"Caged" by Ellison Cooper is a riveting thriller that grips readers from the very first page. Following FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair, the novel delves into the chilling world of serial killers and criminal psychology. Cooper's writing is sharp and suspenseful, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Altair races against time to stop a ruthless murderer. With its complex characters, gripping plot twists, and spine-tingling suspense, "Caged" is a must-read for fans of gripping crime fiction that will leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

A great debut thriller about FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair who researches the minds of serial killers. In "Caged", Altair must hunt a serial killer who is tormenting his victims in a gruesome way - starving them to death. The story does not come across as original. Having read a lot of serial killer thrillers, I felt that some parts of the story was predictable and a bit cliched. But, as a debut, it deserves praise.

Ellison Cooper has constructed a plot with a fascinating main character, although she is a bit stereotypical for the genre. The writing flowed well. Even though I was not totally blown away, I am interested in checking out the other books in this series.

FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair uses the resources at her disposal to study the minds of the worst of humanity. When the Washington D.C. Police Department stumbles upon a gruesome murder scene, booby trapped for maximum destruction, Sayer is asked by her superiors to lead the investigation. After the victim is determined to be the daughter of a high ranking public official, the pressure is on Sayer and the team to use whatever means necessary to catch the killer. Will the demons that plague Sayer's mind prevent her from solving the crime before there are more victims?

I am a fan of police procedural thrillers, especially ones that involve psychology, but Caged misses the mark for me. Sayer Altair is too much of a loaded weapon to be in charge of an investigation, though this fact seems to be put aside for the sake of the case. I find it hard to believe that the FBI would have no one else besides Sayer that could solve the crime in a timely fashion. Her attitude towards authority feels more like a plot point than an actual character flaw. Overall, Caged was a quick read, but one I would hesitate to recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Caged by NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books. The choice to review this book was my own.

RATING: 3 STARS
2018; Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press

FBI special agent Sayer Altair prefers to be behind the desk researching, rather than being in the field. Yet, when an opportunity for a promotion comes up, it all depends on her solving the "Cage Killer" case. I liked that Cooper came up with a more diverse character in Sayer Altair. She is not only a woman of character, she is a researcher and prefers to be behind the scenes. I can tell that Cooper has put in a lot of research into the novel, and the story was engaging. There were a few loose ends and some inconsistencies, but on the whole I liked this novel enough to try book two.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

All I can say about Caged by Ellison Cooper is how on earth did I not read it sooner?!

What it's about: FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair studies the brains of murderers trying to figure out why some people become killers, and some don't. When she isn't doing that, she is taking down bad guys for the FBI, and she has just gotten called in to lead a new case. Someone is holding young women in cages and the one that was just found happens to be the senator's daughter who went missing weeks ago. As Sayer tracks the killer while also being in the spotlight, she might find out the killer is closer to her than she ever could have guessed.

Okay so I do have more to say about this book. Caged is a crazy wild ride of a novel and there was always something happening. Pacing was oh-so-fast, and I just loved Sayer along with a few other characters. She is a total badass (she even has a motorcycle!) and is the epitome of a strong female character. I did end up yelling at her towards the end of the book to get her shit together already, but overall, I really loved her as a character.

Caged also gave me incredibly strong Criminal Minds vibes, and is a procedural to the max. There are occasional chapters with the title 'unknown location' which reminded me of when CM cuts to the killer. In my opinion this book is basically just CM in book form which I absolutely loved.

There isn't anything overly descriptive in Caged so I think this would be a great novel for people that like the fast pace and procedural aspect, but don't necessarily like gore. Don't get me wrong, this isn't fairies and flowers, but overall, I didn't find it too bad. I also loved the humor that Cooper managed to infuse which really helped with all the heavy themes.

Final Thought: If you are looking for a fast-paced procedural with a badass female lead that takes 'write what you know' to a whole new level, then Caged is a must read. I think this was a fantastic start to the Sayer Altair series and I'm already reading book two!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Had everything I love in a mystery/thriller: strong female, great characters, unbelievably great storyline, and a fantastic ending. Loved this.
Another great book from St. Martins Press.

The title really grabs the reader with this book. The book lives up to it. It's a nice quick read that will not disappoint

This book was just not the book for me unfortunately. I really liked the premise, but I could not connect with the characters. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity for review.

was a gripping thriller that took you to every aspect of trying to figure out what was really going on and what was going to happen next! This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to see what else is released from this author!

FBI Special Agent (and neuroscientist) Sayer Altair really just wants to work on her special project: proving that serial killer brains are physically different from normal ones in hopes of finding a way to keep the violent behavior from arising in the first place. However, she’s been told that she can only work on that in her spare time, which is about to disappear because a corker of a case is coming her way.

