Former Chicago detective Ashe Cayne is desperate for redemption. After refusing to participate in a police department cover-up involving the death of a young black man, Cayne is pushed out of the force. But he won’t sit quietly on the sidelines: he’s compelled to fight for justice as a private investigator…even if it means putting himself in jeopardy.
When a young woman, Tinsley Gerrigan, goes missing, her wealthy parents from the North Shore hire Cayne to find her. As Cayne looks into her life and past, he uncovers secrets Tinsley’s been hiding from her family. Cayne fears he may never find Tinsley alive.
His worries spike when Tinsley’s boyfriend is found dead—another black man murdered on the tough Chicago streets. Cayne must navigate his complicated relationships within the Chicago PD, leveraging his contacts and police skills to find the missing young woman, see justice done, and earn his redemption.
Ian K. Smith, M.D.,Ian K. Smith, M.D. is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of SUPER SHRED, SHRED, THE 4 DAY DIET, THE FAT SMASH DIET and EXTREME FAT SMASH DIET among 7 other books including, SHRED Diet Cookbook , EAT, Happy , and The Blackbird Papers. His newest book, THE SHRED POWER CLEANSE, is available 12/29/15.
He is a former co-host of Emmy-winning “The Doctors” TV show, and a medical contributor to “The Rachael Ray Show."
He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBC’s “Nightly News” and the “Today” show as well as WNBC’s various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including “The Oprah Show,” “Good Morning America” “CBS This Morning” “The View,” “The Talk,” “Dr. Oz,” ‘Dr. Phil,” “Anderson Cooper 360″ and “Showbiz Tonight.”
He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Men’s Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, Publisher’s Weekly, Red Book, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, People, Essence, Ebony, University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway, Cosmopolitan, Women’s World, and Black Enterprise.
Dr. Smith is the founder of two major national health initiatives—the 50 Million Pound Challenge and the Makeover Mile—that have helped millions of people lose weight and improve their health.
A graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Smith was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition in 2010 and is serving a second term.
Ian K. Smith does a fabulous job with this series debut, introducing the world to Ashe Cayne in The Unspoken. Moving through the tough streets of Chicago, Cayne uses some of the skills he brought from CPD into his private investigation firm. Tasked with finding a missing woman, he will have to see through the haze of the rich as well as juggle the socio-economic disparity the city has to offer in order to piece the case together. Well worth a read by anyone who enjoys the genre!
Ashe Cayne may not have left work with the Chicago Police Department on the right foot, but he’s been able to effectively use his skills to develop a great new gig as a private investigator. So much so that he’s been summoned to see Violet Garrigan, a woman of some financial means. It would seem that her daughter, Tinsley, has gone missing. Not only is it important to locate the errant twenty-something, but discretion is paramount. Cayne agrees to the terms and receives a few tidbits on which to begin his work.
After talking to one of Tinsley’s friends, Cayne learns that there was a boyfriend on the side, one the Garrigans would surely not approve being made public. Not only is Tariq ‘Chopper’ McNair a relative of one of Chicago’s most ruthless gang lords, but he’s black. Cayne knows he has his work cut out for him, but forges ahead, hoping that this will prove useful.
After getting the lay of the land, Cayne discovers that Chopper may have blood relations with those on the rough side of town, but he’s well-educated and does not partake in the family business. He loves Tinsley and simply wants her found as soon as possible. Cayne promises to do his best, though with few leads, it may be hard to make any progress.
All that changes when some forensics comes back in the form of phone records. Cayne discovers that Tinsley has an active phone life and a few of her callers prove to be highly intriguing, including the psychiatrist. As hard as he tries, Cayne can get nothing from the doctor, which leaves him wondering if she was harbouring a secret. He’s also baffled as to why Mr. Garrigan seems so calm about the disappearance, as though he is too pre-occupied to care about where his daughter might be. A clue points to a business deal, one that could shed some bad light on the Garrigan name, though things are still too hazy to tell.
In the midst of the investigation, Cayne locates a man for whom he has been searching. This is someone who appears on the up and up, but holds a dark secret behind closed doors. It’s time for Ashe Cayne to help bring about some justice for those without a voice, using some unorthodox means, fuelled by a vindictive streak.
When a body is discovered, Cayne rushes to the scene, only to learn that it’s not Tinsley, but Chopper. Obviously someone wanted him silenced, though the markings on his body point to a rival gang. Had Tinsley found herself in the middle of a gang war? It’s now a missing person and murder investigation, as things continue to heat up.
