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Dead by Trilogy #1
Dead by Midnight
A former starlet’s new life in her Southern hometown is threatened by a serial killer in this romantic thriller by the New York Times bestselling author. The last sounds Dean Wilson hears are a clock striking twelve and a killer’s taunting words. And his death is just the first. One by one, victims are stalked and shot at close range. Only the killer knows their sins, and who will be the next to die at midnight . . . In the ten years since her Hollywood career imploded, Lorie Hammonds has built a good life in her Alabama hometown. When the first death threat arrives, she assumes it’s a joke. Then she gets a second note. Sheriff Mike Birkett, her high-school sweetheart, has avoided Lorie since she returned to Dunmore, but when investigators uncover her connection to a string of recent murders, he’s drawn into a case that’s terrifyingly personal. With every murder, the killer edges closer. Soon Lorie’s will be the last name left on his list. Her only hope is to unearth a deadly secret—before the clock runs out for good . . .
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2010
184 people are currently reading
1721 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Barton
300 books709 followersBeverly Marie Inman was born on 23 December 1946 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA. Daughter of Doris Marie and Walter D. Inman Jr. A born romantic, she fell in love with The Beauty and the Beast epic at an early age, when her grandfather bought her an illustrated copy of the famous fairy tale. Even before she learned to read and write, her vivid imagination created magical words and fabulous characters inside her mind. Movies fascinated her, and by the time she was seven she was rewriting the movies she saw on television and at the local theater to give them all happy endings. By the age of nine she'd penned her first novel. She wrote short stories, TV scripts, poetry, and novels throughout high school and into college.
After her marriage to Billy Ray Beaver, the "love of her life", and the births of her two children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers. At every age of their lives, from infancy to adulthood, the children had been a true joy to her. She devoted herself to her husband and children and considered herself one of the many selfless "supermoms" who put their family's needs first. She believed she had had it all, just not all at the same time.
In her mid-30s, Beverly returned to her former passion — writing — as a hobby, but before 40, she decided that she wanted to make writing a full-time career. And when she rediscovered an old dream — of becoming a published writer — no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. Her children were her greatest cheerleaders and her husband was her biggest supporter. After writing over 40 books and receiving numerous awards and nominations, as well as having books on the USA Today list and consistently on the Waldenbooks bestseller list, her career was indeed a dream come true. Having a fantastic family and fabulous friends, as well as making a living doing the one thing she had loved doing since childhood, she considered herself truly blessed. Beverly died suddenly of heart failure on 21 April 2011.
After her marriage to Billy Ray Beaver, the "love of her life", and the births of her two children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers. At every age of their lives, from infancy to adulthood, the children had been a true joy to her. She devoted herself to her husband and children and considered herself one of the many selfless "supermoms" who put their family's needs first. She believed she had had it all, just not all at the same time.
In her mid-30s, Beverly returned to her former passion — writing — as a hobby, but before 40, she decided that she wanted to make writing a full-time career. And when she rediscovered an old dream — of becoming a published writer — no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. Her children were her greatest cheerleaders and her husband was her biggest supporter. After writing over 40 books and receiving numerous awards and nominations, as well as having books on the USA Today list and consistently on the Waldenbooks bestseller list, her career was indeed a dream come true. Having a fantastic family and fabulous friends, as well as making a living doing the one thing she had loved doing since childhood, she considered herself truly blessed. Beverly died suddenly of heart failure on 21 April 2011.
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November 24, 2015
Dead by Midnight by Beverly Barton is the 1st novel in her Dead By Trilogy and is part and #11 in the Griffin Powell’s Series.
It takes off from the previous book, Silent Killer and focuses on Lorie Hammonds, Cathy Cantrell’s best friend and Mike Birkett, the sheriff of the small town of Dunmore.
Jeez……..for a small town there’s a lot going on there!!! Gossip-mongers, murders, people with secrets….and a lot more!!!
Lorie Hammonds and Mike Birkett had been in love and engaged when she left for Hollywood seeking fame and fortune. Things didn’t work out quite what she expected and she returned home 9 years later to discover that Mike had married and had two children. She has never stopped loving him and has been trying to connect with him again…..he’s now a widower….but he’s not interested. In fact, he wants NOTHING to do with her. She regrets her past in Hollywood but she’s determined to make a new fresh life in her hometown.
