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Sleep Tight

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WAKE UP, LITTLE DARLING. DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?
He's looking for the perfect woman. Someone who won't disappoint him, like so many have before. Someone who'll love him ... someone who won't have to die for her mistakes.

GIVE UP, LITTLE DARLING....
FBI agent Mary Cantrell has been called to Minneapolis to hunt down a killer. Her reluctant return home is shaking her to the core, reviving dreadful memories. Years ago, her best friend was murdered. Now the man convicted of the crime, Gavin Hitchcock, is free--and Mary's own sister, Gillian, a local cop, has befriended him.

NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM BUT ME.
As each clue to the new killings leads them closer to Hitchcock, Mary and Gillian put their differences aside and set themselves up as the perfect target--and the perfect trap. Unless Mary's own past has blinded her to an unimaginable truth ... and will plunge them into a waking nightmare....

375 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

1330 people are currently reading
2179 people want to read

About the author

Anne Frasier

37 books2,276 followers
Anne Frasier is the New York Times, #1 Amazon Charts, and USA Today bestselling author of the Detective Jude Fontaine Mysteries, the Elise Sandburg series, and the Inland Empire novels. With more than a million copies sold, her award-winning books span the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, and memoir. The Body Reader received the 2017 Thriller Award for Best Original Paperback Novel from International Thriller Writers. Other honors include a RITA for Romantic Suspense and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Paranormal Romantic Mystery/Suspense. Her thrillers have hit the USA Today bestseller list and have been featured in Mystery Guild, the Literary Guild, and Book of the Month. Her memoir, The Orchard, was an O, The Oprah Magazine Fall Pick; a One Book, One Community read; and one of the Librarians’ Best Books of 2011. Visit her website at www.annefrasier.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,582 reviews1,121 followers
October 17, 2025
Sleep Tight is Anne Frasier's first, but not best, novel. The story felt disjointed, with confusing timelines and too many POVs.

I didn't much care for any of the characters, except Gavin, whose narrative served as a clumsy red herring.

The book was entertaining enough but felt incomplete. Frasier's unhampered writing style was the saving grace.
Profile Image for Cherie.
711 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ I’m a big fan of Anne Frasier, but this one was very dark and gruesome. Hard to read at times. The bad guy was sensuously mentally ill. It’s hard to conceive of someone being that messed up and functioning in society.
Profile Image for Betsy.
528 reviews89 followers
June 27, 2018
Sleep Tight is the first book I have read by Anne Frasier, but it will not be the last. My kind of story. Hunting a serial killer. Excellent plot and characters. Looking forward to reading more from this author. 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Petra.
818 reviews92 followers
April 15, 2016
Because Mary's friend Fiona was murdered when she was 16-years-old, Mary decided to join the FBI. Gavin, the young man who was found guilty of the murder, has recently been released on parole. Mary's sister Gillian, who also works in law enforcement, has always stood by Gavin and believed him to be innocent. This led to the sisters drifting apart and Mary hasn't been home in years. But when several young females are abducted in her hometown and turn up dead, Mary returns and helps with the investigation. She thinks she knows who may be behind these latest murders.
For the most part, this was a really enjoyable serial killer story with a tiny hint of romantic suspense and a lot of focus on family interaction. The characters were interesting and quite likable. I particularly liked Gavin actually but felt his story was left incomplete at the end. Some of the story, particularly towards the end, felt disjointed. I think I would have enjoyed it more if Fiona's case had been more smoothly integrated rather than tucked in at the end.

Sadly, this was one example where the audiobook narration didn't enhance the story for me. The narrator decided to insert pauses in the most bizarre places within a sentence. It really stopped the flow of the narration and led to some of the dialogue sounding unnatural. Her sing-song-cadence was quite often distracting and didn't feel in tune with the suspense of a thriller.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.
Profile Image for CD {Boulder Blvd}.
963 reviews95 followers
December 30, 2018
3.5 stars

I'm a fan of Anne Frasier and enjoyed this book. There were a few times that it felt that the author was pushing the plot and the characters in a way that I'm not sure would have happened in real life but was needed for ending. I can't imagine anyone would buy the confession. But if you accept it and move on, the story moved on well.

