RS Review: Did You Miss Me? [Hardcover]

I've finished "Did You Miss Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped.

Daphne believes it’s connected to the recent high-profile trial, and at first FBI special agent Joseph Carter agrees. But together they find the reality to be even more troubling, and it runs deeper than Daphne fears.

With her son’s life in jeopardy, she must unlock a dreadful secret about her past — and confront a truth that will change everything for those closest to her. And, if she survives, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

Product Details
Hardcover
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (November 8, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0755373987
ISBN-13: 978-0755373987

My Review:

Daphne Montgomery is a prosecutor in Baltimore who has overcome a tragic past to build a normal and safe life for son and herself.  She has recently help convict a killer but then she hears the horrible news that he son has been kidnapped.

Both Daphne and Special FBI agent Joseph Carter believe it's connected to her recent case but as they investigate further they realize it runs deeper and more troubling than that.

Daphne confronts her tragic past which changes close relationships to help her uncover the truth behind her son's kidnapping.

I really enjoyed the romance between Daphne and Joe because you can sense how much they care for each other and the attraction between them is intense and tender.

Glad to see Alex all grown up from "Nothing to Fear" and working for Clay with his technical skills.

It was cool to see Vito Ciccotelli from "Die For Me" involved in the case too.  Glad to hear that Sophie is 8 months pregnant and helps uncovering a mass grave.

To me the mystery was kind of off (kind of hard to explain) and it never explained why one of the villains was obsessed with Daphne.

I cried for Stevie and Clay and I hope they have their HEA soon!

3.5/5

RS Review: No One Left to Tell [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "No One Left to Tell" by Karen Rose.

Product Description 

The thirteenth fantastic thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Karen Rose. It may be unlucky for some ...Will anyone live to tell the tale? If one more woman should accidentally fall, there'll be no more women and...Ramon Munoz has spent five years in prison, convicted of a murder his family is convinced he did not commit. Unable to get the courts to take them seriously, they turn to private investigator Paige Holden for help. Paige cannot resist the family's pleas. But when Ramon's wife, having just handed her the evidence that will help prove his innocence, is brutally executed in front of her eyes, Paige is thrown headlong into a case which will place her life into jeopardy. As Paige risks everything to prove Ramon was set up, she comes to realise that there is more at stake if Ramon is freed than she could have ever guessed. Can Paige stay alive long enough to unmask an unstoppable killer who will not rest until there's no one left to tell?

About the Author

KAREN ROSE is a RITA Award-winning author of romantic suspense. A former chemical engineer and high school chemistry and physics teacher, she lives in Florida with her family and their cat, Bella, and dog, Loki.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Signet (June 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451236165
ISBN-13: 978-0451236166

My Review:

Paige Holden has moved to Baltimore to start over as a private investigator working for Clay Maynard.  She is trying to prove that Ramon Munoz is innocent of killing Crystal Jones at retired Maryland State Senator James McCloud's estate.  Grayson Smith the ASA is the one instrumental in convicting him.  Ramon's wife and mother ask Paige for help and they are convinced he is innocent.  Paige promises to help only if Elena can prove it with evidence.  Elena manages to get proof but pays with her life.  Paige has moved after her best friend was killed and she was attacked.  She now lives with her guard dog Peabody.

One morning as Paige is walking her dog she witnesses Elena murdered right in front of her eyes.  As Elena lies dying she gives Paige a flash drive and not to trust the police.  Paige needs someone to trust so she decides to check out Grayson in person because the eyes don't lie.  Grayson notices her in the crowd staring at him and follows her to a parking lot where he saves her from harm.  She shows him the flash drive with proof and he regrets his conviction.  They decide to work together to uncover who was the real killer.

As they investigate they discover a cover up within the police department and someone is out to silence everyone that gets in their way.   Then the killer targets everyone that is important to Paige and Grayson.  Investigating further they realize the killer is associated with former Senator James McCloud.  Young girls were abused and raped starting in 1984.

This was an exciting fast paced and thrilling page turner from the first page to the last.  It had pulse-pounding action with many villainous and vile villains.

