Book Review: Laura Griffin’s Unforgivable

Posted January 17, 2012 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review: Laura Griffin’s Unforgivable

Unforgivable


by

Laura Griffin


It is part of the Tracers #3 series and is a romantic suspense in Paperback edition that was published by Pocket Star on November 30, 2010 and has 387 pages.

Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon


Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Deadly Promises, Untraceable, Unspeakable, Snapped, Twisted, Scorched, Exposed, Thread of Fear, Desperate Girls, Her Deadly Secrets, Total Control

Third in the Tracers romantic suspense series revolving around current and future employees of the Delphi Center, a state-of-the-art forensics facility in Texas. The couple focus is on Dr. Mia Voss and Detective Ric Santos.

My Take

Griffin does a nice job of building suspense with the attacks on Mia and Ric’s hot and cold approaches to her. She could have worked harder at creating tension over the San Marcos PD’s concern about whether Mia was involved or not.

Mia’s a smart girl. Why didn’t she think to fake an evidence bag??

Tidy lead-up to the next installment in this series.

The Story

Mia Voss is hijacked from a convenience store and as she drives, Mia realizes her captor has no intention of letting her live. It’s the headlights coming up behind her that gives Mia the courage to jerk the wheel, confusing her captor as she drops out of her Jeep and runs off into the fields.

The San Marcos detectives believe that Mia is being targeted but they aren’t sure if she is a part of it or its victim even as Ric both gives in to and retreats from his attraction to her. Even as the police explore this in greater depth, Mia continues to test and research finding cold cases that may be related.

Then Mia’s love for her family is exploited. A damning demand shreds Mia’s honor. A betrayal so deep that Mia will do anything to repair it.

The Characters

Dr. Mia Voss is a brilliant DNA analyst at the Delphi Center just outside San Marcos, a state-of-the-art forensic palace. She thought there had been something between her and Ric Santos last summer (see Unspeakable), but, obviously, not. Sam is her nephew; her sister, Vivian, is his mother.

Detective Ric Santos is part of the San Marcos Police Department and deeply attracted to Mia. Ava is his teen-aged daughter. Rey Santos is his brother and with the FBI. Jonah Macon is Ric’s partner and he’s got his back.

Vince Moore is a fellow detective with a sense of humor and an itch to scratch; Burleson is another detective. Frank Hannigan is a retired cop with, fortunately for Mia, a hero complex. Detective Jim Kubcek is with the Houston PD; he has a case that connects to others being tested at the Delphi Center. Rachel is the DA. FBI agents Delmonico and Laranya Singh are working on a serial killer case with some very sensitive information.

Sophie Barrett also works at the Delphi Center, is a friend of Mia’s, and sings as part of her own fulfillment. Don Clovis is the Center’s guy on ligatures. Kelsey Quinn is in Bones. Ben is in cyber crimes with Alex Lovell. Mark Royers is a DNA tracer as good as Mia. Dr. Harvey Snyder is the head DNA specialist at the Center and Mia’s boss. His best assets are his connections and his pretty résumé, otherwise, he’s an asshole. Scott Black is a ballistics expert and an old childhood friend of Mia’s. Ralph is the security guard there.

Alex Lovell has a bit part helping Mia trace a threatening email and put together the documents for Mia to disappear. Troy Stockton doesn’t show at all although Texas Ranger Jessup does appear. Jeff Lane is the lieutenant governor of Texas; rumor says he’s looking at the White House. His wife is Camille; his son Kurt is in college.

The Cover and Title

This cover of blues and browns has a rushing river heading away from us carrying a width of burlap tumbling in the waters (conveniently placed to highlight the title) while the banks of the river appear as cragged rock rising steeply on either side.

The title is how Mia feels about the betrayal she commits. It’s Unforgivable to her fellow professionals, the police, and the public.