Title: Buried
Author: Ellison Cooper
Series: Agent Sayer Altair
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, & Psychological thriller
Format: Paperback ARC
No. of Pages: 368
Date of Publication: July 16, 2019
Description: Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair studies the minds of psychopaths. But even she didn't expect to uncover a killer within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Rooting him out and exposing internal corruption got her a bullet wound and six months of desk duty. Now, she’s finally back in the field, called in when an off-duty FBI agent and his cadaver dog fall into a sinkhole filled with human bones.
Found deep in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, the skeletal remains date back almost two decades, the same time a beloved local teen disappeared. The cold case quickly heats up when Sayer's team finds two fresh corpses among the bones. When a gruesome clue ties these new bodies to a woman recently kidnapped along with her young daughter, Sayer has to uncover the connection between the old bones and the new bodies before the mother and child become the next victims.
But the killer is one step ahead, attacking her team and sabotaging their efforts. With Sayer's investigation compromised and unsure of who to trust, she receives unwanted help from Subject 037, one of the anonymous psychopaths she is currently studying. She has the chilling realization that he’s someone powerful in Washington D.C.―and he is not about to let a mundane serial killer jeopardize his own ominous agenda for Sayer…
My Thoughts: Let me first start out by saying that Buried is the second book in the Agent Sayer Altair series and if you have not read the first one, Caged, then you have no worries because you will be able to follow this one fairly easily. Buried brings back some of our favorite characters from Caged, such as Agent Altair (obviously, since she is the main character), Vesper (Altair's dog), Nana (Altair's Grandma), Tito (Altair's neighbor and co-owner of Vesper), Addie (Victim from the Caged book that Altair saves and takes into her home), and Ezra. Ellison Cooper also introduces new characters, which help to create the great story that Ellison Cooper writes. There is Kyle (Sheriff), Cricket (Sheriff's sister who has gone missing many years ago), Max (FBI Agent with FBI dog), and many more. I don't want to give away too much. ;)
I have to say that I was not sure what to expect from the second book in the series. I had previously rated Caged a 3 out of 5 due to the parts that involved some animal cruelty, and I am a huge animal lover. So when I saw that this book included a dog that turned out to be a major part of the story, I was not too sure what to expect. What I can tell you is that there is no animal cruelty in this book, which makes it easier to read. I actually quite enjoyed this book even more than the first one.
The story was easy to follow, fast paced, and filled with exciting twists and turns. I was able to figure out who the unsub (unknown subject) was pretty quickly, about 3/4 of the way in. Even though I thought I had the story figured out by then, Ellison Cooper did a great job at adding an exciting surprise twist that I just did not see coming.
The story of Buried also follows Caged with several similarities. It ties in the story of Caged by having Altair take in one of the victims she saved, Addie, as one of her wards. It also has the FBI under scrutiny for how the case unfolded and was handled from Caged. Altair is still conducting her research on psychopaths brains. Buried introduces subject 037, who she does anonymous video interviews with and turns out to play a bigger role in the story than expected. I am hoping that we actually learn more about subject 037 in the next Agent Altair book. There is also the similarity that this serial killer uses ancient mythology, just like the serial killer in Caged did.
Agent Altair is also evolving a lot more as a character in this story. We learn some more about her husband who passed away, I don't want to disclose more, in case you decide to read one or both of the books. She is also developing a more personable side, which previously Altair was seen as being closed off from emotion. Vesper's owner and Max, FBI dog owner, are often referred to as "humans" instead of owners or pet parents.
Rating: 5 out of 5 because I found it quite hard to put this book down. I am actually sad that it took me so long to get to this book, wish it hadn't. I can't wait for the next Altair book, and the good news is that it does not look like I will have to wait too much longer. Ellison Coopers next Altair book is due to be released in July 2020 and is called Cut to the Bone.
About the Author: Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue Federal Disaster Worker. She now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.
Don't forget to check out my review for the first Agent Sayer Altair book, Caged.
Thank you Minotaur books for the early review copy. This is my honest opinion.
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