Gone, But Not Forgotten by Phillip Margolin

Released: 1993

Gone, But Not Forgotten is Phillip Margolin's third novel. The novel tells the story of a womanizer and serial killer who emerges after a decade of silence. Gone, But Not Forgotten is incredibly suspenseful and has even made into a 2005 movie featuring Lou Diamond Phillips and Brooke Shields!

                                    

A serial killer is on the loose in the Portland, Oregon area; his victims are upper-class women married to successful and wealthy businessmen. While their disappearances leave behind limited clues of a black rose and a cryptic note, only a few people are truly clued in to the identity of this horrible perpetrator.


Gone, But Not Forgotten provides an interesting spin on a novel of mystery and suspense because we actually know who the serial killer is all along! The real mystery lies in how and why the killer takes these women, and also how he gets away with not being in prison.

Our intriguing supporting characters include a criminal defense lawyer who also happens to be a woman (which you'll see is conflicting with the case at hand) and a vengeful rogue-like cop (also a woman). While the defense lawyer represents the killer in present-time, the cop is determined to catch the killer in action after a decade-long period has passed and the killer still roams free. The end conclusion of the novel will definitely leave you satisfied because Margolin is amazing at crafting an ultimately suspenseful experience.

I'm normally not drawn to the mass-market genre of suspense but I do make a few exceptions in the cases of Phillip Margolin and Jeffery Deaver. These author's novels are just not as easily predictable as those of their competitors. Gone, But Not Forgotten is a quick, engaging read and wonderfully passes the time within the course of a relaxing weekend.

My other favorite books by Phillip Margolin include The Associate (2001) and Sleeping Beauty (2004).