A lot of suspects.....
582818
This was a great mystery but there was so many twists and turns (which I like) but each time, there was new persons of interest brought into the story that by the time you got to the next twist, you were confused from the beginning.  Story could have been shortened with fewer people involved.
4344376
Every one is crazy.  Finding out who done-it will keep you guessing until the end.
941924
Missing persons cases have always fascinated me. Especially cases where the known facts point in different directions. This book is  full of such cases and the authors give their own theories after presenting condensed versions of each case. Some of the stories are clearly more well-researched than others. In some of them the authors consulted several books, sources and web sites whereas others cite only a few online articles and Wikipedia. This is particularly noticeable in the case of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip who was last seen the evening before 9/11. The N.Y.P.D concluded that she disappeared voluntarily due to the chaos and turmoil in her life which at that time was substantial. This is my opinion as well, but the authors believe the same conclusion as her family --- that she died helping victims of 9/11. This theory seems hasty and  more reliant on wishful, romanticized thinking  than the evidence (or lack of it here). Legally, after many years of litigation and counter arguments she was named the 2,751st victim of the attacks. It is glaring however in the case the authors present of the three inmates who escaped from Alcatraz June 11, 1962. They overlooked the significance of the National Geographic TV special they mention. In this TV special a few new key facts emerged that strongly suggest one or more of the inmates made it to land in their raft made from prison raincoats. A U.S. Marshall's recent combing of the F.B.I original files revealed two bombshell documents which show that a makeshift raft was found with footprints leading away from it. Also, that a car was stolen that night by three men which the F.B.I originally never reported. Further, the authors mention a body later found floating in the San Francisco bay. The above-mentioned program however tracked down the body to an unmarked grave and did DNA comparisons which did not match those of escapee and mastermind Frank Morris. So essentially the authors ignored all this new evidence that they cited and contended that all three inmates drowned. Additionally, the story of Pennsylvania DA Ray Gricar shows every sign of a planned disappearance including searches on his computer about how to destroy a hard drive. Authorities eventually found his laptop computer and hard drive in a river not far from where his car was found. This and other facts the authors cited about the case were shelved in favor of the theory that he was murdered in a hit by a drug cartel which they didn't really develop. That's the nature of these types of books though. People can read the same things and in the absence of a body draw totally different conclusions from the known facts. All that being said the book is an intriguing and engrossing fast read. I give the authors credit for exploring these cases at all because the true crime genre of missing persons was long overdue for a new edition. The reason I didn't give it five stars in this review is that more digging & research could've made a good book great.
3815272
I enjoy the detective and his sergeant so much- what nice people they are to do such ugly work as investigating murder.  This case involves a very reclusive victim and a lot of work to reveal the murderer and more importantly the motive.
481892
The only female member of a painting group is murdered on her way home after a meeting.  Her husband who is not a painter is the prime suspect.  Chief Inspector Gently soon discovers there are a number of painting group members who had reasons to dislike and perhaps even murder her.

There is a bit of action, but there is too much interrogation and verbal fencing with the different suspects all of whom are concealing something.  Eventually, Gently wears down the suspects and comes to the truth.

