This was an okay mystery. I felt like the writing was a little choppy and awkward. The whodunit portion did keep you wondering who was guilty. Because this was the first book I've read in the series, there are some details I'm sure I missed, but they didn't deter too much from the story.

I liked the forensic details. but it didn't flow well with the interactions between the various characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Forensic expert, Maggie Gardiner, is called to Firebird, a secure facility for juvenile offenders in Cleveland after one of the residents is found dead. Rachel was a 15-year-old girl with behavioral issues but Maggie is there to find out if this was an accident or foul play. Homicide detective Jack Renner is also on the scene to conduct the investigation.

While conducting interviews with some of the people that came in contact with Rachel, they realize that despite the reason why the juveniles are at Firebird, they are also victims themselves of the system that didn’t help them. Most of the kids were in abusive situations and have repeated the pattern of abuse.

Despite Firebird being a secure facility and the staff having set up a system where the kids can’t move about freely, another death is reported and even Maggie and Jack are attacked by one of the children. No matter, Maggie is determined to see through the investigation and find out who was responsible.

Meanwhile while all of this is going on, Maggie’s ex-husband thinks he know who Jack Renner really is. Jack can’t afford to have the truth come out about his background and at this point neither can Maggie. As usual, the author does a great job of setting up the details involving the crime. These two are becoming my favorite duo in a mystery series but there is the issue of Jack’s past. This is the fourth book in the series and while you could certainly read on its own, I highly recommend you start from the beginning. Now, I’m looking forward to the next one.

SUFFER THE CHILDREN by Lisa Black is a very intense story. This story is full of twists and turns, it involves solving the murder of children. The book left me with so much emotion, this isn't a light read.

Infinitely better than her last book with the usual Lisa Black style of deep research on her main subject and wrapping it around a murder and subterfuge.

Things are about to be blown wide open within the Cleveland juvenile detention system when hard to handle teenager Rachel Donahue is found dead and no one can tell if it is murder or a death by misadventure. No finger points in any one direction and it is not until the deaths and near deaths pile up that Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner realize there is a murderer within these locked doors and if they do not find the perpetrator soon, more children will die in accidents which are really a cover-up for a judge and jury of one.

In this unputdownable novel, Maggie and Jack rush to save the children others have thrown away. They are in a fight for not only the children, but for their own secrets which are quickly disintegrating around them and mere steeps ahead of Maggie’s ex-husband who thinks he has final solved the mystery that is holding Maggie and Jack together.

I have been a fan of Lisa Black for years now and love the characters of Maggie and Jack. This latest book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I am dreading when the truth comes out about Jack. This is a great series. And after recently getting to meet Lisa, she is one of the nicest people and an excellent writer. It is great to have an actual forensics person writing books so that they are accurately portrayed.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Suffer the Children by Lisa Black that I read and reviewed.
This was the fourth book in the Gardiner and Renner series and even though you can read the book as a stand alone I would suggest you read the books in order because there are a lot of spoilers and they all fit together and lead into a big plot. With that being said Black was back with a brilliant story in this book. I was not that thrilled with the last book but this book she got out of the park.
Maggie and Jack were brilliant together in this book and you could feel the sparks flying between them. As a reader I was not sure if they wanted to strangle each other or rip each other's clothes off and I loved it and I can't wait to see where their uneasy alliance is going to take them. Also, the obsession that Maggie's ex has with trying to find out the truth about Jack had me on the edge the entire book. This just get better and better.
Now for the actually story in this book it was very gripping as well. I really had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed at the end and it blew my mind. Great twist and turns and very emotional topic in this book.
I am really not sure if I can wait for the next book to come out too see what is going to be in covered about who Jack really is. Needless to say Suffer the Children gets five out of five stars.

This was a difficult yet ultimately rewarding novel to read. The book is focused on children who have been dramatically abused. There is so much information and science behind what has occurred and what one can expect from these children, that it takes a good portion of the book to describe.

The author has used characters to give this information to the reader. In some cases, it becomes more of a lecture than a story but I can understand why she wanted to provide the information.

