What do you think?
Rate this book
Britt Montero #6
Garden of Evil
In the intense heat of an oppressive Miami summer, crime reporter Britt Montero is ice cold, her writing relegated to the inner pages of the daily that employs her. But now there's a hot story she's just dying to get her hands on. A female serial slayer is luring men with sex, then mutilating and murdering them with a bullet that bears traces of her lipstick. Dubbed the "Kiss Me Killer," she has already murdered a sheriff and a powerful politician, among others, with her unique "kiss of death." Britt is determined to own the fatal femme's story. But it can only come at a deadly price, as a face-to-face meet goes explosively bad. And suddenly Britt Montero is the news, trapped in the company of a psychopath on a terrifying odyssey through the darkest heart of the Sunshine State…and heading straight to Hell.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 9, 1999
About the author
Edna Buchanan
57 books161 followersEdna Buchanan knew she wanted to be a writer since she was 4 years old. She moved to Florida where she got a job at a small newspaper. Ms. Buchanan became a reporter for the Miami Beach Daily Sun in the late 1960s.
In 1970, she was hired as a general assignment and police-beat reporter at the Miami Herald. In 1973, Ms. Buchanan became a police beat reporter, which coincided with the rise of Miami as a center of the international drug trade.
Winning a Pulitzer Prize, Ms. Buchanan became one of the best-known crime reporters in the U.S. She discussed some of her assignments in the books, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1991) and Never Let Them See You Cry (1993). She has retired from journalism and writes mystery novels. The main character in her crime mystery series is Britt Montero.
In 1970, she was hired as a general assignment and police-beat reporter at the Miami Herald. In 1973, Ms. Buchanan became a police beat reporter, which coincided with the rise of Miami as a center of the international drug trade.
Winning a Pulitzer Prize, Ms. Buchanan became one of the best-known crime reporters in the U.S. She discussed some of her assignments in the books, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1991) and Never Let Them See You Cry (1993). She has retired from journalism and writes mystery novels. The main character in her crime mystery series is Britt Montero.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 22, 2018
PROTAGONIST: Britt Montero, crime reporter
SETTING: Miami
SERIES: #6
RATING: 3.0
WHY: Britt Montero is a crime reporter who hasn't had a front page story for a long time. She has lots of little stories, but they don't really go anywhere. An opportunity presents itself when she writes about the "Kiss-Me Killer", a female serial killer named Keppie who seduces men and then shoots them in the head and groin. After agreeing to be interviewed, Keppie abducts Britt and tells her story in gruesome detail. Along the way, she murders the father of a 4-year-old boy who joins them. Although initially I found the plot involving, it spun out of control. The villain was way over the top; Britt's escape preposterous; and the treatment of the little boy not credible. I liked the first few books in this series but am not really interested in reading any more.
SETTING: Miami
SERIES: #6
RATING: 3.0
WHY: Britt Montero is a crime reporter who hasn't had a front page story for a long time. She has lots of little stories, but they don't really go anywhere. An opportunity presents itself when she writes about the "Kiss-Me Killer", a female serial killer named Keppie who seduces men and then shoots them in the head and groin. After agreeing to be interviewed, Keppie abducts Britt and tells her story in gruesome detail. Along the way, she murders the father of a 4-year-old boy who joins them. Although initially I found the plot involving, it spun out of control. The villain was way over the top; Britt's escape preposterous; and the treatment of the little boy not credible. I liked the first few books in this series but am not really interested in reading any more.
September 19, 2015
What can I say? I love the Britt Monterro series. This one was a bit more gory than others, but nice twist with a female serial killer.