A week after a 9-1-1 call comes in from what seemed to be a confused young girl, the cops get another call about the same house. They didn’t come across anything unusual when they visited the house a week earlier, but this time, they find much more than they bargained for. It’s bad from the moment they knock on the door and smell the unmistakable stench of a decaying body. They sweep the house but find nothing, so they prepare to go down into the basement, with disastrous results:

The smell grew stronger and became more acidic in the kitchen. Wilson’s eyes watered and he gestured toward a door. Most likely led down to the basement. A shiny new slide bolt stood out against the grimy walls of the town house.

With a nod, Mike slid the bolt. The door swung open and a wave of rancid air ballooned out, enveloping the cops. They both took an involuntary step back and flung their arms up over their noses, guns forgotten.

Through his shirt sleeve Mike called out, “Let’s just get down there and find the damned body so we can get out of here!”

He stepped down onto the first stair, looked down as though he’d just stepped on something, and said, “What the—” at the same moment a shotgun hanging just inside the door went off.

Standing directly behind Mike, Wilson was shielded from the full blast. A few pellets hit his left arm and the left side of his face, but it hit Mike head on.

His partner screamed in pain and instinctively jerked away. With flesh sloughing away from his face and chest, the muscle-bound cop backed into Wilson and both men toppled onto the floor.

Sayer is now on the case, partnered with agent Vik Devereaux of Crimes Against Children, and what they find is horrifying. In a cage suspended from the ceiling of the basement is the body of a young woman, along with a puppy that is still alive. They find out that she may have been held there for as long as three months before she was killed, and that it’s been about a week since she finally died. It doesn’t look like she was sexually assaulted, but she might have died of severe dehydration and starvation. It’s a horrible way to die, and Sayer is determined to find the monster who would have done this.

It won’t be easy, as the killer didn’t leave any physical evidence. But there is a video, and it’s a doozy. Strange glyphs are projected onto the walls, and it shows the girl’s last moments:

Her fingers fluttered. Her chest rose and fell. Rose and fell.

“She’s still alive here,” Sayer whispered, not trusting her voice.

“Watch,” a robotic voice boomed from the speaker, making them all jump. “The moment she moves beyond the veil.”

Sayer watched, unable to look away. The girl’s hand lifted slightly, up then down. Her chest rose and fell rose and fell. A barely perceptible tremor shook her body. Then nothing.

The image cut off, leaving the room dark.

The details of her death are bad enough, but the team soon finds out that she’s Gwendolyn Van Hurst, the daughter of Senator Charles Van Hurst from Georgia. It’s a public-relations nightmare, and Sayer’s boss trusts her to handle the manner delicately. The Senator, however, seems bound and determined to make that as hard as possible. Frankly, he’s a jerk. He’s nasty to the team and immediately wants to go public with details they’d like to keep close to the vest in hopes they don’t spook their killer. The Senator gets his press conference, though, and it becomes evident that there’s a leak somewhere. Sayer is told to contain it or she’s off the job. It really does seem that fate is throwing every obstacle in the way of these investigators.

However, a break leads the team to catacombs beneath Mount St. Sepulcher in Washington, D.C., and a book that seems to chronicle Gwen’s death. It’s horrific but provides an important look into the mind of who they’ve dubbed the Cage Killer. Even more important, it points to the existence of another girl in a cage, one who might still be alive. Now, they’re in a race against time to find a girl who is probably very near death and a killer whose motives are beyond anything they could imagine.

Sayer is a likable and driven protagonist with a fraught past—both of her parents were killed in a car accident, and her fiancé and fellow agent, Jake, was killed on the job. If you like dogged detectives and (extremely) weird, super creepy killers, you can’t go wrong with this strong debut. Cooper’s crisp prose keeps the tension high throughout, and the last sequence is nightmare inducing. Plan on losing sleep because of this one.

I received an ARC from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. OH. MY. WORD. This book is BRILLIANT. As most of you read in the description, it’s a psychological thriller. This book kept me guessing my misdirection the whole time, and I love that. An author should be smarter than I am and make my mind stretch. That’s why I read. I rarely give five stars but this book deserves everyone of them. Sayer Altair is put in charge of Caged Killer case. Unfortunately there is a leak on her team-straight to the media. Another girl is found, barely alive and then a third is take. Why does the killer call them 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3? What is Sayer’s boss keeping from her? Read. This. Book

Summary from Goodreads:

"FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiance, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who'd been slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.

As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession...a killer who is closer than she thought."