Mike Birkett’s heart was broken by Lorie and he has never forgiven her for leaving him and for what she did in Hollywood. Posing for Playboy and acting in one porno movie. She’s not the person he knew….everyone in the small town has seen the pictures and the movie and she’s seen as nothing more than a slut!!!
When she receives a second threatening letter directed at her, she asks the local police force to help her discover the identity of the sender. And when the connection is made to the one porno movie she made, she realizes that’s she’s on someone’s list to kill everyone involved in that movie.
Such a good and unique plot. Chilling and scary as we see it from the killer’s POV, the way he plots each kill. Terrifying. And I could understand Lorie’s fear…..when would it be her turn!
I liked Lorie and how she changed her life around, learning from her mistakes and just trying to make a clean fresh start. How she dealt with the town’s bigots and the townspeople’s judgments.
The other characters I found endearing were Mike’s son, MJ, daughter, Hannah and his mother Nell. Their love for Lorie was never based on what she had done but the kind of person she was…kind, caring, loving and honest.
Mike did not feel the same as his family…he spent most of the time being downright cruel and horrible to Lorie and I thought he was damn not good enough for someone as good as Lorie….but he did redeem himself in the end.
Once again, may sub-plots in the story. Maleah Perdue, Jack Perdue’s sister and Griffin Powell’s employee, and Derek, profiler and also working for Griffin, still snarling at each other. Hell, when are these two going to get it together???
The ending was a bit of a disappointment for me….okay, the serial killer is caught….and surprise….someone I suspected….there were so many red herrings that I had a few suspects in my head….but not that one, exactly. What I didn’t enjoy was the chapters after the killer was revealed. We get another killer/s that have no connection to this storyline…..well, the connection is really to Griffin Powell…but it left me feeling a bit up in the air!!!
A nice suspense filled with romance, mystery and some interesting characters.
It takes off from the previous book, Silent Killer and focuses on Lorie Hammonds, Cathy Cantrell’s best friend and Mike Birkett, the sheriff of the small town of Dunmore.
Jeez……..for a small town there’s a lot going on there!!! Gossip-mongers, murders, people with secrets….and a lot more!!!
Lorie Hammonds and Mike Birkett had been in love and engaged when she left for Hollywood seeking fame and fortune. Things didn’t work out quite what she expected and she returned home 9 years later to discover that Mike had married and had two children. She has never stopped loving him and has been trying to connect with him again…..he’s now a widower….but he’s not interested. In fact, he wants NOTHING to do with her. She regrets her past in Hollywood but she’s determined to make a new fresh life in her hometown.
Mike Birkett’s heart was broken by Lorie and he has never forgiven her for leaving him and for what she did in Hollywood. Posing for Playboy and acting in one porno movie. She’s not the person he knew….everyone in the small town has seen the pictures and the movie and she’s seen as nothing more than a slut!!!
When she receives a second threatening letter directed at her, she asks the local police force to help her discover the identity of the sender. And when the connection is made to the one porno movie she made, she realizes that’s she’s on someone’s list to kill everyone involved in that movie.
Such a good and unique plot. Chilling and scary as we see it from the killer’s POV, the way he plots each kill. Terrifying. And I could understand Lorie’s fear…..when would it be her turn!
I liked Lorie and how she changed her life around, learning from her mistakes and just trying to make a clean fresh start. How she dealt with the town’s bigots and the townspeople’s judgments.
The other characters I found endearing were Mike’s son, MJ, daughter, Hannah and his mother Nell. Their love for Lorie was never based on what she had done but the kind of person she was…kind, caring, loving and honest.
Mike did not feel the same as his family…he spent most of the time being downright cruel and horrible to Lorie and I thought he was damn not good enough for someone as good as Lorie….but he did redeem himself in the end.
Once again, may sub-plots in the story. Maleah Perdue, Jack Perdue’s sister and Griffin Powell’s employee, and Derek, profiler and also working for Griffin, still snarling at each other. Hell, when are these two going to get it together???
The ending was a bit of a disappointment for me….okay, the serial killer is caught….and surprise….someone I suspected….there were so many red herrings that I had a few suspects in my head….but not that one, exactly. What I didn’t enjoy was the chapters after the killer was revealed. We get another killer/s that have no connection to this storyline…..well, the connection is really to Griffin Powell…but it left me feeling a bit up in the air!!!
A nice suspense filled with romance, mystery and some interesting characters.
January 22, 2013
I can't tell you the last book I didn't finish, regardless of how bad the writing was and how tedious the plot-line...until now. The story is far-fetched, the characters are poorly developed and I found the writing to be juvenile at best.
