What a simple and dull book!  I'm talking about Laura Griffin's Unspeakable.  Were it not for the fact that I sometimes look forward to pointing out a book's many faults, I might have given up on this one.

Every character in this book is a stereotype.  Elaina is the FBI profiler with a big heart.   Too bad she's a female.  That's her feeling, anyway.  No one at work likes her, and of course, it has to be because she's a girl.  Her bosses don't like her; her co-workers don't like her; everyone is just waiting to see her fail.  Even when she delivers clue after clue regarding the evil serial killer who's stalking young women, no one will give Elaina the time of day.  Troy is the hunky true-crime writer.  He follows crime stories for the sole purpose of writing about them and turning a profit.  Elaina hates him for this very reason, but he's handsome, so naturally there has to be a spark between them.  Besides, it's not like Elaina's busy trying to save lives, she might as well take the time to jump into bed with the crime writer she just met five minutes ago.

There you have it.  You've got a nameless, faceless bad guy running around doing really nasty things to young girls.  And you've got cardboard cutouts of FBI agents and policemen trying to catch him. 

I was not at all engaged in this story.  There was simply no reason to be.  We don't get to know any of the victims at all.  Not even for five minutes to learn who they are, or to care about them, before they become victims.  We don't get to know the bad guy at all.  Even when all is revealed in the end, we are left with large, gaping holes where information normally resides.  Like background.  Or motive.  Or emotions.  Instead, we get nothing but a name. 

And the main characters are completely unlikeable.  Elaina is a real pain the neck.  Whining about everything instead of actively working to make her life better.  And then, when she's finally given some opportunity to shine, she makes horrible decisions that put herself and others into danger.  No wonder no one wants to work with her! 

Troy is no more likeable than she is.  I'm not sure what either of them saw in the other, or why they just had to hop into bed together.   Then, when they finished, they treated each other terribly! 

There really is only one positive to this book.  The author is clever in how she gives us just the tiniest of clues to the killer's identity.  They're subtle, and easily missed.  But once all is revealed, I enjoyed the "ah-ha!" moments.  I like when books give us some clues along the way, but no so many that the killer is obvious.  Ms. Griffin did a good job in this one regard, giving us just enough, but not too much.

Still, that's not enough to warrant any kind of recommendation.  Except one: Skip this book.

Recommended: No