Suffer the Children

Gardiner and Renner #4

by Lisa Black

Maggie Gardiner, forensics expert for the Cleveland police department, and Jack Renner, a homicide detective with a killer secret, confront the darkest threat yet to their careers--and their lives.

The body of fifteen-year-old Rachael Donahue--raised in foster homes and violently unapproachable--has been discovered at the bottom of a stairwell at Firebird, the secure facility for juvenile offenders. The girl's death comes with a disturbing twist--she may have been involved with a much older man. But Rachael's not the only resident to come to a dead end.

Firebird's ten-year-old "wild child" has overdosed in the infirmary--back-to-back tragedies that appear to be terrible accidents. But Maggie and Jack suspect a cold-blooded murderer with an agenda. And as Maggie's ex-husband gets nearer to uncovering secrets that Maggie and Jack must hide, it becomes increasingly hard for them to protect a new and vulnerable victim ...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Psychology

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

Lisa 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.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suffer the Children by Lisa Black is the fourth book in the thrilling Gardiner and Renner series. Each book in the series is a completely new case so they technically could be read as a standalone if choosing. However there is also an underlying story continuing with the characters from book to book so it’s ideally best to read in order from the beginning.

In Suffer the Children forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner find themselves at Firebird, a secure facility for juveniles. The kids inside this establishment are ones that have extreme problems, many have a total lack of empathy and have been abandoned to the system. When one of them has what appears to have been an accident Gardiner and Renner come to investigate.

As Maggie and Jack are looking into the death of fifteen year old Rachael another child attacks them and they see just how dangerous the facility can be. But next they know that same child is found dead in the infirmary in what at first glance appears another accident but two accidents are a bit much to believe so they begin to wonder if a killer is loose in the facility.

I do believe Suffer the Children is my favorite of this series so far thinking back on the others. This has always been a dark and gritty police procedural type of series but with the added twist of the secrets shared between the characters but this fourth book really took on an intense darkness with the nature of the children involved and their deaths. It really was fascinating to read about them and follow as the clues were uncovered and the case solved.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

["Avonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

SUFFER THE CHILDREN (A Gardiner and Renner Novel Book #4) by Lisa Black is a gripping addition to the Gardiner and Renner series set in a juvenile facility with memorable characters. This police/forensic procedural can easily read as a standalone, but to understand the complex relationship between Gardiner and Renner this series is best read in order.

Firebird Juvenile Center is a prestigious Cleveland secure facility for damaged juvenile offenders who have committed minimal to serious offenses and cannot be remanded back to their homes, if they have one, without serious counseling and rehabilitation. Forensic expert Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner are called to the facility when fifteen-year-old Rachel Donahue is found dead at the bottom of a stairwell. The initial coroner’s findings lead to a judgement of misadventure.

As Jack and his partner Riley are finalizing their investigation, another young resident is found dead in the infirmary. Maggie and Jack are soon caught up in a secure facility with its residents ending up dead and a search for the killer among the many suspects.

Maggie and Jack also must worry about Maggie’s ex-husband discovering Jack’s secret life.

I really love this series and its main characters! I find Maggie’s forensic procedures and techniques always interesting and informative. With every book, the readers learn a little more of Jack’s back story and the lines he will or will not cross for justice. The attraction between these two continues to grow and is just fascinating because they started so far apart. Maggie’s ex-husband’s investigation into the Vigilante Killer is getting much to close to exposing Jack’s secret and Ms. Black’s twist to keep Jack safe for the moment is great. The crime/thriller plot is fast paced and almost reads like a locked room mystery since main the suspects are locked down in the Firebird Center. I found the information interspersed throughout the plot about juvenile justice and rehabilitation interesting and at the same time sad. It truly is a complex social problem which lends itself to interesting twists to this story.

I highly recommend this addition to the series and these main characters!