I simply could not waste another moment of my life trying to get through this.
You've been warned!
I simply could not waste another moment of my life trying to get through this.
You've been warned!
January 14, 2018
First of all this can't be read as a standalone as these characters were introduced in the previous book.
This is an entertaining read with a unique mystery. The stars of an adult film are being murdered one by one and Lorie is one of actors in the killer's sights, with Mike as her reluctant protector being the sherif and all. Mike and his holier than thou act got tiresome as the book went on. I mean if his mom can forgive her for her past mistakes why can't he? Even though the book isn't that old it does seem dated at times with some of the dialog. I found myself giggling at parts that I knew weren't meant to be funny. I did enjoy it though and we get a lot of Nic and Griff which is why I am moving along in this series. Their story concludes in book #13. In the meantime there is a secondary storyline in this book where employees of Griff and Nic are also being murdered, that storyline continues in #12. Confusing? Not if read in order. 3.75 stars only because of the dated corny dialog.
This is an entertaining read with a unique mystery. The stars of an adult film are being murdered one by one and Lorie is one of actors in the killer's sights, with Mike as her reluctant protector being the sherif and all. Mike and his holier than thou act got tiresome as the book went on. I mean if his mom can forgive her for her past mistakes why can't he? Even though the book isn't that old it does seem dated at times with some of the dialog. I found myself giggling at parts that I knew weren't meant to be funny. I did enjoy it though and we get a lot of Nic and Griff which is why I am moving along in this series. Their story concludes in book #13. In the meantime there is a secondary storyline in this book where employees of Griff and Nic are also being murdered, that storyline continues in #12. Confusing? Not if read in order. 3.75 stars only because of the dated corny dialog.
November 12, 2018
Lorie Hammonds returned to her hometown nine years ago, hoping to live down her past. Many people in the small town will not let her forget her centerfold layout or the porn movie she made. After receiving some threatening notes in the mail, she contacts the Powell Agency, asking them to look into the threats. Right away they assign her a bodyguard. They also insist on contacting Sheriff Mike Birkett to let him know what is happening. Mike and Lorie dated throughout high school. When she left him to pursue a Hollywood career, he was devastated. Since returning to her hometown, Mike has refused to have anything to do with her. Now the actors in her one and only movie are being targeted by a madman and Mike is determined to save her.
When I started this book, I thought it was the first book in a trilogy. Well, I soon discovered that the trilogy is part of a much larger series. I believe this is book eleven in the Griffin Powell series.
This book had so many characters, I practically needed a score card to keep track of everyone. Besides Lori and Mike and their families, there were the targeted actors and their families, local police, FBI, and various agents from the Powell Agency. There were also people who lived in the small town, and a handful of suspects who we followed throughout the story. The story was fast moving. The body count was high. I guessed the murderer early in the book, but still found the story interesting. I believe I'll give the next book in the series a try. My rating: 3 Stars.
When I started this book, I thought it was the first book in a trilogy. Well, I soon discovered that the trilogy is part of a much larger series. I believe this is book eleven in the Griffin Powell series.
This book had so many characters, I practically needed a score card to keep track of everyone. Besides Lori and Mike and their families, there were the targeted actors and their families, local police, FBI, and various agents from the Powell Agency. There were also people who lived in the small town, and a handful of suspects who we followed throughout the story. The story was fast moving. The body count was high. I guessed the murderer early in the book, but still found the story interesting. I believe I'll give the next book in the series a try. My rating: 3 Stars.
March 24, 2019
I thought this book was a first in a series but while reading there are a ton of characters with back stories unrelated to the current plot. That's when I found out it really is a continuation of another series. All these characters and back stories just seemed like filler that didn't advance the current plot.
And speaking of plots, there are actually two separate plots. The first is the main plot of a serial killer murdering the actors of a porn film. The second is an assassin murdering and mutilating employees and family members of the Security/investigation company. The second plot isn't resolved until maybe the next book giving the book a cliffhanger feel to it.
Because of all the characters and two unrelated plots there are lots of relationships that take page time but just seem to muddy the book and keep it from being a tight read. It just seems to slowly move from character to character and a lot of it just wasn't interesting.
As for the romance between the two main characters I wasn't feeling it. Due to her past mistakes, the leading man treated the h like she was beneath him and not worthy of him through almost the entire book. In other words, he was a d-bag. This is not romantic.