Frankly, I was horrified by what I read. I knew that I had suffered abuse within my family when I was a child but after reading this story, I can be thankful that my own abuse was much milder and left less of a shadow on the rest of my life. That is not to diminish any form of abuse. Abuse is just that and it becomes part of what forms you as an individual.

Personally, I would have preferred some of the information in a preface to the book. Either that, or less stories of abuse in a single book – perhaps spread across two or three. That’s a difficult thing to do, so perhaps, the preface would make more sense.

This is also the first book in this series I have read. It could easily be read as a stand-alone book but there are references to other stories that piqued my interest and made me want to go back and read them. My recommendation is to read the stories in order so you can see how the characters have grown and what their shared history is.

As I said previously, the book is about abused children. The children are being kept in custody as a way to try to re-introduce them to society. That sounds at odds, but the method is explained in the book, so I won’t repeat it here. It makes sense but it also provides a hotbed area where children with issues are grouped.

There is a murder and an investigation starts. As Gardiner and Renner ramp up looking for the whodunnit, more and more crimes occur. Add to that, Maggie Gardiner’s ex-husband is jealous of the relationship Maggie has with Jack Renner and looking for a way to bring Jack down.

Because of the wealth of information provided, the plot lags a bit. It is a well-written book on an engrossing subject. It certainly made me interested in the series and I will be looking forward to new books in the future by this talented author.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

A wonderful continuation of the fragile detent between Maggie and Jack. The underbelly of the foster system is brutally exposed here and we are exposed to a reality to awful to imagine. Great character development and a fast pace that makes your heart pound,

Children are dying at the Cleveland juvenile detention center where some of the most deeply troubled teens reside. Maggie Gardiner must put her forensic skills to work to help Jack Renner solve the murders. At the same time there's the big elephant in the room, their mutual secret their careers depend on staying secret. In the background Maggie's ex-husband is working hard to locate information about Jack's past that could bust the secret wide open. A child's death is never easy, and as bodies pile up and explanations sought, detention center staff share a vast amount of child psychology beyond anything Jack and Maggie might wish to know. Black's latest addition to the Maggie and Jack story is a fascinating but dark procedural novel surely to be welcomed by her many followers.

This is the fourth book in a series featuring Gardiner and Renner, who work in law enforcement in different capacities. Each book in the series is about a different case, so this book could be read as a standalone book. I enjoyed this one, as the plot moved along at a great pace and the writing was good.

Suffer the Children by Lisa Black
Gardner & Renner #

Maggie and Jack have an uneasy relationship built on both knowing something about one another that neither wants out in the open. Both also work together to find criminals. Maggie works in forensics and Jack is a homicide detective. Not much is said about either’s personal lives or interests as theirs is a work relationship…mostly. We do know that Maggie is divorced and her ex is a policeman with the ability to expose secrets perhaps better left…secret…at least better for Maggie and Jack.

With the uneasy truce in place Jack and Maggie find themselves in a juvenile detention center after the death of a female teenager who seems to have leaped to her death. Seemingly is what the murderer wants everyone to buy into but as one after another of the youth ends up dead it seems that someone has it out for these imprisoned young people who are far more likely to grow into criminals than responsible adults.

As the story unfolds it slowly becomes clear just who the murderer is and what the reasoning behind the killings is. It also seems that the vigilante killer, killing rather despicable miscreants that otherwise seem to avoid justice, might be exposed eventually by Maggie’s ex-husband. I do wonder if there is romance in the future for Maggie and Jack but unless they begin to have interaction outside of work it seems doubtful…maybe…

I have to say that I was not drawn in and kept on the edge of my seat and often felt the story was being told rather than that I was in the thick of it but it was solid overall and I will read more in the series to find out what will or will not happen with the vigilante killer, Maggie and Jack.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

I enjoy Lisa Black's writing and was glad to see Maggie and Jack in another enticing mystery. Even though this is a series, I think each book stands on its own quite well. The mystery here is unusual enough to be interesting and of course there's always the undercurrent of wondering whether Jack (and now Maggie too) will be caught.