[Maureen Carden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I marked a shelf for family only as irony because this book takes place mostly in Firebird, a facility for the very worse child offenders; the very last chance to try to turn some of these children around before they end up dead or in adult prisons for the rest of their lives. And Family is the reason most of these children are in Firebird.
Jack Renner-who is a pile of secrets himself- and his partner Riley are given the case of what looks like an accidental death. Their forensic officer is once again Maggie Gardiner-who knows Jack's secrets and wishes to God she didn't- and who turns one accidental death into murder and so on down the line.
Okay, Firebird is presented in the best possible light. Well run, well regulated, by experienced compassionate people. But of course there are money problems, and the clients who range from six to 18 are already way up on the scale of manipulation and evil. It's a true eye-opener about "young offenders"
Actually I think anyone who votes, anyone who holds sway over funding or has anything to do with facilities for young offenders should read this book. This book tells both sides, or actually the multiple sides of violent child offenders and the multiple ideas of how they should/can be treated. This book is very clear-eyed and fascinating. There is one self evident truth, most child offenders are not born, they are made; and not in any particular socio-economic area; although disadvantaged areas do hold a clear lead in violent child offenders.
Suffer The Children is a riff on the classic locked room mystery, with the locked down facility of Firebird being about the only setting. It works well and help promotes the feeling of the claustrophobia that the employees and children must feel everyday.
Renner, Riley and Gardiner works well together as somewhat reluctant partners, but except for Gardiner's ex-husband making progress on untangling the mystery of who Jack Renner really is (drop it Rick, drop it) they are really only there to ask the questions that give us the answers to educate us. But that is okay because there really is a super mystery and some very scary scenes to keep our interest.

[Beauregard Bottomley]

1) Half way decent who done it
2) Forensic science solves crimes and main character with foibles shows her foibles while doggedly
pursuing leads accompanied by a serial killer
3) Inner details of working of institutionalizing children is educational
4) Everyone loves to hate a Dexter like serial killer and kind of find themselves rooting for him
5) Forensic scientist ex-husband clumsily getting closer to finding serial killer while jealously falling further apart. This part of the story needs to become more authentic or the series will suffer.

There’s a nice formula to this series, I’ll just note that the previous book in the series Perish the author was out of her area of expertise in describing the financial system collapse of 2008 or today’s mortgage market corruption while in this book her describing prisons as schools for children was on target. I’m on to the next book in this series and they are available for free at Hoopla.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maggie Gardiner, a police forensics expert, is called to a facility for juvenile delinquents where a murder occurred. On the surface each case looks accidental, but Maggie knows better. Is the killer a staff member or one of the troubled youth? Staff members enjoy more freedom of movement, yet lapses in security make it possible for an inmate to be guilty. Having not read previous novels in this series, I felt I did not learn enough about the characters in this installment to connect with them. I figured out the identity of the guilty person early in the novel so I wasn't surprised at the revelation. (2.5 stars)

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book four in this series, which I have enjoyed getting to know both Gardiner and Renner. This was a good addition to the story, except I thought there was a little bit too much repetition said by many of the characters. The story takes place in a juvenile 'prison/school'. Many of the residents have committed very serious crimes, and some are considered beyond repair. When a suicide/possible murder is committed at the facility, Gardiner and Renner are sent to investigate. When more things happen the pair begin spending a tremendous amount of time there, questioning teachers, therapists, and administrative personnel. Here is where the repetition is: each talks about the treatment, the schooling, the behavior of the type of juveniles held here. Each one questioned told the same summary of the juveniles, which for me got too repetitive. But the story itself was very good.
If you have reading this series, I do recommend this book.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest in the Gardiner - Renner series, this one revolves around unexplained deaths and murders in a juvenile detention and treatment center in downtown Cleveland. Maggie and Jack become entwined in the murders as the story progresses AND the murder keep coming. To top off the suspense, Maggie's ex is sniffing around Jack's past and trying to pin the vigilante murders on him.

It's non-stop action that will keep you reading until the very last page where Black sets up the next installment.