And speaking of plots, there are actually two separate plots. The first is the main plot of a serial killer murdering the actors of a porn film. The second is an assassin murdering and mutilating employees and family members of the Security/investigation company. The second plot isn't resolved until maybe the next book giving the book a cliffhanger feel to it.
Because of all the characters and two unrelated plots there are lots of relationships that take page time but just seem to muddy the book and keep it from being a tight read. It just seems to slowly move from character to character and a lot of it just wasn't interesting.
As for the romance between the two main characters I wasn't feeling it. Due to her past mistakes, the leading man treated the h like she was beneath him and not worthy of him through almost the entire book. In other words, he was a d-bag. This is not romantic.
April 30, 2010
I am having a hard time putting my thoughts in order to comment about this book. The plot was excellent, but the details of it were so spread out over its large cast that I felt it was very fragmented. It centered around a serial murderer who is killing the cast and crew of an old porn movie that has just been re-released. I don't think Ms. Barton was all that comfortable with her subject and it showed in the language she used. There was just so much going on with all the many characters in the book (I swear she tried to get all the Grif Powell Agency people mentioned in this book at some point!)that it felt fragmented; the author had to stop so often to change perspectives that I had a hard time staying interested. And the fact that GPA was really only periphirally (?)involved seemed strange - our heroine was just a friend of a friend of the Agency and her hero was her county sherrif who previously met some GPA people at a wedding.
Ms. Barton creates intriguing stories and twisting plots, but I just don't care for her suspense stories as much as other authors in her genre. I keep trying. I mean, her books are good. Just not as great as say, Karen Rose. I don't know yet if I'll be putting this author on my "drop" list or not. There are only two more books in her series, she says, and I can get through them in order to find out who's been killing and mutilating the GPA personnel (a plot line added in this book).
Ms. Barton creates intriguing stories and twisting plots, but I just don't care for her suspense stories as much as other authors in her genre. I keep trying. I mean, her books are good. Just not as great as say, Karen Rose. I don't know yet if I'll be putting this author on my "drop" list or not. There are only two more books in her series, she says, and I can get through them in order to find out who's been killing and mutilating the GPA personnel (a plot line added in this book).
August 24, 2021
1.5 ⭐
This had a lot of characters in it that are apparently in previous books in this series...despite this being book one of a mini series .
Think I would have enjoyed this more if the story hadn't revolved around the porn industry. Not that this offends me, it doesn't. Each to their own. It was just that some of the dialogue was corny and made me cringe 😯. The actual police investigation in itself was okay.
This had a lot of characters in it that are apparently in previous books in this series...despite this being book one of a mini series .
Think I would have enjoyed this more if the story hadn't revolved around the porn industry. Not that this offends me, it doesn't. Each to their own. It was just that some of the dialogue was corny and made me cringe 😯. The actual police investigation in itself was okay.
February 4, 2010
I'm a little bit torn on this book. I thought it was a really good suspense story. Really kept me reading. But on the romance/romantic suspense front, it wasn't quite what I wanted. There were some things that bugged me and kept it from being a 5-star book.
Series Note:
Hard to say whether this could be read as a standalone. There's a lot of backstory, a lot of continuing characters, a lot of running storylines and all that. It depends on what type of reader you are if you'd be able to read this as a standalone.
Summary:
As high school sweethearts, Mike Birkett and Lorie Hammonds planned to get married and live happily ever after. But Lorie wanted more than staying in small Dunmore, Alabama her whole life. When Mike wouldn't leave with her, she went to Hollywood by herself and broke Mike's heart. Lorie tries to make it as an actress but ends up a Playboy centerfold, and later a porn actress. She returns to Dunmore ashamed and disgraced, and thoroughly shunned by the man she'd loved and lost.
Mike's never been able to forgive Lorie for what she did or get over her being in one porn film. Then Lorie starts receiving death threats, which are connected to several murders. It turns out that Lorie's past is coming back to bite her, big time. And Mike can't just stand around watching. He'll do anything to protect Lorie, and maybe finally find a way to forgive her.
Review:
Great suspense plot in this book. It was interesting, different, and really kept me reading to find out what would happen next. Barton did an excellent job keeping me guessing on the bad guys identity. I kept going back and forth between several characters over who it might be and it wasn't until a little before the big reveal that I leaned strongly in one direction. I loved that Barton kept me thinking and wondering and trying to figure it out. It made the suspense part so much more powerful. Plus, the storyline itself was just rather interesting.