Just as the case is gaining momentum, Violet Garrigan fires Cayne, citing that things have become highly personal and they will handle them on their own. Cayne can only surmise that he’s turn over too many stones and let out a few secrets no one wanted revealed. However, he’s invested and continues to poke around, sure that he will piece it all together. A few other scandalous tidbits come to light, which could only add to the drama. It might also be the perfect motive to kidnapping and murder.
Having never read anything by Ian K. Smith before, I was eager to see if it would be to my liking. I soon discovered that Smith has a wonderful style and can construct a story effectively, while pulling the reader in with ease. Breadcrumbs are left for both the reader and Ashe Cayne to follow, though where they lead is sometimes the greatest twist of all.
Ashe Cayne is an enjoyable protagonist. After being let go by CPD for some questionable behaviour, he’s out on his own and making a name in the PI business. He’s still trying to come to terms with the loss of his fiancée, something that surfaces throughout the story, but his work is a wonderful way to distract him. With a penchant for doing his best thinking on the golf course, Cayne is able to connect with some of the financially sound people of Chicago, making it a little easier to get access to the information he needs. There’s still a great deal about him the reader does not know, though one can hope that subsequent novels in the series provide that.
Smith utilises a strong cohort of supporting characters, many of whom offer the needed flavouring to the narrative that allow it to excel. Touching on the world of the rich, the reader can feel that sense of entitlement that permeates throughout the story. This contrasts nicely with those who work the streets of Chicago to earn a (less than legal) living. There are also a number of background characters who help Cayne with his work, those who might be best called his ‘crew’ and whose presence begs for additional interactions. They are able to offer the leads on the case, as well as coax out some personal growth in Ashe Cayne. I am eager to see how they might be used in another scenario throughout the series.
Smith presents his story in a way that is both exciting and relatable. While I have never visited the city, I felt as though I were strolling the streets of Chicago with Ashe Cayne. The narrative progresses well throughout, though there are no moments of ‘rushed solution’ as though Smith sought to quickly glue the pieces together for the reader. His slow reveal keeps the reader guessing and provides the needed momentum to ensure the piece keeps the reader hooked. Mixing up his chapters, Smith pulls the reader into the middle of something great and does not let them go, almost begging them to read ‘just a little more’. It worked, as I was up late just trying to piece it all together. I am eager to see where Ashe Cayne and this series intend on going in the coming years. With a second book already being publicised, I will be sure to get my hands on a copy.
Kudos, Mr. Smith, for a winner. I am intrigued to see what else you’ve written in the fiction world. Perhaps I’ll have to have a look while I wait for Ashe Cayne’s return.
Rated a 2...not a top notch book. Side plot with Catholic priest was unnecessary. Was distracting and did not add to the main plot except to make me think less of Ashe Cayne. Waaay too much details about Chicago streets and erroneously stated twice that you can see across Lake Michigan. The furthest you can see on a flat surface is to the horizon and the earth's curve and that is 4 miles. Lake Michigan is 118 miles at the widest and 59 miles at the narrowest. For someone who spent two years at least in Chicago, you would think he would know this THAT is why it is called a Great Lake...I'm a Michigander, so I know, plus I looked it up. I guess the camp scenes were so we could see how he is for the underdog, but again, it wasn't necessary for the plot and was distracting. His still being so hurt that he can't date 2 years after being jilted by his fiance is way too over the top. It was off putting. doesn't make me feel he is sensitive, just wimpy. Plots for a book like this, should be quick and smart. Not distracting and All in all, I would not recommend.
The cover and the snippet looked great. I chose for the Amazon first reads book. I swear this first reads program has given me zero. This book was long and drawn out. I skimmed a lot through the way too long descriptive parts. Overall not worth it
This was my latest experiment in trying to embrace the Amazon First Reads program, in which the corporation pulls out about a dozen titles from their in-house publishing company each month and then offers all their Prime members a chance to read one of them for free. I've had a bad experience with nearly every book I've ever chosen to check out through the First Reads program, for exactly the same reason I've had so many disappointing experiences with the original movies and TV shows Amazon produces through their similar in-house Prime Video program; and that's because the end results feel like something that not even a single human being decided was worth Amazon's time and money, but rather that their thousands of programmers wrote a bunch of algorithms and the computer program spit out a list of items required to be in a "creative unit" in order to "maximize user enjoyment" and thus lead to "optimal ROI," and then some poor 27-year-old Oberlin fuck on the Amazon Publishing staff was put in charge of going out and finding a book with that exact combination of items, about the most depressing definition of a job in the arts I can possibly imagine.