July 5, 2024
This was a great road story. Typically the stories take place in and around Miami, but this story went as far north as Orlando and a little further. It was very character-centric and focused on Britt and the subject of her story (to say anything else would be a spoiler). It started out like any book in the series, then became about just Britt and her subject on the road. That lasted a really long time. To the point where there was 20 pages left and no end in sight! It definitely had me glued to the edge of my seat. As usual, I enjoyed Ms. Buchanan’s journalistic writing style. One interesting event was that Britt got to spend a bit of time in close contact with a young (aged 4-5) child. She typically spends all her time around hardened and aggressive adults, so this contrast was interesting. She seemed to do well and adapted to the role of a parent very easily. I had hoped she might have adopted the child at the end of else it might have gotten her or her boyfriend, Cpt. McDonald, thinking of children. I had never considered Britt with kids before, but after this book, I would love to see it. Meeting Lottie’s ex was fun. Definitely enjoyed this as much as the others in the series. As always, a wonderful book and I can’t wait to read more of Britt’s adventures. I’m sad there are only two books left in the series.
February 3, 2021
Garden of Evil (audiobook) by Edna Buchanan.
I first read this book years ago when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it . I continued to follow the Brit Montero series and decided now was as good a time as any to go back to this author's roots in writing.
A female serial killer is on the loose in Miami. She's known for leaving lipstick on the bullets later recovered at the crime scenes. Brit working at the Miami press is handed the story which couldn't come at a more opportune time. She needed this story and dove head first after the Kiss Me Killer.
Brit soon finds she may have taken the one job that proves too much for her. The action is non-stop and had me listening attentively.
This is Brit Montero at her best and this author writing at a steady pace. High recommendation.
I first read this book years ago when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it . I continued to follow the Brit Montero series and decided now was as good a time as any to go back to this author's roots in writing.
A female serial killer is on the loose in Miami. She's known for leaving lipstick on the bullets later recovered at the crime scenes. Brit working at the Miami press is handed the story which couldn't come at a more opportune time. She needed this story and dove head first after the Kiss Me Killer.
Brit soon finds she may have taken the one job that proves too much for her. The action is non-stop and had me listening attentively.
This is Brit Montero at her best and this author writing at a steady pace. High recommendation.
April 9, 2017
Very enjoyable. I wish I had read the first 5 before this one.
September 13, 2023
The ending of this book was downright creepy.
I think Britt should find another field of work where she’s safer. Lol.
I think Britt should find another field of work where she’s safer. Lol.
March 5, 2025
3.5 because Britt was too stupid in this one.
May 10, 2013
While attempting an arrest, a sheriff is shot by a woman who vanishes into northern Florida, but who will definitely be heard from again. Edna Buchanan starts her ninth novel about Britt Montero gently,but ratchets up the suspense until it screams along with all the murdered in Keppie's wake. Britt is involved in a minor car accident and while waiting for the police to arrive, she is carjacked by a woman who turns out to be the Kiss Me Killer. Britt agrees to ride along with Keppie and record her life experiences for what will be a sensational news story, but she has no idea how many men she has killed. Along the way, Keppie kills a man who is taking his four-year-old son to Disney World and the two add the boy to the flight. They stop to spend the nights and to buy food and continue with Britt asking questions and Keppie answering and killing men. Finally, aboard a yacht, Britt sees a chance to save Joey and grabs a seat cushion and jumped overboard with the child. Read for yourself the scintillating end of this latest novel by Pulitzer prize winning author.
January 14, 2020
A real page turner! The garden of evil must be Miami as the writer portrayed a city with many grimes. The story is about Britt Montero, a newspaper reporter who is on the trail of a vicious female serial killer who has sex with men, then shoots them. Britt is supposed to interview the killer, but instead is captured by her. During being taken as a hostage the killer kills a man who is divorced, but has his young son with him. Britt is able to keep the child alive and they finally escape. She discovers that the killer's mother was also a killer which leads to the supposition about a killer gene. The killer is finally captured. An off shoot story is a woman saying her life is being threatened, but the police refuse to believe her. When you finish this ride all you can say is whew!
October 6, 2020
Britt Montero, star reporter of "The Miami News" feels personally drawn to a female serial killer who has sex with her victims before shooting them in the genitalia and then in the head. In an attempt to catch the killer, Britt gets captured herself and goes on a wild ride through Florida. Missing: not enough interaction between Britt and her boyfriend, Detective McDonald.