That was the best pat of the book, for me (the suspense plot). I did like the characters. You have to admire a girl like Lorie who monumentally screwed up her life but has managed to keep her head held high and make something out of herself. I liked that about her. And I liked that she was smart about the whole killer after her thing. I don't think she even once ventured into TSTL-land. Kudos for that.
And Mike was a good guy, too. If a little dense. On one hand I could see where he was coming from about Lorie. She broke his heart and then did something that was understandably hard for him to get over. He was rather mean to her, though.
The romance between them was so-so. Mostly just because it takes so freakin' long to get anywhere between them in the book. They spent about 3/4ths of the book dancing around each other and then finally hook up. They had great chemistry but I just thought the progression between them was too slow. And the resolution of their relationship was too abrupt (especially that part at the end). I felt like the two needed to sit down and have a serious talk, especially regarding the choices Lorie had made and why. But then never really seriously talked to each other. So the romance overall was just okay.
Two things that bugged me about the book...First, there are a boatload of characters in this book. And a ton who get POV scenes. Lorie, Mike, Maleah, Derek, Griff, Nik, Barbara Jean, the killer, another guy, 3 or 4 victims, a nurse, a couple suspects...it was a revolving door of POV scenes. The book is constantly jumping around from this character to that character to another character. It gave the book a bit of lack of focus. Whereas I wanted to read about Lorie and Mike and that specific suspense plot, you get a lot of other stuff getting in the way. To a certain point the variety is good, enhances the story, but this book had a little too much and it was a little distracting.
And I also hated how much focus was given to the victims before they died. There were all these scenes focusing on the characters, some on how good they were doing, how they'd put there lives back together and were finally , happy. Other scenes about how they were just getting back on there feet and all that. Just scenes that really attach you to these characters....then BANG BANG. Bye bye. Dead characters. And it bugs me. Why get readers (especially in a genre like romantic suspense) attached to a character then snuff them out? And it happens repeatedly in this book. Drove me nuts. Romance/romantic suspense readers don't really want to read about characters they are familiar with getting snuffed.
So those two things bugged me. I'm also mildly annoyed over the storylines left open...someone is killing people connected to the Powell Agency (3 deaths in this book), Maleah and Derek, Griff's secrets. Having those left open left a little dissatisfaction after finishing the book. Especially considering it will 1 year till Maleah and Derek's story, and 2 years until we will supposedly learn the rest of Griff's secrets.
I did like this book, though. It could have been a 5-star read if the romance had been more prominent and there hadn't been so much character jumping. I did enjoy the suspense plot a lot, though. Really kept me reading. I think most Barton fans will like this book and suspense readers may enjoy it. But some of you who are more hardcore romance might not enjoy it that much.
Series Note:
Hard to say whether this could be read as a standalone. There's a lot of backstory, a lot of continuing characters, a lot of running storylines and all that. It depends on what type of reader you are if you'd be able to read this as a standalone.
Summary:
As high school sweethearts, Mike Birkett and Lorie Hammonds planned to get married and live happily ever after. But Lorie wanted more than staying in small Dunmore, Alabama her whole life. When Mike wouldn't leave with her, she went to Hollywood by herself and broke Mike's heart. Lorie tries to make it as an actress but ends up a Playboy centerfold, and later a porn actress. She returns to Dunmore ashamed and disgraced, and thoroughly shunned by the man she'd loved and lost.
Mike's never been able to forgive Lorie for what she did or get over her being in one porn film. Then Lorie starts receiving death threats, which are connected to several murders. It turns out that Lorie's past is coming back to bite her, big time. And Mike can't just stand around watching. He'll do anything to protect Lorie, and maybe finally find a way to forgive her.
Review:
Great suspense plot in this book. It was interesting, different, and really kept me reading to find out what would happen next. Barton did an excellent job keeping me guessing on the bad guys identity. I kept going back and forth between several characters over who it might be and it wasn't until a little before the big reveal that I leaned strongly in one direction. I loved that Barton kept me thinking and wondering and trying to figure it out. It made the suspense part so much more powerful. Plus, the storyline itself was just rather interesting.
That was the best pat of the book, for me (the suspense plot). I did like the characters. You have to admire a girl like Lorie who monumentally screwed up her life but has managed to keep her head held high and make something out of herself. I liked that about her. And I liked that she was smart about the whole killer after her thing. I don't think she even once ventured into TSTL-land. Kudos for that.