4/5

Thanks Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

RS Review: You Belong to Me [Paperback]

I've finished "You Belong to Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Baltimore city Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of violence but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. And now he's starting to suspect that his medical examiner, Dr. Lucy Trask, may be shielding a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings - and put her next on the killer's hit list ...

About the Author

Award-winning international bestselling author Karen Rose earned her degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland. For a number of years, she worked in the engineering field, earning two patents, but she began writing novels when scenes started to fill her mind and her characters would not be silenced. Since her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July 2003, she has written more than twelve novels and been translated into nineteen languages. Her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany's der Spiegel bestseller lists. A former chemical engineer and high school teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her family, her dog, and her two cats.

Product Details
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233573
ISBN-13: 978-0451233578
My Review:

Storyline:  In the quiet town of Anderson Ferry, Maryland, a young lady is brutally assaulted and murdered on her prom night. The onlookers did nothing to stop the violence or help the girl. Twenty-one years pass.

Dr. Lucy Trask is a Baltimore medical examiner. While jogging in the early morning of Monday, May Third, she stumbles upon the posed body of a man so badly damaged that she does not realize that she knows him. Very soon afterward, other bodies begin to appear. All of the victims have been tortured. All of the victims are from Lucy's home town of Anderson Ferry. The killer places and poses the victims' bodies specifically when and where Lucy would be the one to discover them.

Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of death, especially during his time as a soldier. But neither his time in the military, nor his time working in Narcotics could have prepared him for the tortured bodies showing up in Baltimore. J.D. and his partner, Stevie Mazzetti, instinctively know that Lucy is innocent. It does not take long to prove it either. It's quite obvious that the killer has personally targeted Lucy. But why? J.D. can tell that Lucy is keeping secrets about her current private life but that should not have anything to do with her life from over twenty years ago. Back in Anderson Ferry Lucy had been a kid while the victims were  in high school. Lucy may have known them since the town was small but they have never been what anyone would have called friends. So how, in the killer's mind, could Lucy be linked with any of the deceased? All J.D. is sure of is that he must convince Lucy to share her secrets with him before she becomes the killer's next victim.

Characters:  Lucy has a very troubled past which she has shed and re-invented herself.  During the day she is a medical examiner while at night she's (you will have to read the book to find out, LOL!).  J.D. is a former sniper and is new recruit in the homicide department.  Both are lonely and have suffered a great lost. 

Romance:  Both acknowledge they are attracted to each other from the get-go but each has reason(s) not to get involved.  I really enjoyed their romance because it started slow and they got to know each other before falling into bed.  Glad to see J.D. was very patient and caring with Lucy and know she was the one for him.

Killer:  Wow the killer was truly sick in the head and loved to torture, rape and film the killings so they could watch it all over again.  I felt sad for the tragic accident that caused them to start their killing spree.

This series has a great blend of truly horrifying crimes, well written characters and the right amount of romance.

This book had lots of twists and turns with a wickedly sick and demented killer doing very vile things to women.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Count to Ten [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Count to Ten" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday has never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined.

Mia's instincts tell her the arsonist is making this personal. And as the infernos become more deadly, one look at the victims' tortured faces convinces her and Reed that they must work closer to catch the killer. With each new blaze, the villain ups the ante, setting firetraps for the people Reed and Mia love. The truth is almost too hot to handle: This monster's desire for death and destruction is unquenchable ... and for Mia he's started the countdown to an early grave.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780446616904
ISBN-13: 978-0446616904

My Review:

I highly recommend any book by Karen Rose if you love romantic thrillers with strong heroes and heroines and truly horrific killers.

Storyline:  Mia Mitchell is a detective with the Chicago Police Dept, she is the partner of Abe Reagan from I'M WATCHING YOU. Abe and Mia have been shot while on duty and Mia blames herself for not firing sooner. She also thinks Abe will blame her too. She is extremely surprised when his wife Kristen jumps her not because she did not save him, but because she has not visited him in the hospital. He has been worrying non stop about his friend and partner. 

Convinced that she is at fault for not protecting her partner, Mia has punished herself for weeks while avoiding her friends and family. When she is paired up with Reed Solliday, she is determined that he will never be more than a temporary partner.