Look for a different review in the Ohioana Quarterly http://www.ohioana.org

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a clinical psychologist this book in the series was satisfying- a lot of research went into child development and specifically what can go wrong and cause children to behave in shocking ways- poisoning their own mother or killing a sibling over a toy. The story also discusses our terribly underfunded mental health care system and how delayed treatment of childhood trauma can lead to a lifetime of criminal behavior. A good point is made that there are some animal shelters that require a home visit prior to allowing for pet adoption and yet anyone at anytime can get pregnant and carry the pregnancy to term with zero oversight. The scourge of unwanted and thus abused and neglected children is only going to worsen with the reversal of Roe and this book accurately describes what can and does result in the most unfortunate cases. Anyone who reads this book and wonders if children like those in this book exist- they do. I knew of a child that was punished by being kept in a dog crate by abusive parents who sometimes forgot to feed the child or let them out.

Anyway, another good book by this author who is skilled at educating readers about important social issues all while including enough crime/mystery to keep us interested. This ending was, by far, the most intriguing in this series. Now I have to read the next one!

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! As much as disliked and was let down by Perish (Gardiner and Renner #3), I found myself absolutely engrossed in Suffer the Children (Gardiner and Renner #4). Lisa Black really upped her game in this very intense novel.

Allow me to repeat what I said for the first Gardiner and Renner I reviewed, Unpunished : I was born and raised in Cleveland so, by default, I love any books about my home town (Les Roberts novels also). What I find particularly interesting about the 2 (now 3) books with the Gardner & Renner characters is how unusual their backstory is and how they got to where they are now. That story is equally as compelling as the 'mystery' of the novel.

Suffer the Children is an intense novel about the rescue of children at risk in our society. I learned so much and am heartbroken over even more. The back story of Gardner & Renner hovered in the background of the story but, while not intrusively, certainly added more mystery to it.

There are so many passages I marked I hardly know where to begin.

"We parents think we're being supportive, encouraging the kids to be individuals, but the kids see a mountain of expectations they can't live up to. We send them to school to make friends, but the other kids aren't their friends; they're the competition and that competition gets fierce. They're as cutthroat as day traders who will exploit any weakness to get ahead. We tell them they're special, they're smart, they're great, they can do anything but at some point reality catches up and they figure out they're not going to be a neurosurgeon and marry a supermodel and drive a Jag. Then they get scared. And then they get angry."

. . . "We were all better off when our parents were happy as long as we moved into the next grade. We weren't expected to get straight A's and captain the T-ball team and take piano lessons at the same time."
"And heroes were baseball players who played for the sport and not a million a game."

But even with not great parents, let me tell you something about the self-esteem of the average baby, toddler, schoolkid. It's pretty darn good. They have the time and freedom to devote themselves entirely to their own causes. Bobby didn't steal something from the corner store because he feel worthless or because he wants attention from Daddy. He stole because he wanted something and he didn't have the money to pay for it. It benefited him. Children do things that benefit them. All we do when we say they need more self-esteem or they need more love or they need more attention is provide excuses to kids who are already pretty good at thinking up excuses already."

... For a child psychologist that's pretty, um---

"Harsh?" ... "It's not. Because the flip side of this is that children are naturally empathetic. Infants will share their toys with another crying infant. Like any other characteristic it will occur more or less - some people get along well with math and others with art, for example - but it can be taught to those who don't have it naturally. That's what I'm doing with the six-year-old. Like any toddler he screamed to get what he wanted, like a toy or ice cream instead of dinner. Most parents would put down a gentle foot, but some parents - and teachers too- simply don't have a clue and give in to get the noise to stop. Well, it takes the average baby about two seconds to figure out that this works and then they're off and screaming. . . . Around three or four they start to enjoy it. Manipulating Mom and Dad is no longer a means to the end; it's the end itself. Why kids who aren't bullied at home still become bullies at school. It's a technique they stumbled on and it gave them a high. They become addicted to the power."

"So how do you 'turn them around'?"

"Teach them empathy. " . . . "Every toddler lies and steals at some point - 'I didn't take the cookie, my sister Susie did.' The worst thing you can do is say, 'Well, every toddler lies and steal at some point.' You can punish the kid, no cookies for a week, and that's good except he might just decide to get better at stealing. He doesn't consider it wrong, just inconvenient if caught. Some parents say 'Well, I don't know who took it so no cookies for Junior or Susie for a week' - that's not so good because even Junior can figure out that's not fair, and if you're not fair, why should he be? . . .

