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Romantic Suspense #9
Todesspiele
Bei einer Razzia in einem Bunker stößt die Polizei auf fünf Mädchenleichen – bestialisch zugerichtet und zu Tode gequält. Von den Tätern fehlt jede Spur. Doch zwei Opfern gelang schwer verletzt die Flucht. Ihre Aussagen liefern Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos und der smarten Staatsanwältin Susannah Vartanian wertvolle Hinweise auf einen international operierenden Mädchenhändlerring. Als Susannah ein Brandzeichen auf den Körpern der Opfer entdeckt, wird sie plötzlich von den Dämonen ihrer eigenen Vergangenheit eingeholt – einer Vergangenheit, die immer noch tödlich enden kann …
»Dieser Thriller ist Dynamit und schwer beiseitezulegen!« (Romance Reviews Magazine)
»Dieser Thriller ist Dynamit und schwer beiseitezulegen!« (Romance Reviews Magazine)
613 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2009
274 people are currently reading
3706 people want to read
About the author
Karen Rose
61 books5,470 followersOFFICIAL WEBSITE:
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
February 6, 2009
This has got to be one of Karen Rose's most disturbing books, if only for the subject matter she tackles--human trafficking, child pornography and prostitution, and rape. Parts of this book were just so upsetting and grim, it gave me a new understanding and sorrow for not only the victims of these crimes, but also for what the investigators of these crimes must go through. There were lots of emotional moments in this book that brought tears to my eyes, and I was especially saddened by what the hero of the story, Luke Papadopoulos, had to go through for his job. Luke works for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations investigating internet child pornography, and he's subject to some horrifying stuff. I felt bad for him, and couldn't imagine how someone could go through what he had to, day by day looking at pictures of children and teenagers being abused, tortured and victimized. I fully believed him when he said a little bit of him dies each day.
First of all, this book is definitely not a stand alone--it actually picks up exactly where the previous book, Scream For Me leaves off--so please do yourself a favor and read that book, and also the one before it, Die For Me, before you tackle this complicated book. This book features New York ADA Susannah Vartanian (sister of the hero of "Scream For Me", and sister of the villain of "Die For Me") and investigator Luke Papadopoulos of the GBI. Susannah's in town (Dutton, Georgia) for her recently murdered parents funeral, and all hell breaks loose when she and Luke stumble upon a ring of people who kidnap and sell teenage girls on the black market. Susannah's a crime victim herself, having been raped as a teenager and again six years ago, and when she comes across a young victim who manages to escape from the kidnappers, she vows to do everything in her power to bring the kidnappers to justice. Working with Luke to uncover the secrets of the kidnapping ring, Susannah finds herself attracted to this kind, strong and sexy man. Seeing him interact with his large, loving Greek family makes her long for a life she never had, and she wonders if it's even possible for her. Susannah's done some things she's not proud of, and even though Luke seems attracted to her, would he want her if he knew all her secrets? But Susannah underestimates Luke--not only is he kind and understanding, but this former ladies' man has a few secrets of his own. And boy oh boy does Luke need a woman who understands him, and Susannah could very well be that woman.
I loved Luke's courtship of Susannah, I thought he was incredibly sweet, patient, and understanding, and their love scenes (though few) were hot. But I wanted more--I thought the author really skimped on them. Karen Rose really writes some great romantic stuff, but it seems like she leaning more toward suspense, and easing up on the romance part. While no one could argue with the way she writes her suspense (she's a master of the diabolical villain), I wish she would put a little bit more romance back into her books, because I feel she does that very well too.
This book has a huge cast of characters, and at times I felt I needed a cheat sheet to keep them all straight. Not only were there a host of people working on the kidnapping investigation, but there were a bunch of people involved in the kidnapping ring to keep track of. And these kidnappers all had connections to each other or to people in the town of Dutton, Georgia (which was a real Peyton Place). At times my head was spinning--the twists and turns were incredible, and just when you thought you had it all figured out--bam--there was a new wrinkle that you'd never considered! I don't know where Karen Rose gets her ideas, but her plotting is exquisite, her villains horrificly unique, and the suspense is non-stop. This book did turn into a bit of a blood bath near the end, and I wondered if there would be anyone left by the time it was over! Susannah transformed from a victim to a kick-ass heroine, which was very satisfying to see, and Luke was a tough, classy yet romantic hero.
"Kill For Me" is a gripping tale of guilt, greed, extortion and master manipulation, and suspense fans will eat this up. And parents will definitely get an eye-opener and will certainly look at internet chat rooms in a whole new light. While I would have preferred a bit more romance, I really have no other complaints. After the first few chapters, this book became un-put-downable, often surprising the heck out of me. Fans of this series should find it highly enjoyable, and will get a real workout for their brain! I loved it, highly recommend it, and give it 5 big stars!
First of all, this book is definitely not a stand alone--it actually picks up exactly where the previous book, Scream For Me leaves off--so please do yourself a favor and read that book, and also the one before it, Die For Me, before you tackle this complicated book. This book features New York ADA Susannah Vartanian (sister of the hero of "Scream For Me", and sister of the villain of "Die For Me") and investigator Luke Papadopoulos of the GBI. Susannah's in town (Dutton, Georgia) for her recently murdered parents funeral, and all hell breaks loose when she and Luke stumble upon a ring of people who kidnap and sell teenage girls on the black market. Susannah's a crime victim herself, having been raped as a teenager and again six years ago, and when she comes across a young victim who manages to escape from the kidnappers, she vows to do everything in her power to bring the kidnappers to justice. Working with Luke to uncover the secrets of the kidnapping ring, Susannah finds herself attracted to this kind, strong and sexy man. Seeing him interact with his large, loving Greek family makes her long for a life she never had, and she wonders if it's even possible for her. Susannah's done some things she's not proud of, and even though Luke seems attracted to her, would he want her if he knew all her secrets? But Susannah underestimates Luke--not only is he kind and understanding, but this former ladies' man has a few secrets of his own. And boy oh boy does Luke need a woman who understands him, and Susannah could very well be that woman.
I loved Luke's courtship of Susannah, I thought he was incredibly sweet, patient, and understanding, and their love scenes (though few) were hot. But I wanted more--I thought the author really skimped on them. Karen Rose really writes some great romantic stuff, but it seems like she leaning more toward suspense, and easing up on the romance part. While no one could argue with the way she writes her suspense (she's a master of the diabolical villain), I wish she would put a little bit more romance back into her books, because I feel she does that very well too.
This book has a huge cast of characters, and at times I felt I needed a cheat sheet to keep them all straight. Not only were there a host of people working on the kidnapping investigation, but there were a bunch of people involved in the kidnapping ring to keep track of. And these kidnappers all had connections to each other or to people in the town of Dutton, Georgia (which was a real Peyton Place). At times my head was spinning--the twists and turns were incredible, and just when you thought you had it all figured out--bam--there was a new wrinkle that you'd never considered! I don't know where Karen Rose gets her ideas, but her plotting is exquisite, her villains horrificly unique, and the suspense is non-stop. This book did turn into a bit of a blood bath near the end, and I wondered if there would be anyone left by the time it was over! Susannah transformed from a victim to a kick-ass heroine, which was very satisfying to see, and Luke was a tough, classy yet romantic hero.
"Kill For Me" is a gripping tale of guilt, greed, extortion and master manipulation, and suspense fans will eat this up. And parents will definitely get an eye-opener and will certainly look at internet chat rooms in a whole new light. While I would have preferred a bit more romance, I really have no other complaints. After the first few chapters, this book became un-put-downable, often surprising the heck out of me. Fans of this series should find it highly enjoyable, and will get a real workout for their brain! I loved it, highly recommend it, and give it 5 big stars!
