In this brilliantly chilling follow-up to The Thief of All Light, veteran police officer Bernard Schaffer digs deep into the past—and the haunted psyches of the detectives who search for truth . . . at any cost. “There’s a thousand scavengers in these woods.” Before being promoted to detective, Carrie Santero was given a rare glimpse into the mind of a killer. Through her mentor, Jacob Rein—a … Through her mentor, Jacob Rein—a seasoned manhunter whose gift for plumbing the depths of madness nearly drove him over the brink—she was able to help capture one of the most depraved serial killers in the country. Now, the discovery of a small human foot buried in the Pennsylvania woods will lead her to a decades-old cold case—and the darkest secrets of her mentor’s youth.
“Nobody trusts an animal that tries to eat its own kind.”
Thirty years ago, a young girl went missing. A police officer was murdered. Another committed suicide. The lives of everyone involved would never be the same. For three agonizing decades, Jacob Rein has yearned for the truth. But when Detective Carrie Santero begins digging up new evidence, she discovers some answers come with shattering consequences.
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I read the first book in this series, “The Thief of All Light” when the author gifted me the book to read for my honest review. I loved that book! I purchased this book, which is the second in the series, hoping it would be as good as the first…and it was!! Carrie Santero makes Detective after helping to solve the horrific case in the first book. She is now tasked with another vile case. A tiny human foot was found in a very small town and Carrie is assigned to the cold case. She asks her mentor (and the man who helped on the first case with her), Jacob Rein to assist her. She soon realizes that Rein is connected to the current case. She is determined to solve this mystery no matter who is involved and starts digging for answers. She finds out some dark secrets from Jacob’s childhood but keeps going to figure out exactly who this child was and what happened. Bernard Schaffer is a detective himself and has been for many years. As with the first book in this series, the details and accounts in this story make it evident that he writes what he knows. He knows criminals and he writes the most engaging stories. I highly recommend this book, as well as the first one in this series and I look forward to the next one coming out soon.
This is the second in the series but you don’t need to read the first to be able to follow the second even though I recommend that you do so you understand the background of the characters better. What I like about this author is he doesn’t waste any time to get into the suspense. Very well written and easy to follow. I like that he gives enough details so I can picture the characters and picture the surroundings as I’m reading the book. I don’t like giving details of the book in my review, I think it spoils it. Great crime, suspense type read, you will not be disappointed!
I loved The Thief of All Light, and was not sure what to expect with the followup. Schaffer does not disappoint. If anything, the book was more cohesive than the first (although not quite as creepy) and provided an excellent backstory to one of his major characters Jacob Rein. In this book Carrie Santero, a female detective who has struggled with the old boys club, is assigned to a case that has run cold — the discovery of bones of a young female girl that is old enough to be a cold case. There is little confusion as to who the bones belong to. A spunky young woman, disappeared many years prior. The book flashes back and forth to tell the current and past stories, and as it does it begins to follow a young Jacob Rein and his tragic past. This book is best read after book 1, although it can be read alone. Highly recommend.
The past doesn’t stay buried in this fast-paced police procedural/crime fiction novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish with its well-developed characters and interesting plotline. It’s the second book in the series but I didn’t really feel lost.
Definitely recommend.
*Possible trigger warning: rape scene*
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.
I received a copy of this book from a friend in a book group this is the first book that I have read by Bernard he is a great storyteller absolutely love that he uses his own experiences with the police force and twins into the stories making it feel so much more alive an action-packed. I read it straight through because of how easy it is to read and get lost in the story. Happened to the book and go on the ride with Carrie santero and help stop a killer before it is too late.
This is the second book in the Santero and Rein Thriller series by a newer but extremely talented author.,Bernard Schaffer. I am honored to be one of the Founding Members of the Bernard Schaffer Book Review Crew and personally knowBernard from his form position as a parttime police officer many years ago and currently as an AMAZING Detective at his current department. I was always told by another Det. Sgt that “Bernie is going places. He has a great head on his shoulders and he does not give up”. Well, after recently cracking a cold case from 30+ years ago and 2 best sellers (in my opinion) I completely agree HE IS GOING PLACES. I can’t wait to see him on the Best Sellers List.