"The best thing to do if your toddler lies, cheats, steals? Burst into tears. Ham it up a little if you can. If just once they see how their actions are affecting you, they may do an instant one-eighty. Next, tell Junior he has to do something nice for Susie since he tried to frame the poor girl. Praise him when he does this nice thing. He gets a high. The goal is to train the kids to get the same high from helping people as they had from hurting them."

5 stars - OUTSTANDING

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult yet ultimately rewarding novel to read. The book is focused on children who have been dramatically abused. There is so much information and science behind what has occurred and what one can expect from these children, that it takes a good portion of the book to describe.

The author has used characters to give this information to the reader. In some cases, it becomes more of a lecture than a story but I can understand why she wanted to provide the information.

Frankly, I was horrified by what I read. I knew that I had suffered abuse within my family when I was a child but after reading this story, I can be thankful that my own abuse was much milder and left less of a shadow on the rest of my life. That is not to diminish any form of abuse. Abuse is just that and it becomes part of what forms you as an individual.

Personally, I would have preferred some of the information in a preface to the book. Either that, or less stories of abuse in a single book – perhaps spread across two or three. That’s a difficult thing to do, so perhaps, the preface would make more sense.

This is also the first book in this series I have read. It could easily be read as a stand-alone book but there are references to other stories that piqued my interest and made me want to go back and read them. My recommendation is to read the stories in order so you can see how the characters have grown and what their shared history is.

As I said previously, the book is about abused children. The children are being kept in custody as a way to try to re-introduce them to society. That sounds at odds, but the method is explained in the book, so I won’t repeat it here. It makes sense but it also provides a hotbed area where children with issues are grouped.

There is a murder and an investigation starts. As Gardiner and Renner ramp up looking for the whodunnit, more and more crimes occur. Add to that, Maggie Gardiner’s ex-husband is jealous of the relationship Maggie has with Jack Renner and looking for a way to bring Jack down.

Because of the wealth of information provided, the plot lags a bit. It is a well-written book on an engrossing subject. It certainly made me interested in the series and I will be looking forward to new books in the future by this talented author.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

[Talya Boerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I met best-selling author Lisa Black at the Florida Authors and Publishers Conference in August, she gave me an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of her latest novel Suffer the Children. I don’t often (ever) read crime mystery novels, but after meeting Lisa, a real-life forensic expert, I was excited to dig into this book. It didn’t disappoint.

Suffer the Children is 4th in the Gardiner/Renner series, but I had no trouble following along as forensic expert, Maggie Gardiner, and homicide detective, Jack Renner, set out to investigate a mysterious death at a juvenile facility. When another child suddenly dies during the investigation, it becomes apparent that a killer is on the loose. Tension builds as everyone (in my mind) becomes a suspect, and the killer is no doubt someone from within. (This reminded me of When a Stranger Calls, one of the scariest movies ever in my opinion.) Fans of CSI and whodunits—you will be mesmerized by the scientific and investigative detail woven into the story. Lisa Black knows the forensics business and gives us a front seat view.

(Although I was given an ARC, opinion is my own.)

My favorite line: Emptiness had gotten boring.

This book made me: consider adding more crime to my life. In the form of books:)

[Kayla 🦇⚰️🪦💅 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the story and setting on this one. I like that the culprit isn't ever obvious, but also isn't someone that was mentioned off hand once and never looked into.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Suffer the Children by Lisa Black that I read and reviewed.
This was the fourth book in the Gardiner and Renner series and even though you can read the book as a stand alone I would suggest you read the books in order because there are a lot of spoilers and they all fit together and lead into a big plot. With that being said Black was back with a brilliant story in this book. I was not that thrilled with the last book but this book she got out of the park.
Maggie and Jack were brilliant together in this book and you could feel the sparks flying between them. As a reader I was not sure if they wanted to strangle each other or rip each other's clothes off and I loved it and I can't wait to see where their uneasy alliance is going to take them. Also, the obsession that Maggie's ex has with trying to find out the truth about Jack had me on the edge the entire book. This just get better and better.
Now for the actually story in this book it was very gripping as well. I really had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed at the end and it blew my mind. Great twist and turns and very emotional topic in this book.
I am really not sure if I can wait for the next book to come out too see what is going to be in covered about who Jack really is. Needless to say Suffer the Children gets five out of five stars.