At the end I felt like some parts of the storyline were rushed through. I still had questions and loose ends.
Profile Image for Chris.
757 reviews15 followers
January 22, 2024
I am reading this series by this author and I’m enjoying it immensely!
Profile Image for Matt Schiariti.
Author 8 books152 followers
November 15, 2012
I instantly became a fan of Anne Frasier's after reading the fantastic Hush, followed by Play Dead. Sleep Tight is another well written and fast paced thriller from an author who's starting to climb her way up to the top of my 'must read list'.

That being said, there were one or two things that kept it from getting a full five star rating.

Mary Cantrell is an FBI agent with a tortured past. She's called back to work a case in her native Minneapolis when women fitting a certain profile have been abducted and turn up dead from the very spots they were taken--like returned merchandise. There's a sick killer on the loose and he's looking for the perfect woman. None of them are living up to his expectations.

Complicating matters is Mary's sister Gillian. She's a BCA cop who's also assigned to the case. That in and of itself isn't the major complication though. The conflict comes from one Gavin Hitchcock who's a friend of Gillian's. A friend of Gillian's who just so happened to be imprisoned for killing Mary's childhood friend Fiona on the day of her 16th birthday party. Mary, Gillian and their mother's lives were never the same from that point on and that's where the real drama in this story comes from: the three of them being thrown together by the case involving the serial killer after five years of estrangement.

Frasier's characters are always flawed and/or rich in interesting back story. As you can tell from the paragraph above that's the case once again with Sleep Tight. Mary became cold and distant since finding her friend dead all those years ago and having to deal with her little sister who, in her own way is trying to still live up to Mary's image, makes for a story brimming with conflict that's just flat out great reading.

Frasier also writes disturbing villains VERY well. The scenes where the reader gets inside the killer's twisted mind are very disturbing and much like a train wreck, you know it's going to be horrible but you can't take your eyes off of it. And I mean that in a good way.

As I stated earlier in the review, there was an issue or two that kept it from getting a five out of five. The villain reveal. I won't spoil it but it left me a little flat when I learned 'whodunnit'. It seemed a bit out of left field. There are read herrings aplenty, which is good and Frasier does those very well, but this one kind of seemed like a 'fast one'.

Also, when it's discovered what really happened on Fiona's 16th birthday, it was kind of obvious. No big shocker.

Despite those issues, I recommend this to anybody that's already a fan of Ann Frasier (preaching to the choir, right?) or anybody that loves a well written thriller with well fleshed out, interesting, and completely real feeling characters, great dialogue and a fast pace.
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Profile Image for Linda McHardy.
114 reviews4 followers
September 16, 2011
I tell ya, it's an amazing world we live in. Used to be, when I was on the lookout for a new author, my resources consisted of the local librarian and maybe a friend or family member. If I was lucky I'd score a book or two from the suggestions. Now thanks to Al Gore and his Internet , all I have to do is rate a few books on Amazon or Goodreads and I'm given more suggestions than I know what to do with. I can even read a couple chapters of a book before I commit to it. It's the best card catalog anyone ever dreamed of!

So I'm kind of on a mystery/thriller binge and I seem to be batting 1000, with SLEEP TIGHT by Anne Frasier being another home run. WOW! What a great psychological thriller! This was another one I couldn't put down. The plot, the characters, the pacing–- everything was top notch. Thank you Anne Frazier for the great read and thank you Amazon for the suggestion!
170 reviews
March 11, 2012
I'm extremely conflicted about this book. On one hand, the front story, FBI agent returns to her hometown to assist in solving a crime while facing her own demons, is suspenseful and often riveting with it's breakneck twists and turns. On the other hand, the back-story, aforementioned personal demons and a little romance, seems a bit stunted. Although the characters are very well written, I think I would have enjoyed a bit more development on them - especially the relationship between Mary & Anthony, at times it's palpable, and others....well, stagnant. Other characters come into play with virtually no introduction, make a few quips, and then fade away again. While they all serve a purpose, the lack of development or substance in them left me wondering often.

