I voluntarily received an ARC of Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass in exchange for an honest review.

Description

In the most suspenseful installment of the New York Times nestselling Body Farm series to date, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton investigates a bizarre murder—and confronts a deadly enemy he thought he’d put behind bars for good.

Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent twenty-five years solving brutal murders—but none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant Miranda dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence.

But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brockton’s trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiled—the sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield—escapes from prison, bent on vengeance.

But simply killing Brockton isn’t enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear: Brockton’s son, daughter-in-law, grandsons; even Miranda, his longtime graduate assistant, now on the verge of completing her Ph.D. and launching a forensic career of her own.

The dangers from all directions force Brockton to question two things on which he’s based his entire career—the justice system, and the quality of mercy—and to wonder: can the two co-exist?

If not, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?

Review

Reading Without Mercy is like reading an episode of Bones! Forensics and crime stories have always been a favorite of mine, so needless to say this was right up my alley.

Miranda and Waylon were by far my favorite characters. Miranda's sarcasm and lack of filter made for some entertaining dialogue throughout the story. Waylon makes me think of a big southern teddy bear. 

The story was entirely fast paced, but the plot did move along at a steady enough pace to keep my interested. The only aspect of the novel I did not enjoy was the blatant inclusion of the author's political views/agenda. When I am reading a novel, I want to escape from the world and political debates.

Rating 

♥♥♥♥