forensic expert follows the leads and gets herself involved in the investigation. I love the character of Jack and while he is involved in the story, much of his character seemed downplayed in this book. I am hoping that changes in future stories.
A interesting read that looks at crime through a different set of eyes. The author give us a engrossing read that is a combination of mystery and suspense where everyone has something to hide.
This book is part mystery and part suspense and the topic is one that I love to read. Police drama and who-done-it with the forensic twist.
The author is combines her skill at the evidence and tells a story about how one forensic expert follows the leads and gets herself involved in the investigation. I love the character of Jack and while he is involved in the story, much of his character seemed downplayed in this book. I am hoping that changes in future stories.
A interesting read that looks at crime through a different set of eyes. The author give us a engrossing read that is a combination of mystery and suspense where everyone has something to hide.
February 6, 2017
I received this arc from Netgalley.
While this book did get off to a strong start, it didn't take long to head downhill. Too much detail about the newspaper business. After slogging through all of that, my interest waned and didn't pick back up. I had to force myself to finish reading this and was overjoyed when I hit 100%. Finally!! I do not recommend this book.
While this book did get off to a strong start, it didn't take long to head downhill. Too much detail about the newspaper business. After slogging through all of that, my interest waned and didn't pick back up. I had to force myself to finish reading this and was overjoyed when I hit 100%. Finally!! I do not recommend this book.
November 15, 2018
Ok, couple things: 1. IDK how this even ended up on my reading list; 2. I started with the 2nd book which is never ideal; 3. I'm not really a fan of detective novels (see #1) and they almost all land in the 2-3 star range for me.
As a detective novel goes, this one was decent. Strong female lead, learn a little bit about newspaper printing, and holy smokes IT'S SET IN CLEVELAND AND WRITTEN BY A FORMER CLEVELAND FORENSIC SCIENTIST!
That said, the writing was choppy and her editor did her no favors. IDK that I've read a book that tried so hard to prove it was set somewhere: "they drove on Euclid," "they crossed over E. 55," "they drove under the chandelier," etc. She also needs to work on writing dialogue (particularly jarring on audio): Then Maggie said, then Joe said, then Maggie said, then Bob told him... It was so jarring. Maybe throw a "replied" or a "commented"? I don't know how other writers do it, but there's obviously a way bc I don't remember being this annoyed by dialogue on an audio book.
As a detective novel goes, this one was decent. Strong female lead, learn a little bit about newspaper printing, and holy smokes IT'S SET IN CLEVELAND AND WRITTEN BY A FORMER CLEVELAND FORENSIC SCIENTIST!
That said, the writing was choppy and her editor did her no favors. IDK that I've read a book that tried so hard to prove it was set somewhere: "they drove on Euclid," "they crossed over E. 55," "they drove under the chandelier," etc. She also needs to work on writing dialogue (particularly jarring on audio): Then Maggie said, then Joe said, then Maggie said, then Bob told him... It was so jarring. Maybe throw a "replied" or a "commented"? I don't know how other writers do it, but there's obviously a way bc I don't remember being this annoyed by dialogue on an audio book.
July 8, 2018
3 1/2. Solid mystery re the newspaper business.
February 28, 2017
I really loved the first book but had a hard time with this book.
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