There is too much questioning of the suspects for my taste.  However, the book is worth reading.
4469531
i was unable to guess who the suspects were. I guess each one at a time, but had no idea that they worked together.
3744022
Interesting characters, off the beaten path scenes and a really tricky mystery. I'm not quite finished with the story and I'm still not
positive who did the murders nor why.
If I don't have it solved by now, you can bet it's a really well written mystery. The clues,(and I'm sure there are some I've missed),
are well concealed
I would have given it five stars, but there are a few too many characters who are fleshed out enough to keep them straightened
out. Ripper is a near five
76522
The plot was well written with a few main characters; three who were suspected of the murders and it was not until the very end that the reader knew for sure who really was the culprit.  Great read!
4891891
This is a great mystery. People are being killed all across the country by the same person. How are they connected? Some are men, some women, older couples and young people. They has to be a common thread somewhere that is putting them together. Mike Posten is receiving calls that tell him who and where the next victim is going to be before the bodies are found. Is this the killer or an informant? Victoria Santos leds a group of FBI agents in trying to find and stop the killing. The book takes many twist and turns, it ties people to the killer in ways you can not think of. It will hold your attenion. You may not sleep to secure for a night or two but it is a good book.
115916
The good guys are Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur (and his girl friend Denise), and his boss Desmond Iles.
The bad guys are Doug Webb - a truly low class criminal , Courtney Saquhar-Perry - a criminal of more elevated rank and good at organizing, and Ralph Ember - owner of a pub/club, where the low life likes to congregate.
And in between these two groups are the informers who supply the good guys with the inside info on planned criminal activities and, in return, are cut considerable slack  when doing wrong themselves. Foremost is Jack Lamb (and his girl friend Helen), who worked his way into a super trophy mansion and a remarkable collection of fine art, most of it stolen and now for resale. On a lower rung is Tony Towler, and also our friend Ralph Ember.
Let the fun begin with a heist the police had been advised about. It turns problematic when Doug  Webb?s son Martin is killed by Harpur. Webb needs revenge. Who blew the whistle? Maybe Denise, who is also friendly with Helen and could be the messenger go-between. She has to be eliminated. It definitely could be Lamb, but he is a few numbers too large to just blow away. No such problem with Towler, who quickly gets killed. But who can trust anybody?  Saquhar-Perry plans a new heist at a bank. So let?s plant some desinformation to make sure the good guys are in the wrong place. Feed it to Towler, who will pass it on to Lamb, who will then inform Harpur. Towler can?t be found (remember, he is dead). You have to find a substitute. But who can you trust? What information can you trust? As a matter of fact - can Ember trust Webb? Can Saquhar-Perry trust Ember? Can anybody trust anybody?
The author has written a tightly constructed mystery. After introducing the actors, he starts to apply the vise and squeezes the last bit of thought out of them. The result is a cliff hanger not to be missed. I just wonder why it took ten years for this book to make the trip from England across the Atlantic. We desperately need more books of this caliber!
4803284
A good read with an interesting cast of suspects.....very human ones.  I plan to read the next book in the series.
3952591
There were so many players by the end of the story it was hard to keep up with who was doing what to whoever.
2742859
There are several deaths in this nation and HUNDREDS in Mexico. These criminals could be responsible for more deaths than the 9/11/2001 terrorists! There were over 2,500 guns purposely walked across the boarder into the hands of known drug dealers on purpose. Few have been recovered so we can not yet know how many of the 50,000 dead Holder and Obama are accomplices to murder on. We know at least 400 are. The corruption in the USA government is off the charts, that is why no one is in jail for international gun running, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, MF Global 1.6 billion stolen. The rule of law no longer means anything, it is now cronyism. Just as capitalism is gone in the USA it is now Fascism. This is what is to be expected of a strong centralized fascist government. Thankfully there are still some reporting on it great job Katie! Now we see how deep the corruption goes, can the powers that be get away with mass murder? So far it appears the answer is yes.
4887592
Edge of Black
by J.T. Ellison

Dr. Samantha Owens hopes to begin a new life in Washington, D.C. teaching forensic pathology in medical school. Tragic Nashville floods claimed her husband and children several years before, and Sam needed to find a place to start over. A new man, Alexander (Xander) Whitfield, also has come into her life. Although a civilian, Xander has spent much of his life in the Army as a decorated Airborne Ranger.

Just as she begins her new career, an incident in the Washington Metro creates widespread terror. An unknown biological or chemical agent causes many to seek medical help. At the end of the day, three people are dead. One is U.S. Congressman, Peter Leighton, head of the Armed Services Subcommittee. Sam's friend, Detective Darren Fletcher, calls her in to help with Leighton's autopsy. Her findings offer confusing and disturbing results.

Meanwhile, Fletcher is pulled into an assignment with the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He meets his new woman boss who is a "stickler for details" and tough as nails under a facade of friendliness. Tension builds while Fletcher pursues the case.

As the pieces of the mystery begin to fall into place, the action really picks up. It alternates between Washington and the Colorado Rockies where Xander was born and raised by "hippie" parents.  Xander believes he may have some clues as to who might be behind the terrorism.

Many questions arise: Did the terrorist plot originate outside the U.S. or within?  What is the deadly toxin? How are the three victims related? Can they identify and catch the person behind the attacks before more terror is unleashed?

Ellison sets up an interesting plot and creates good interactions among the characters.  I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it.
3442077
I enjoyed the book. The case was difficult to solve but they continue to search all leads . A cop/ laywer was able to solve the case and got the man off and was able to find the real killer and saved the man's step daughter. The book was heavy in some areas but it was a very good read. I recommend this book!
4364659
A good action thriller with fine cast, though with a rather large body count, including many innocent bystanders. Spoiler alert: we never do learn what was in the mysterious case that is the cause of all the mayhem.
2449830
It all began with a drawing that was turned in to the police; a woman who was walking found a nude drawing with her face on it posted in several locations in and around the University of Minnesota.  When the police run a newscast, several more women come forward with similar pictures.  Then someone discovers that a missing girl had a picture like this as well.  Eventually, a mass graveyard is discovered.  Eight bodies are pulled out.

Lucas Davenport is called in and he has help from the uncle of one of the murder victims, who is a cop from Wisconsin (the uncle, not the murder victim) - and who was in a large part responsible for breaking open the case and putting the murders together with the pictures.  The trouble is, no one has any idea who could be doing the killings, or the pictures - and it is just a matter of time before he kills again.

A suspense novel, rather than a mystery, the reader is kept more or less aware of the villain's activities throughout the story along with the activities of the police; however, that doesn't stop Sanford from keeping the tension ratcheted up as high as it will go.  I somehow managed to get my hands on a UK version of this book (used book store - gotta love 'em), but as far as I can tell, there are no real differences outside of cosmetic.  This is also the book where Lucas and Winter finally get back together.  A recommend from me!