August 12, 2015
This is not a standalone story so it is not recommended you read this before reading (at least) the two immediately preceding books. I still strongly urge reading the entire series in order as related characters pop up throughout.
The story begins sometime near the end of the last story, running parallel to when Daniel and Alex first discovered the nightmare bunker. I was thrilled to get Susannah and Luke's perspectives as they neared the site and discovered Bailey and "Jane Doe." What ensued was the wildest reading ride I've had in a long time.
No one seems to be who they first appear to be and almost everyone has either a tragic history or private agenda. I actually became overwhelmed by the sheer weight and volume of the revelations. This was the first time in this series I felt the romance took a big back seat to the mystery/suspense. But, I loved Luke and his family and what they brought to his relationship with Susannah.
Incredible story with an intricate plot in a diabolical town. Now they just need to level Dutton, Georgia and start all over.
The story begins sometime near the end of the last story, running parallel to when Daniel and Alex first discovered the nightmare bunker. I was thrilled to get Susannah and Luke's perspectives as they neared the site and discovered Bailey and "Jane Doe." What ensued was the wildest reading ride I've had in a long time.
No one seems to be who they first appear to be and almost everyone has either a tragic history or private agenda. I actually became overwhelmed by the sheer weight and volume of the revelations. This was the first time in this series I felt the romance took a big back seat to the mystery/suspense. But, I loved Luke and his family and what they brought to his relationship with Susannah.
Incredible story with an intricate plot in a diabolical town. Now they just need to level Dutton, Georgia and start all over.
September 2, 2022
I try to like Karen Rose books as she is massively popular but some of them I find really hard to connect with - this is one of those ones.
Two stars.
Two stars.
January 29, 2015
5 stars – Romantic Suspense
This is a very dark, chilling, and disturbing suspense read that tackles some truly horrifying subject matter, including greed, incest, abuse, gang rape, child pornography and sexual slavery, torture, human trafficking, and murder. Besides being a difficult read due to the gruesome content, it also has an intricate plot and a large cast of characters, and I definitely recommend reading the preceding books, Die For Me and Scream For Me, otherwise you’ll get quite lost in the web of its complex, ongoing story arc.
With a goodhearted, protective, emotionally tortured cop hero, a heroine who demonstrates profound inner strength and resolve, despite having suffered unspeakable violence, creepy, sadistic, evil villains, deeply unsettling issues, and numerous twists and turns, Kill For Me is a dark, terrifying, powerful, and thought provoking romantic suspense thriller. Big 5 stars!
This is a very dark, chilling, and disturbing suspense read that tackles some truly horrifying subject matter, including greed, incest, abuse, gang rape, child pornography and sexual slavery, torture, human trafficking, and murder. Besides being a difficult read due to the gruesome content, it also has an intricate plot and a large cast of characters, and I definitely recommend reading the preceding books, Die For Me and Scream For Me, otherwise you’ll get quite lost in the web of its complex, ongoing story arc.
With a goodhearted, protective, emotionally tortured cop hero, a heroine who demonstrates profound inner strength and resolve, despite having suffered unspeakable violence, creepy, sadistic, evil villains, deeply unsettling issues, and numerous twists and turns, Kill For Me is a dark, terrifying, powerful, and thought provoking romantic suspense thriller. Big 5 stars!
February 6, 2009
Another 5-star winner from Karen Rose. I've been anxiously awaiting this book since finishing Scream For Me and it didn't disappoint. I was hardly able to put it down once I started.
Kill For Me is the third and last book in the Vartanian trilogy (and the ninth book in her set of loosely connected characters). It wraps up the on-going storyline of the Vartanian family and the ghosts of their past. This story features Susannah Vartanian (sister of Daniel from Scream For Me) and GBI ICAC (internet crimes against children) agent Luke Papadopoulos, who partnered with Daniel in the previous book.
Susannah is a deeply scarred woman. Thirteen years earlier, she was drugged, raped and photographed. Fear kept her from speaking up, and at the time, she thought she was the only one. But now she's learned that a group of teenage boys had actually done it to 16 girls in total. This time she knows she has to speak up. Not just for herself, for her peace of mind, but to help with a current GBI case. Several of the teenager boys once involved in the Rape Club are now involved in trafficking kidnapped teenager girls. Susannah must face her demons and help Luke and the GBI team find the answers to a chain of crimes dating back longer than the could have imagined.
...and yeah, that summary doesn't really do justice to all that's in this book. It's a really, really complicated, twisted story. I wish I'd had time to reread Scream For Me before starting this one because Kill For Me doesn't just pick up with SFM ended, they actually overlap. The finale of SFM, told from Daniel and Alex's POVs, is retold in KFM from Susannah and Luke's POVs. For the first few chapters of KFM, I found myself trying really hard to remember all that had happened in the last book. They're very, very connected. So I ended up taking a quick break from KFM to speed read the last fifty or so pages of SFM. It helped put everything in perspective and to refresh my mind on details I'd forgotten.
So it's important to say that if you are thinking of reading this book and haven't read Scream For Me, you really need to do that first. The two stories are heavily intertwined. And if you have read SFM, but not recently, you might want to consider rereading it or skimming the ending just as a refresher.
Anyway...this was one complicated, twisted story. And I mean that in a good way. Rose is a master at crafting intricately detailed suspense plots with layers and layers of intrigue and having it all make sense and not leaving loose ends hanging. BUT...this is NOT a book you can read casually or distractedly. There are a lot of details, a lot of characters, and just a lot going on overall. If you're not reading carefully, it would be easy to miss something important. There were times when I had to think hard about who a character was or to try and remember something that happened. This book is just so full of EVERYTHING that it's definitely not meant for light reading.
Which didn't bother me. I love complicated stories. They really challenge the brain, make you think and try to piece everything together to figure out what might happen next. KFM had my brain constantly going, filing away the details. It's a little draining, but very satisfying. Every time you thought another piece of the puzzle was solved in this book, another hole would pop up or another piece didn't fit the way it was supposed to (as Chase said..."Round puzzle. All yellow.").
Rose surprised me with the identities of several of the bad "guys"...I wasn't expecting two of them. I always love it when the writer sneaks one in on me. But I did guess correctly on the BIG BAD GUY. I pegged that person back in SFM...well, I was highly suspicious of him.
KFM isn't intense in the way that Die For Me (Vartanian #1) was, but it's intense in the way of anticipation, of waiting and wondering what will happen. Who will die. Event though I knew, in a general sense, how the book would end, I found myself holding my breath near the end with the anticipation of what would happen. It really had me on the edge of my seat.
...and I almost forgot to mention the romance angle of the book, LOL. There is a romance aspect, but it's a secondary part of the story. For a romance reader, I'd say it's still romantic enough to please, but the book is more suspense than romance. Luke and Susannah's relationship is slow in developing...well, in a sense it is. They don't "hook up" until late in the book, but timeline wise, it's only a couple days. There is a level of expectation with them from earlier on, though because they are attracted and curious. Both, unfortunately, have a lot of demons holding them back. So it takes a while until things happen. But the romance angle was still nice. Susannah and Luke were perfect for each other. Their past experiences tied them together and help them to understand each other. I could see them having a lasting, supportive relationship.
So overall, this was a great book. That being said, it's important to mention that it's really not for everyone, though. The subject matter is very dark, dealing with child pornography, human trafficking, murder, torture, rape and other such things. Rose doesn't gloss over the subjects, but neither does she get too overly detailed. And there's a lot of death in the book. The body count is kind of astonishing. So if you're bothered by dark subjects, then this is a book (and series) you might want to steer clear of.