July 31, 2012
If you're looking for realism, not the book for you. But a good, entertaining read. Love, Love, Love Buchanan's crisp writing!
August 17, 2015
Very good.
Stretching reality a little too much, I think, but quite a thriller.
Stretching reality a little too much, I think, but quite a thriller.
August 3, 2017
Scariest of the Buchanan books I've read to date. The writing puts you in the car with Brit and the serial killer. I was terrified reading this book. So real. Absolutely chilling
January 6, 2026
This dark, intense mystery would have given me nightmares if I were prone to them. Edna Buchanan, drawing on her own decades as a Pulitzer-winning crime reporter covering Miami’s underbelly, portrays evil here with a chilling edge that lingers long after the last page—more than mildly disturbing, deeply unsettling.
Keppie Hutton despises men, especially those who come on to her. She lures them into the kind of sex they’ve only dreamed of, then ends them brutally: a bullet to the head and another to the testicles, each marked with her lipstick. The press and police quickly nickname her the “Kiss Me Killer,” and she leaves a trail of dead men across Florida.
When crime reporter Britt Montero starts piecing together the pattern, Keppie agrees to answer her questions—but on one condition: no cops. True to form, Britt dives headfirst into the story despite police warnings. They wire her for safety, but Keppie spots the setup, and soon Britt becomes her hostage. Together they roam rural Florida, where the horror escalates. In one harrowing moment, Keppie murders a divorced dad right in front of his four-year-old son—despite Britt’s desperate attempts to shield the child.
The tension during those grueling days, with Britt and the newly fatherless little boy at Keppie’s mercy, had me racing toward the end. It’s too gripping to skip, yet too memorable to shake off easily. Britt’s courage—and her vulnerability—make her the perfect lens for this nightmare.
I’d have gone full five stars if not for an ending that felt extremely contrived to me—things stretch a bit too far, even with full suspension of disbelief. Still, Buchanan’s raw portrayal of a female serial killer and Britt’s fearless plunge into danger make this a standout in the series. If you crave a thriller that doesn’t shy away from the darkness, this one delivers—just know it stands alone well, but it’s best to have read the first five books if possible.
Keppie Hutton despises men, especially those who come on to her. She lures them into the kind of sex they’ve only dreamed of, then ends them brutally: a bullet to the head and another to the testicles, each marked with her lipstick. The press and police quickly nickname her the “Kiss Me Killer,” and she leaves a trail of dead men across Florida.
When crime reporter Britt Montero starts piecing together the pattern, Keppie agrees to answer her questions—but on one condition: no cops. True to form, Britt dives headfirst into the story despite police warnings. They wire her for safety, but Keppie spots the setup, and soon Britt becomes her hostage. Together they roam rural Florida, where the horror escalates. In one harrowing moment, Keppie murders a divorced dad right in front of his four-year-old son—despite Britt’s desperate attempts to shield the child.
The tension during those grueling days, with Britt and the newly fatherless little boy at Keppie’s mercy, had me racing toward the end. It’s too gripping to skip, yet too memorable to shake off easily. Britt’s courage—and her vulnerability—make her the perfect lens for this nightmare.
I’d have gone full five stars if not for an ending that felt extremely contrived to me—things stretch a bit too far, even with full suspension of disbelief. Still, Buchanan’s raw portrayal of a female serial killer and Britt’s fearless plunge into danger make this a standout in the series. If you crave a thriller that doesn’t shy away from the darkness, this one delivers—just know it stands alone well, but it’s best to have read the first five books if possible.
June 8, 2022
Britt Montero has hit a dry spot when it comes to front page stories amidst a heat wave is Florida. So she gets excited when she spots a female serial murderer who seems to be coming into Florida and specifically Miami. She starts to track the woman's killing spree and as they occur, bringing her to Montero's beat.
Montero would love the opportunity to interview the murderer and suddenly, Montero is offered the chance. But the story she was dying to do may be the death of her.
