Run to Me by Christy Reece

Summary: Driven by grief and fury, Shea Monroe, an operative for Last Chance Rescue, goes deep undercover, vowing vengeance against the man who killed her husband. Instead, she ends up a captive and the unwilling weapon of a vicious human trafficker. But then she is rescued from her den of terror and shame by her husband’s best friend, Ethan Bishop, a man Shea feels irrevocably drawn to, despite her having lost all memory of her life before she was captured. Having saved Shea from a madman, Ethan will do anything to keep her safe, but he can’t allow the feelings he once had for her to resurface. While recovering from her ordeal and regaining her lost memory, Shea begins to fall for Ethan. But the treachery and tragedies of the past won’t leave either of them alone. And from Mexico, a monster has sent his foot soldiers to seize Shea–using a weapon beyond anyone’s worst nightmare.

Die For Me
By Karen Rose

The first victim is found in a snow-covered Philadelphia field. Detective Vito Ciccotelli enlists the aid of archaeologist Sophie Johannsen to determine exactly what lies beneath the frozen ground. Despite years of unearthing things long buried, nothing can prepare Sophie for the matrix of graves dug with chilling precision. The victims buried there haunt her. But the empty graves terrify her-the killer isn't done yet.

He is cold and calculating, the master of a twisted game. Even with Vito and Sophie hot on his trail, he will not stop. One more empty grave must be filled, and one last scream must be heard-the scream of an archaeologist who is too close for comfort and too near to resist... (Book Description)

My Review: This fast paced, often gory thriller/murder mystery certainly kept my attention through until the end. What I particularly enjoyed about this novel was the depth of character development, especially when it came to the antagonist… and what an antagonist he was! The reader really gets a glimpse into the mind and motivations of this perverse killer without revealing too much information or his real identity.

As with many tales of “romantic suspense,” the relationship aspect between the two main characters somewhat slowed the pacing for me at parts, but the unpredictable twists and turns well made up for this shortcoming. But if you are one those who love the romance angle as much as you enjoy the suspense, this is the perfect fit. It is also more than 600 pages so be prepared to commit the time, because once you get started, it will be hard to put down.

Another thing to be aware of is that this novel is the first of a trilogy. You don't have to read them in order to know what is going on but here is the list:

Die For Me (2007)
Scream for me (2008)
Kill for me (2009)--this just arrived

Just a warning, this book does contain graphic scenes of torture and is not recommended for the faint at heart.

Posted by the Rogue Reader

Wrong Place Wrong Time
By Andrea Kane

After overhearing a heated conversation in the barn, preschool teacher Sally Montgomery is forced into hiding when a weekend getaway ends in bloodshed. Suspected of murder, she turns to Pete Montgomery, her ex-husband and former police officer turned private detective, and daughter, Devon, to clear her name. Family secrets, lies and scandals are uncovered as the slowly truth emerges.

This was the first book I read by this author and I quite enjoyed the novel. I guess you could say that I am a sucker for dramatic family sagas, and this would definitely qualify as one of those. Everyone in the family had something to hide so it’s difficult for the reader to gage if it’s petty embezzlement or something more sinister. It was a fun, unpredictable, whodunit novel of romantic suspense.

Posted by the Rogue Reader

I read Tribute by Nora Roberts this weekend, and I found it to be a bit blah. Perhaps I'm burnt out because I spent the weekend loading all the Nora Roberts books I've ever read onto Goodreads.com (and let me tell you, I had not realized I had read so many!). But this one didn't have the usual spark. The characters were preachy, and it all felt like something I've read before. I was quite disappointed. Comments?

Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire

Another installment of the Bullet Catcher series is out, and this one concentrates on Lucy Sharpe. According to the author's website, there are two more Bullet Catcher books in the works. Go to Roxanne St. Claire's website for more information, and to read excerpts from her new books.

Luanne Rice returns to Hubbard's Point, Connecticut, and to the characters from Beach Girls, with the story of a community grappling with a heartbreaking mystery. In this romantic suspense, singer-songwriter Sheridan hasn't played a note of the music that was once her life's passion since the senseless murder of her son Charlie. Overwhelmed with grief and dulling her pain with alcohol, she is thrown off kilter when an old flame suddenly comes back into her life. Will her soulmate Gavin get a second chance with Sheridan by solving the mystery behind Charlie's death?
Pick up Last Kiss from the library's Popular Picks collection or request a copy now.

Behind Closed Doors
By Natalie R. Collins

For twenty years, childhood friends Jannie and Melissa have been inseparable, until one night, Jannie’s life changes forever. Several years later, Melissa goes missing just days after she entrusts a mysterious box in Jannie’s care. The secrets Jannie has kept for so long start to unveil as the police search for the missing Melissa. Jannie soon finds that the people she thought she knew, all have secrets of their own.

This book was originally recommended to me by an avid library user but what really caught my attention was the fact Allison Brennan had recommended it on the front cover (I had just discovered her). And while the book description suggests this title is a novel of mystery and suspense, it is really a romance with some suspenseful elements. The murder and missing person storyline was secondary to Jannie’s self-discovery. The culprit behind the crimes was obvious early on, and it wasn’t as fast-paced as I like my books to be. That being said, I think I will try at least one more of Collins’ novels.

The Rogue Reader

In The Stranger in Her Bed, Anna works as the foreman to the Lone Creek Mill in Maine. She has returned to her hometown after her father had taken her away as a child when she was the victim of violence. Living under a different name, she has a run in with Ethan Knight, the boy who saved her that day so long ago, and fires him after he causes an accident at the mill. Now Anna has to cope with sinister events happening around her home, the mysterious death of her grandfather, and the realization that her childhood crush is turning into a full-fledged adult romance.