Overall, a very well written thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your dinner cold for lack of wanting to put it down.
Profile Image for Cece Kempf.
13 reviews
May 22, 2017
Personal Response:
Sleep Tight was a great book! I really liked how the book would switch between the killer’s perspective and Mary’s perspective. This book was hard for me to put down. Any chance I got, I picked it up to read. The part of the book that I did not like very well was when the killer turned out being someone I did not know about until the last few pages of the book.

Plot:
The plot of Sleep Tight was very good and relatively fast paced which kept my attention the whole time. Mary’s friend ,Fiona, was murdered when she was only 16 years old.Mary became an FBI agent after this tragic event. A young man named Gavin was found guilty in the killing of Fiona. Gavin had recently been released from prison, and more killings have started. Mary flew back to her home town, Minneapolis, in order to help solve the current series of murders. This killer was taking woman, keeping them, and then later returning them back where he took them from.
While working on the case, Mary was staying at her mother's house. Mary and her sister do not get along. Gavin and Mary’s sister Gillian, were very close. When Gavin was arrested, Gillian did not believe it was him who killed Fiona. She had always stuck up for him. Gillian also hated Fiona with a passion. When Gavin was released from prison she gave him a place to stay, money, and moral support to keep him going.

Setting:
The setting of Sleep Tight took place in a modern century in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some of the book took place at Mary’s mother’s house. Other parts of it took place all around Minneapolis as Mary investigated. I felt as though the book took place in the early 2000’s, because I felt the technology used in this book was outdated. This setting was important to the plot line because when new information came up, they worked hard to get the information needed to find the killer. They used very old school ways to test blood and prints.
Characterization:
The main character was Mary Cantrell. Mary was the youngest of her siblings and a private investigator working for the FBI. After reading Sleep Tight I saw that Mary was a very emotional girl who was dedicated to her work. Mary was in her late 20’s and caucasian.
Gillian was another one of our main characters. She was Mary’s older sister. Gillian worked for the police station in her hometown, Minneapolis. Gillian was very strict and I found her to be rude towards Mary. Gillian later became one of the victims which really tied her relationship together with her sister.

Thematic Connection:
I believed the theme for Sleep Tight was justice. At age 16 Mary’s best friend Fiona was brutally murdered. Mary later grew up and became an FBI investigator. I think the theme was justice because a case came up in Mary’s home town of Minneapolis. She heard about killings that were similar to what happened to Fiona. She jumped up and volunteered to take the case. Mary fought hard and long to help the girls who went through what her best friend went through.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to any girl or guy over the age of 15. This book was very suspenseful and should be read by mature audiences only. I felt someone over 15 would be able to handle all of the murder, suspense, and abuse throughout the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Glenda.
955 reviews85 followers
January 29, 2024
3.5 stars

FBI agent Mary Cantrell has been called to Minneapolis to hunt down a killer. Her reluctant return home is shaking her to the core, reviving dreadful memories. Years ago, her best friend was murdered. Now the man convicted of the crime, Gavin Hitchcock, is free--and Mary's own sister, Gillian, a local cop, has befriended him.

As each clue to the new killings leads them closer to Hitchcock, Mary and Gillian put their differences aside and set themselves up as the perfect target--and the perfect trap.

This is another book I brought home from the library discard pile. It kept my attention and was pretty interesting, but nothing special. I was disappointed in the killer and his bizarre behavior.
Profile Image for Kimmy.
155 reviews1 follower
March 29, 2017
Haven't read in a long time ..however Anne Frasier has won me with Mary Cantrell's character and brought back from my anime binge I had been having lately. Something about this psychological thriller had me on my toes and questioning who really was the killer. I liked the book overall and would recommend this someone else to read.
Profile Image for Twobchelm.
993 reviews19 followers
August 31, 2020
Another criminal mystery involving young girls being abducted.
Profile Image for Courtney Nixon.
238 reviews
January 31, 2022
This was well written, but I didn’t think it was anything extraordinary as far as plot and character development goes.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
2,097 reviews22 followers
March 19, 2016
Wow just WOW from the author writing style of detail scenes to the emotional narration this is one book that will keep you on the edge leave you hanging there guessing to the outcome. This was an audio I had major trouble putting down I needed to know who the killer was. As with most it is never who you might think but lord you would never have thought…it never cross my mind of who the killer was many years ago of a young innocent 16 year old. The author gives you two stories inside one about the killer from long ago and the 2nd of the serial killer. Could they both be the same, could they be tied in together and did the right man go to jail so many years ago?

