Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July, 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Description: Five teenage girls have been murdered. One survived, and only she can reveal the secrets of a disturbing ring of people who kidnap and sell teenage girls on the black market. But those responsible for the crimes will do whatever it takes to maintain her silence.
Susannah Vartanian and Luke Papadopoulos have both sworn to stop the murderers for their own reasons. Susannah, the sister of the hero in SCREAM FOR ME, suffers from a mysterious past that is connected to the sinister black market. Luke is an investigative agent and a computer expert who refuses to let another child predator get away.
Susannah and Luke are instantly attracted to each other, but their troubled pasts prevent them from immediately acting upon their feelings. The case will lead them to the shady realm of Internet chat rooms, where anyone can mask their identity. As Susannah and Luke draw closer to the criminals, they discover a chain of deception so intricate they don't know who to trust. Susannah and Luke find comfort in one another's arms, but the killers are ruthless and determined, and will take extreme measures to insure their anonymity and keep their business intact.
My Thoughts: Karen Rose is my go-to author when I want nail biting, heart-pounding, edge of the seat, unexpected plot surprises romantic suspense. I have yet to be disappointed with any of her titles. Kill For Me is her ninth romantic suspense title, but is the third in her Daniel Vartanian series that began with Die For Me, and followed by Scream For Me. This book picks up practically where the last one left off and focuses on Daniel’s sister, Susannah and his partner, Luke. To be honest, I didn’t feel much of a connection when I first met Susannah. I thought she was intriguing, but I knew there was a lot more beneath the surface. I suspect the author intended the readers to feel that way. Susannah is a very angry woman and the reader won’t understand the true reasons behind it until book #2, but this book really shook me with just how deep it went. I developed a greater understanding and empathy for this character.
I liked Luke immediately, but my respect for him and the strength of character he demonstrates consistently impressed me. The things he has seen and endured in his career would cripple most people and cause them to implode and become self-destructive. I couldn’t blame him one bit if his character demonstrated any flaws, but he doesn’t and his strength and courage and determination made me more impressed with him. I actually felt more connected to him than any of the other characters and I loved the scenes involving his family and the stray dog.
Parts of this story were difficult and shocking, but considering the subject revolves around human trafficking, I really could appreciate that the author didn’t try to cover up any lack of knowledge or research by blowing smoke signals at the reader. I felt the author did an excellent job of researching her subject matter and connecting it to her characters and plot. Her dedication to her craft shows in the end product with a story that hits hard and draws on many emotions from the reader. The story is so good that I was able to set aside any aversions to the subject matter.
My Final Verdict: This was a fantastic story that will appeal to fans of not just the romantic suspense genre. Fans of thrillers and mysteries will find this intense story very enjoyable. A word of caution to the reader: make sure you read this trilogy in order. The character development and timeline of the events surrounding the Vartanian family will be hard to understand if you don’t read them in order. On the other hand, I highly recommend reading all of Karen Rose’s titles. You can’t go wrong with Karen Rose if you are looking for stories and characters that stay with you after the last page has been turned.
