An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid Mysteries) [Paperback]

P.J. Parrish (Author)

Book Description

Series: Louis Kincaid Mysteries | Publication Date: February 1, 2006

Not Every Soul Rest in Peace

In a remote corner of the Michigan woods, behind rusted iron gates and crumbling stone walls, lie one of the country’s most notorious sanitariums and its forgotten cemetery. The sprawling ruin is empty now, and the bulldozers have come to raze it. But as they do, a terrifying secret begins to emerge.

The body in Claudia Olsen’s grave is that of a stranger who died horribly. This much Louis Kincaid knows. But what happened to the woman who should be buried there? It’s a question no one will answer, one that leads Kincaid to the long, dark tunnels below the asylum and crimes of unimaginable depravity…

Now, in a place where the walls are stained with secrets, the air thick with the lingering history of screams, Louis Kincaid is on his darkest journey yet, matching wits with a monster whose work will not be silenced…

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Bestseller Parrish's gripping and atmospheric new Louis Kincaid novel (after A Killing Rain) is a quality read that will remind many of Dennis Lehane. The Florida PI's Thanksgiving plans with his significant other are derailed when Kincaid's foster father, Phillip, asks for his help with a delicate problem. The body of Phillip's youthful love, Claudia Olsen, has disappeared from her coffin, a travesty unearthed in the course of the demolition of the Michigan mental institution where Claudia was committed. Kincaid's search for the missing remains crosses paths with a journalist's pursuit of rumors that a serial killer, who was also a patient at the facility, is still alive and on the loose. Parrish manages to make what could be a formulaic plot fresh, both through her gift at creating sympathetic main and secondary characters and through her skill at creating suspense and sustaining a mood. The author's ability to raise goose bumps puts her in the front rank of thriller writers. (Feb.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786016078
• ISBN-13: 978-0786016075
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

P.J. Parrish is actually two sisters, Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols. Their books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today best seller lists. The series has garnered 11 major crime-fiction awards, and an Edgar® nomination. Parrish has won two Shamus awards, one Anthony and one International Thriller competition. Her books have been published throughout Europe and Asia. Parrish's short stories have also appeared in many anthologies, including two published by Mystery Writers of America, edited by Harlan Coben and the late Stuart Kaminsky. Their stories have also appeared in Akashic Books acclaimed Detroit Noir, and in Ellery Queen Magazine. Most recently, they contributed an essay to a special edition of Edgar Allan Poe's works edited by Michael Connelly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I lOVE THIS AUTHOR, January 29, 2006

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid Mysteries) (Paperback)

Louis Kincaid is back. It feels as though I have had to wait forever for another book in this absolutely excellent series.

Louis is just back from a job - he gets a very weird letter from his foster father asking him to come home and find out what happened to the body of the woman that he once loved.

Louis can't say no - so home he goes.

Now, anyone reading this series will know that the Louis character and the storylines in general are always kind of brooding.

Well, get ready because this one tops them all. The first chapters are basically all about Louis and his childhood memories as he is plunged back into a part of his life that was both good and bad. The good thing is that we discover alot about why Louis became the man he is. The bad side is that the tone is extremely introspective and sometimes depressing. Hence by comment about brooding. Louis is never exuberant, but in this book, he is downright comatose at places.

Still, it is an hommage to both the author and the character that he has created that throughout all of this comes out a first-rate thriller. The storyline twists and turns and it kept be going.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I strongly recommend it. I am already waiting for the next Louis Kincaid book - wouldn't it be great if they came more than once a year!

BUY THIS ONE...........

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply terrific!, April 12, 2006

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid Mysteries) (Paperback)

The sisters Montee who write as P.J. Parrish have outdone themselves in an "Unquiet Grave."

They have bumped up their writing and the character of Louis Kincaid to a higher plain in the seventh novel in this wonderful series.

Louis is now a PI on Florida's Gulf Coast. His foster father (Phillip Lawrence) asks Louis to return home (Michigan) to help locate the remains of his first true love (Claudia De Foe).

She was long considered dead, but when her casket was unearthed for relocation, it was filled with rocks.

Claudia was confined at Hidden Lake, an insane asylum, and was buried in their cemetery.

One employee (Nurse Alice) remains at Hidden Lake cleaning up the files and readying the place for demolition. She becomes the inside ally Louis needs to begin his investigation.

Inquiries made by Louis attract enemies, antagonize the State Police & provoke further violence. There is no doubt that foul play was involved in Claudia's death as Hidden Lake holds many sinister, haunting and disturbing enigmas.

Louis's hunt for Claudia's bones develops into part of a larger investigation to find a present day murderer as mutilated bodies turn up at Hidden Lake.

A sleazy tabloid journalist who believes a serial killer (incarcerated at Hidden Lake, supposedly dead for eight years) is the current killer become a most unlikely ally.

The journey to the finale is stylishly presented and intelligently resolved.

While on the case, Louis confronts many of his childhood demons and resolves them enough for some peace with who he is. He truly grows as a character in this tale of suspense of the highest order.

Just spectacular.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A suspenser of the highest order, March 1, 2006

By 

David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Unquiet Grave (Louis Kincaid Mysteries) (Paperback)

"An Unquiet Grave" is a standout thriller from a pair of sisters who write under the name P.J. Parrish. Often books by writing teams don't reflect the strength of style and voice found in works by single authors. That's not a worry here.

Private investigator Louis Kincaid, Parrish's series character, is asked by his foster father to return home to help locate the remains of a woman he once loved. She was long believed dead, but when her grave was opened for transfer, her coffin was found empty. So begins an intriguing and atmospheric story set largely on the grounds of an abandoned insane asylum, a haunting location that contains many dark and barbarous secrets.

With fresh characters and plot, "An Unquiet Grave" is a suspenser of the highest order.