Mary hasn’t been home in many years she has been trying to outrun her youth and all the bad memories it brings. When she gets shot protecting her partner the FBI sends her home for some R and R. Knowing she can’t set still they bait her with helping on case where a serial killer is killing blonde hair woman. She doesn’t want to go home to face her past but she has no choice she has been ordered they need a profiler and she is the one. On her return to her home town she is faced with her sister who has been helping the killer of her dead friend. How could her sister not see he is the killer and might be the killer of the new women. She and her sister has been at odds since the trial now with Gavin free and new girls are coming up dead her sister is defending him. At this rate the sister will never see eye to eye and always be at odds. With each girl that comes up missing Mary and her sister are pulled deeper into the case will all eyes turning to Gavin. Could Gillian have been wrong if so what will it do to her when she has spent so many years helping, believing and caring for a killer?

Hollis did a wonderful job of narration from her power emotion she puts into the read to her tones and different characters. I do feel she needs more work on her male voices some are very close to others. Her female voices so fit each women character from her tones you have a vivid picture of what each character looks like. You get the feel of how they carry their selves down to how they walk. Her tones are right on the mark from excited to sorrow. You have no trouble feeling each characters emotion if she cries so does the narrator. If she is sad you can hear it in her voice. You have no trouble knowing what each one is feeling. I heard no background noise and no breaks. The audio was even with no parts being high or lower just a smooth rich listen. Hollis voice is clear and powerful making this a wonderful listen that I totally enjoyed. For me the narrator made this story more so than if I had read just the book.

The author has put a lot of time and thought to the plot giving you a heart beating exciting read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will go from I am sure he didn’t do it to OH YEAH he did. The author will keep you guessing on many parts in this story. This is a wonderful suspenseful read with a lot of twists, turns, thrilling and at times it’s chilling. There were times I had my mouth open and other times I was just so shocked I didn’t know what to do. I had a few funny looks at the noise I was making why shopping. She author throws in a little romance and a touching read of a family trying to find their way back to each other. There was not anything that I did not like in this book. I loved the authors writing style the way she kept my busy and entertained. This book with touch you in so many ways bring you into the mind of a killer who cares nothing for the people he takes. If one doesn’t suit oh well you return them for a refund kill one take another….

I really had trouble putting this audio down. I listened on my 10 minute breaks you think not much can happen in 10 minutes. You might be surprised. I usually read during my lunch but in this case I listened. Things that didn’t take me long to do I found took longer I just did not want to put it down. The author gives you entertainment at its finest. This is the first I have read or listen to by this author and narrator it sure will not be the last. The author has no trouble holding your attention leaving you waiting more.
Profile Image for Pisces51.
767 reviews55 followers
August 28, 2020
My Review 3.4 STARS***

I discovered a rare talent when I stumbled across THE BODY READER awhile back. I subsequently read the author's trilogy of books featuring the unforgettable and haunting heroine of Detective Jude Fontaine. I subsequently purchased her Ellie Sandburg series, but have yet to read any of them.

The remarkably versatile Frazier has demonstrated her writing talent across several genres and also has published works under the pseudonym (Theresa Weir). I decided to try a few of her earlier works and chose HUSH and SLEEP TIGHT. HUSH may have been her debut novel (writing as Anne Frasier) in 2002 and then SLEEP TIGHT was subsequently released in 2003. However, it would seem that she has been a novelist since the '80s as Theresa Weir, and has enjoyed considerable professional success.

