Review: An Unsettled Grave (A Santero and Rein Thriller #2) by Bernard Schaffer

Print Length: 288 pages

Publisher: Kensington Publishing (July 30, 2019)

From Goodreads.com:  "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 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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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Although this book is fast-paced and just interesting enough to keep the reader's attention, I found at times that it bounced around, shifting not only time frames but character points of view without warning. This occasionally made it difficult to keep up with what was going on. I also wish there had been a bit more to the backstory of Santero and Rein (which I'm guessing was revealed mostly in book number one). I couldn't help but feel as though without even a glimpse into these two and their odd relationship that I was missing out on something. 

There were a few other key points that missed the mark for me as well, just in the overall execution of this story. However, I would give this series another chance just to see how this odd duo continues to move forward. I'm also interested to see how Santero grows as a character as right now I see her making too many waves and not enough friends. 

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.

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                               An Unsettled Grave is available from Amazon.com