Sunday, March 1, 2009

REVIEW: "Kill for Me"

Title: Kill for Me


Author: Karen Rose


Rating: 4.5 stars


Summary (from B&N.com):

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.








One of the last books I received from Hachette Groups, Kill for Me turned out to be a surprisingly good book. I'm not usually one for contemps (we've went over this many times before) and even though this one intertwined suspense and mystery with the contemporary romance, I was a bit hesitant, I will admit. But as soon as I opened the book, started on page one, I was hooked. Just that easily, and I was pulled into the book, completely at Rose's mercy, waiting to see what would happen next...




I loved this book! Seriously, I now have to go back and read the previous two books, not only so I can get the whole story line and character stories, but simply because her work is that addicting. Even though it is technically part of a trilogy, Kill for Me can easily be read as a stand alone, if you have to, and you will not be lost, I promise! Ms. Rose deftly twists the story so often, that even when you have no clue what will happen next, what road the story will take, you still are not lost. There's simply not enough time in between for you to even think about becoming lost! ( Now, that ramble may not make much sense, I know, but if you only read the book, maybe it will...? )




It's not just a romance novel, and it's not just a suspense thriller, either. It's a wonderful, almost perfect, combination of the two. It combines the best of both into one book, almost flawlessly, and I think it would make both readers happy-- the ones that want more romance than mystery, and the ones that want more action than love.



What romance is in here is very well written, and believable. Yes, it's mostly just sexual tension building up until the very end, but that's what makes it so believable---both Luke and Susannah had some unforgettable pasts, which still haunt both of them today, and if they had simply been jumping each other every other page from chapter one onwards, I would have hated the book because ITS NOT BELIEVABLE. They had much to overcome, earning each other's trust, love, and, eventually, the rights to each other's body. The thing they have had to see, to suffer through, it's not something that constant (premature) sex with the person who could/will become your life partner at the end of the dilemma will fix. I'm glad that the author had them wait, and instead focused on the little things about their relationships, slipped in between the pages of action and murder. In some regards, the romance took a back seat for most of the book, but this didn't bother me because I felt like both sides got their chance in the driver's seat and took the wheel nicely.




Besides the spicy romance going on, it was also interesting to try and put the pieces together while the characters did. A very complex, well written and well thought out, piece of 'Who Did It?' with multiple twists along the way, Kill for Me provides the reader with a fast-paced thriller that captivates and, well, thrills! I had chills a few times, and I hope that nothing like this ever comes to my town. But that's something that this book proves-- sometimes the people in your very town, the ones that everyone trusts and likes, have the biggest and most terrifying secrets to hide...




4.5 STARS! I can't stop singing my praises for this novel. It kept my on the edge of my seat the whole way through, and just when I'd think that I had everything figured out, Ms. Rose would trick me again! And yet, the best thing about this book was that even though the plot was very thick and serious, Rose still managed to integrate little jokes and witty conversation into the conversations between the characters. And I really enjoyed all of the characters-- from Luke and Susannah, to Daniel and his wife (Though I want to know more about these two, one of the many reasons I'm going to pick up the two previous books), and lets not forget, Luke's charming mother and family. Between all those good things, you'll feel like you are right inside the book while reading Kill for Me! Get ready for a mystifying read!

Until Next Time,
TBQ

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Wonderful review, TBQ! This book actually sounds like one i might enjoy. I had read a murder mystery romance type book by Heather Graham a while back that I enjoyed. Thank you for the insight into this story.

The_Book_Queen said...

Thanks. Glad that you enjoyed reading the review. I'm sure you would enjoy it-- I didn't think I would like it when I first received the book, but I was proven wrong!