Unfortunately, Ian K. Smith's The Unspoken is yet another example of the dispiriting "art by algorithm" construct that always feels like is the machine behind all of Amazon's depressingly forgettable First Reads titles. It's a crime novel, and it's set in Chicago, and it stars a private investigator; now imagine every single easy cliche and trope that immediately pops into your head when I mention "Chicago-set private investigator crime novel," and believe me when I say that every single one of them is in this book, a tale with all the charm of a random twenty-year-old episode of "Law & Order" that you watched at half-attention while laying on your couch on a Sunday afternoon, full from a big lunch and slowly dozing off every few minutes, yet somehow you still know exactly what's going on when you suddenly startle awake 15 minutes before it's over. It deserves neither a good score nor a bad score, because that's the entire point -- it's neither good nor bad, but just some bland, gray, formless blob of room-temperature gelatin sitting on a cracked plate in front of you, something to mindlessly shovel into your body before trudging off to your joyless job at a draconian Amazon warehouse, where you're forced to wear a microchip that records exactly how many seconds you spend in the bathroom each day, shitting that flavorless gray blob of gelatin back out again.
That's no way to run a publishing company, and this is no way to enjoy a novel, even one that aims to be nothing more than a little supermarket airport-read piece of fluff, which is why I get a little more despondent about the world every time I try to read another one of these First Reads books. I've been keeping at it because I keep hoping to be proven wrong; but I have to admit, at this point I'm just about ready to chuck it in for good, and to block the First Reads emails from even showing up in my inbox in the first place. I mean, kudos to Smith for raising his public profile yet a little more (for those who don't know, he's a "celebrity doctor" who regularly shows up on such racing-to-the-bottom fare as The View and The Rachael Ray Show, and is actually much better known for his nonfiction books on diet and nutrition); but Jesus Christ, dude, don't get to the end of your life and have nothing else to show for it but soul-killingly mediocre bullshit like this. Try at least a little bit harder next time, won't you?
Disappointed and Sickened Ashe’s treatment of Stanton.
I would have given this book a much higher rating based on the clever repartee and the story which was totally ruined by the disgusting portrayal of the treatment of Stanton. There is no indication of why Ashe Cayne had such a dark side, nothing in his upbringing could account or explain this. You ruined a good book by going way over the top with this gratuitous violence which left me ultimately feeling sickened and disgusted. I am not a Catholic so I didn’t despise this for religious reasons. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
After reading an earlier review, I almost did not read this book. I am glad I decided to form my own opinion. This is the kind of story I enjoy to escape and relax. Characters are diverse and interesting and the plot twisted enough to keep me reading. It is a quick but satisfying read.
Details Highlighted; Plot and Characterization Suffer
All admit that the first line of this book pulled me right in: “My daughter is missing, and I want you to find her.” That puts you right in the middle of the action and lets you know that something important is at stake. Unfortunately, I felt like the book went off the rails pretty quickly. It could have been an interesting story as it has touchstones that are very much in American national consciousness, like institutional racism, profiling, and haves vs. the have-nots. Instead, though, this book got mired down in details that just didn't matter. We hear much of the Chicago setting, people's looks down to the Nth degree of detail, food and drink, etc. So much time was spent on these details that characterization and plot suffered. I didn't connect with the characters how I like to in fiction because of this wrong focus on minutiae, not character or plot development. I also wasn't a fan of the subplot. It seemed grafted on, so to speak. I like it when a subplot in a book like this supports or contrasts with the main one. I felt like it served no such function here. As you can tell, I wasn't a fan of this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Wow what a tale so many twists and turns the main character so interesting complicated and diverse with a heightened sense of justice. The details of life in the wealthy and criminal sid
Wow quite a tale with many twists and turns the main character interesting complicated and having a different sense of justice that holds your attention. The contrast between the extremely wealthy and the criminal powers in Chicago and the awesome culinary delights well done. The treatment and release of the one who escaped punishment from the law was brutal as was the murder of a young man who had a bright future of course in the end worth reading
There is too much detail in the descriptions of Chicago, but not enough for the characters. It almost reads like a movie script where everything gets detailed to the last point. I actually think this story would work pretty well on camera, just not on paper. With the two stories running at the same time, at least I think it’s the same time, I bet it would make more sense visually. Also the main character Ashe reminds me bit of Dexter Morgan, from the books and the tv series, I loved Dexter, but I don’t care for Ashe.