Anyway, let's just say that I intend to read many more of her works, at least in the mystery, psychological suspense, and crime fiction categories. That said, I wasn't all that impressed by SLEEP TIGHT (2003). The story line was in large part the hunt for a serial killer who preferred young blondes and had a penchant for enucleating the eyes of his unfortunate victims. The killer additionally opted to try his hand as a gifted propagator of plants ostensibly to see if it would work with dead girls. The author permitted glimpses of the serial killer by occasional chapters from his POV. There were subplots in this novel which were more interesting to me than the main plot, namely the unresolved conflict between the two sisters (FBI Agent Mary Cantrell and Minnesota State Cop Gillian), and of course the inexplicably complicated partnership between the cold, compartmentalized Cantrell and her handsome partner FBI Agent Anthony Spence. Most of all, though, Mary's return to her home town was the catalyst for the discovery of the truth about a tragic murder in the past that had been closed by convicting an innocent man. There was a lot to like about this book. Frasier's writing style is very good.

The serial killer was not previously introduced in the book and that was a little annoying since there were some hints that it could have been a couple of the peripheral players. More importantly, the killer was emotionally stunted, delusional, and clearly psychotic. I felt that he was pathetic and pitiable despite his horrific deeds. The perpetrator of several kidnappings and killings was clearly not very intelligent, and yet he was well read and a talented propagator of flowers. But beyond the fact that I didn't much care for the characterization of the book's main villain, I found myself wanting to slap Gillian in the face on multiple occasions. I know that she was just a state cop, but her interactions with the killer were so stupid that it became just plain baffling after a time.

This novel was an entertaining but forgettable reading experience, certainly not on the same playing field as the Jude Fontaine series of books.
Profile Image for BookLoversLife.
1,838 reviews9 followers
May 6, 2016
When Mary is called back to her home town of Minneapolis, she knows it's not just the serial killer case she has to work on, but also her rocky relationship with her sister! Add to the fact that Gillian, her sister, is also a cop and is assigned the case with her. Mary knows that she will have to let bygones be bygones and bury the past. That's fine till she hears that her best friends killer is still living in the town. The whole reason she left to become an FBI profiler was because her best friend was murdered by Gavin Hitchcock, who Gillian stood beside and believes to be innocent, even though the evidence was overwhelming. Mary say it as a betrayal, hence the tension between both. Now though, with bodies fitting her dead best friend piling up, Mary has her sights on Gavin, but is he truly capable of the heinous way the girls are found?

This was quite long yet I ended up listening to it over 2 days (despite certain issues with the narration, which I'll get to in a bit). I found the character development to be amazing and loved both Mary and Gillian. Every family has their spats and I'm glad to see the girl working out their issues properly. Also the killer was super creepy and being inside hi head was even worse. This author sure knows how to write a disturbingly warped villain!

The plot was relatively fast paced and kept my attention the whole time. I thought that there were certain parts that were kind of disjointed and unnecessary, and the whole sub plot with Marys best friends bit was rushed and seemed to be added as an after thought. Saying that though, I still thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely try something else by this author.

Now, onto the narration! Hollis McCarthy took a while to grab me. She had such an annoying sing song tone at the start, that totally isn't suitable for such a serious book, that it nearly made me not finish! Also the background noises were so distracting at times. If this had a proper production edit then maybe the tone wouldn't have annoyed me as much. Also, her voices were very similar and it became hard to distinguish who was taking at any given time.

*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
Profile Image for Elena Alvarez Dosil.
869 reviews14 followers
March 24, 2016
I was offered a copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona, Mary's best friend appears dead on her sixteen birthday. Gavin Hitchcock was found guilty and convicted. Years later, Mary Cantrell, already an efficient FBI agent, is sent to her home town to investigate three murders, apparently executed by the same person. Gavin is out of prison, and Mary is decided to hunt him down, even if her sister Gillian is convinced of his innocence.

The story was compelling, and even though this is not the kind of book I use to read, it got my interest from the beginning. The author knows how to keep the reader's attention, and the characters were well developed, although at times it was difficult to understand their actions and motivations. There were a couple of details that I had problems to find believable. I also did not understand why the author decided to include some romance, it felt somehow forced.

There is an important twist to the story but I am not convinced about the execution. I think the truth should have been hidden to the reader a little bit longer, like it was for Gillian and Mary.

