Shadow Unit 3: Refining Fire - Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear

[goodreads]

Title: Shadow Unit 3: Refining Fire
Author: Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear
Genre: Suspense, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 251
Date read: April, 2018

Chaz Villette, team member, goes to check out the home he recently inherited from his mother's parents, who he has never met. The house is in danger from wild fires, so it may be his only chance to get a feel for what his dead mother's early life was like.

The only problem is, the house isn't empty, and he ends up in the crazed hands of a gamma, William Villette. His mother's brother, and a crazed rapist who can make people feel the emotions he wants them to.


Definitely the most vicious and graphic of the lot. I read the online version (found at http://shadowunit.org) which meant I had to go hunting for the bonus material. It's worth it though, as the "episode" itself ends rather abruptly and without giving the reader a chance to decompress.

Of course, if you're reading the Kindle version, then you won't have this problem ;-)

Once again the similarities to "Criminal Minds" are striking, but as I love that show, that's actually a count in Shadow Unit's favour, and though this particular episode was long and brutal, I found most of it fascinating and had a very hard time putting down the book. The ending got a bit confusing, and I was glad to discover extra bonus material online, as I was somewhat disappointed by where it ended (we got so invested in Chaz that I wanted to read about his recovery as well!), but all in all it was a very satisfying "season finale", and I could definitely see myself continuing on to the next season sooner rather than later.