The story is actually pretty good, but all the unnecessary details just make it a very unpleasant read for me.
Ashe Cayne is a former police officer who left the force after refusing to participate in a cover-up. He left with quite a settlement and good investments means that he can choose his own cases as a private investigator while still trying to improve his golf game.
When Violet Gerrigan comes and asks him to look for her missing daughter Tinsley, he isn't very interested. But the more Violet tells him about Tinsley, the more his curiosity is aroused. So he begins an investigation. Soon he is led to the best friend - Hunter Morgan - who was supposed to host her friend the night she disappeared but says she didn't arrive and hasn't called to let her know why.
Morgan does mention a boyfriend - Tariq "Chopper" McNair - who is the nephew of a well-known gang lord in town and who is Black and not what people from the best part of Chicago want as a son-in-law. Ashe meets Chopper who is worried about his missing girlfriend and paints a picture of a strong, lasting relationship. Soon thereafter, Chopper is found shot to death in an abandoned alley and decorated with gang marks to make it look like he was killed by a rival gang of his uncle's. Now his uncle comes to Ashe because he wants to know who killed his nephew. He has revenge in mind.
The story was filled with interesting information about the city of Chicago, Chicago politics, and the activities of the very wealthy. Ashe is a smart, competent investigator who's as comfortable with gang leaders as the most wealthy in town. He is persistent and has a strong sense of justice. He is also something of a smartass.
A subplot about what he does to a former priest who abused a number of boys but seemed to evade justice was jarring but understandable considering Ashe's sense of justice and dislike of bullies.
I liked the sidekick characters too. Carolina provides a lot of information and seems like she'd be good girlfriend material once he finally gets over his fiance running off to Paris with another man and Mechanic is also an intriguing character.
I enjoyed this story and am eager to read more of Ashe Cayne's adventures.
This new series features Ashe Cayne, an ex-cop turned private investigator. He doesn't need the money so he's very selective of the cases he takes on. He lost his Chicago detective job when he refused to participate in a cover up revolving around the death of a young black man. So now he fights for justice his way ....
The mother of Tinsley Gerrigan arrives in Cayne's office wanting to hire him. Tinsley has been missing several days and mom wants her found ... now.
Drawing upon information from friends still in law enforcement, what he discovers as he investigates suggests that she may have had good reason to just up and leave...
But then, there's another murder ... Tinsley's boyfriend. So what were they involved in? What did they know or see that warranted this kind of violence.
This is well-written with an engaging plot and unique twists and turns that keep the reader glued to each and every page. I really like the character of Ashe .. and a little of his backstory. Other characters are deftly drawn and lend interest in the ongoing story. I like getting in on the ground floor of what seems to be a terrific series ... and even better, Book 2 will be available later this year.
Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The Unspoken by Ian K. Smith follows Ashe Cayne, a former police officer turned private detective. The daughter of one of Chicago's wealthiest families has gone missing and Ashe is hired to help find her. In the course of investigating Tinsley's disappearance, he discovers a connection to one of Chicago's deadliest gangs but when damaging information comes to light about Tinsley's father it casts a harsh shadow on the family. How do the problems of race and class play into what really happened and will Ashe be able to find Tinsley Gerrigan before it's too late?
The Unspoken deals with hot button issues like race, socio-economic profiling, police brutality, and interracial relationships. The plot itself was intriguing however, the subplot felt disingenuous to the character and the story. The majority of the book was spent detailing minor things like a character's appearance, food, buildings, weapons, and the like while there was very little character development so I felt no real connection with anyone in the book. Too much of the "plot" revolved around food and drink which was distracting from the plot and unnecessary. The story didn't really pick up until about halfway through the book and even then often got bogged down with minor details and poor dialogue.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s the first book in a new series. Smith did a great job with the storytelling. His wording kept me turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen.
This book is fast paced and kept me guessing until the end, but there are several events that seem out of place and don’t flow with the rest of the plot. For example, the main story is about looking for a woman who is missing, yet inserted in the book is a story of a defrocked priest who is a pedophile. And another inserted story is a summer camp experience, happening to the main character as a boy. These side stories don’t add to the main theme and don’t seem necessary. They are more of a distraction.
Kinda sad I started this series out of order but I loved this one too. I really enjoy Ian’s writing style and i absolutely love Ashe 😍. Love the character development & course the mystery and suspense was there!