And Mike was a good guy, too. If a little dense. On one hand I could see where he was coming from about Lorie. She broke his heart and then did something that was understandably hard for him to get over. He was rather mean to her, though.
The romance between them was so-so. Mostly just because it takes so freakin' long to get anywhere between them in the book. They spent about 3/4ths of the book dancing around each other and then finally hook up. They had great chemistry but I just thought the progression between them was too slow. And the resolution of their relationship was too abrupt (especially that part at the end). I felt like the two needed to sit down and have a serious talk, especially regarding the choices Lorie had made and why. But then never really seriously talked to each other. So the romance overall was just okay.
Two things that bugged me about the book...First, there are a boatload of characters in this book. And a ton who get POV scenes. Lorie, Mike, Maleah, Derek, Griff, Nik, Barbara Jean, the killer, another guy, 3 or 4 victims, a nurse, a couple suspects...it was a revolving door of POV scenes. The book is constantly jumping around from this character to that character to another character. It gave the book a bit of lack of focus. Whereas I wanted to read about Lorie and Mike and that specific suspense plot, you get a lot of other stuff getting in the way. To a certain point the variety is good, enhances the story, but this book had a little too much and it was a little distracting.
And I also hated how much focus was given to the victims before they died. There were all these scenes focusing on the characters, some on how good they were doing, how they'd put there lives back together and were finally , happy. Other scenes about how they were just getting back on there feet and all that. Just scenes that really attach you to these characters....then BANG BANG. Bye bye. Dead characters. And it bugs me. Why get readers (especially in a genre like romantic suspense) attached to a character then snuff them out? And it happens repeatedly in this book. Drove me nuts. Romance/romantic suspense readers don't really want to read about characters they are familiar with getting snuffed.
So those two things bugged me. I'm also mildly annoyed over the storylines left open...someone is killing people connected to the Powell Agency (3 deaths in this book), Maleah and Derek, Griff's secrets. Having those left open left a little dissatisfaction after finishing the book. Especially considering it will 1 year till Maleah and Derek's story, and 2 years until we will supposedly learn the rest of Griff's secrets.
I did like this book, though. It could have been a 5-star read if the romance had been more prominent and there hadn't been so much character jumping. I did enjoy the suspense plot a lot, though. Really kept me reading. I think most Barton fans will like this book and suspense readers may enjoy it. But some of you who are more hardcore romance might not enjoy it that much.
November 26, 2015
I found this book quite difficult to read… The story line was interesting but I really disliked the main characters… This story has a strong recurring religious theme, there are many religion oriented (Christianity) rants from the serial murderer character. Many of Mike’s thoughts are oriented around sin and judgement. There are constant calls on “God” by Lori, nearly every one of her exclamations contains the word “God”…
The main characters really rubbed me the wrong way… Lori is supposed to be this untameable sensual woman and Mike is purportedly an upstanding and admired county sheriff…Mike is a C**T, I rarely use that word because I consider it my most offensive and insulting. This man/boy is such a selfish prick that at the tender age of sixteen he declares his undying love for Lori. Then when they finish college Mike refuses to support Lori in her life-changing decision because he is too scared of the potential possible pain that he may have to endure, if they decide that they no longer enjoy each other’s company, and have to part ways down the track… Mike refuses to have contact with Lori while she is off chasing her dream, Lori is completely alone in an unfamiliar city and makes some irreversible mistakes that leave her pride crushed and her self-love in tatters.
Meanwhile back in his country home town Mike has moved on with a woman we are told he loved, he fathers two young children. Conveniently the beginning of the story starts after Mike’s wife has died… Mike is so pious and jealous that when Lori returns to her home town (I’ll address this decision later) he treats her terribly – shuns her, judges her, disapproves of her, refuses to have any meaningful positive relationship with her. He believes that her mistakes are so unforgivable that he cannot even treat her with respect. It takes a threat on Lori’s life from a serial murder for Mike to even agree to a conversation with her…
Lori for some reason decides to move back to her hometown, this is not really explained except by the recurring religious theme - I came to think it was because she believed the judgement and torment she received was justifiable punishment for her alleged Sin? Lori has one close friend in the town – her parents have disowned her and most of the other townsfolk are too narrow minded to get past their pious judgement. Lori endures this treatment for 9 years… yep NINE years… WTF?... and during this time we are left assuming Lori has been… wait for it… CELIBATE... for NINE years… This supposedly sensual woman… WTF?