Mia was raised by an abusive father who was also cop and she has never revealed the story to anyone. Her younger sister Kelsey is in jail for armed robbery and only she knows the horror both of them lived thorough. Mia has found it hard to trust a man and at 34 has pretty much given up hope of finding a man she can love and trust.

Lt. Reed Solliday is with the fire dept. He is a widower, who has turned his home into a shrine for the woman he lost, He has a 14 yr old daughter and his adopted sister lives close by to take care of them. In the last eleven years he hasn't met anyone like Mia who sets off feelings he has not had in a long time.

After being called to the scene of a horrific house fire, Lt. Reed Solliday quickly realizes that he has more than a case of arson on his hands. When they find a body inside, they quickly surmise that not only was the fire arson, but the person inside was murdered. Because of the homicide, Reed is forced to partner with Detective Mia Mitchell. At first Reed isn't too sure about Mia's capabilities as a Detective. He soon realizes that his first impressions of her are on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Characters:  Reed is truly a gentlemen because when he first encounters Mia he gives her his umbrella since it was pouring and he opens the doors for her and even feeds her.  All the women find him attractive especially his mustache.

Mia is very caring person who is quite vulnerable but she doesn't show it.  She really loves her younger sister Kelsey and is always visiting her all the time.  She really reminds me of Eve Dallas because both of them are a kick-ass heroine.

Romance:  I'm really glad that Reed and Mia got to know each other before falling into bed.  It was so much fun to read when both of them were fighting their attraction to each other.  I'm really glad they finally got together because they are perfect for each other (they love and support each other and also good at their jobs).
 
Killer: The killer was really messed up in the head and had a really bad childhood. Been through many foster homes and been abused, etc. Didn't like how he reasoned to themselves about getting rid of certain victims just because they thought they were in the way!

5/5

Silent Scream [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken.

David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close--and is moving in for the kill.

About the Author

Karen Rose is a RITA Award-winning author who fell in love with books from the time she learned to read, with Jo from Little Women and Nancy Drew becoming close childhood friends. A former chemical engineer and high school chemistry and physics teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of twenty years, their two children, and the family cat, Bella. For more information, visit her website: www.karenrosebooks.com.

Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 25, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446538361
ISBN-13: 978-0446538367

My Review:

Storyline: 

Characters:  David is a great character because he's very caring, determined, loves his job, loves his family and his girl. 

Romance:  I love the romance between David and Olivia because they are great together and they understand each other.

Killer(s):  A couple of killers I feel sorry for them because they have remorse about what they have done.  The others are quite selfish and don't care what they have done!

5/5

I Can See You (Hardcover)

I've just finished reading "I Can See You" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers her latest pulse-pounding suspense novel, where the line between the virtual world and everyday reality blurs when it comes to murder.

Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn't know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think.

My review:

I highly recommend reading any of Karen's books.

Eve had already lived through 2 traumatic incidents that left her scarred both inside and out. The outer scars had healed or been "fixed", but on certain days, the inner scars were still fresh. She was trying to rebuild her life. By day she was a grad student studying psychology - and how one might learn confidence in real life (IRL) by "practicing" it in the virtual world via games - in this case Shadowland. By night she was a bartender working at Sal's - a bar frequented by Minneapolis police officers and members of The Hat Squad.

Shadowland was an online virtual game whose motto was "Sometimes you want to go where no one knows your name". You could do there about anything you could do IRL. You could gamble at the casino, dance at the bar, even take home 'one-night stands'. You became your avatar - and this avatar could be whoever you wanted them to be - and like in most virtual worlds - your avatar was opposite of who you were IRL - for most, it was a reflection of who they wanted to be. Eve had opened up a shop in Shadowland called Pandora's - where people came to buy their avatars. It was also her way of keeping tabs on people in her study. She was not supposed to know who these people were, but she had broken the rules of the double-blind study and had learned there real names.

The Hat Squad was a group of detectives that were given a fedora when they solved their first crime. They wore the hats as a symbol of achievement and pride. A local magazine had just run a feature on The Hat Squad, with an officer on the cover who hadn't been in shining form the last few months. This article made people even love The Hat Squad more - or hate them with a vengeance.