Ho hum plot and not especially interesting writing style. I kind of lost track along the way. Missing young daughter of a very wealthy Chicago family. The mother hires Ashe Cayne a private detective and he finds the daughter had lots of secrets. Her boyfriend is murdered and that sends the search off in new directions. Somewhat predictable.
I acknowledge Doctor Ian Smith is an accomplished man, and I do not write this to disparage him personally. I recognize the difficulty in authoring ”detective fiction,” but multiple issues trouble me such that I cannot recommend this or future works in this series.
1) Obviously, the protagonist is an attempt to copy the SPENSER character by Robert B. Parker. The book is based in Chicago instead of Boston. Ashe Cayne is a former cop turned P.I. Cayne has a colleague/friend who assists him, Mechanic vs. Hawk. Both are invincible tough guys who carry big guns and take no prisoners when necessary. Both Spenser and Cayne have beautiful, smart girlfriends who assist them in numerous ways.
Spenser’s girlfriend, Dr. Susan Silverman, is a Shrink who offers psychological insights into human behaviors. Cayne’s girlfriend, Carolina, is a ”public servant” who does all sorts of Illegal things to give Cayne clues (inside information) without which he never finds the missing person. Maybe Carolina will eventually figure out why Cayne’s fiancee left him two years prior. He still hasn't gotten over her and has serious commitment issues. Yet Cayne ”uses” her as a source of information. While attracted to Cayne, she must be quite desperate as she commits crimes (passing classified info) to keep him interested.
2) The reader needs to know the streets in Chicago intimately because the author spends way too many words driving readers around the streets where it is impossible to follow the directions. It is Filler, confusing, and utterly unnecessary to the plot.
Finally and the most critical contrast is Spenser does his job without a ”Death Wish back story” like a Charles Bronson revenge movie. Apart from finding the missing girl, Cayne fancies himself as Judge and Jury by committing numerous serious felonies to Punish a Pedophile.
No matter the rationalization by the author to include this ”back story, ” which is irrelevant to the missing person case, it leaves the impression Dr. Smith is OK with vigilante justice. It is an awful indictment of the protagonist as a total hypocrite. He is supposedly driven by some ”moral duty” to find out who murdered the black boyfriend of the missing person even after he was fired by the family who hired him. Yet on the other side, Cayne is, on his own time, following, kidnapping, and torturing a defrocked pedophile. Are we supposed to believe the victim of these numerous serious Felonies is not going to report this to Chicago PD while Cayne goes on, in the next book, in finding the truth? HA😂!!
Dr. Ian Smith should write his Diet books as this novel is unworthy of the Crime/PI genre. It is a waste of the reader's time when they are so many other distinguished credible authors in the genre.
I received a free electronic copy of this excellent PI novel from Prime First Reads for September 2020. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. This is the first of new series featuring an ex-Chicago police officer turned P.I. named Ashe Cayne, a man willing to go that next, last step to right a wrong.
I am looking forward to more with this protagonist. Ashe Cayne is a dedicated fighter for the right, and this mystery is very mysterious. There have been complaints from reviewers about the descriptive meals here, and I admit I probably gained a couple of pounds during its perusal and our unusual cold snap, but I found the menus an appetizing addition to the story. The mystery was well set-up and entertainingly convoluted. All and all a good read.
Reviewed on December 8, 2020, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub, Not available for review at Kobo or GooglePlay.
A good all round and slightly old fashioned detective story. Now I don't mean old fashioned as in past it's prime, a bit of a dinosaur, I mean it's not full of computer wizardry and unbelievable gadgets and gizmos. Not is it filled with sex and deductions. It's quite simply a proper detective story. It has strong well crafted and believable characters. There is a story line that runs through it from beginning to end. It shows how the rich feel they are above the law. They are not and thanks to Ashe (I remember the guy out hero is named for winning Wimbledon) the just deserts are meted out. I hope Ashe and Carolina get together. I am not sure what the Stanton thing was all about? I didn't think it relevant to our story, to Ashe's story yes but not this one. Read it and you'll know what I mean. If you're a Brit reading it, well, American grammar is off to say the least. Anyway I enjoyed it and will happily read the next book in the series.
Dr Smith is a new author to me so I had no expectations.. it is always great to come across a great book and storyteller.
This is not a plain and simple who done it. This story is well crafted and that is amplified the further you read. The characters are varied and so well developed that I saw them in my mind whilst reading.