The story follows a young girl who aspires to be a cop, but not just an Officer she wanted to be a Detective one day. Carrie is the first female detective, and the youngest and most inexperienced one on Vieira County, Pennsylvania force. Why are they not taking her seriously, because she is young, pretty, little (small)pushing her way into the”Boys club”… but how many men, even some women have underestimated her? Carrie Santero may be little but she is a powerhouse that will not give up. She needs to learn and get answers. That is what makes her so special! She met one guy who believed in her and gave her the chance she needed.
Detective Santero was sent to a small town to work a cold case from 30 years ago that was ruled a runaway. Carrie knew something was not right and started her investigation. A little girl was murdered with no answers until now. The story alternates between the present and the past, with several characters remembering what happened back then. JD, Chief Rein, Vets from the past and so many more to suck you in. This is a must-read book, make sure you do not have plans for 2 days because it is an easy but compelling read. You will not want to put it down~ If you have not, I would suggest reading The Thief of All Light first but not necessary.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Carrie Santero and Jacob Rein. An Unsettled Grave is the second in this series but is stand alone. This is a complex plot well concealed, a police procedural that takes place in the scarcely populated area where Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio come together. Lines for jurisdiction are vague, towns are tiny, and the farm-driven economy keeps everyone close to home. Sharing personnel, equipment, and blame across county boundaries and even state lines is the accepted norm. Carrie is a new recruit in the Vieira County detectives working under the aegis of the District Attorney’s office. She is young, and female – the first in this position – and it is hard for the older residents and lawmen to accept that she got this rank, this job, on merit. She knows along with the learning curve there is also going to be the necessity to prove her worth in order to acquire respect.
Low man on the totem pole, she is into her fourth straight week on-call when she is sent to the neighboring town’s hospital in the dark hours of the morning to handle a rape case, the perpetrator believed by the victim to be a policeman. She has made little headway on that case when a group of hunters finds the skeletal foot of a child and all Fire and Police personnel are involved in a search of the forested mountainside for the rest of the remains. Almost everyone is certain these are the bones of Hope Pugh, a 12-year-old girl who disappeared thirty years ago, the same week two of the towns lost their Chiefs of Police. And the disappearance of Hope is closer to the heart of the wide-spread communities than it first appears. Basically everyone still around is a potential suspect. That grouping would also include several of their men in blue. Even Jacob Rein.
I loved the little asides and snippets of police lore and even some unfortunate realities of the job included in this fine novel. Because he is on the job, there is an authenticity to this novel that shines through the work, but whatever the genre, Bernard Schaffer writes a finely honed tale that grabs your mind and involves your humanity in a way I found excellent. There is a reality here that you do not often find in this genre.
I am pleased to recommend this work to friends and family. Schaffer is an author I will follow.
I received a free electronic copy of this police procedural from Netgalley, Bernard Schaffer, and Kensington Books. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
Mr. Schaffer has done it again with this follow up to The Thief Of All Light. With incredible character development and another captivating story I could not put it down. I cannot wait for the next one!
An Uncommon Grave by Bernard Schaffer
Santero and Rein #2
Carrie Santero, recently promoted to detective is still not considered “equal” by the men she works with. Many assume she is not really capable and has achieved her promotion based on something other than her competency. In this book we learn more about Carie, the little girl in her life and how she goes about solving cases. We also see Jacob Rein again a few times both in the present and in a story line that takes us back thirty years to when he was twelve and living in a very dysfunctional family situation.
There are two criminal cases to be solved by Carrie in this book. One has to do with a rapist pulling women to the side of the road then violating them and the other crime is a missing person cold case that she picks up when the foot bones of a young girl are found in the forest. It is assumed the girl is Hope Pugh, missing thirty years, but then there is the mystery of how she died and what happened to her.
