Another great read in the Smoky Barrett series. A different king of monster this time. The whole team is involved & a little more deepening of the relationship with Tommy, Smoky, & Bonnie. Also changes coming in the FBI teams & funding. These books are very well written by Cody. He does a fantastic job with his lead female character & sub characters. Can't wait to read the next in the series "The Truth Factory" ( )

I loved this book! I started the series on the wrong book, but I was able to figure most previous events well enough. This is not a happy book, but a dark, gruesome crime novel that is well written and compelling. I will go back and start from the beginning to find out how it all began. The main character has been through so much that you wonder where she finds the inner strength to go on with her work, particularly in that she is putting herself at risk for more of the same. She does find it though, and saves others, although not all others, from unimaginable horrors. ( )

From Amazon:

For FBI Special Agent Smoky Barrett, her colleague’s wedding is cause for celebration. Until a woman staggers down the aisle—incoherent, wearing only a white nightgown. A fingerprint check determines that she’s been missing for nearly eight years. Her coldly efficient captor toyed with her mind and body, imprisoning her, depriving her of any contact with the outside world. As Smoky fits together the pieces of what remains of the victim’s fractured life, a chilling picture emerges of a cerebral psychopath who doesn't take murder personally, never makes a mistake, follows his own sinister logic, and has set the perfect trap.

My Thoughts:

Way too many words to say nothing. I found it difficult to like or believe the characters and the plot was just barely believable. The final twist revealed at the book's finale was, in my opinion, laughably absurd, and completely ruined the whole book for me. I can't even hint at it, as it would be a major spoiler. Even worse, it was just dumped out there like a sack of potatoes, with no build-up or prep or setup whatsoever. You're going to have to do better than this Mr. McFadyen. ( )

This was a fantastic book. Extremely dark and gory though. Stay away if thrillers featuring serial killers bother you. But if you like that type of novel, this is one of the best I have read in a long time. I am definitely searching out more books by this author. ( )

This is the fourth book from Cody McFadyen all with FBI agent Smokey Barrett as lead character. I read all four in a short time span (2ish weeks), and I will say it is a series worth reading. Abandoned is by far and away his best book, and I truly put it up there with some of the better books from the murder/mystery genre. Last 100 pages I could not put the book down I had to finish to see what happened. Which gives me hope his future works will continue on this pattern and he will continue to rise in the upper tier of great murder/mystery writers.

Brief series review

All the books can be read as a standalone with an ending to each, but reading them in order does provide a good back story he builds off of.

Shadowman- Strong first book, does a good job introducing characters, story was fast paced

The Face of Death- Part of the book is written in a diary format and for me I just did not enjoy these sections so the book was mediocre at best for me.

The Darker Side- Happy to see the story was again fast paced and a page turner, it did have a little bit of a different ending that could be called a little weak, but still a good read.

Abandoned- For me this is a GREAT book, real depth to the story with plot twists throughout. When I got to the last 100 pages I could not put it down I had to finish to see what happened. ( )