I'm a bit prejudiced whenever I read an exciting tale by an actual working journalist who knows the compelling passion to get that amazing story, despite or because of the risks that are involved. And Edna Buchanan — former Miami Beach Sun and Miami Herald reporter who won a 1986 Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting in recognition of "her versatile and consistently excellent police beat reporting" — knows it like no one else. Her books create the atmosphere, the excitement and the quirks of crime in Miami in incredibly rich and realistic characters, situations and dialogue. She's a winner.
Montero would love the opportunity to interview the murderer and suddenly, Montero is offered the chance. But the story she was dying to do may be the death of her.
I'm a bit prejudiced whenever I read an exciting tale by an actual working journalist who knows the compelling passion to get that amazing story, despite or because of the risks that are involved. And Edna Buchanan — former Miami Beach Sun and Miami Herald reporter who won a 1986 Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting in recognition of "her versatile and consistently excellent police beat reporting" — knows it like no one else. Her books create the atmosphere, the excitement and the quirks of crime in Miami in incredibly rich and realistic characters, situations and dialogue. She's a winner.
July 23, 2021
I read the first five Brett Montero novels sold together in one volume. They were interesting solid stories. The on again off again relationship with one of the continuing characters was a bit wearing, but the books were good. This book, however, was the same character, but the path of the story was wildly different, and downright terrifying at some points. It was a really good read, despite the "I love you, why can’t we make it work" storyline continuation.
May 24, 2023
Edna Buchanan's books are always interesting. I quite liked this one. It is about a woman serial killer who kills for the fun of it. Brit, the fearless Miami reporter, is kidnapped by Keppy and endures several days of horrible experiences. One day, Keppy seduces a father who is taking his son to Disney World, kills him and almost kills his 4 year son. Brit steps in and saves the boy 👦. Much more goes on and the bodies stack up. I reccomend this audio recording.
August 23, 2019
O K Tropical pot boiler
April 17, 2022
Despite Britt again doing something really stupid, it was entertaining and quick.
February 7, 2023
This book was intense! Really good!
June 24, 2024
I hate stories in prisons and of hostages.
This one dragged. By the end I didn’t care what happened.
This one dragged. By the end I didn’t care what happened.
Read
March 8, 2026non-fiction
November 18, 2016
Up till chapter 12 I was ready to give this book a 4 star rating. It had wit, satire, talented writing, good pacing, and sympathetic characters. Then we are asked to witness a scene where a father, in front of his young son, has sex with a serial killer and is brutally murdered. The "heroine" is so cowardly she sits and watches. I was so sickened I had to stop reading before the end of the chapter. I will never read anything by this author ever again. My conclusion: Ms Edna Buchanan is one sick pervert.
OK I get it that in real life Ms Buchanan was a reporter and that she has probably encountered equally disgusting real crimes in her career. However, this isn't a documentary and it is not a piece of reporting. She sat down at her computer and invented this situation. If she is not sick then she must think her audience is. She must be writing for that sad, pathetic segment of society that wants ever more graphic depictions of grisly murders and acts of depravity. I'm proud to say I don't belong to that group. Before you read this book, ask yourself if you do!
OK I get it that in real life Ms Buchanan was a reporter and that she has probably encountered equally disgusting real crimes in her career. However, this isn't a documentary and it is not a piece of reporting. She sat down at her computer and invented this situation. If she is not sick then she must think her audience is. She must be writing for that sad, pathetic segment of society that wants ever more graphic depictions of grisly murders and acts of depravity. I'm proud to say I don't belong to that group. Before you read this book, ask yourself if you do!
Read
October 10, 2011Garden of Evil, by Edna Buchanan, a-minus, Narrated by Barbara Caruso, Produced by Recorded Books, Downloaded from audible.com.
Britt Montero is a crime reporter in Miami. She begins to see a pattern-men turn up dead holding a tablet of biagra with lipstick on it, and a shot-off penis. It becomes clear that it is a woman serial killer and she becomes known as the “lipstick killer.” Britt watches her working her way toward Miami, and then the killer contacts Britt and offers her the opportunity to interview her. Against everyone’s advice Britt takes her up on it and is kidnapped by the woman. This book is full of constant action, relentless interactions between Britt and the killer and others they come in contact with. Barbara Caruso has the opportunity to use many different voices and accents and narrates this book extremely well.