If you've read Rose's books before, particularly the other Vartanian books, and liked them, then you should DEFINITELY read this one! It nicely wraps up all the loose ends. The story is intense and creepy, yet at the end, you had a feeling of peace, that life would finally settle for the Vartanians (Daniel and Susannah). I enjoyed the book a lot and am looking forward to Rose's next book (supposedly Evie's story...finally!).
Kill For Me is the third and last book in the Vartanian trilogy (and the ninth book in her set of loosely connected characters). It wraps up the on-going storyline of the Vartanian family and the ghosts of their past. This story features Susannah Vartanian (sister of Daniel from Scream For Me) and GBI ICAC (internet crimes against children) agent Luke Papadopoulos, who partnered with Daniel in the previous book.
Susannah is a deeply scarred woman. Thirteen years earlier, she was drugged, raped and photographed. Fear kept her from speaking up, and at the time, she thought she was the only one. But now she's learned that a group of teenage boys had actually done it to 16 girls in total. This time she knows she has to speak up. Not just for herself, for her peace of mind, but to help with a current GBI case. Several of the teenager boys once involved in the Rape Club are now involved in trafficking kidnapped teenager girls. Susannah must face her demons and help Luke and the GBI team find the answers to a chain of crimes dating back longer than the could have imagined.
...and yeah, that summary doesn't really do justice to all that's in this book. It's a really, really complicated, twisted story. I wish I'd had time to reread Scream For Me before starting this one because Kill For Me doesn't just pick up with SFM ended, they actually overlap. The finale of SFM, told from Daniel and Alex's POVs, is retold in KFM from Susannah and Luke's POVs. For the first few chapters of KFM, I found myself trying really hard to remember all that had happened in the last book. They're very, very connected. So I ended up taking a quick break from KFM to speed read the last fifty or so pages of SFM. It helped put everything in perspective and to refresh my mind on details I'd forgotten.
So it's important to say that if you are thinking of reading this book and haven't read Scream For Me, you really need to do that first. The two stories are heavily intertwined. And if you have read SFM, but not recently, you might want to consider rereading it or skimming the ending just as a refresher.
Anyway...this was one complicated, twisted story. And I mean that in a good way. Rose is a master at crafting intricately detailed suspense plots with layers and layers of intrigue and having it all make sense and not leaving loose ends hanging. BUT...this is NOT a book you can read casually or distractedly. There are a lot of details, a lot of characters, and just a lot going on overall. If you're not reading carefully, it would be easy to miss something important. There were times when I had to think hard about who a character was or to try and remember something that happened. This book is just so full of EVERYTHING that it's definitely not meant for light reading.
Which didn't bother me. I love complicated stories. They really challenge the brain, make you think and try to piece everything together to figure out what might happen next. KFM had my brain constantly going, filing away the details. It's a little draining, but very satisfying. Every time you thought another piece of the puzzle was solved in this book, another hole would pop up or another piece didn't fit the way it was supposed to (as Chase said..."Round puzzle. All yellow.").
Rose surprised me with the identities of several of the bad "guys"...I wasn't expecting two of them. I always love it when the writer sneaks one in on me. But I did guess correctly on the BIG BAD GUY. I pegged that person back in SFM...well, I was highly suspicious of him.
KFM isn't intense in the way that Die For Me (Vartanian #1) was, but it's intense in the way of anticipation, of waiting and wondering what will happen. Who will die. Event though I knew, in a general sense, how the book would end, I found myself holding my breath near the end with the anticipation of what would happen. It really had me on the edge of my seat.
...and I almost forgot to mention the romance angle of the book, LOL. There is a romance aspect, but it's a secondary part of the story. For a romance reader, I'd say it's still romantic enough to please, but the book is more suspense than romance. Luke and Susannah's relationship is slow in developing...well, in a sense it is. They don't "hook up" until late in the book, but timeline wise, it's only a couple days. There is a level of expectation with them from earlier on, though because they are attracted and curious. Both, unfortunately, have a lot of demons holding them back. So it takes a while until things happen. But the romance angle was still nice. Susannah and Luke were perfect for each other. Their past experiences tied them together and help them to understand each other. I could see them having a lasting, supportive relationship.
So overall, this was a great book. That being said, it's important to mention that it's really not for everyone, though. The subject matter is very dark, dealing with child pornography, human trafficking, murder, torture, rape and other such things. Rose doesn't gloss over the subjects, but neither does she get too overly detailed. And there's a lot of death in the book. The body count is kind of astonishing. So if you're bothered by dark subjects, then this is a book (and series) you might want to steer clear of.
If you've read Rose's books before, particularly the other Vartanian books, and liked them, then you should DEFINITELY read this one! It nicely wraps up all the loose ends. The story is intense and creepy, yet at the end, you had a feeling of peace, that life would finally settle for the Vartanians (Daniel and Susannah). I enjoyed the book a lot and am looking forward to Rose's next book (supposedly Evie's story...finally!).
April 25, 2017
“The patient bird breakfasts on the juiciest worm.”
Another thrilling read by Karen Rose! I am amazed how this author keeps me so hooked to her novels- she has such a knack for writing and building towards the climax, her pacing is also very well done. I dont have anything negative to say about this book at all, well done on another amazing novel Karen.
Susannah Vartanian's life has never been the same after she was viciously raped by a gang of youths in her teens. She moved away from the town where she grew up, serving her life to help victims of rape and abuse come forth and get their justice, although she still struggles building relationships and trusting people, even with her own brother Daniel who she barely has a relationship with. When evidence is found in Daniels case that may involve Susannah, she decides to travel back to her home town of Dutton to seek the justice she never had.
Luke Papadopoulous has sent his life working on sex crimes involving children, but when his job takes a toll on him, is resigned to Daniel Vartanian's case known as the Richie Rich Rapists.
Monica Cassidy barely escaped with her life when she and 10 other girls where held in a bunker and were being sex trafficked to rich wealthy men and women, when police raided the bunker her assailants either moved or killed the remaining girls. Monica is the only who who can identify the assailants who held her and so many others captive. Only problem is they know who she is and where she is. All these stories come together for a grand final showdown, where lives will be at risk, love will be found and justice served.
Okay so for those who are unaware this novel starts right after Scream for Me ends, literally picking up right where the other left off. The main characters all know each other, and the new characters will get to know them. They all tie together and their stories are all connected, making for a fascinating read and a gripping novel for the truth.
My favourite character is definitely Susannah, she is strong , smart, sassy and kind hearted. Through all her life struggles she manages to push on and still end up working with people who have experienced similar abuse that she has, which would also keep the wounds she has fresh for her. When the truth comes out about her life,things she herself didn't even know ; it makes her question everything she ever knew about her family and herself, yet she still pushes on trying to help the case as much as she can and bring justice for not only herself but so many other victims. She is confronted with some hard shocking truths and never ever questions whether or not she is doing the right thing. She is an strong women, and for that she has to be my favourite in this novel.
If you are looking for a suspenseful thriller with a bit of romance thrown in the mix, this novel is for you, Karen Rose is for you.
Recommended for : Suspensful Thriller/Romance
December 3, 2015
Kill For Me by Karen Rose is a 2009 Grand Central Publication.
I am finally getting back to this book after repeated tries to work it into my reading schedule. I really like this series and Karen Rose is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors.
This arc in the romantic suspense series features Daniel and Susannah Vartanian and picks up pretty much where the last book left off, after the shocking revelations concerning their brother, Simon.
But, the shocks are just going to keep coming in this book as Susannah reveals all she knows about the death of her friend Darcy, how dark her life had gotten at one point, and the horrible guilt she feels. But, thankfully, she has Luke Papadopoulas helping her put an end to a human trafficking ring that has been in operation for years.