[TacoFan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok I actually thought this was another book, Suffer the Children by Craig Delouie (something like that). I guess I already read that back in February.

When I realized the horror was not setting in, I went back and actually realized this was the wrong book! Not only that, it was part of a series, hahaha! I am bummed that I picked the killer from the beginning! I think people that like crime books may like this.

[Iliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic expert, Maggie Gardiner, is called to Firebird, a secure facility for juvenile offenders in Cleveland after one of the residents is found dead. Rachel was a 15-year-old girl with behavioral issues but Maggie is there to find out if this was an accident or foul play. Homicide detective Jack Renner is also on the scene to conduct the investigation.

While conducting interviews with some of the people that came in contact with Rachel, they realize that despite the reason why the juveniles are at Firebird, they are also victims themselves of the system that didn’t help them. Most of the kids were in abusive situations and have repeated the pattern of abuse.

Despite Firebird being a secure facility and the staff having set up a system where the kids can’t move about freely, another death is reported and even Maggie and Jack are attacked by one of the children. No matter, Maggie is determined to see through the investigation and find out who was responsible.

Meanwhile while all of this is going on, Maggie’s ex-husband thinks he know who Jack Renner really is. Jack can’t afford to have the truth come out about his background and at this point neither can Maggie. As usual, the author does a great job of setting up the details involving the crime. These two are becoming my favorite duo in a mystery series but there is the issue of Jack’s past. This is the fourth book in the series and while you could certainly read on its own, I highly recommend you start from the beginning. Now, I’m looking forward to the next one.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery series with a strong female lead character supported by an equally strong and flawed male character. Maggie Gardner is a forensic specialist who is called to a scene in a detention center juvenile offenders. A young girl has been found dead and it is assumed a suicide or bad accident. Maggie along with the 2 assigned detectives look into the case. They find the place is rather unusual in how they handle the offenders and who is housed there. After another death they really start to question what is happening at the place. They spend a lot of time at the place investigating both the kids there and the staff.
Learned a great deal about the psychology of juvenile offenders and different methods of approaching and treating them. It was interesting and sad at the same time. It is also a bit frustrating to see how some people treat their kids that lead them to become criminals. Like all the descriptions of the different forensic techniques that Maggie uses.
The one male cop, Jack, that Maggie works with is a serial killer who only does away with really bad criminals. Maggie keeps wondering if Jack had anything to do with the deaths of these delinquents but for once he doesn't. Maggie's ex, who is also a cop, is working on trying to figure out who the vigilante killer is and looks hard at Jack and is checking his background which makes Jack nervous as he is the killer.
Enjoy the interaction between the various characters, good story line, interesting subject and some good science thrown in. Good pace.

[Beth Peninger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black made a comeback, in my opinion, with this title. Focusing on the juvenile delinquent system, Black takes the reader - alongside Gardiner and Renner - into Firebird Center. Firebird is a specialized center meant to address kids who have been abused and have lashed out at others because of it. Maggie, Jack, and Riley are called there when the body of 15-year-old Rachael is found. From all appearances and surface investigation, it looks like Rachael's death is either an accident or a suicide...until another body is found. Then the death count begins to tick up with each passing day. Someone is killing kids and the investigative team is having the worst time getting even one lead to pursue. Meanwhile, Maggie's ex-husband, Rick, is getting closer to discovering Jack's real identity and what he's been doing in his off-duty time.

This title had me reading every chance I could get, it was engaging and the pace was great. It was also an incredibly sad look into wounded people and how they in turn wound people. It was interesting in the real world sense but also in the fictional lives of Maggie and Jack, things are getting interesting.