Hollis McCarthy's voice was captivating, and it reminded me of the narrator's voice from the series Desperate Housewives. She started a bit insecure but became more confident after a while. I observed a lack of consistency when interpreting voices, which made the character identification difficult at times. She also needs to work on the male voices, since most of them sound the same. Something that annoyed me was the audio production. It seems McCarthy did not hear about the proximity effect, since there's plenty of breathing, lips smacking and saliva noises. I agree the voice gains some quality when keeping the mic close but at least try to edit then those noises out. I even heard a page turn. I also would like to mention that she uses a sing song rhythm that it is more evident at the beginning of the book. I was not bothered by it but some people could find it disturbing.

All in all it was a good mystery/thriller book and if those gross noises were left out, it could have been a great listen.
Profile Image for T.R. Horne.
Author 4 books57 followers
May 16, 2016
This is my first Anne Frasier novel and undoubtedly won't be my last. I like her writing style and she definitely knows how to create a weird and gut wrenching antagonist to a story! Yes, there is a reason I rated this book 3 stars even though I really liked it. But let's start from the beginning...Agent Mary Cantrell is on a case in her hometown of Minneapolis because there have been a string of killings. Flaw one, her boss thinks its a good idea to go back home while recovering from a gunshot wound to relax...while working on a murder case? In your hometown? Yeah, that's relaxing...

Flaw two, the story digs into the protagonist's past pretty deeply and I'm not sure if we ever really get out of the past enough to enjoy the present case. For instance, Mary's sister is now a cop/field agent for the local police working on the same case. Mary is doing double duty by looking into her best friends murder (which has been solved, guy served his term in prison and everything, yet...she's still looking into it). The majority of the story is about the past case while the new case is far more interesting because the antagonist is supremely weird and does increasingly heinous things to women.

The antagonist is an interesting person and you really fall into wondering why and how these girls end up in the predicament they're in. Unfortunately, you have to wait until the very end of the book to get your fill of this this character. Overall, the book was interesting enough and I knew what the ending would be in regards to the old case yet I was still satisfied with the story and its overarching theme of family woe, secrets and acceptance. There was another flaw in the book that is very miniscule but I'd be remiss for not bringing it up. The romance that occurred seemed really forced and I got absolutely NOTHING out of it.

All in all, even with the flaws, the book is kind of enjoyable so I'll definitely try out the author again in the future. Frasier wrote a kick ass antagonist that had me cringing...I don't think I can remove some things he did from my mind....

Raging Book Reviews Recommended
Profile Image for Regina.
253 reviews2 followers
Read
April 5, 2016
I enjoyed this story. When sisters Mary and Gillian were teenagers, Mary's best friend and Gillian's hated enemy, Fiona, was murdered. Both women went into law enforcement as a result and Gillian's best friend, Gavin, went to prison. Years later, Gavin is out of prison and Mary is a successful FBI profiler. Gillian is local law enforcement. Add a new series of kidnappings and killings and you have a a very good premise for a taut, suspenseful thriller. And parts of this book were very good...I enjoyed getting to know Mary, Gavin, and Gillian, and even Anthony. But other parts felt like a teen romance...and the actual reason the guy is kidnapping and killing women just didn't seem that plausible.

I found myself listening for hours, wanting to know what happened in the end. Did Gavin do it? Would Mary solve both cases - the old and the new? The new case was written and solved nicely, even with a few holes. The writing was good. I cared about these characters. But then Anne didn't finish the job. The old mystery felt summed up almost as an afterthought. I was disappointed. I cared about Gavin and wanted to know how things ended for him.

The narration was decent even though Hollis McCarthy has a way of reading that is slightly sarcastic to me. I got used to it, in the end, and enjoyed the story. Just wish it was wrapped up a little more neatly.

I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sam Martin.
177 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2016
There might be spoiler below. I will try not to spoil it to much for you. I rated this book a 3.5 stars.