Britt Montero is a crime reporter in Miami. She begins to see a pattern-men turn up dead holding a tablet of biagra with lipstick on it, and a shot-off penis. It becomes clear that it is a woman serial killer and she becomes known as the “lipstick killer.” Britt watches her working her way toward Miami, and then the killer contacts Britt and offers her the opportunity to interview her. Against everyone’s advice Britt takes her up on it and is kidnapped by the woman. This book is full of constant action, relentless interactions between Britt and the killer and others they come in contact with. Barbara Caruso has the opportunity to use many different voices and accents and narrates this book extremely well.
December 4, 2007
A Britt Montero, Miami News crime reporter, novel. In pursuit of a story about a serial killer who contacts Britt; Britt pushes aside another possible story she was involved in which becomes very important later, but too late. Seeking the inside story regarding the serial killer, Britt finds herself kidnapped by the killer and becomes a witness to continued killing.
Hard lesson for Britt to learn in this story as she loses some of her objectivity and being a "team player" on the paper because she wants this story resulting in serious consequences.
Fast moving, exciting at time story. Not much of a mystery, more a personality story, but a very good read.
Hard lesson for Britt to learn in this story as she loses some of her objectivity and being a "team player" on the paper because she wants this story resulting in serious consequences.
Fast moving, exciting at time story. Not much of a mystery, more a personality story, but a very good read.
October 12, 2013
Britt is the heroine, who is an extremely dedicated reporter covering the police beat for her Miami newspaper. Britt is determined there is a great story and wants to investigate “The Kiss Me killer”. Britt and became a victim after she tried to break the case and became a victim without any way to escape. This one brought out the maternal extinct in Britt. Since things happen for a reason, that will probably develop in more in her life later. There was plenty of tension and intense moments, which most good mysteries include.
November 6, 2015
Good book that was very hard to put down once Britt became too involved in the serial killer investigation. The female serial killer gave us more than a few very disturbing scenes but at the same time those scenes brought out the best in Britt, including a very maternal streak. I have a feeling this won't be the last we hear from this killer. Still wondering whatever happened to the guy Britt became involved with a couple of books ago and who seems to have dropped off the face of the earth with no explanation.
July 23, 2015
#6 in the Britt Montero series. Britt Montero, Miami newspaper reporter, covers the police beat.
Britt Montero reads of a female serial killer who sexually mutilates her victims. She has killed in northern Fl and seems to be moving south. Britt feels that she will come to Miami. Sure enough, she arrives in Miami, gets information about Britt from Britt's friend Lotti's ex-husband, contacts Britt, arranges to meet, and abducts Britt, thumbing her nose at the cops.
Britt Montero reads of a female serial killer who sexually mutilates her victims. She has killed in northern Fl and seems to be moving south. Britt feels that she will come to Miami. Sure enough, she arrives in Miami, gets information about Britt from Britt's friend Lotti's ex-husband, contacts Britt, arranges to meet, and abducts Britt, thumbing her nose at the cops.
July 15, 2016
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10486165
This book was rather fun to read and even though the characters where fun and well developed I found the story to be sort of bland and predictable when it came to the ending. I knew that there would be a moment of truth when a choice had to be made and when the only true option had to be chosen.
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10486165
This book was rather fun to read and even though the characters where fun and well developed I found the story to be sort of bland and predictable when it came to the ending. I knew that there would be a moment of truth when a choice had to be made and when the only true option had to be chosen.
October 1, 2008
This is a mystery starring a police beat reporter who ends up getting overly involved in one case and not paying enough attention in another. It's not extraordinary, but it did give me bad dreams after some particularly dark scenes about 3/4 of the way through. I'll read more of this author when I'm looking for something to relax before bed with.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews