Picking books based solely on their looks

Normally, this book would not immediately grab my attention because the cover doesn’t scream, “Pick me! Pick me!”

But, it was interesting enough for my boyfriend to pick it up while we strolled through the aisles at the library. He read the inside cover and thought I would enjoy it.

Without asking him what it was about, I checked it out, and we were on our merry way.

Three weeks later and my books are due back, and I have yet to crack open “UNSUB.” I renewed my books and dived in.

From that moment forward, I could not put the book down — homework and responsibilities falling to the wayside.

“UNSUB” is about a serial killer known as The Prophet coming out of the woodworks after 25 years to finish what he started in the east bay of California.

The Prophet draws similarities to The Zodiac Killer with his signature symbol of Mercury and his cryptic notes and riddles left for the police to solve.

Protagonist Caitlin continues in her father’s footsteps after he spiraled into insanity with the case that he couldn’t solve.

Adamant that she would keep her personal life separate from her work, she eventually couldn’t help but blur the line when The Prophet began making his “work” more personally related to Caitlin’s life, calling her out on her lackluster police work.

In the end, The Prophet’s code is cracked. His murders represent each of the nine circles of Hell depicted in Dante’s “Inferno” in which Mercury is the messenger that leads the sinners into hell — The Prophet is a vigilante in his own mind.

But what is a thriller (with slight romantic undertones) without a suspenseful conclusion?

The clock is ticking down, and Caitlin’s boyfriend Sean Rawlins’ life is on the line.

With the help of her father, she stops at nothing to end the horrific reign of The Prophet.

The story ends on a cliffhanger in which a breathy voice is on the other end of a phone call at Caitlin’s new job with the FBI.

She and everyone else thought The Prophet’s game was over, but unbeknownst to Caitlin, The Prophet had a protégé.