This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense
Released on April 4, 2014
Pages: 302
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
I saw the blurb on this one and was taken with reading about two psychics teaming up to bring down a serial killer. I enjoyed the suspense part from cover to cover, but things started out a bit rocky for me with the romantic leads. Fortunately, I stuck with them and things did more than improve. I love it when I see flawed characters grow and grow together.
Trudy Tucker and Levi Wolfe are like oil and water when they first come together to work a serial killer case in Key West. They both have their gifts and are willing to use them, but that is where their common ground seems to end. That is until they give in to the strong attraction they feel. The physical connection is easy, but other warmer feelings are slow in coming because they have so much to get sorted. Trust is the final hurdle and that seems the most impossible of all.
Meanwhile the chase continues as Levi speaks with the victims and channels their last moments while Trudy channels the killer’s thoughts and sees things through his eyes. They are always just one step behind it seems and the danger of the prey becoming the predator becomes the reality. Trudy must dig deep and accept all of her gifts and Levi must focus all of his talent if they are to make it through alive.
The plot was two pronged with this being parts suspense and romance. I ended up liking the story, but I confess I really struggled in the beginning because I wasn’t impressed with the two main characters. Trudy is rude with her ignorant opinion and her cold way of treating Levi as a result and Levi doesn’t help his cause because he lets his arrogance out and expects Trudy to open up to him, but he won’t share with her. But then I saw the shift start to happen and gladly watched them grow. These two are passionate and have just a little trouble at the beginning before they are jumping into bed every chance they get. Trudy is the solid one in this relationship. There are hints and bits of how messed up Levi is- a tortured soul. He is so afraid to divulge his secrets because he knows they will send Trudy running as fast as she can and he realizes that he doesn’t want to lose her. The story switched back and forth between them as narrators and it was nice having both their voices.
As to the suspense, I had no idea until the end and didn’t even have a clue who the killer was. I tried to figure it out and I got some things right, but the actual identity stayed a mystery which I loved. It was really creepy getting inside the killer’s mind and I thought the author did a good job with her villain. He was sick and gave me some real squeamish moments.
I do need to say one other thing that made me as mad as fire. I wasn’t aware this book was part of a series when I picked it up. This would be my own fault. Truthfully, this knowledge wouldn’t have saved me because I thought this story was wrapped up and leaving things in a good place with a happy for now right up until the last two sentences. What was that???? Warn a gal when you’re going to put in a thirty foot drop off like that. So for all you readers coming after me, you’ve been warned.
All in all, this one eventually sucked me in and I loved the balance of romance and suspense, the well-written characters, and the tumultuous romance that developed. Romantic suspense lovers along with lovers of thriller romance should try this one.
My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Creepy romance inside a serial killers mind. I just don’t think I could like this book or series. Thanks for the honest review.
I know! I had to read this one in the afternoon and couldn’t trust myself with it at night. I’m a wuss too.
I haven’t read a good mystery in a while. It would have been nice to know this was part of a series before you picked it up, but I’m glad ou enjoyed it still. The characters sound really interesting and its good that they story was told from both their points. Great review Sophia 😉
Thanks, Sharonda! Yeah, neither Net Galley nor GoodReads indicated it was part of a series. I finally saw it when I posted the review at Amazon. I enjoyed it, but I have a different mindset when I know its a series. Ms. Camp did tell me that she’s working on book two so I’m not left hanging for too long. Haha!
Creepy romance inside a serial killers mind. I just don’t think I could like this book or series. Thanks for the honest review.