Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

In the 1930’s a serial killer is terrorizing the city of Cleveland, Ohio. An undercover agent named Michael Malone is brought in to hunt the killer. When Malone meets Dani Flanagan, a young woman with a mysterious talent, he discovers she just might be the key to finding and stopping the Torso Murderer. Keep reading below for my full review of Amy Harmon’s latest novel!

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

My dad loved the movie, “The Untouchables.” It came out in 1987 and I vividly remember being equally fascinated and scared while watching the movie (it was pretty bloody and violent). The movie starred Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness – the man responsible for forming The Untouchables team that brought Al Capone to justice.

Eliot Ness rose to national fame after the success of The Untouchables. But his story didn’t end there. In 1935, Ness became Cleveland’s safety director. Shortly thereafter one of the most brutal serial killers in history began harassing the city. At least 12 victims were murdered. The serial killer became known as the Torso Murderer because he would chop up his victims into pieces and leave them around the city. Ness organized an undercover team called, The Unknowns, to hunt the killer.

In “The Unknown Beloved,” Amy Harmon tackles the story of the Torso Murders with some fiction, mysticism and even some romance mingled in.

Michael Malone is summoned to Cleveland by his longtime friend, Eliot Ness. Malone is an accomplished undercover agent and Ness feels his special skillset will help find and stop the Torso Murderer. When Malone arrives in the city, he comes across a young woman named, Dani Flanagan, with whom he shares a traumatic past. Malone soon discovers that Dani has a unique talent which could ultimately help him bring the killer to justice.

Michael Malone was a real-life operative for the Treasury Department. He worked undercover for 18 months and served a pivotal role in bringing Al Capone’s organization down. While there is no evidence to suggest he really worked on the Torso Murder case, he made for a great leading man by Amy Harmon!

I gave “The Unknown Beloved” to my mom for Mother’s Day before I had read it. To be honest, I gave it to her without even reading the plot synopsis – so I had no idea what the book was even about. I just knew it was Amy Harmon’s new book and I really enjoyed her previous book, “What the Wind Knows.” Well, a few days after Mother’s Day my mom brought me the book back. I asked her if she liked it and she said, “NO!” She told me how it was all about a serial killer who chopped up his victims! As she went on describing the book, I kept thinking to myself, “Hmm…this actually sounds really good!” (But I’ve watched every season of Criminal Minds, so serial killers clearly don’t disturb me…)

Well, I finally had a chance to read “The Unknown Beloved,” and, just like I thought, I really liked it! I didn’t know anything about the Cleveland Torso Murders before this book and found the whole thing fascinating. The story had a lot more romance in it than I was expecting, but I actually found it kind of sweet and not too annoying.

Overall, I highly recommend reading this one. But just a heads up. If you’re going to give the book to someone as a gift, make sure serial killers and chopped up body parts don’t make them squeamish!