Because Eve knew the names of her subjects - when two women's usage in Shadowland dropped - she checked in to it - and discovered they had committed suicide. She went to her professor to try to persuade him that they needed to do more evaluations, but he did not believe that the study had anything to do with the suicides - and as she was not supposed to know names, told her to forget it - but she couldn't.

Noah was such a great hero to Eve's heroine because they both have scars and are both lonely and understand what each is going through.

I liked Jack (Noah's partner) even if he's a jerk sometimes and his skirtchasing. I hope Karen writes a book about him.

5/5

Kill for Me (Hardcover)

I've just finished reading "Kill For Me" the 3rd book in her Vartanian trilogy by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Five teenage girls have been viciously attacked. One survived. 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 personal reasons. The investigation leads them to the shady realm of Internet chat rooms, where anyone can mask his or her identity. They soon discover a chain of deception so intricate they don't know whom to trust. Finding comfort in each other's arms, they begin to unravel the intricately knotted threads, but the killers are ruthless and determined, and won't hesitate to take extreme measures to insure their anonymity and keep their business intact. When Susannah proves to be inexplicably linked to the crimes, her life is soon in danger, and Luke will do everything he can to save the woman he loves.

About the Author

Karen Rose is a RITA Award-winning author who fell in love with books from the time she learned to read, with Jo from Little Women and Nancy Drew becoming close childhood friends. She started writing stories of her own when the characters in her head started talking and just wouldn't be silenced. A former chemical engineer and high school chemistry and physics teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of twenty years, their two children, and the family cat, Bella. When she's not writing, Karen is practicing for her next karate belt test! Karen would love to receive your e-mail at karen@karenrosebooks.com.

Nothing To Fear (Mass Market Paperback)

I've just finished reading "Nothing to Fear" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

As director of an inner-city woman's shelter, Dana Dupinsky safeguards many secrets. Some are new identities; some are new addresses; and some are even hidden truths about herself. Passionately dedicated to Hanover House and the women she protects, Dana has always been reluctant to look for love. But now, just as a case puts her and a child in mortal danger, it seems that love has come looking for her.

Security expert Ethan Buchanan learned to stalk men in the Afghan desert. Now he vows to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson-and falling for Dana is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For there's a deadly new secret at Hanover House. A brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge with a stolen boy at its center. And Dana is the next victim on the list...

About the Author

Karen Rose fell in love with books from the moment she learned to read, with Jo from Little Women and Nancy Drew becoming close childhood friends. She started writing stories of her own when the characters started talking in her head and just wouldn't be silenced. When she's not writing stories for readers, Karen writes stories for computers—programming keeps the other side of her brain out of trouble. She lives in sunny Florida with her fantastic husband, an avid fisherman,a nd two wonderful daughters who also love to read and write.

I'm Watching You (Warner Forever) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've just finished reading "I'm Watching You" by Karen Rose.

From Publishers Weekly
A dark secret keeps Chicago assistant state's attorney Kristen Mayhew as tightly wound as the springy red curls she works to pin down. Meals at the nearby diner, sleepless nights renovating her empty house and days in court where the bad guy more often than not doesn't face justice make up her life—until she finds the bodies of three criminals she failed to convict in the trunk of her car. Each dead body comes accompanied by a sinister letter, the writer informing "Dearest Kristen" that justice has been done on her behalf.

Product Description

Star prosecutor Kristen Mayhew has a dangerous secret admirer. He seems to knows her every thought, her every move. He sends her letters. And he kills the criminals she herself is powerless to stop. This avenger even knows Kristen's deepest secret-the one that has kept her from surrendering her heart to Abe Reagan, the police detective sworn to protect her. Like Kristen, Reagan is haunted by the loss of something precious that can never be regained. But in the shadow of a calculating serial killer, the two turn to each other and dare to rediscover passion...even as the messages and vicious murders continue. Even as the killer's thirst for retribution makes Kristen a target for murder.

About the Author

Karen Rose lives in Florida with her husband and two daughters.

Scream for Me (Hardcover)

I've read "Scream for Me" the 2nd book in her sequel for "Die for Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

For her exciting debut in hardcover, New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers a heart-stopping suspense novel that picks up where DIE FOR ME left off, with a detective determined to track down a brutal murderer.

Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in DIE FOR ME. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.