I just finished this story. I was a little disappointed with it. I felt there should have been more chapters dealing with Mary's friend murder and Gavin's law issue. I wanted to know how everyone felt on knowing the truth about who had done it. I especially wanted to know how Mary felt about the friend she really didn't know. Since her death play a great role in her life of who she is today. You found out who did it on the last chapter but it left me feeling flat. I remember me saying "Like, that it" "Where the rest of the chapters" "What about Gavin!" Speaking of Gavin. I felt like there should have be more to the Gavin storyline. She gets you to care about him then leave you hanging on what going to happen to him next with the case against him. The author has you wondering what is real and what is not real when dealing with Gavin. The questioning night of the rape make me believe it was real, not like it was with Gillian. Will he get the help he desperately needs? I just felt there should be more.

I like this author but this is my least favorite book. If she continues with this book as a series, I hope she clears up Gavin storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
496 reviews6 followers
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June 18, 2015
Well crafted suspense tale

Frasier gave us a well crafted tale of Mary Cantrell,a profiler for the FBI, who is sent back to her hometown of Minneapolis after being shot protecting her partner Anthony. She is sent there for two reasons: to help her recovery and to help with the profile of a serial rapist and murderer. Mary is not happy with this posting because it brings back memories of the death of her childhood friend and the rift with her sister who never believed that the person imprisoned for the friend's murder was guilty.

Although what was done to the young women was brutal, this book did not read as gory as some books do on the subjects of rape and murder. For me this was a plus.

If you do not like books that have female characters that continuously place themselves in risky positions requiring others to rescue them, you might not like Mary's sister Gillian. If you have triggers for rape, you should probably avoid this book.
Profile Image for Jenn.
Author 9 books29 followers
May 13, 2013
good character development and characters that weren't black and white on the morality scale. I thought a higher body count from the serial killer would have helped for reason to bring in the FBI, not just the profiling, because it would have given more opportunity to explore the killer's need for the grafting - only seeing it once and making it part of the profile seemed a weak link because it was an important part of his identity, creating these unique hybrids and working with roses. I thought it was well-written and I will read the other books I have by this author. Maybe seeing Gillian and Mary again, working together, could be interesting. Give it time though storywise so there's not the overdone deal of character dealing with traumatic event still sprinkled heavily throughout, like what many writers do. Show a healing/healed character back out there tackling the next case
Profile Image for Judi Haley.
1,347 reviews6 followers
July 28, 2016
Mary Cantrell, FBI Agent and profiler, has been assigned to go back to her home in Minneapolis to help on a case. Mary doesn't want to go home because the memory of finding her friend, Fiona, dead when she was young still haunts her. To make matters worse, her sister - Gillian, has always took up for the killer of Fiona. Now he is out of prison (Gavin Hitchock), her sister Gillian is a police officer and she is being forced to work with her as there has been a murder. Mary thinks that Gavin is involved.

This is a great novel that will keep you guessing and the interaction between the sisters is great. Mary's partner joins her in Minneapolis to help her sort out who is killing these girls.

Fast read and you will enjoy it as I do all of Anne's books.
Profile Image for Mitsy.
414 reviews19 followers
July 29, 2012


This book makes me glad I'm not a blonde and relieved I don't have a sister. A rare novel that feels real and makes any sane female never want to leave the house. The villain is deeply twisted, weird, disturbed, evil and, yet, pathetic, smart, sad, and strangely, sometimes funny. Yes, the characters are so complex they can only be described as human. Which makes me either love it or wish I had never read it I'm so freaking out. There's almost too much.
Profile Image for Rick.
Author 118 books1,046 followers
September 26, 2011
Solid thriller with a diabolical serial killer.
Profile Image for Lesley.
328 reviews5 followers
May 15, 2020
I enjoyed this book. This is a new authorfor me I will be checking out more of her books.
Profile Image for Félicette.
457 reviews
December 14, 2021
I started this book long before but I only had the time to finish the 3/4 of it last weekend. The plot twist is really twisted and I did not theorize it. I am shocked and baffled by what an insane person can forking do.