[Luanne Oleas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Black's SUFFER THE CHILDREN leads the reader on a educating journey through the world of child rehabilitation. I enjoyed more of what I learned in the veins of child psychology and troubled children than I enjoyed the "whodunit" aspect of the book. Maybe the fact that all the victims were children had a negative impact. I did like the sexual tension, though unresolved, between Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner. I would probably read more of this author's "Gardiner and Renner Thriller" series for this fact alone. Interesting information on forensics too. Overall, it did hold my interest and moved quickly. Occasionally, I struggled to track who was speaking, but maybe that's just me.

[Maranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black's Gardiner and Renner Series has amazing characters and interesting plot. But... it just has too much narrative about issues that the story could do without. The forensic pages reveal procedures taken that were vital to the story. Would like more interaction and personal time given to the main characters and their hidden emotions. All this being said; look forward to more in this series to find out what happens to Maggie and Jack. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

[S.M. Dapelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the series, because there weren't overdone explanations of how certain systems work. Looking forward to seeing how Jack deals with Maggie's ex. More importantly how Maggie deals with her ex, because his obsession with her not being happy (which is what is the heart of his issue) is a problem she needs to deal with, not Jack.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very wordy and drawn out. The personalities of the children in the juvenile delinquent facility were more interesting than that of all of the adults. I had a hard time keeping track of characters. The ending was confusing.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suffer the Children by Lisa Black
Gardner & Renner #

Maggie and Jack have an uneasy relationship built on both knowing something about one another that neither wants out in the open. Both also work together to find criminals. Maggie works in forensics and Jack is a homicide detective. Not much is said about either’s personal lives or interests as theirs is a work relationship…mostly. We do know that Maggie is divorced and her ex is a policeman with the ability to expose secrets perhaps better left…secret…at least better for Maggie and Jack.

With the uneasy truce in place Jack and Maggie find themselves in a juvenile detention center after the death of a female teenager who seems to have leaped to her death. Seemingly is what the murderer wants everyone to buy into but as one after another of the youth ends up dead it seems that someone has it out for these imprisoned young people who are far more likely to grow into criminals than responsible adults.

As the story unfolds it slowly becomes clear just who the murderer is and what the reasoning behind the killings is. It also seems that the vigilante killer, killing rather despicable miscreants that otherwise seem to avoid justice, might be exposed eventually by Maggie’s ex-husband. I do wonder if there is romance in the future for Maggie and Jack but unless they begin to have interaction outside of work it seems doubtful…maybe…

I have to say that I was not drawn in and kept on the edge of my seat and often felt the story was being told rather than that I was in the thick of it but it was solid overall and I will read more in the series to find out what will or will not happen with the vigilante killer, Maggie and Jack.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

[Olivermagnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suffer the Children is book 4 in the Gardiner and Renner mystery series. In this book forensics expert, Maggie Gardiner, and homicide detective, Jack Renner, find themselves at Firebird, a secure facility for juvenile delinquents. The kids inside this establishment have extreme problems, many have a total lack of empathy and have been abandoned to the system. When one of them dies in a suspicious manner, Gardiner and Renner come to investigate whether it was an accident or murder.

"Suffer the Children" goes into a lot of detail on how the juvenile system works and the psychology of mental health disorders. It was quite heart breaking and easy to see how many children are "doomed" from birth. The whodunit storyline kept me wondering who was guilty.

While this could be read as a standalone, I do not recommend it. There are a lot of spoilers and they all fit together and lead into an overarching series plot. Is Jack's secret about to come out? What can Maggie do to keep her ex-husband from continuing his investigation? As Jack begins to realize his time is almost up, what does that mean for his relationship with Maggie?

I listened to the audio version, narrated by Kirsten Potter who does a phenomenal job. This is an excellent series and as it draws to a conclusion, I am anxious to see where it goes next.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infinitely better than her last book with the usual Lisa Black style of deep research on her main subject and wrapping it around a murder and subterfuge.

