“25 Best Thriller Books of the Summer”–NY Post“Pathologically twisted”–Library Journal“Best Summer Reads for 2018”–Publishers Weekly“25 Must-Must Read Books to Make Summer Fly By”–PopSugar“19 Biggest Thrillers of Summer”–BookBub“Best New Thrillers”–Barnes & Noble Reads“Beyond the typical serial killer novel”–Associated Press“Psychologically complex, character-driven serial killer … character-driven serial killer hunt”–Booklist
“Breakneck-paced thriller”–Library Journal, Books For Dudes
“Plan on losing sleep because of this one”–Criminal Element
“Dark and mesmerizing”–Lisa Gardner, NYT bestselling author
“Pulse-pounding twisted thrill ride”–Chelsea Cain, NYT bestselling author
FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiancé, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who was slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.
As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession…a killer who is closer than she thought.
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It was an interesting read for the most part. I found the long winded investigative procedural to be a bit tedious….there was too much step by step description of each facet of “”who did it how they did it” which distracted from what could have been a much more suspenseful story. That being said, the twists kept me guessing until the end!
This is definitely a must-read for those of you with a love of reading serial murder mysteries that will keep you guessing. Sayer Altair is an FBI Special Agent who is also a Ph.D. researching the brains of serial killers. While Sayer’s research hits a snag, her career keeps getting busier. Sayer is called to a case of a young woman’s starved body found dead in a cage. This is just the beginning of a jarring mystery that will build and build. Sayer is given the promotion to Senior Special Agent when she agrees to take on the position of lead agent in this case. Where she and her team are led in this case are the stuff of nightmares. The very few light moments with her partner Vik along with Sayer’s neighbor and family will do nothing to stop the race car momentum. All I can say is when is Cooper’s next book expected?
Caged by Ellison Cooper a thrilling and gripping five-star read. What a book, this is one that I will definitely be buying my mum, she loves a good explosive thriller. Sayer Altair is a character that you will find you can’t get enough of, she is so fascinating exploring brains for a living and how interesting would it be to look at a serial killer’s brain ad find what makes them different, but its not just that, she is complex and brutal at times as well as hyper focused on what she wants, but there is also a softer side that you see underneath as well. This story will keep you hooked, I can guarantee that even if you are one of those people who guess then ending of everything, this will keep you guessing. You may have a clue who it is, I was convinced and then had a niggle about who it could be then I had the rug pulled away and it was someone else!!!Give this thrilling and compelling read a try you won’t be left disappointed.
Caged starts out strong with our neuroscientist main character getting called to a disturbing crime scene. From what they find there, I was expecting a thriller that I could really sink my teeth into, and in part, I got that. Parts of the story were dark, a bit twisted, and even creepy, but as things progress, the book is more police procedural than gripping thriller. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. But, here’s the rub – with the exception of Sayer and maybe one or two others, the secondary characters are almost cookie-cutter perfect for any other procedural, including the hard to work with but really knows his stuff, second in command. There are a few interesting twists and of course, we get some red herrings along the way. I’ll admit that the big reveal was a new one for me – Not so much the who, as that was easy enough to figure out, but the why. It felt a little out there, but was interesting nonetheless. As a debut novel, the writing is solid with the exception of some over the top descriptions throughout the book, especially when it comes to reactions. I fully appreciate giving the reader a good grasp on the character’s emotions, etc, but sometimes, a normal reaction is okay and even expected. We do get a satisfactory, if somewhat convoluted, conclusion to this case, but there are a number of loose ends left at the close of the story, most pertaining to Sayer’s personal life, leaving me to believe this may be the start of a series. The story did hold my interest and I’ll be curious to see how this debut author progresses with future books.