The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave ~review

Product Description

A suspense-filled mystery which answers an ominous question: Who will be found worthy to live; who is the next victim?

After the deadly investigation into the Smithsonian murders, Dinah Harris is now facing a daily battle to keep her sobriety while struggling to form a new career from the ashes of her former job as an FBI agent. From the shadows will emerge a cunning and terrifying killer, who carefully and methodically will decide whose life has value to society and whose does not.

Using her profiling and security skills as a private consultant based in Washington, DC, Dinah uncovers a connection to the shadowy world of neo-eugenics, and those who publicly denounce the killings but privately support a much different view.

Against this backdrop, Dinah must come to terms with her own past, as those associated with the deepening mystery face their own personal demons, and struggle with the concept of God's inexhaustible grace and forgiveness. Old secrets are revealed, tragedies unearthed, and the devastating legacy of science without compassion is finally brought to light.

The second in a powerful new fiction trilogy!

My take on this book:

The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave, was a  great! I am a huge fan of mysteries, and this one is over the top, with a few clues here and there, and a killer who seems to think he has the right to decide who lives and who dies based on their "value" to society! The author doesn't just give us an interesting murder mystery, but she also taught me about a subject that I knew virtually nothing about!

Dinah Harris, a recovering alcoholic,  was one of the best profilers the FBI had, but they let her go because of her alcoholism. So she decided to hang out her shingle and use her skills on a consultancy basis. The first call she gets is from Detective Sampson Cage. There has been a murder,and he wants Dinah to help him figure out who the killer is.While there doesn't seem to be alot of clues with the first murder, just an old photograph. Soon there is another murder, and the clue that is left soon leads Dinah to believe the person committing the murders is somehow connected to the  teachings and beliefs of neo-eugenics. Can Dinah figure out who is committing the murders?

While we get to see how the murderer operates in this novel, figuring out who he was wasn't so easy, because of the types of victims he chose, it was relatively easy to murder them and not be detected. I felt sad for the victims, who were down on their luck, and then someone comes along whom they think they can trust only to be murdered by that person.

Dinah was a christian who comes of as a very down to earth normal person. She is far from perfect, and her problem with alcoholism is something she struggles with on a daily basis.
The secondary story of Ella and her father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's, was interesting, and tied in to the main story at the end.
While this is the second story in the Dinah Harris mystery trilogy, it can easily be read as a stand alone work. The author provides enough information to allow you to read this story without feeling lost. I found the topics discussed in this story, such as euthanasia, alcoholism, and neo-eugenics, to be very well done, and I for one intend to learn more about neo-eugenics.

If your a fan of suspenseful  mysteries, that also have a good christian message look no further, pick up the Dinah Harris mystery series,you won't be disappointed.

Book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.