This book is the last in the trilogy and boy is it a twister, with one huge shocker after another, even more stunning family secrets, evil in its lowest depths, and nonstop suspense. At times the twist seemed to go a little overboard, in my opinion, pushing Susannah and Daniel further than was one plausible. It was a pretty 'busy' book with several very diabolical bad guys at work.
But, it does all come together in the end and the conclusion is stunning, with all the pieces of the puzzle fitting into place. The romance between Savannah and Luke is pretty understated with a low steam level. However, as Luke explains to Daniel- Savannah has been through a lot and so it seemed fitting that the love affair was low key.
Overall, this is a very solid trilogy, one I would recommend to mystery, suspense lovers of all kinds, not just fans of romantic suspense. Be sure to read the two books released prior to this one though, because all three books tie in together and you won't really get the big picture otherwise.
4 stars for this one
I am finally getting back to this book after repeated tries to work it into my reading schedule. I really like this series and Karen Rose is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors.
This arc in the romantic suspense series features Daniel and Susannah Vartanian and picks up pretty much where the last book left off, after the shocking revelations concerning their brother, Simon.
But, the shocks are just going to keep coming in this book as Susannah reveals all she knows about the death of her friend Darcy, how dark her life had gotten at one point, and the horrible guilt she feels. But, thankfully, she has Luke Papadopoulas helping her put an end to a human trafficking ring that has been in operation for years.
This book is the last in the trilogy and boy is it a twister, with one huge shocker after another, even more stunning family secrets, evil in its lowest depths, and nonstop suspense. At times the twist seemed to go a little overboard, in my opinion, pushing Susannah and Daniel further than was one plausible. It was a pretty 'busy' book with several very diabolical bad guys at work.
But, it does all come together in the end and the conclusion is stunning, with all the pieces of the puzzle fitting into place. The romance between Savannah and Luke is pretty understated with a low steam level. However, as Luke explains to Daniel- Savannah has been through a lot and so it seemed fitting that the love affair was low key.
Overall, this is a very solid trilogy, one I would recommend to mystery, suspense lovers of all kinds, not just fans of romantic suspense. Be sure to read the two books released prior to this one though, because all three books tie in together and you won't really get the big picture otherwise.
4 stars for this one
October 23, 2016
Karen Rose is one of my favorite authors and I was really looking for a book that I would absolutely love, but this wasn't it. I still enjoyed a large part of this book, but in the end there were just too many characters, too many plot threads, too many murders and it just became too convoluted.
Kill For Me is the third book in Karen Rose's Daniel Vartanian series and you really need to have read Scream For Me and Die For Me before reading this one. I have read both the prior books, but it had been a while and I needed a refresher course on who was who. Ms. Rose did provide this but the first part of the book is a lot of characters and it does get confusing.
We have a large law enforcement contingent including Luke, our leading man from the GBI and Suzanne who is a victim as well as part of the law enforcement group and also one of the citizens of Dutton, GA. We have a large group of victims represented by kidnapped teenagers, blackmailed citizens and victims turned bad guys. And then we have the bad guys. We have an all powerful bad guy who seems to have minions everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It sometimes seemed to be a stretch how much control this person had. In some ways it seemed like the only decent people who came out of Dutton, GA were Daniel and Suzanne Vartanian.
I grew tired of the number of times children were kidnapped or people who knew something were murdered (usually tortured and then murdered). I'm grateful that the gruesome details were kept off page and Ms. Rose really focused on plot and emotion versus blood and gore.
What I did love were Suzanne and Luke and Suzanne and Luke together. They were a really good team trying to solve crimes that spanned so many years and so many people.
More review to come.
This may be more like a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Kill For Me is the third book in Karen Rose's Daniel Vartanian series and you really need to have read Scream For Me and Die For Me before reading this one. I have read both the prior books, but it had been a while and I needed a refresher course on who was who. Ms. Rose did provide this but the first part of the book is a lot of characters and it does get confusing.
We have a large law enforcement contingent including Luke, our leading man from the GBI and Suzanne who is a victim as well as part of the law enforcement group and also one of the citizens of Dutton, GA. We have a large group of victims represented by kidnapped teenagers, blackmailed citizens and victims turned bad guys. And then we have the bad guys. We have an all powerful bad guy who seems to have minions everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It sometimes seemed to be a stretch how much control this person had. In some ways it seemed like the only decent people who came out of Dutton, GA were Daniel and Suzanne Vartanian.
I grew tired of the number of times children were kidnapped or people who knew something were murdered (usually tortured and then murdered). I'm grateful that the gruesome details were kept off page and Ms. Rose really focused on plot and emotion versus blood and gore.
What I did love were Suzanne and Luke and Suzanne and Luke together. They were a really good team trying to solve crimes that spanned so many years and so many people.
More review to come.
This may be more like a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
December 27, 2014
Two things that actively work against me in my reading life: 1) My lurid taste in fiction--and I use that term loosely. 2) Once I find an author that has a huge back list, I tend to read obsessively.
This book is the third in a series with recurring characters. A bunch of hunky single cops on the look-out for their one and only. A bunch of beautiful, broken women looking heal their lonely hearts and vaginas. Dead wives/husbands/abusive exes hang about hauntingly and force our heroes and heroines to wring their hands and "woe is me" about their burning loins. Plus there's a bunch of evil, evil serial killers and jobs that occasionally get in their way. Don't get me wrong, I like that shit. If my novel resembles a Lifetime movie, I am pretty much a happy camper.
Occasionally, though, I hit a metaphorical wall. Karen Rose likes the rapey-rape. All the women in her novels have been invaded by peen they did not invite. The evil, evil serial killers want to rape ALL THE WOMENS. Eventually, it gets stale. Because in these worlds, the cure for rape is the love of a good man and peen you DID invite. No therapy. No support groups. Just a hunky cop with a big dick and a whole lotta love in his heart.
I'm not saying this book was a little repetitive and boring. I'm just saying this book was little repetitive and boring.
This book is the third in a series with recurring characters. A bunch of hunky single cops on the look-out for their one and only. A bunch of beautiful, broken women looking heal their lonely hearts and vaginas. Dead wives/husbands/abusive exes hang about hauntingly and force our heroes and heroines to wring their hands and "woe is me" about their burning loins. Plus there's a bunch of evil, evil serial killers and jobs that occasionally get in their way. Don't get me wrong, I like that shit. If my novel resembles a Lifetime movie, I am pretty much a happy camper.
Occasionally, though, I hit a metaphorical wall. Karen Rose likes the rapey-rape. All the women in her novels have been invaded by peen they did not invite. The evil, evil serial killers want to rape ALL THE WOMENS. Eventually, it gets stale. Because in these worlds, the cure for rape is the love of a good man and peen you DID invite. No therapy. No support groups. Just a hunky cop with a big dick and a whole lotta love in his heart.
I'm not saying this book was a little repetitive and boring. I'm just saying this book was little repetitive and boring.
February 20, 2009
Another amazing book from Karen Rose. Just amazing.
A quick warning before the review: This book should not be read by everyone, just like her last book "Scream For Me" should not be read by everyone. The plot centers around child prostitution, child sexual slavery and internet pedophilia. If you're a parent, you may not want to read this; you might not be able to let your child out of your sight afterwards.
Susannah Vartanian was raped by her older brother Simon when she was a teenager. He led a group of rich boys who raped and humiliated 16 other teenage girls in just a few years, the same group of rich boys who, later on, started a truck stop prostitution ring that ran up and down the I-75, a sexual slavery ring that ran throughout the United States and Canada and a web pornography circle that spans the entire internet.
This is Susannah's story, just as "Scream For Me" was her brother Daniel's story. This is also one of the few times where it feels that Karen Rose is holding back, almost as though she was afraid of how dark the story could be, how much she would be able to plumb the depths of Susannah's darkness.
But the story is plenty dark enough.
This is also a story about betrayal by those you trust without question, about human frailty and the ability of those, who have no conscience, to take advantage of that frailty to convince others to commit acts of immorality.
So really, while amazing, this isn't a book for everyone. Think hard before you decide to start it.
A quick warning before the review: This book should not be read by everyone, just like her last book "Scream For Me" should not be read by everyone. The plot centers around child prostitution, child sexual slavery and internet pedophilia. If you're a parent, you may not want to read this; you might not be able to let your child out of your sight afterwards.
Susannah Vartanian was raped by her older brother Simon when she was a teenager. He led a group of rich boys who raped and humiliated 16 other teenage girls in just a few years, the same group of rich boys who, later on, started a truck stop prostitution ring that ran up and down the I-75, a sexual slavery ring that ran throughout the United States and Canada and a web pornography circle that spans the entire internet.
This is Susannah's story, just as "Scream For Me" was her brother Daniel's story. This is also one of the few times where it feels that Karen Rose is holding back, almost as though she was afraid of how dark the story could be, how much she would be able to plumb the depths of Susannah's darkness.
But the story is plenty dark enough.
This is also a story about betrayal by those you trust without question, about human frailty and the ability of those, who have no conscience, to take advantage of that frailty to convince others to commit acts of immorality.
So really, while amazing, this isn't a book for everyone. Think hard before you decide to start it.
October 15, 2016
WARNING!! Dark and disturbing subjects are part of the plot of this book. This is also not a standalone story. The three books in this trilogy take place within two weeks, but due to the subjects and the extremely high body counts, I wouldn't recommend reading back to back. Karen Rose is very good at taking nasty subjects and weaving them in a way to make them feel real and chilling. This one more is just #9 in a line of very chilling romantic-suspense books.
Susannah Vartanian has been living with her secrets for 13 years and now it is time to shine a light on them and the awful happenings in Dutton, Georgia. Luke Papadopoulos is a GBI Agent and working Internet crimes puts him in close contact with the worst that humanity can do to each other.
There are deadly, perverted people in Dutton, Georgia who prey on innocent children and murder anyone who gets in their way. Susannah and Luke must work together and watch each others backs in order to bring these baddies, who have targeted Susannah for most of her life, to justice before one of them kills Susannah too.
Susannah Vartanian has been living with her secrets for 13 years and now it is time to shine a light on them and the awful happenings in Dutton, Georgia. Luke Papadopoulos is a GBI Agent and working Internet crimes puts him in close contact with the worst that humanity can do to each other.
There are deadly, perverted people in Dutton, Georgia who prey on innocent children and murder anyone who gets in their way. Susannah and Luke must work together and watch each others backs in order to bring these baddies, who have targeted Susannah for most of her life, to justice before one of them kills Susannah too.
January 7, 2016
Kill For Me is the third book in Karen Rose's Daniel Vartanian series and the ninth in her Romantic Suspense series. Susannah Vartanian and Luke Papadopoulos were introduced in previous books of the series and the story overlaps and continues from Scream for Me. Luke works for the GBI and is Daniel's partner. Daniel is injured and it's up to Luke to continue the investigation without him. Susannah expected to return to New York but she stays to help. Meanwhile, there is evil people kidnapping young girls for the human trafficking trade and prostitution.
I definitely recommend this series be read in order. I read the first book in the series quite a while ago but I remembered enough that it didn't affect the story for me. I do recommend this series but not for the faint of heart.
I definitely recommend this series be read in order. I read the first book in the series quite a while ago but I remembered enough that it didn't affect the story for me. I do recommend this series but not for the faint of heart.
February 13, 2015
Most már értem, miért mondta Böbe, hogy a "Sikíts értem" viszonylag gyengébb, s csak a trilógiában állja meg a helyét. Nekem az előző rész is tetszett, és kb. hat pontra értékeltem, de tény, hogy ez elmondhatatlanul jobb volt, a nyolcadik részhez képest minimum 12 pont, de akár több is. Még most is rágom a körmömet... :D
April 27, 2015
The day of reckoning is drawing near...
This book starts in the last few chapters of the previous one (Scream For Me), this time from Susannah and Luke’s point of view.
Susannah is Daniel’s (the hero in Scream For Me) and Simon’s (villain in Die For Me) sister with a dark and painful past of her own, creating multiple issues in the present. She finally grew a pair and decided to “get her life back” by taking a stand and accusing her rapists from thirteen years ago (though only one is still living), and also confessing to another rape, six years ago on the anniversary of the first one. Since her brother is in the hospital (read the end of Scream For Me), it falls on his partner and friend Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos, who’s taken over the case, to keep an eye on her, help her cope in any way, though she doesn’t particularly want his help.
Well, keeping an eye on Susannah proves to be the least of Luke’s problems, since the investigation into the gang-rapes all those years ago opened a whole other can of worms in the form of a human-trafficking/child-porn/prostitution ring with the HQ right in small-town Dutton, Georgia where it all began.
And soon Luke has to step up from just keeping an eye on Susannah to full-time bodyguard, since someone appears to hold a huge grudge against her. There’re also possible leaks both in APD and GBI, bodies piling up here and there etc. Peaceful small town my heinie.
This book concluded the Vartanian sub-trilogy in Rose’s series with more-or-less-connecting characters. And though it was dark, heinous, and gruesome, it somehow left me a little cold and detached. I know detachedness is a blessing with topics like this, but still it was a bit strange finding myself observing this from such a distance. For me, the two previous books packed more of a punch and pulled me in more (and immediately) than this one. I should’ve been more impacted by what happened, the details, the depravity, the darkness, yet I wasn’t.
That’s not to say this wasn’t a good novel. It was vintage Rose, great pacing, wonderful characterization, tasteful romance, multiple twists and turns, dark secrets, half-truths, big and small lies, the gutter that was small-town Dutton (a true Peyton Place), sick villains, chilling details, great suspense…But it was all portrayed…Well, though a thin veil, that prevented the story from “truly touching me”.
This book starts in the last few chapters of the previous one (Scream For Me), this time from Susannah and Luke’s point of view.
Susannah is Daniel’s (the hero in Scream For Me) and Simon’s (villain in Die For Me) sister with a dark and painful past of her own, creating multiple issues in the present. She finally grew a pair and decided to “get her life back” by taking a stand and accusing her rapists from thirteen years ago (though only one is still living), and also confessing to another rape, six years ago on the anniversary of the first one. Since her brother is in the hospital (read the end of Scream For Me), it falls on his partner and friend Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos, who’s taken over the case, to keep an eye on her, help her cope in any way, though she doesn’t particularly want his help.
Well, keeping an eye on Susannah proves to be the least of Luke’s problems, since the investigation into the gang-rapes all those years ago opened a whole other can of worms in the form of a human-trafficking/child-porn/prostitution ring with the HQ right in small-town Dutton, Georgia where it all began.
And soon Luke has to step up from just keeping an eye on Susannah to full-time bodyguard, since someone appears to hold a huge grudge against her. There’re also possible leaks both in APD and GBI, bodies piling up here and there etc. Peaceful small town my heinie.
This book concluded the Vartanian sub-trilogy in Rose’s series with more-or-less-connecting characters. And though it was dark, heinous, and gruesome, it somehow left me a little cold and detached. I know detachedness is a blessing with topics like this, but still it was a bit strange finding myself observing this from such a distance. For me, the two previous books packed more of a punch and pulled me in more (and immediately) than this one. I should’ve been more impacted by what happened, the details, the depravity, the darkness, yet I wasn’t.
That’s not to say this wasn’t a good novel. It was vintage Rose, great pacing, wonderful characterization, tasteful romance, multiple twists and turns, dark secrets, half-truths, big and small lies, the gutter that was small-town Dutton (a true Peyton Place), sick villains, chilling details, great suspense…But it was all portrayed…Well, though a thin veil, that prevented the story from “truly touching me”.
May 21, 2020
Kill For Me by Karen Rose
Romantic Suspense / Thriller / Mystery / Contemporary
Daniel Vartanian, #3
Follow up to Die For Me and Scream for Me
I usually enjoy Karen Rose's books, but this one I did not like. I felt that too much was going on. Too much killing. Too many characters. Too much to keep track of (like who fits into the rapes that happened in the previous book, who is trafficking teenagers, who and why is killing). This book was cluttered with minor characters who were confusing, unnecessary and I really do not enjoy reading villains planning yet another kidnapping, blackmail scheme, brutal murder etc! Sorry but it was disgusting and vile to read!
This story was very depressing because who would enjoy reading children tortured or brutally murdered?? Even heroine Susannah was annoying at times. I did not quite believe in romance between Susannah and Luke. I'm glad that she was able to overcome the violence in her life and find redemption. There's not one bit of lighter humor to offset all the violence, brutality and dark elements of the book. By the end of the story I was simply ... drained, exhausted and heavy-hearted!
Romantic Suspense / Thriller / Mystery / Contemporary
Daniel Vartanian, #3
Follow up to Die For Me and Scream for Me
I usually enjoy Karen Rose's books, but this one I did not like. I felt that too much was going on. Too much killing. Too many characters. Too much to keep track of (like who fits into the rapes that happened in the previous book, who is trafficking teenagers, who and why is killing). This book was cluttered with minor characters who were confusing, unnecessary and I really do not enjoy reading villains planning yet another kidnapping, blackmail scheme, brutal murder etc! Sorry but it was disgusting and vile to read!
This story was very depressing because who would enjoy reading children tortured or brutally murdered?? Even heroine Susannah was annoying at times. I did not quite believe in romance between Susannah and Luke. I'm glad that she was able to overcome the violence in her life and find redemption. There's not one bit of lighter humor to offset all the violence, brutality and dark elements of the book. By the end of the story I was simply ... drained, exhausted and heavy-hearted!
September 24, 2021
Kill For Me
1 Star
Series Note: This is book #9 in the overall series, but book #3 in the Daniel Vartanian trilogy.
I'm definitely in the minority amongst my GR friends, the majority of whom enjoyed the book immensely, so perhaps this review should be taken with a grain of salt.
For me, the Daniel Vartanian books are not up to Rose's standards. The first installment is well worth the read with a gripping suspense story and an engaging couple. However, the 2nd and 3rd are, to put it simply, awful. They are a jumbled mess of mixed perspectives and non-linear sequencing. The plot of #3 is a rehash of #2 with a complete lack of originality, and the romance is mediocre and lackluster. It appears that at least for this sub-trilogy, Rose decided to focus more on the action and less on the romance.
While a huge proponent of reading in order, I can honestly say that Scream for Me and Kill for Me are a waste of valuable reading time. That said, newbies to Rose's books and fans alike should decide for themselves if these are worth the effort. Moving on to #10 now as I've heard that it returns to Rose's tried and true style.
1 Star
Series Note: This is book #9 in the overall series, but book #3 in the Daniel Vartanian trilogy.
I'm definitely in the minority amongst my GR friends, the majority of whom enjoyed the book immensely, so perhaps this review should be taken with a grain of salt.
For me, the Daniel Vartanian books are not up to Rose's standards. The first installment is well worth the read with a gripping suspense story and an engaging couple. However, the 2nd and 3rd are, to put it simply, awful. They are a jumbled mess of mixed perspectives and non-linear sequencing. The plot of #3 is a rehash of #2 with a complete lack of originality, and the romance is mediocre and lackluster. It appears that at least for this sub-trilogy, Rose decided to focus more on the action and less on the romance.
While a huge proponent of reading in order, I can honestly say that Scream for Me and Kill for Me are a waste of valuable reading time. That said, newbies to Rose's books and fans alike should decide for themselves if these are worth the effort. Moving on to #10 now as I've heard that it returns to Rose's tried and true style.
August 27, 2010
Well I must say that I have become a huge fan of Karen Rose after reading this 3 book series. Kill For Me was a very twisted story that kept me wondering what was gonna happen next. I too like others wished that the romance was a bit more in this book but despite that, I loved the book anyway's. I'm sure I'll be reading many more of Karen Rose's book's in the future.
April 10, 2009
Karen Rose should have ended this trilogy at Book #2. I found myself slowly plodding through this one just waiting for it to end. Not anywhere near as good as the first two. This was just a foray to tie up loose ends in a long winded way.
December 31, 2020
4.5
Finally finished the Vartannian trilogy, and succeed to complete the Goodreads challenge.
This book was a lot better then the previous one. Ties up loose ends from the previous two books and many things are getting clear. Luke and Susannah are much better couple then Alex and Daniel in the previous book, although the focus in this book was more on the suspense.
As every other book by Karen Rose, the story is quite detailed and very well written. Rose keeps the reader guessing very convincingly and thoroughly builds suspense throughout the series.
Nothing is as it seems in Kill for Me , there are so many dark buried secrets, a huuuge cast of characters (it was hard to keep a track sometimes), and a whole lot of danger.
After this one, I put Karen Rose on a pause. She is getting repetitive and I'm getting a little bit bored with her writing. However, she remains one of the best romantic suspense authors for me.
Finally finished the Vartannian trilogy, and succeed to complete the Goodreads challenge.
This book was a lot better then the previous one. Ties up loose ends from the previous two books and many things are getting clear. Luke and Susannah are much better couple then Alex and Daniel in the previous book, although the focus in this book was more on the suspense.
As every other book by Karen Rose, the story is quite detailed and very well written. Rose keeps the reader guessing very convincingly and thoroughly builds suspense throughout the series.
Nothing is as it seems in Kill for Me , there are so many dark buried secrets, a huuuge cast of characters (it was hard to keep a track sometimes), and a whole lot of danger.
After this one, I put Karen Rose on a pause. She is getting repetitive and I'm getting a little bit bored with her writing. However, she remains one of the best romantic suspense authors for me.
September 5, 2017
DNF at 70%.
Too much darkness (and still downsized) and too little logic in human behavior.
I couldn't buy any of it, and finally didn't care enough about the characters to go on...
This is a reflect of my personal tastes not of the authors talent, of course.
Too much darkness (and still downsized) and too little logic in human behavior.
I couldn't buy any of it, and finally didn't care enough about the characters to go on...
This is a reflect of my personal tastes not of the authors talent, of course.
April 11, 2020
I have read lots of Karen Rose's books and loved them. But this one, I couldn't get into it at all. The start is very choppy and there there are so many characters it made my head spin. Wh? What? When? There was so much meandering, no characters to feel for, and so little progress that it all got smushed up. DNF'd half way through the book.
Read
November 24, 2020Meh. DNF. Book two and three of this trilogy really doesn't live up to my high Karen Rose standards. Too many characters and I couldn't care less about the hero or heroine.
March 20, 2009
After waiting for this book since the day after I read Scream for Me, I was disappointed! I felt that Rose vacilated between trying too hard and making it too easy at times.
Writing a book which closes a trilogy and attempts to answer all the questions posed by its predecessors in the series is no easy task, and, hats off to Rose for doing this - she does indeed tie up every loose end. However, in doing this she fell into the trap of trying to explain some things that are not even loose ends.
I was also very disappointed that she revealed the identity of the supreme baddie in the first chaper.
Let me qualify my statement about the revelation. No, Rose does not say outright that X is the baddie. However, she gives clues, which, while subtle, nevertheless point exactly to the identity of the mastermind. In fact, there's an extract on the web (http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/book...) that's longer than the one on the Karen Rose site, and, from reading that extract (viz. the entire 1st three chapters), you can guess who the baddie is - I did, (because the book was only available in South Africa about a week ago and I couldn't wait), and after reading almost the whole book, which I finished last night, I found out that, surprise, surprise... I was right.
To make matters worse, early in the book, you can surmise the relationship between a key character and the number 2 baddie.
Looking at why I say she appeared to be trying too hard at times, here's an example. Late in the book, Rose mentions a relationship that the evil Simon Vartanian had with someone that was, in my view, a gratuitous inclusion. It does not make us think more or less of Simon - it simply adds word count.
Staying with Simon, another example is where Rose alludes that his post-staged death "old man disguise" was taught to him by the supreme baddie. There was no need for this. Given Simon's intellectual capabilities, it's quite conceivable that he could learn from myriad sources. Every effect in life is not linked to a single cause. And so, again, this was an example of Rose trying too hard to explain every single detail, which in turn, made the reader incredulous.
I've bought and read most of Karen Rose's thriller books, so perhpas you could argue that I now know the way she thinks and can predict her plots. That's defintely not true. When I thought about what would be revealed in this book after reading Scream for Me, I didn't predict any, except the obvious things (like that we'd find out that Arthur Vartanian was corrupt; or that Frank Loomis had a reason for doing what he did). Also, the mark of a truly good thriller/crime/whodunnit writer is the ability to continue to surprise the reader. I cite Agatha Christie as an author who managed this with aplomb over many, many books and short stories.
What truly disappointed me was that Rose either lowered her standard of writing to the point where she has let secrets slip before they were due to be revealed, or that she has pandered to commercialism and written a book that the more intellectually challenged reader may find fascinating in an endeavour to increase sales.
I will buy her next book, but it'll have to be a significant improvement on this one to make me Rose my favourite thriller writer of recent times again.
I hope this helps - it was written more to those who have already read the book but I've tried not to spoil it for those who have not yet. If I, like Karen Rose, have sunk ships with my loose lips, I do humbly apologise.
Writing a book which closes a trilogy and attempts to answer all the questions posed by its predecessors in the series is no easy task, and, hats off to Rose for doing this - she does indeed tie up every loose end. However, in doing this she fell into the trap of trying to explain some things that are not even loose ends.
I was also very disappointed that she revealed the identity of the supreme baddie in the first chaper.
Let me qualify my statement about the revelation. No, Rose does not say outright that X is the baddie. However, she gives clues, which, while subtle, nevertheless point exactly to the identity of the mastermind. In fact, there's an extract on the web (http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/book...) that's longer than the one on the Karen Rose site, and, from reading that extract (viz. the entire 1st three chapters), you can guess who the baddie is - I did, (because the book was only available in South Africa about a week ago and I couldn't wait), and after reading almost the whole book, which I finished last night, I found out that, surprise, surprise... I was right.
To make matters worse, early in the book, you can surmise the relationship between a key character and the number 2 baddie.
Looking at why I say she appeared to be trying too hard at times, here's an example. Late in the book, Rose mentions a relationship that the evil Simon Vartanian had with someone that was, in my view, a gratuitous inclusion. It does not make us think more or less of Simon - it simply adds word count.
Staying with Simon, another example is where Rose alludes that his post-staged death "old man disguise" was taught to him by the supreme baddie. There was no need for this. Given Simon's intellectual capabilities, it's quite conceivable that he could learn from myriad sources. Every effect in life is not linked to a single cause. And so, again, this was an example of Rose trying too hard to explain every single detail, which in turn, made the reader incredulous.
I've bought and read most of Karen Rose's thriller books, so perhpas you could argue that I now know the way she thinks and can predict her plots. That's defintely not true. When I thought about what would be revealed in this book after reading Scream for Me, I didn't predict any, except the obvious things (like that we'd find out that Arthur Vartanian was corrupt; or that Frank Loomis had a reason for doing what he did). Also, the mark of a truly good thriller/crime/whodunnit writer is the ability to continue to surprise the reader. I cite Agatha Christie as an author who managed this with aplomb over many, many books and short stories.
What truly disappointed me was that Rose either lowered her standard of writing to the point where she has let secrets slip before they were due to be revealed, or that she has pandered to commercialism and written a book that the more intellectually challenged reader may find fascinating in an endeavour to increase sales.
I will buy her next book, but it'll have to be a significant improvement on this one to make me Rose my favourite thriller writer of recent times again.
I hope this helps - it was written more to those who have already read the book but I've tried not to spoil it for those who have not yet. If I, like Karen Rose, have sunk ships with my loose lips, I do humbly apologise.
June 4, 2019
I was so relieved to finish this book. It was heavy and filled with too much detail such that instead of complex, it became merely complicated. I found it hard to follow and, in the end, totally lost interest in the investigation.
Halfway through the book, I was sorely tempted to abandon it...but it was a Karen Rose. I HAD to finish it, right? It took awhile coming but finally, two thirds into the book, the speed picks up and it felt much more like a romantic suspense than a book that ought to have been titled 'A Week At The Precinct'.
I had to get through two thirds of the book before Luke finally makes a move. No, not much of a physical one but rather, letting his attraction to Susannah show. What ensues over the next couple of pages was quietly erotic despite it being only verbal references to sex & Susannah. I chuckled through Luke's response...well, you just have to read it for yourself.
Susannah is a horribly tortured heroine - probably the worst I've read in an RS - but she's a Karen Rose heroine so, of course, she rises above her past ordeals and - whew - never does any TSTL stuff. Rose heroines are almost always 5-star heroines for me.
Luke is just wonderful. He's internally tortured, too. Not because of any personal tragedy but because of his job investigating kiddie porn. I love heroes with big, noisy, loving families and that's why I'm such a sucker for Italian heroes. This is the first time (since I outgrew the old Mills & Boon - now Harlequin - romances) that I've been treated to a Greek hero. Luke made me carry on reading and I so SO SO wish Ms Rose would tone down a bit on the police procedurals and bring the romance just a tad more to the foreground. But KFM has a good, strong romance once KR starts working on it and I got a strong HEA so I'm not complaining that much.
Kill For Me is definitely nowhere near the other KR books I read though hero-wise, Luke is far more attractive, engaging and 'sinfully sexy' (his words, not mine) than Steven Thatcher of Have You Seen Her. Thatcher makes a brief appearance in KFM, btw. The subject matter - teenage prostitution - added to my general heavy mood as I read the book and I've also never read a RS with that many people ending up murdered.
Because the investigative process overwhelmed the story so much, I'm a little leery of KR's latest, I Can See You, though I definitely will buy it when it's out in mass paperback - then cross my fingers that it won't be so bogged down with the police work since the hero is another homicide detective. (I wonder if my favorite KR hero, Aidan, will make an appearance :P)
Halfway through the book, I was sorely tempted to abandon it...but it was a Karen Rose. I HAD to finish it, right? It took awhile coming but finally, two thirds into the book, the speed picks up and it felt much more like a romantic suspense than a book that ought to have been titled 'A Week At The Precinct'.
I had to get through two thirds of the book before Luke finally makes a move. No, not much of a physical one but rather, letting his attraction to Susannah show. What ensues over the next couple of pages was quietly erotic despite it being only verbal references to sex & Susannah. I chuckled through Luke's response...well, you just have to read it for yourself.
Susannah is a horribly tortured heroine - probably the worst I've read in an RS - but she's a Karen Rose heroine so, of course, she rises above her past ordeals and - whew - never does any TSTL stuff. Rose heroines are almost always 5-star heroines for me.
