If you’re looking for a quick read over the weekend or on vacation, and like to get straight into the action without getting bogged down in detailed descriptions and back stories on the characters, pick up Undomesticated by Gary Smith. While Warren Steelgrave, author and temporary reporter/sleuth is the male protagonist in this fast-paced novel, the female detective, Kimberly Johnston, with whom the novel opens, grabs the reader from the word go. You realize immediately there is something very different about this respected policewoman and find yourself eagerly turning pages to find out who she really is. What you discover is compelling and more than a little disturbing.

Like the reader, for some uncanny reason, perhaps their very similarity, Steelgrave also finds Kimberly captivating and mentally challenging. Together, yet separately, they search for the identity of a serial killer whose victims are young adult blonde females. Which one of them will identify that killer first? That is for you, dear reader, to find out. While the interesting plot and realistic characters of Undomesticated keep this mystery murder novel moving, what is even more memorable is the discussion between Steelgrave and Kimberly about what it means to be an “undomesticated” human being. It’s a concept I haven’t come across in any other crime-based fiction that I’ve read. Perhaps it’ll be new to you too. That said, don’t be surprised if you come away wondering if you, too, are undomesticated. I did. Enjoy reading and reflecting on this fascinating concept.

Undomesticated: She Had No Remorse by Gary Smith is a murder mystery. A serial killer is on the loose. A killer who only hunts the good girls. There’s another killer on the loose too, one who hunts the bad guys but leaves no evidence, no bodies to be found. The prime suspect in the good girl murders has disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Has he become a victim of the second killer? Warren Steelgrave has been hired as a reporter on a small-town newspaper. He has a detective’s eye, the mind of a killer and an uncanny knack for solving problems. It’s down to him to uncover the truth, to get into the mind of an undomesticated killer. His girlfriend, Cindi, a successful singer, picks up a stalker, adding to Steelgrave’s work. Has he taken on too much? Just how involved is Detective Kimberley Johnson and where does Simone fit into things?

Undomesticated: She Had No Remorse by Gary Smith was a pretty good story. It was in-depth and there were several plot lines running through it which the author did a good job of tying together. It had a number of twists and turns and plenty of action in it with some good characters. I haven’t read any of the previous Warren Steelgrave books but there was enough information in the story to make me feel I knew the character well. There were a lot of main players in the story and that doesn’t always work but here it seemed to work. It was a thought-provoking story that kept me reading to the end; I just felt it moved a bit too quickly at times. Good story though, and I felt it worked as a standalone as well as being part of a series. I also loved the addition of the photographs; they added some depth and reality to the story.