Review: The Body Reader by Anne Frasier

Print Length: 289 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (June 21, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: For three years, Detective Jude Fontaine was kept from the outside world. Held in an underground cell, her only contact was with her sadistic captor, and reading his face was her entire existence. Learning his every line, every movement, and every flicker of thought is what kept her alive.

After her experience with isolation and torture, she is left with a fierce desire for justice—and a heightened ability to interpret the body language of both the living and the dead. Despite colleagues’ doubts about her mental state, she resumes her role at Homicide. Her new partner, Detective Uriah Ashby, doesn’t trust her sanity, and he has a story of his own he’d rather keep hidden. But a killer is on the loose, murdering young women, so the detectives have no choice: they must work together to catch the madman before he strikes again. And no one knows madmen like Jude Fontaine.

                                                         *******************

My Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wow. Just wow. This was one of those novels that I finished in one day. I simply could not put it down! From watching Jude Fontaine try to acclimate to the "real world" after three years in captivity, to the gruesome murder of a young woman, up to the twisted (and surprising ending), this book had me utterly captivated. 

I loved these characters. Being held captive (and mostly in the dark at that), I felt that the author tackled the task of making Jude feel real. This wasn't a character without difficulties - however they were handled in a way that made her feel like a real person instead of a character in a story. I can't even imagine the horrors she faced, and I felt it spoke volumes about her that she not only was able to regain something of a "normal life", but that she also went back to the homicide unit. 

I also felt that the author perfectly blended this story in a way that I felt showcases real police work. Just when it seemed as though these cases would never be solved - something opened up that shined a new light on everything. Added to that the cold case disappearance of another young girl, and the journal entry of a girl currently being held captive - you have one heck of a story. 

Unfortunately, I can't say what I want to say about the ending without giving everything away, but I can say that it was definitely not what I had expected. In fact - the person behind everything was the last person I had expected. 

Overall - I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a thriller/mystery novel. I would definitely read more by this author! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

                                                          ********************

The Body Reader is available from Amazon.com