Luke is just wonderful. He's internally tortured, too. Not because of any personal tragedy but because of his job investigating kiddie porn. I love heroes with big, noisy, loving families and that's why I'm such a sucker for Italian heroes. This is the first time (since I outgrew the old Mills & Boon - now Harlequin - romances) that I've been treated to a Greek hero. Luke made me carry on reading and I so SO SO wish Ms Rose would tone down a bit on the police procedurals and bring the romance just a tad more to the foreground. But KFM has a good, strong romance once KR starts working on it and I got a strong HEA so I'm not complaining that much.
Kill For Me is definitely nowhere near the other KR books I read though hero-wise, Luke is far more attractive, engaging and 'sinfully sexy' (his words, not mine) than Steven Thatcher of Have You Seen Her. Thatcher makes a brief appearance in KFM, btw. The subject matter - teenage prostitution - added to my general heavy mood as I read the book and I've also never read a RS with that many people ending up murdered.
Because the investigative process overwhelmed the story so much, I'm a little leery of KR's latest, I Can See You, though I definitely will buy it when it's out in mass paperback - then cross my fingers that it won't be so bogged down with the police work since the hero is another homicide detective. (I wonder if my favorite KR hero, Aidan, will make an appearance :P)
January 1, 2009
Author Karen Rose is a New York Times best-selling author and award-winner. Other titles include: Nothing to Fear, Count to Ten, You Can’t Hide, Die For Me, Scream For Me, Don’t Tell, I’m Watching you, Have You Seen Her, and I Can See You- coming out in August 2009. When she’s not writing, she’s practicing for her next karate belt test. Karen resides in Florida with her husband, (an avid fisherman), and her two daughters, (who also like to write).
When five girls are discovered in an underground bunker dead, Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos can’t help but think- Too late. I was too late, again! Only one girl has survived this horrendous crime, and with five more girls out there who have been kidnapped, drugged, beaten, and raped- Luke is running out of time to save them. Susannah Vartanian knows all too well what these girls have gone through. A repeated rape victim herself, and now a DA, Susannah finds comfort in Luke’s arms for the first time in years, maybe ever. But trying to bring down this vile ring of people who are selling these girls on the black market only throws more questions, lies, and horror at them. The chain of deception and cruelty runs deep. They are willing to take any extreme measures necessary to keep their anonymity and their business intact…And maintain silence amongst those responsible.
I’m going to have nightmares for weeks after reading this book. It throws you into a world you never knew existed, or rather, you prayed didn’t exist. Taken from several different points-of-view, it immediately sucks you into the minds of the determined detectives, the terrified victims, and the despicable murderers. Hailed by James Patterson and Lorenzo Carcaterra, it is not that difficult to see why Karen Rose is an award-winner or a best-seller. She has an extensive understanding for both the dark and light side of human nature and a true gift for displaying that in her books. The plot was fast-paced, with more twists than a windsock in a tornado. You don’t see half of them coming. The characters were realistic in every sense of the word. You really grasp the concept of victim. Be prepared…Very prepared. You won’t put it down out of your trembling hands until it’s over.
If you want a fast-paced, chilling, intense, and unforgettable book- Pick up Kill For Me, by Karen Rose.
Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer
When five girls are discovered in an underground bunker dead, Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos can’t help but think- Too late. I was too late, again! Only one girl has survived this horrendous crime, and with five more girls out there who have been kidnapped, drugged, beaten, and raped- Luke is running out of time to save them. Susannah Vartanian knows all too well what these girls have gone through. A repeated rape victim herself, and now a DA, Susannah finds comfort in Luke’s arms for the first time in years, maybe ever. But trying to bring down this vile ring of people who are selling these girls on the black market only throws more questions, lies, and horror at them. The chain of deception and cruelty runs deep. They are willing to take any extreme measures necessary to keep their anonymity and their business intact…And maintain silence amongst those responsible.
I’m going to have nightmares for weeks after reading this book. It throws you into a world you never knew existed, or rather, you prayed didn’t exist. Taken from several different points-of-view, it immediately sucks you into the minds of the determined detectives, the terrified victims, and the despicable murderers. Hailed by James Patterson and Lorenzo Carcaterra, it is not that difficult to see why Karen Rose is an award-winner or a best-seller. She has an extensive understanding for both the dark and light side of human nature and a true gift for displaying that in her books. The plot was fast-paced, with more twists than a windsock in a tornado. You don’t see half of them coming. The characters were realistic in every sense of the word. You really grasp the concept of victim. Be prepared…Very prepared. You won’t put it down out of your trembling hands until it’s over.
If you want a fast-paced, chilling, intense, and unforgettable book- Pick up Kill For Me, by Karen Rose.
Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer
January 26, 2018
Well that was some roller coaster ride & boy what a thrill ride it was too.
This book was quite the page turner, loved it from start to finish. Great story plot & amazing characters. Edge of seat with anticipation of what will happen next.
What more could u want. It truly was a fantastic read.
This book was quite the page turner, loved it from start to finish. Great story plot & amazing characters. Edge of seat with anticipation of what will happen next.
What more could u want. It truly was a fantastic read.
September 18, 2025
Captivating!
I read this book from beginning to end in one day. I couldn't put it down it was that good. Just when I thought I had figured out who the villain was there would be a plot twist or another villain or someone controlling the first villain. This one definitely kept me guessing.
Loved it! Can't wait to dip into some more of this author's works.
I read this book from beginning to end in one day. I couldn't put it down it was that good. Just when I thought I had figured out who the villain was there would be a plot twist or another villain or someone controlling the first villain. This one definitely kept me guessing.
Loved it! Can't wait to dip into some more of this author's works.
January 20, 2017
Read quite a few years ago now but remember enjoying it.
August 29, 2021
Setting: Georgia, USA. This is the third, and it would appear the last, novel in the crime series featuring GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) agent Daniel Vartanian - which is a bit weird as he only plays a minor role in this one, spending most of his time in a hospital bed!
The main characters in this one are Susannah Vartanian (Daniel's sister and a New York assistant district attorney) and Luke Papadopoulos, Daniel's partner. In a quite involved, but intriguing, storyline, Luke and Susannah are searching for several young girls who have fallen foul of a nasty sex-trafficking operation - due to the involvement of corrupt police officers in the sex ring, a raid on a bunker where the girls were being kept resulted in several girls being killed and the rest spirited away before Daniel's team arrived. One girl escaped with a couple of other imprisoned people and is trying to help Luke and Susannah with their investigation - but the ring has a lot of influence and people with something to hide willing to do their bidding and stop the witnesses from talking...
This is a complex tale and goes right back to the corruption of Daniel and Susannah's father Arthur, a judge who was willing to buy and sell favours and get involved in all sorts of nefarious dealings. A really gripping read which I simply didn't want to put down and read in under two days despite its 581-page length! As expected, never a disappointment with this author's work - 9/10.
The main characters in this one are Susannah Vartanian (Daniel's sister and a New York assistant district attorney) and Luke Papadopoulos, Daniel's partner. In a quite involved, but intriguing, storyline, Luke and Susannah are searching for several young girls who have fallen foul of a nasty sex-trafficking operation - due to the involvement of corrupt police officers in the sex ring, a raid on a bunker where the girls were being kept resulted in several girls being killed and the rest spirited away before Daniel's team arrived. One girl escaped with a couple of other imprisoned people and is trying to help Luke and Susannah with their investigation - but the ring has a lot of influence and people with something to hide willing to do their bidding and stop the witnesses from talking...
This is a complex tale and goes right back to the corruption of Daniel and Susannah's father Arthur, a judge who was willing to buy and sell favours and get involved in all sorts of nefarious dealings. A really gripping read which I simply didn't want to put down and read in under two days despite its 581-page length! As expected, never a disappointment with this author's work - 9/10.
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