UNSOLVED

5 stars out of 5

This is the second book in this series, and although I somehow missed the first ("Invisible"), I've now vowed not to miss any more. For one thing, David Ellis is perhaps my favorite of prolific James Patterson's co-authors; for another, this one is plenty good enough to keep me interested.

The star of the show is FBI data analyst Emmy Dockery, who is almost insanely intent on tracking down serial killers. But while I liked her, it was her on-again, off-again main squeeze, former FBI agent Harrison "Books" Bookman, who won me over big-time. Appropriately for his name, I guess, he owns a bookstore that's struggling to make it, having had his fill of the stressful FBI life. Emmy, though, has no such illusions; she's been seriously scarred both physically and mentally (detailed, no doubt, in that first book). But rather than making her shy away from danger, her life experiences have turned her into an even more determined seeker of justice. Unfortunately, it's also costing her any semblance of a personal life.

Unbeknownst to Books or the FBI, Emmy has been trying to identify the still-on-the-loose serial killer of her twin sister, Marta for some time now. But officially, she's tasked with finding a killer dubbed "Citizen David" - someone who's hell-bent on championing the downtrodden. Along the way, it appears someone is leaking information to the media; since the reporter happens to be a friend of Emmy's, certain FBI muckety-mucks are sure Emmy herself is passing on the information.

Before long, Emmy herself makes the killer's hit list (big surprise there). Worse, it may well be that someone in the FBI is aiding and abetting the killer - or could even be the actual killer. Needless to say, Emmy runs into several blank walls, bringing a few twists to the plot along the way. Of course, I can't reveal any details, so I'll just say it's quite an entertaining journey and I'm looking forward to the next adventure.

Unsolved by James Patterson and David Ellis (Little, Brown and Co., June 2019); 481 pp.