Things are about to be blown wide open within the Cleveland juvenile detention system when hard to handle teenager Rachel Donahue is found dead and no one can tell if it is murder or a death by misadventure. No finger points in any one direction and it is not until the deaths and near deaths pile up that Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner realize there is a murderer within these locked doors and if they do not find the perpetrator soon, more children will die in accidents which are really a cover-up for a judge and jury of one.

In this unputdownable novel, Maggie and Jack rush to save the children others have thrown away. They are in a fight for not only the children, but for their own secrets which are quickly disintegrating around them and mere steeps ahead of Maggie’s ex-husband who thinks he has final solved the mystery that is holding Maggie and Jack together.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:
-I thought the setting for this book was strong; the children’s facility was a change from other book I’ve read.
-I mostly like Jack.
-I like that Maggie and Jack’s relationship has movement.
-I like Jack’s partner, Riley.

What I didn’t like, and I really didn’t like it:
-Maggie is so freaking annoying and her constant self-doubting self-flagellation and, “Oh, what shall I do?”
-I wouldn’t be surprised if over two hours of this just under 9-hour book was devoted to lecturing me on how the children’s correctional system works, and children’s physical and psychological development, and healthy child-rearing. This is a repeat of what happened in book 2 with the newspaper business and book 3 with the world of finance. Lisa Black, stop already! Stop lecturing me and filling up space. Your books are wordy and dragging and sometimes boring. Stop lecturing me!
I bought a block of these books on special, so probably listen to the next one, as well; I wonder what lecture I’ll have to sit through this time.

Narrator Kirsten Potter was fine.

[Juliette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library purely because the synopsis was interesting and this was the first book I read from the author.

The only reason I’m not giving one star is because the description and viewpoints of the children within the book were interesting to me. That said, I found the characters of Maggie, Jack, Riley, and Rick so unlikeable, incompetent, and frankly annoying. All of the adults in my opinion had no redeeming qualities that I could see. There is one part - semi spoiler - where Jack and Maggie are faced with an armed assailant, and I really hope my misery would end there, but alas I was not so lucky. I almost DNF twice, but I’m glad I did so I don’t ever have read about Maggie and Jack again.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

How sad is the situation at Firebird? These kids weren't born this way. Maggie and Jack are sent to investigate the death of Rachel, a teen who is pushed to her death, and discover so much more. Yes Rachel was not a nice person but did she deserve what happened to her? This is a procedural that asks you to think about how we treat our children. Maggie and Jack have secrets they keep trying to hide but which can't stay in the dark forever. I haven't read all the books in this series and it's clear to me that they can each be read as a standalone. Thanks to NEtgalley for the ARC. This is a nice combo of a forensics expert (and you get some details) and a homicide detective.

[Sep · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I've read in this series so I'll try not to spoil stuff. Gardiner and Renner (a man and woman who have an DANGEROUS secret) are called to investigate the death (accident or murder) at a home for mentally ill children (under 18) who have committed serious crimes.

The mystery is good but EACH teacher at the school pauses before offering information to lecture on the correct way to treat a child with mental illness. At first it was annoying but I learned SO much and think that this could be a good novel for someone who likes learning about the difficult challenge of educating the mentally challenged.

The mystery is very clever.

[Cheryle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. It started kind of slow and a bit confusing, but the story got really interesting and kept me engaged.

One thing I do want to mention, though: Authors who assume readers have read the prequels to books are doing us a great disservice. It was obvious early on that there was a back story. Unfortunately, despite the tantalizing bits and pieces littered throughout, there was clear explanation at the end. This means I either need to go back and read the previous books or just live with the mystery. Since this is a pet peeve of mine, I'm extremely unlikely to search out the previous books and reward what I consider bad author behavior.

[Awna Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by Lisa Black and definitely will not be my last.

I did not know that this was a series now I am going to go back and start at the beginning as I am a tad bit lost on all of the other characters in the storyline but one doesn't need to know all of the other books in the series to read up to this point however I am just a dork like that. Yes, the story can be read as a stand-alone as well.

If you do not like to listen to a lot of procedural mumbo-jumbo, especially child psychology, this may not be your cup of tea, other than that...very good book.