My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness - this book is easily a five star, going on my top reads of the year list type of book! I enjoyed my time reading this one immensely to say the least. I feel like this type of book is totally my own personal reader catnip if you will. It features a female lead detective (in this specific case she is a FBI agent but you get the gist) that is emotionally closed off due to her past. It's a police procedural which I absolutely adore (or FBI procedural - take your pick). And it focuses on a dark, twisted mystery that pulled me in until the very last page. What more could you want in a book like this? It's everything that I love all wrapped up into one amazing read! Now I need more books just like this or at least just as good! It's funny but before I started this one I remember seeing a slightly negative review (I don't remember the specifics or anything - just that the reader wasn't wowed by it) so I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up. I knew it sounded like my type of read but would it live up to those expectations? It sure did and then some! This is one of those books that just sucks you in and doesn't let you go. It wasn't one that I felt the need to read fast or fly through the pages. Instead I found myself unable to set it down and just so immersed in the ongoing investigation. I took my time with this one and loved every minute of it! Every time I thought I had a handle on it, the author was able to turn it around so completely that I just knew that I was wrong. I didn't figure out the ending until exactly when Sayer did which was the perfect way to experience the book. This book was just so unexpected and fresh compared to much of what is out there in the world of thrillers nowadays. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say too much but this is exactly the book that I hoped it would be and so much more!

Overall, I'm pretty sure that it is clear that I loved this book! I read the majority of this book during a long break in my daughter's softball tournament which was the perfect way to read this one! I just couldn't stop reading as I had to see how everything would end. I'm absolutely stoked that this is the beginning to a series so I have another book featuring Sayer to look forward to. Especially as the author set up another mystery outside of what was going on in this book that she left open for possibly the next book. I'm so intrigued and will be impatiently waiting to get my hands on that book whenever it releases! I just cannot say enough good things about this book. I can highly, highly recommend to those who love mysteries and thrillers. It's going on my top reads list this year without a doubt so that should tell you everything you need to know!

Bottom Line: A five star read that I can't stop gushing about!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Thoughts are my own.

This book was quite intriguing and I liked the storyline. Sayer Altair works for the FBI and is looking for the person who put a young girl in a cage in a basement and left her to die. As the police search for her we find out that the place has also been booby trapped with explosives making the search even more difficult.
Sayer has personal.problems of her own as she searches to try and solve this case. Then another cage is found and the plot thickens. Overall the narrative is good, but I felt some areas of writing to be quite passive which caused me to lose the thread and often I had to re-read a chapter. I was also disappointed with the ending as it left many unanswered questions.

I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait till the second book of the series comes out... sadly I must wait till next year. I live in Maryland so this book was extra interesting to me since it was somewhat local by taking place in Washington DC and Virginia mostly. I think Ellison Cooper is really onto something with the Sayer series and as I stated, I can't wait for the next book! I was reading more up on Ellison Cooper and I like that she writes about areas that she has expertise in, it definitely showed in her writing.

This was fast-paced and kept you engaged in the story and guessing as to who the bad guy was. Can't say I loved the main character, but she was a unique character. I do wish the characters were flushed out a little more. Will continue reading this series and looking forward to the next installment.

Really interesting and well written. The scientist is the most interesting character, I am getting a little tired of brilliant and twisted and sadistic psycho killers and the really horrifying things they do to innocent people.
The sick things this guy does draws the scientist in even more as she tries to prove her theory about the brains of the bad guys.

It gets intricate towards the end, and I did like the ending. Pretty exciting for a first novel. well done. Really liked it.

A sinister psychopath is hunting single twins for research based on ancient mythology. The race to save the next victim is on, and an FBI team is fighting through false leads and a possible inside leak in order to do so. Exciting plot with details, charismatic characters and an intriguing crime storyboard makes ‘Caged’ one for your shelf!

Thank you @netgalley and @Minotaur Books for the #free copy
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I gravitated to this book after reading a very heartfelt, emotional read and wanted to pallet cleanse.
This novel was very....and I mean very reminiscent of Thomas Harris. I really, really enjoyed it. I thought Cooper brought in a new badass female to the FBI with this book and I was there for it!
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The story begins with Agent Sayer Attair searching for the cage killer. I'm not going to give you much, because, you know me...that's not how I roll. There were lots of twists and turns throughout the novel. When I thought it was time for the novel to close...it didn't. I am so glad Cooper didn't listen to me 😉. The book ended strong and there was enough of an open end, that I will absolutely pick up the next one. (this was #1 in an upcoming series?).
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I would highly recommend if you enjoy Serial Killer Fiction (not sure that's a real genre...but I'm going to stand by it). I personally was not super scared by this one...but it definitely has a strong Silence of the Lambs/Criminal Minds feel. Or Unsub..by Meg Gardiner which I loved as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Ellison Cooper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have had this book for awhile and never seemed to get to it - I finally read it and I am so glad I did (and wondering why I waited so long!). Caged tells the story of Sayer Altair, a neuroscientist who is a special agent in the FBI and her quest to catch serial killers. The particular killer she is hunting for in this book is absolutely evil, but brilliant and keeps Sayer and her team always one step behind. I love how the story portrays Sayer as a strong woman with flaws and her own issues to work through. The characters are well drawn out and the story was suspenseful. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and hoping there are more Sayer Altair books!

Chilling and fascinating. Like a car accident you can't look away from. I was SO pleased to find it was going to be a series and I cannot wait for the next one one!