I must admit I felt like Jack a few times when the dialogue went on and on about child-rearing. As Jack thought, I wanted to tell whoever was talking to get to the point. The story bogged down a bit at times but overall, this was a very satisfying read.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Lisa Black for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Suffer The Children.
I thought this book was a good read. I loved the main characters and the way they interact with each other. The storyline was well developed and engaging though, at times, it seemed to drag with a bit too much information. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
Well worth a read.

How sad is the situation at Firebird? These kids weren't born this way. Maggie and Jack are sent to investigate the death of Rachel, a teen who is pushed to her death, and discover so much more. Yes Rachel was not a nice person but did she deserve what happened to her? This is a procedural that asks you to think about how we treat our children. Maggie and Jack have secrets they keep trying to hide but which can't stay in the dark forever. I haven't read all the books in this series and it's clear to me that they can each be read as a standalone. Thanks to NEtgalley for the ARC. This is a nice combo of a forensics expert (and you get some details) and a homicide detective.

I did enjoy the book but there was way to much background info that made the story drag. Would love to have see more interaction between the characters instead of so much information that was not interesting

Is the truth about to be revealed? The team is back and can they find the killer that is roaming the Firebird center? The center is home to many abused and damaged children and someone is making sure that they get punished. Can Maggie & Jack figure this one out before more lives are lost? The first victim according to everyone at the center deserved to be killed as she wasn't a nice person but they still need to find out who the mystery boyfriend is and there are so many suspects but could one of the children have killed her?
The children all have the opportunity to push her off the landing and most of them wouldn't have thought twice about it. But is Maggie getting in too deep and will she listen to Jack to be careful? Maggie is having doubts about Jack as she knows that he has so many secrets and she fears that he could have hurt these children. Jack can't believe that she would think that he could have hurt them, he is many things but never a child killer. Can he prove to her that this isn't his doing? They both have bigger problems as the killer has killed another young children that should have been given a chance at a as normal life as possible. Why kill him he was harmless? Can they stop this killer before the body count rises?
Is Jack's secret about to come out and what will Maggie do as she can't lose him can she convince her ex husband that Jack is a good guy? Jack realizes that his time is almost up and he knows that it is going to be really hard to leave her behind. Love these two as they both try and act that they don't need each other but they honestly do care about it and Maggie has really taken a chance on trusting Jack. I hope that it doesn't back fire on her in the future. Can't wait to see what happens next with them. Always a great read the series just gets better. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

A confusing read at best... slow pacing ( for ME... i like a crime drama to be methodical but also to move quickly), lackluster conclusion. I feel as if there is a lot of story I don't know, that wasn't explained (understandable, seeing as how this is book four in the series). I finished because I wanted to know what happened to Rachel. The book ended without fully understanding WHY the murders occurred.

Black's Gardiner and Renner Series has amazing characters and interesting plot. But... it just has too much narrative about issues that the story could do without. The forensic pages reveal procedures taken that were vital to the story. Would like more interaction and personal time given to the main characters and their hidden emotions. All this being said; look forward to more in this series to find out what happens to Maggie and Jack. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Suffer the Children by Lisa Black is the fourth book in the thrilling Gardiner and Renner series. Each book in the series is a completely new case so they technically could be read as a standalone if choosing. However there is also an underlying story continuing with the characters from book to book so it’s ideally best to read in order from the beginning.

In Suffer the Children forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner find themselves at Firebird, a secure facility for juveniles. The kids inside this establishment are ones that have extreme problems, many have a total lack of empathy and have been abandoned to the system. When one of them has what appears to have been an accident Gardiner and Renner come to investigate.

As Maggie and Jack are looking into the death of fifteen year old Rachael another child attacks them and they see just how dangerous the facility can be. But next they know that same child is found dead in the infirmary in what at first glance appears another accident but two accidents are a bit much to believe so they begin to wonder if a killer is loose in the facility.

I do believe Suffer the Children is my favorite of this series so far thinking back on the others. This has always been a dark and gritty police procedural type of series but with the added twist of the secrets shared between the characters but this fourth book really took on an intense darkness with the nature of the children involved and their deaths. It really was fascinating to read about them and follow as the clues were uncovered and the case solved.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy.
This is the first book I’ve read of hers and I really liked her writing style.
I like this gritty mystery with believable characters and a fast paced plot