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If Looks Could Kill

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Experience the chilling suspense and sizzling romance of this classic story by New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham.

Madison Adair didn’t witness her famous mother’s brutal murder. But she saw it. Saw the gloved hand...felt the knife strike...knew her mother’s terror. That was a lifetime ago. But the nightmares have returned; only, this time they’re of a faceless serial killer stalking women in south Florida. A killer she can’t see but who knows she is watching.

Surrounded by her family, Madison knows she should feel safe, but she doesn’t. And how much can FBI agent Kyle Montgomery protect her, when he can’t let go of the past they’ve shared?

Madison is Kyle’s only link to the killer, but can they find the truth before the killer strikes again? Because sometimes, it’s what — or who — you can’t see that holds the greatest danger...

Originally published in 1997.

458 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

366 people are currently reading
2447 people want to read

About the author

Heather Graham

578 books6,876 followers
Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

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5 stars
1,302 (41%)
4 stars
1,087 (34%)
3 stars
625 (20%)
2 stars
90 (2%)
1 star
21 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
Profile Image for Sam Smith.
Author 3 books4 followers
April 15, 2024
I enjoy most of Heather Graham’s books, and this was was no exception. The corny stories, and the handsome FDLE and FBI agents get me every time. I enjoyed this book, and will look for more to read as am running out of new material from this talented writer.
504 reviews2 followers
September 6, 2013
Madison saw her mothers murder in her mind and physically felt her terror. It's now twelve yeas later and Madison is having nightmares about a serial killer that is stalking women, she feels the womans terror but can't quite see the killers face. Kyle Montgomery, who was once Madison's step-brother is an FBI agent sent to Florida on this case. Can they both forget about the past? Will the do anything about the attraction that was always there? Most importantly can Kyle keep Madison safe from the killer?
Profile Image for currently being delulu .
473 reviews217 followers
January 22, 2025
3.7 -✨

Stfu bc this was like watching a csi Miami episode but w a dash of step sibling romance


This was so entertaining I wish it was a series abt the entire family I loved how dysfunction they were

Profile Image for Camilla.
32 reviews2 followers
January 19, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Heather Graham's. I got a chance her when the American Libraries Association annual conference was in New Orleans a few years ago. I enjoyed meeting her and should've gotten a picture of her and I while I was chatting to her.

With all that being said, I enjoyed the mystery part of the book. I found the love story part of it a bit disturbing though...former stepbrother and stepsister?! Well, I guess since they aren't biologically related, that should make it okay? I'm not so certain about that, but hey it's not my story.

The story wasn't too bad. The killer was a little bit of a surprise to me. The pacing of the story was okay, although it did get a little slow at times. It was overall good start to my GoodReads reading challenge.
Profile Image for Draven.
442 reviews28 followers
January 15, 2013
Good thing it only cost me 80 cents on Kobo! It wasn't horrible but I'm such a fan of Graham's that this one fell way short! Decent murder mystery plot but also nothing new from her. Great chemistry between the main couple but keeping track of all the couples got to feeling a little manic and I could've gone with a lot less repeated mentions that Madison and Kyle grew up together as stepbrother and stepsister. It added an ick factor that might not have been there had it not been discussed so much. Gotta say, even for only 80 cents, I'm pretty disappointed.
535 reviews
September 2, 2016
Madison dreamed about seeing how her mother was killed but could never identify the killer. Her stepbrother, Kyle, who also was an FBI agent and Madison put their heads together to try to solve this mystery.
The killer was right before her eyes but didn't realize it until it was almost too late.
Kyle and Madison became very close but how close would they become? Would ther be a happily ever after?
9 reviews
April 14, 2020
Very disappointed

I have read many of Heather Graham’s books over the years and I have to admit this is the worst one.
Jumping around in paragraphs from one idea to another. Totally confusing.
The murder only began in the last 15% instead of evidence throughout the book.
I love Heathers books but not this one. Sorry
Profile Image for Ioanna Stefani.
122 reviews3 followers
August 30, 2023
Such a cult book -in a good way - . Definitely, a fun reading. It was kinda crime but like in a soap opera 😅
Profile Image for  Marla.
2,344 reviews140 followers
September 25, 2022
3.5 stars. Best part of this book was the elusive writing so I could not determine who the killer was (4 stars). I liked the paranormal aspect of the story. But the step-siblings who lust after each other made me a bit uncomfortable. I realize they weren't related by blood, but they were raised as siblings and family. Also Kyle's he-man and domineering attitude was annoying. Also Kyle skipping out as the FBI liaison during a serial killer investigation seemed very irresponsible. Madison defying Kyle was understandable but she was reckless with her safety.

Dysfunctional family of fathers, step-fathers, siblings, half siblings and step-siblings was vast and at times confusing.

Madison ~
398 reviews
January 17, 2024
Madison Adair is part of an unusual family. But, then, she's an unusual girl. As just a child, she was able to "see" her mother's murder in a dream. Occasionally, she still dreams and does what she can, with a local policeman who investigated her mom's murder, to help the victims. But now she's an adult with a child of her own and the dreams are back and more vivid and frequent than ever. Jimmy, the cop whom she talks to, is glad for her assistance as there has been a rash of murders happening and clues are few and far between. The FBI, in former relative Kyle Montgomery, has been invited in and he's opposed and scared for her help; he doesn't want her to be revealed to the killer by "seeing" too much. It seems that the murders, Madison, and the whole family are intertwined. Madison refuses to back down and together with Jimmy and Kyle continues to do whatever she can to try and help the victims she "sees". Until, the dreams change.... Then Madison is on a race against time.