Two siblings (sisters) end up working in a murder case in the police department after their childhood friend is murdered. Mary Cantrell is the older sister and working in NBI. She is the best friend of the murdered girl. The suspect is the friend of Gillian Cantrell (young sister of Mary) named Gavin Hitchcock. Mary saw her friend's body beside the unconscious Gavin and fast forward - Gavin is sent to prison. He can't remember what happened because of his epileptic episode where his brain is juggled. Spoiler: Mary's BFF is a slut and she's having a secret affair with Gavin in the woods. Her mother realized that her saint daughter is really slut and followed them in the woods where she saw them having it. She got angry and ends up murdering her own daughter and lucky for her Gavin can't remember anything so somebody paid for her murder.

Mary believed that Gavin really killed her BFF before and her judgment is clouded by it. There is a serial killer of a blond woman in their town. He keeps kidnapping and killing them later on. Since everyone is telling that it's Gavin and he is stupid to actually portray the serial killer's action by buying roses and tying up the girl in his bedroom, the pieces of evidence are all pointing to him. But he is REALLY NOT the killer. He's just messed up after Gillian rejected him. Spoiler alert: some nobody and insane guy and rose propagator are kidnapping these blond women because he lost his mind after his only sister and family died of cancer. His sister is a blond woman and the only person he looked up to. Before the sister died, she told him to find someone to live with. When the sister died, the serial killer waited for days before he called for 911. The corpse is already smelling and there are already insects in the body. He even dragged up the skeleton of his sister when it's her birthday. That's the moment when he already kidnapped Gillian after they thought that Gavin is the killer. They made a fucking mistake and now Gillian is kidnapped. BTW Mary and Gillian are already on good terms because Mary is happy that Gillian saw the real colors of Gavin (which is wrong! He is a good guy with fucked up past). Mary is stressed out and she cried for the first time in their work. There's a love story but IDC about that. Mary ends up with his partner. Fast forward: they saved Gillian and were happy ever after. Gavin is freed except for the rape case which is really not a rape case because they both agreed to it and drank. He only tied the girl because people keep telling him that he's the killer. That's only fucked up stereotyping. STILL HAPPILY EVER AFTER. The Lucia Killer killed himself when they found out his place. Stupid killer. Go to hell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for María Núñez.
119 reviews4 followers
February 12, 2021
Estaba entre tres estrellas y cuatro.
Lo leí en alemán y la verdad me llevé una sorpresa. En un principio este Thriller de trama apasionante aburre un poco porque de ninguna manera te imaginas lo que puede pasar y los personajes que creías serían los protagonistas, como por ejemplo la agente del FBI Mary Cantrell, se van desdibujando para subir a la palestra a otros que al principio del libro estaban un poco en la sombra, la hermana de Cantrell, Gillian, por ejemplo.
Un libro con un desenlace mórbido, secuestros y un asesino en serie cuya personalidad e historia comienza a ser en sí mismo un misterio que se termina de develar solo al final.
Me gustó, me atrapó pero hay algo en los personajes que no me terminó de convencer y es que a veces sentí que la trama se desbalanceaba un poco, sin embargo, las persecuciones son cinematográficas y te engancha que no te puedes levantar de la silla para dejar de leer.
Una lectura de vacaciones o de fin de semana sin distracciones recomendada. No apta sino tienes tiempo porque entonces será absolutamente frustrante porque querrás seguir leyendo...
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,170 reviews140 followers
February 25, 2019
WAKE UP, LITTLE DARLING. DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?
He's looking for the perfect woman. Someone who won't disappoint him, like so many have before. Someone who'll love him ... someone who won't have to die for her mistakes.

GIVE UP, LITTLE DARLING....
FBI agent Mary Cantrell has been called to Minneapolis to hunt down a killer. Her reluctant return home is shaking her to the core, reviving dreadful memories. Years ago, her best friend was murdered. Now the man convicted of the crime, Gavin Hitchcock, is free--and Mary's own sister, Gillian, a local cop, has befriended him.

NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM BUT ME.
As each clue to the new killings leads them closer to Hitchcock, Mary and Gillian put their differences aside and set themselves up as the perfect target--and the perfect trap. Unless Mary's own past has blinded her to an unimaginable truth ... and will plunge them into a waking nightmare....
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