A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier. Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an … UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.
The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.
Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.
Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?
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This book takes every requirement for a serial killer story, combines, distills, refines and perfects them so that you never need read another.
One of the best thrillers ever!
Very detailed enjoyed reading
Can’t wait to read the next in her installment… Great book!
Kept me in suspense and is never boring. Very well written.
I didn’t finish this book. The writing is terrible and it drags on. The story is good and the details of crime scenes are good but it just isn’t written well. There are parts that are captivating then it turns very boring. I was disappointed.
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“He took her,” James whispered. “But I can’t let him have her.”
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What an extraordinarily creepy psychological thriller, full of obsession and madness and violence and the devastation that can trail in the wake of a quest for justice… The serial killer genre is well-established, and as a result, it’s getting more difficult to tell a tale that feels original in its telling. Sure, the crimes vary from book to book, but the concept – killer increases his intensity and violence, cop(s) risk ever-increasing stakes (mostly in the form of their family/relationships and sanity) as they struggle to save everyone, killer taunts and teases and eventually overdoes it and gets caught – is pretty standard fare. That’s true here too, to a degree – but it’s the execution (no pun intended) that really made Meg Gardiner’s latest stand out for me. The characters are fantastic – just the right levels of creepy obsession on the sides of both good AND evil. The plot is perfectly paced. The reveals come just often enough that you think you know what’s coming next. And the writing is marvelous – easy to read (in language, if not always subject matter – the violence and aggression can be tough to read at times, but not inappropriately so), thoroughly engaging, and full of dark insights into human nature that resonate long after their pages are turned. This is a captivating tale and well worth the goosebumps!
A new series by one of my favorite authors is something I’ve been looking forward to and this first installment did not disappoint! Following in the footsteps of her father, Caitlin Hendrix works on the case of a local serial killer who reappears after leaving behind too many questions and too many bodies while staying a step ahead of the authorities at all times. This reappearance of “The Prophet” means more than just a case to solve for Caitlin as this specific case and killer was instrumental in destroying all her family was and could’ve been 20 years earlier. While inspired by the real Zodiac Killer, this fictional account is twisty and suspenseful. Creatively constructed, the author doesn’t have to work hard to keep the reader interested, while trying to solve each of the puzzles and clues left behind by the killer. Keeping readers on their toes until the very last page, this book is just the beginning to another captivating series. An extra bonus for me was the location of the story – my own backyard and surrounding towns – can’t deny the extra creepy factor this added to my experience of reading this novel!
One of the best books in this genre. Great character development. Fast paced and hard to put down. I will be anxiously awaiting more from this extremely talented author.
I love this writer’s books as she always keeps things fresh and moving quickly.
I met her at a writer’s conference in Oklahoma and she was a really good speaker, too.
This is the second book I’ve read of hers. The first was The Dirty Secrets Club and it was excellent as well.
Enjoyable book
Unsettling and intense! The Prophet is one of the creepiest fictional killers I’ve ever read!
Great book!
Excellent read!!! On a level with Robert Ludlum!!
Gardner steps away from her Evan Delaney detective with new lead, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett and the Zodiac case. This is the first in a new series and it starts strong before getting mired a bit in paranormal antics at the end that kind of skew the whole serial killer vibe.
The writing is crisp and the plotting is sharp, with some interesting conjecture about the Zodiac himself…before it all gets a little Indiana Jones in the coda.
The second in the series – Into the Black Nowhere – tackles Ted Bundy and is made of much stouter stuff.
Once I began this book, I knew I couldn’t put it down until I read the last page…will continue to read this author as long she continues to write.
Very entertaining.
Good characters and well thought out plot.
This book had my interest from the first page and held it to the end
Great book! Love the way the past (the Dad) and the present (daughter) come together at the end of the book.
I stayed up really late finishing this book, it was well worth it!