One of Heather Graham's earlier novels and it held me spellbound--reading it by leaps and bounds, staying up late to find out how it concluded.
27 reviews
November 4, 2017
Parts of the book felt dated but one of the nice things about reading Heather Graham books is that she writes about areas she knows so the geography doesn't feel off- she acknowledges the distance characters are going, things like that.

I admit- I'm normally a really character driven reader and these aren't my favorite characters of her's but right up until the killer name is shared- I had no clue who it was. It honestly took the book from a 3 star to a 4 star for me because I feel like with a least a chapter left, you can always figure it out and this time I really had no clue.
Profile Image for Jacque.
237 reviews
July 10, 2012
Great story. It did contain the obligatory red-head victims that Heather Graham prefers, but the mystery wasn't predictable. I was guessing until the end and statisfied with the resolution.
Profile Image for Rebecca Delio.
1,116 reviews5 followers
July 21, 2017
Good book

I really enjoyed this book as I always enjoy Heather Graham's books, they are wonderful stories and I hope you will enjoy this book also.
454 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2023
Not one of the series I'm reading but true to form for her paranormal books.
Profile Image for Booknookie.
309 reviews23 followers
December 14, 2018
You can read more of my reviews at my blog The Book Chick

Nah! Nothing for me. Quite the same as always. Horrible history, broken hearts, murder mystery, stalker, new killings, FBI, macho man, irritating female protagonist and a situation that just feels dumb. Come on, they hardly talk but they do argue a lot. About the same thing over and over. If they actually had talked early in the beginning, the arguing would probably not have been as bad. And I probably would have liked the book a lot more.

It was a fast read without any real depth. The murder mystery was quite interesting, but you didn't receive any clues to who the killer are so the whole guessing game for me fell flat. Oh Graham certainly tried to make other characters seem guilty but it was too obvious so I actually dismissed them from my "who the killer is" list early on.

Not overly fawn over the characters either. There is some stuff happening that just make you lose the respect for that character and creates a situation that is just awkward. To be quite frank, Kaila and Dan (two side characters) relationship and short chapters about them, are the one thing I actually liked and felt had the most depth. And the book was not even about them.

It is probably time to realize that Graham is not an author for me. I have read five of her books but not one of them have received a higher rating than 3 star. Average rating is 2.8. It is time to spell the flowers and confess to myself that it doesn't matter how much the synopsis appeal to me, she is just not an author that I like to read. Unfortunately.
300 reviews6 followers
January 5, 2018
Three stars but only because I like this author's writing style. I am really getting tired of the over-done storyline where the hero and heroine are secretly in love with each other, while, on the surface, they can't stand each other because of some previous hurt or misunderstanding between them. The murderer was pretty obvious from the beginning and too much of the book was wasted on sex and other unnecessary scenes that stalled the story. I was more interested in the plot portions that pertained to the 2 sisters, that kept me reading on.
Profile Image for Carolyn.
2,233 reviews
November 14, 2017
This book was excellent. While the heroine, Madison, was a bit annoying at times (sheesh), I loved our hero, Kyle. The murder/mystery was edge of your seat stuff. I never saw the killer coming. Actually, I kept changing my mind of who that person could be because clues kept pointing to one or another. When the killer was revealed, I was shocked! That is a sure sign of a good book! Another great Heather Graham thriller.

4.5
Profile Image for Amy.
Author 1 book12 followers
February 27, 2018
In the very first place, I think this was checked out (digitally) in error. I don’t remember requesting it, at all. But there it was, so I took a peek. I made it only a handful of pages but was pretty dismayed by how bad the writing was. And I am willing to read through pretty low bar writing if I like the characters or setting or plot enough to put up with it. This book was really, really not one of the ones that felt “worth it” to me. Can not recommend.
2,274 reviews7 followers
May 26, 2025
I think a friend gave me this book in a box of books. It's a romantic suspense but leans more to the erotic side of the genre.

The underlying case is interesting--a serial killer who targets redheads--but the story probably wouldn't have lost much if parts of it, such as the lustful thoughts of the two main characters, weren't included.

Warnings: Psychic(?) dreams of killings. Lust/sex outside of marriage.
Profile Image for Vickie.
1,585 reviews4 followers
November 8, 2019
It's been a long time since I have read this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lots of guessing work for the reader and I must admit that the murderer did surprise me. I loved the location of south Florida, Miami and the Keys, but there were just a few too many family members for me to keep track of. I look forward to reading more of this author.

Go Cards! L1C4!!
Profile Image for Anna McFadden.
1,016 reviews8 followers
June 14, 2022
Hated to put book down.....

Madison Adair can see things. Bad things. Even though she didn't witnessed her mother being killed, she did "see" the glove hand welding the knife and "felt" the blade and her mother's fear. FBI agent Kyle Montgomery is afraid for Madison. He "needs" to protect her but with their past Madison doesn't make it easy.
Profile Image for Ronda Barnes-Howard.
475 reviews4 followers
December 22, 2017
Great

I loved this book. It's about a murder mystery with a lot of suspense, as you try to figure out who the killer is. Ms Graham keeps you enthralled until the very end. Great story.
605 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2017
Romance with some brutal murder all around. You never know how close the killer is.
39 reviews
April 26, 2018
Couldn't put this book down! I really enjoyed it and was super surprised by the ending! Great thriller.
125 reviews
May 15, 2018
This was a great book. I enjoyed reading this and following the twist and turns of the story. Surprising out come at the end! I enjoy the guessing of where the story was going! Great read!
Profile Image for Michelle M..
71 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2018
I enjoyed the book. I couldn't figure out who did it! The story was intriguing and held my attention. I would recommend Heather Graham's books to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews

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