Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: February 2011
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Years ago, a young woman was beaten and raped while onlookers did nothing. Now those witnesses are becoming victims themselves…
Baltimore homicide detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of horrific violence both as a cop and during his deployment in Afghanistan, but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies turning up throughout the city. He's up against a brutal killer with a very personal vendetta, and J.D. is beginning to suspect that his medical examiner may be shielding some crucial evidence linked to the case.
Medical examiner Dr. Lucy Trask is intrigued by J.D.'s compassion, but she isn't about to mix work with pleasure. Not while there's a ruthless killer on the loose. And definitely not while she's keeping a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings - and put her next on the killer's hit list...
My Thoughts: Although there was a lot to unpack, and I mean A LOT, with this one, fans of Karen Rose will enjoy this installment where we are now in Baltimore with new characters, new scenery and a new sadistic monster who is avenging the rape and murder of a young woman many years ago by hunting down the people who witnessed the act, as well as people who had any knowledge of it, but did nothing.
The author pulls out all the stops to bring these characters to life and the explicitly graphic and horrifying details of the murders. Reader, be warned, as this story will test your mettle. I found myself cringing multiple times because this author is so gifted at pulling her readers right into the story, I got a good sense of what the other characters were likely feeling and thinking because I was feeling and thinking it myself. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and, as with earlier installments, these secondary characters will most likely be making an appearance in future books in primary roles.
At the center of this story is Baltimore homicide detective J.D. Fitzpatrick and medical examiner Lucy Trask. The killer has Lucy in his sights as an upcoming victim so in the meantime, he gets his rocks off by terrorizing her. While getting to know Lucy and J.D., the story takes us into Lucy’s past to the town where she grew up and where the rape and murder occurred. Trying to connect all the dots and figure out the identity of the killer proved to be impossible for me as Karen Rose is quite gifted at keeping the reader guessing.
The story moves at a good pace and the chemistry between Lucy and J.D. was sizzling. Both of these characters have tons of baggage in their past and watching them engage with one another while trying to keep their walls up was interesting and seeing the wall start to crumble was fantastic. The killer was a well-written character too. Trying to figure out not only his identity, but his game plan was beyond challenging. He had no qualms about killing innocent bystanders or others not connected to his manifesto and seemed to derive immense pleasure in making it as painful for the victim as he could. If this had been a movie, I would have been hiding underneath a blanket.
My Final Verdict: Fans of romantic suspense, mysteries or thrillers won’t go wrong with this author or this series. Good character development and intriguing plot will hook the reader, leave them breathless and eager for more.
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