Book Review: The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in Reviews / 0 Comments

Book Review: The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg GardinerTitle: The Dark Corners of the Night (UNSUB, #3)
Author(s): Meg Gardiner
Series: UNSUB #3
Published by Blackstone Publishing on February 18, 2020
Pages: 341
Genre(s): Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eBook, ARC
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon
Reading Challenges: Netgalley and Edelweiss, New Release
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Series Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

I am the legion of the night …
He appears in the darkness like a ghost, made of shadows and fear—the Midnight Man. He comes for the parents but leaves the children alive, tiny witnesses to unspeakable horror. The bedroom communities of Los Angeles are gripped with dread, and the attacks are escalating.
Still reeling from her best friend’s close call in a bombing six months ago, FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix has come to Los Angeles to assist in the Midnight Man investigation and do what she does best—hunt a serial killer. Her work is what keeps her going, but something about this UNSUB—unknown subject—doesn’t sit right. She soon realizes that this case will test not only her skills but also her dedication, for within the heart of a killer lives a secret that mirrors Caitlin’s own past. Hesitancy is not an option, but will she be able to do what must be done if the time comes?

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

I requested this book from Edelweiss based on the recommendation of a fellow blogger. I am happy to report I made the right choice to read it, as the book delivered all I expected and more. The Dark Corners of the Night took me on hair-raising, spine-tingling and nerve-wracking ride.
 
This is the third book in the UNSUB series and it works well as a stand-alone. This is my first time venturing into this world created by Meg Gardiner, and it was an experience that I hope to repeat whenever the opportunity arises. The Dark Corners of the Night is the type of story that will pull you in and grip you, making it difficult to put down. An engaging read from start to finish. A note of warning a book like this is not for the faint of heart.
 
I have read several psychological thrillers, which featured some scary villains, but I have encountered none like the Midnight Man. He took scary to another level. His modus operandi involved him entering homes in the middle of the night, where he targets the father, then the mother, but leaves the children, but not before terrorizing them and leaving chilling messages in his wake. The community is on edge as no one knows who will be the Midnight Man’s next victim. His reasoning for choosing his victims were unclear at first, however as the profilers dug deep into his psyche the reason for his actions became clear.  The more information I got about him, the scarier he became.
 
It was great meeting the members of the profiling team. I loved how they worked as a team. They were relentless in their pursuit of the villain. I especially enjoyed getting to know Caitlin. She possessed an inner strength and an analytical mind, which aided her in the investigation. I loved how Caitlin’s personal life was incorporated into the story. It provided me with a better understanding of her as a person, flaws and all.
 
The scenes were dark, gritty and intense. The last quarter of the book was heart pounding, and it had me gritting my teeth in fear for the parties involved, except for the villain.
 
Conclusion/Recommendation
Gardiner weaved an incredible tale with twists that held me spellbound.  The plot was tight and the characters well developed. This is perfect for fans of thrillers and police procedurals. 

About Meg Gardiner

Meg Gardiner is the author of fifteen thrillers. Her latest is The Dark Corners of the Night, the third novel in the UNSUB series featuring FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix. Stephen King says, “Don’t miss it. This is a great one.” It’s been bought by Amazon Studios for development as a television series. The first novel in the series, UNSUB, won the 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller.

Meg was born in Oklahoma and raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. She’s also a three-time Jeopardy! champion. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Meg is the author of the Evan Delaney series, the Jo Beckett novels, and several stand alones. China Lake won the 2009 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. The Nightmare Thief won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Phantom Instinct was one of O, the Oprah magazine’s “Best Books of Summer.”

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Netgalley and Edelweiss
  • New Release
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