As I was reading this book, I was thinking about this quick review and felt it was a 4 star. But then I started reading the finale portion and I was impressed with the way the author pulled everything together. I believe great planning and much thought went into the preparation for this book. I, for one, greatly appreciate the effort. I highly recommend this book
There were so many good traits to the main character, that when he went "Dexter", it seemed inconsistent. Too many name-dropping street names and restaurants .
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I suspected who the killer was early on but was very interested in how this story played out. The ending was a bit different than I thought it would be but I wasn't mad at it. The Chicagoan in me loved everything about this being set in Chicago. I loved how descriptive it was, I felt like I was downtown Chicago riding with Ashe as Ian described the scenes. it made me miss home. I also enjoyed how Ian effortlessly inbedded historical facts into this book. There were several of times I headed on over to google because I wanted to check his facts and/or learn more. Ian was a master at keeping my attention. Everytime I thought "I am putting this book down after this chapter" Ian ended the chapter with a bang and I couldn't stop because I needed more. This is a new to me author that I will keep on my radar. Can’t wait to see where this Ashe Cayne series goes.
This was just ok. Ashe Cayne, former Chicago police detective turned private investigator is hired to locate a missing twenty-five you old woman. Tinsley Gerrigan is from a well known wealthy real estate family. The mother, Violet hires Ashe. Upon his investigation, he discovered Tinsley is in a relationship with an African American man from the south side of Chicago but also the nephew of a well known crime boss. Things are not what they appear, once Ashe begins to asked questions. What is the family into, why did Tinsley run off and what has happened to the boyfriend. This plot lasted a bit long for me and there was a section in the storyline that did not make sense. The author introduced a priest and what he had done in the past. There was no connection given to the plot of missing Tinsley. This was a quick read, a bit entertaining at times.⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: mentions of pedophilia
The Unspoken is a story that surprised me. Sure that's kind of the whole point of a mystery novel, but there were these hidden layers throughout the book. First off, Cayne is hiding a lot. Throughout the mystery, we are not only introduced to his backstory through memories, but also his life outside his current case. Without spoiling Cayne's backstory, it's a story that asks us not only about ethics, but about the failings of the justice system.
Additionally, while I greatly enjoyed the mystery and sleuthing, I ended up enjoyed The Unspoken for Cayne's character as well as the title. That seems like a weird sentence right? Well The Unspoken revolves constantly around all the things that lie in the unspoken spaces and silences. It's a story that balances its focus equally on the people who work to tease out the lies and illusions, as well as the shadows in the ellipses.
There must be something really wrong with me…I actually read the first book of a series…FIRST:) The story starts out grabbing your attention right away…but it while it doesn’t flounder exactly it does badly “wobble” from there on. I can’t say I didn’t like the story or that it was a bad read…after all getting to take a look into the secret lives of rich people is always fun and always revealing. I just wanted Ashe Cayne to be more accepted for what he was. For him to not have to feel that he needed redemption for anything. I liked the man and I believe this is gong to be a series well worth reading…but please we don’t need to know in glorious detail everything the man eats, and we don’t need another badly broken police detective. Just “slightly dented” would be acceptable.
The Unspoken was such an interesting read. I'm fond of a few cop procedural shows and true crime shows, so I had no trouble diving into the world quickly. The plot is definitely one big puzzle and loved the mystery of it all. I did expect more thrill or shock as I read, but still I have to applaud the author for a twisted storyline. There was a certain part of the story that seemed disconnected from the main story. Don't get me wrong, it was interesting, but it felt disconnected from everything. Ashe Cayne was also one complex character! I thought I already knew what kind of character he is, but he still managed to surprise me towards the end. Overall, The Unspoken is a good, entertaining read! (Exact rating: 3.5 stars!)
Full review on my blog soon!
Big thanks to @mbc_books on Instagram for sending a copy my way! (This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
This was my Amazon First Reads pick for September 2020. I find the First Reads offerings are hit or miss. I debated between this one and at least one other title--now I wonder if I should have chosen one of the others.
It took me a while to get into this book. In some ways, Cayne reminds me of other fictional PIs: the inability to drop a case even when he's been fired and when it's obvious that dangerous people don't want him on it.
While I admire his tenacity to find a missing girl, the subplot about the Catholic priest made me question Cayne's character. Yes, I agree that what the priest did was wrong, and yes, I agree that the priest should have been punished for what he did--and he should not have been allowed to be in any position where he might be around young children again. But I do not agree about taking vengeance into one's own hands and especially not in the torturous manner Cayne and Henderson did.