Book Review: Buried

BURIED | Ellison Cooper
(Agent Sayer Altair #2)
07.16.2019 | Minotaur Books
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

After an intense case that left her with a bullet wound, Agent Sayer Altair has been spending the past six months on desk duty. During her time away from the field she has focused on her research into the minds of psychopaths. Interrupting this research is a new case that has just been assigned to Sayer. An off-duty FBI agent, Max Cho, and his cadaver dog have fallen into a sinkhole filled with human bones. This seems like a cold case that will be a great way for Sayer to ease herself back into the field, but the agent quickly finds there are many more secrets buried here.

The remains we found deep in the woods of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in an isolated area with little foot traffic. It seems the bones date back several decades, which supports the initial cold case assumptions. When two fresh corpses are found, Sayer and her team are unsure what they have on their hands. Is this all coincidence? Two killers leaving bodies in the same spot? Or has a killer returned after a hiatus?

Earlier this month I read the first book in the Agent Sayer Altair series, CAGED, and not only fell in love with Ellison Cooper’s writing, but also with our main character, Sayer. Being a long time fan of FBI procedural shows like Criminal Minds, this series has truly become the perfect fit. The cases are out of the box and the cast of characters are all ones you want to bond with even if it’s your first time meeting them.

This book picks up a few months after the first and drops the reader right back into Sayer’s life. You can instantly feel the apprehension Sayer has about returning to the field, as well as the doubts she has over her injuries. Cooper makes sure that Sayer is not a one-dimensional character by allowing the reader into her mind and her thought processes. Sayer’s ultimate likeability also helps to solidify that bond between reader and main character.

The case being worked in BURIED is no less gruesome from what was featured in CAGED and I think that this continuity really set the stage for expectations going forward for this series. Readers are here and committed to not only read about Sayer, but to also experience and attempt to solve wildly intricate cases. I love how Cooper drops in mythology and science to the cases and killer’s actions in both of these books. Small details like that really make this book and the series as a whole more well-rounded.

I only docked off a half star because some parts did feel a bit over the top or a little too predictable to me, but at the end of the day those instances never stopped me from loving this book. I cannot recommend enough to hit the bookstore and get started with this series! It is certainly going to be one that readers look forward to picking up the latest new release, so why not get in on it while the series is only just starting out?

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.