Unpunished

Lisa Black

Jan 2017 · A Gardiner and Renner Novel Book 2 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

A “timely, tense, and thought-provoking” Gardiner and Renner thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Kind of Wicked (Hank Phillippi Ryan).
 
“Lisa Black always delivers.” —Jeff Lindsay, creator of the Dexter series

When it comes to the dead, forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner has seen it all. But detective Jack Renner knows there are always more ways to die . . .
 
The Cleveland Herald is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. A dead body found hanging above the newspaper’s assembly line is a surefire way to stop the presses. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner rules out suicide. The evidence tells her a murderer is implementing a staff cut—and the killing is far from over. 
 
Homicide detective Jack Renner believes in justice—by any means necessary. If killing is what it takes, he won’t let the law get in his way. It’s just too bad Maggie knows his secrets. As the body count rises, Maggie has no choice but to put her trust in the one person she can never trust.
  
Praise for Lisa Black and Her Gardiner and Renner Thrillers

“The definition of psychological suspense! Superbly drawn characters, nonstop plotting and a style that’s downright lyrical keep us racing through this tale of crime, politics, power and journalism from first page to the last. This is a one-sitting read!”—Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
 
“As always with Black, this psychological suspense is incredible.”—Suspense Magazine
 
“Black is one of the best writers of the world of forensics.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
 
“A great choice for readers of psychological suspense, forensic i

Ratings and reviews

Unpunished by Lisa Black is the second book in A Gardiner and Renner Thriller series. Maggie Gardiner is called out to the death of a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald. Robert Davis was found strung up from the printing tower platform. When the victim is brought down, it is obvious that Davis was murdered. Detective Jack Renner and his partner, Riley are assigned the case. Things are a little awkward between Maggie and Jack since Maggie discovered Jack’s secret (in That Darkness). Maggie collects the forensics while Jack starts questioning newspaper employees. Soon, though, a second victim is found strung up in his living room. Jerry Wilton, Director of Advertising, for the Cleveland Herald was also strangled. Unfortunately, the killer took things one step further with Wilton (it is gruesome). It looks like someone is targeting employees of the Herald. Then Stephanie Davis, Robert’s wife, is found murdered. What did she stumble across in her husband’s belongings? Whatever Stephanie had discovered about her husband, it got her killed. Will Maggie and Jack be able to find the killer before there is another casualty. I had high hopes for Unpunished after reading That Darkness. I like Jack Renner and Maggie Gardiner. They have such potential as main characters. Unfortunately, Lisa Black did not bring them to life in Unpunished. Maggie did find out more about Jack in this book (which I liked). But, the relationship between Maggie and Jack did not have any spark. I found Unpunished to extremely slow paced. The author put in too many details about the newspaper industry. The book felt more like a monologue about how real newspapers are dying out and are being replaced by digital papers that focus on celebrity gossip (there was more, but I started skipping pages at this point). We also find out how newspapers are run and published (which makes for a very dull mystery novel). I give Unpunished 2 out of 5 stars. The book did not have any suspense, and the killer can be identified early in the story. The author did provide good clues (if you pay very close attention). Unpunished fell short of its potential. If you do read Unpunished, I recommend reading That Darkness first. It gives you necessary background details on the characters and the relationship between Jack and Maggie.

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.

Awesome!

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black introduced the characters of Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner in her acclaimed suspense novel That Darkness and continued their story in Unpunished, Perish, Suffer the Children, and Let Justice Descend. 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. Now she is a latent print examiner and crime scene analyst for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida, working mostly with fingerprints and crime scenes. Lisa is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and she is a Certified Crime Scene Analyst and Certified Latent Print Examiner. She has testified in court as an expert witness more than sixty-five times. Her books have been translated into six languages. She lives near Fort Myers, Florida. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.lisa-black.com.