Jacob Rein is a mysterious character that seems able to get into the minds of criminals in order to catch them. He has spent time in jail for something I have a feeling he has probably not done. In this book we learn more about his childhood, some of his childhood friends, a young girl that disappeared and of his father and uncle and their part in his life. At around forty-two years of age Jacob has a lot of years left to accomplish much so I am hoping he will get his life back on track so he can officially assist in finding more bad guys in the future.
I was definitely taken back in time by mention of the Vietnam War in which Jacob’s father and uncle both served. That the two men came out so different at the end of their time in the service probably has to do with the jobs they held. I believe the two men cared for one another more than either told the other. Their part in this book was…very interesting.
I came away from this book satisfied that the bad guys were eventually caught but still wanting to know more about Santero and Rein and that means I am eager to read more by this author as soon as a new book is available. I found myself thinking about how a person can be bigger than life to people in theirr community and yet in reality they are not heroes at all. This was a thought provoking book. It made me think of the cop that pulled me over and hinted at taking me on a date and of another story…one in which my sister-in-law was pulled over by a policeman on her way to Wyoming…on a stretch where women were going missing…and when my brother woke in the back seat the policeman who pulled her over let them drive on. I know there will soon be another crime for Carrie and Jacob to work on and look forward to finding out what it will be. I am also eager to find out more about the backstories of both characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
I received a this as an ARC for my honest review. Bernard Schaffer has recently become a new author to me. His stories tend to grip your attention right from the beginning and suck you right in. An Unsettled Grave is no different. Before I knew it, I couldn’t put the book down!
Wow! Another home run by Mr. Schaffer! I loved learning more about Jacob and his childhood and loved how his past was brought to the future.
Watching the characters of Carrie and Jacob develop is making me wish they were real people I could talk to and get to know. They are so well written, you forget you’re reading fiction. The author does a fabulous job of creating likable and unlikable characters with many dimensions and all the little faults and flaws that make us human.
I can not wait to see what Carrie and Rein get into in the next novel!
An Unsettled Grave is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. The story unfolded like being in a speeding police car going 100+ on the Autobahn. It grabbed me and didn’t let me go until the end.
There is graphic violence. Really graphic so if that bothers you, this is not the book for you.
This is the book for you if you like police procedurals that pull you in and make you read faster and faster to find out who the bad guy is and why. The primary character, Carrie Santero was a kickass detective who makes your average officer seem like a non-starter. She is that awesome. You will likely love her.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and freely given.
This is the second book in an amazing series! I love Carrie and Jacob. These stories have kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end! This is a must read series!!! I can not wait until the next book!
Loved this book. A great book if you like thrillers. Bernard Schaffer knows how to write.
An Unsettled Gave is a part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. The rookie police officer is working in a small town and at times gets a little bored with the small town not so much crime. With how small a town she lives in there are times when they are called to assist surrounding towns. When she gets sent to another town due to a crime, she at first doesn’t want to go but then ends up finding that a very minor crime will lead to a unsolved case of a rape and murder of a little girl! As time passes with investigating this case, many other things from the past and crimes continue to build and causing the original small crime to become something so much more!
This book kept me reading, the story line is amazing, and you feel like you are there with the characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
This is the second book with Carrie Santero and Jacob Rein. I am so glad I stuck with this series. Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC.
I’m not very good at writing reviews, but I know what I like, and this was one. Carrie’s character has grown so much in this book, that it left me wanting to keep at it til I finished it. 5 stars all the way for me!!!
Awesome book would reccommend to all to read.
Book two in what is turning into great detective series.
Please keep writing more in this series.. Really got pulled in on this
Series.
Schaffer has done it again! This was an ‘edge of your seat’ tale, right up to the very end! Santero and Rein are like real people, fleshed out and imperfect, but so good at what they do. A must read! This book is an excellent stand alone, but also continues characters from Thief of All Light. Both are highly recommended!
Wow! A true masterful storyteller of criminal acts. Once you get past the shocking first few pages you are engaged in heart pounding, nail-biting, page turning til the very end. This is the second book I have read from this author , I really like the characters Carrie and Reid , I look forward to more crime solving from these two.