There was never any big effort made by Mike to really show his love and appreciation of Lori, we mostly hear about his lust and jealousy… Unless you count how he barges into Lori’s home and refuses to leave based on his domineering and arrogant belief that “he has to be the one who protects her”… more like invade her privacy and make a general controlling annoyance of himself.
Lori never demands that Mike apologise for the horrible and childish way he treated her for nine years. When Mike makes a feeble attempt at an apology and admits he’s been an arsehole, Lori manages to masochistically turn his apology into one of her own. Is the reader expected feel his behaviour was what… forgivable, vindicated? I just felt let-down and angry…
The only reason that I could see for Mike managing to convince Lori of his love was her infatuation and life-long belief that Mike is the “love of her life”, her “one and only”. I was only ever convinced of Lori’s love for Mike, as far as Mike’s actions and thoughts demonstrated I could only tell that he lusted after and coveted Lori.
Overall I was left feeling disappointed about this book, there were so many close-minded, judgemental characters, so much negativity. The characters who didn’t follow Christian values were either demonised or considered lesser people. There were no fun-loving, positive characters, very little humour and much judgement around sexual exploration… PRUDES!
The main characters really rubbed me the wrong way… Lori is supposed to be this untameable sensual woman and Mike is purportedly an upstanding and admired county sheriff…Mike is a C**T, I rarely use that word because I consider it my most offensive and insulting. This man/boy is such a selfish prick that at the tender age of sixteen he declares his undying love for Lori. Then when they finish college Mike refuses to support Lori in her life-changing decision because he is too scared of the potential possible pain that he may have to endure, if they decide that they no longer enjoy each other’s company, and have to part ways down the track… Mike refuses to have contact with Lori while she is off chasing her dream, Lori is completely alone in an unfamiliar city and makes some irreversible mistakes that leave her pride crushed and her self-love in tatters.
Meanwhile back in his country home town Mike has moved on with a woman we are told he loved, he fathers two young children. Conveniently the beginning of the story starts after Mike’s wife has died… Mike is so pious and jealous that when Lori returns to her home town (I’ll address this decision later) he treats her terribly – shuns her, judges her, disapproves of her, refuses to have any meaningful positive relationship with her. He believes that her mistakes are so unforgivable that he cannot even treat her with respect. It takes a threat on Lori’s life from a serial murder for Mike to even agree to a conversation with her…
Lori for some reason decides to move back to her hometown, this is not really explained except by the recurring religious theme - I came to think it was because she believed the judgement and torment she received was justifiable punishment for her alleged Sin? Lori has one close friend in the town – her parents have disowned her and most of the other townsfolk are too narrow minded to get past their pious judgement. Lori endures this treatment for 9 years… yep NINE years… WTF?... and during this time we are left assuming Lori has been… wait for it… CELIBATE... for NINE years… This supposedly sensual woman… WTF?
There was never any big effort made by Mike to really show his love and appreciation of Lori, we mostly hear about his lust and jealousy… Unless you count how he barges into Lori’s home and refuses to leave based on his domineering and arrogant belief that “he has to be the one who protects her”… more like invade her privacy and make a general controlling annoyance of himself.
Lori never demands that Mike apologise for the horrible and childish way he treated her for nine years. When Mike makes a feeble attempt at an apology and admits he’s been an arsehole, Lori manages to masochistically turn his apology into one of her own. Is the reader expected feel his behaviour was what… forgivable, vindicated? I just felt let-down and angry…
The only reason that I could see for Mike managing to convince Lori of his love was her infatuation and life-long belief that Mike is the “love of her life”, her “one and only”. I was only ever convinced of Lori’s love for Mike, as far as Mike’s actions and thoughts demonstrated I could only tell that he lusted after and coveted Lori.
Overall I was left feeling disappointed about this book, there were so many close-minded, judgemental characters, so much negativity. The characters who didn’t follow Christian values were either demonised or considered lesser people. There were no fun-loving, positive characters, very little humour and much judgement around sexual exploration… PRUDES!
September 10, 2010
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT is a beautifully written story with a compelling mystery. It's too bad the hero of DEAD BY MIDNIGHT is a complete douche bag. If Mike wasn't a total prick, I would have loved the story more and bought into the romance between the hero and heroine. If Mike wasn't a complete prick I would've given DEAD BY MIDNIGHT an A instead of a D-.
Quick overview: Mike and Lorie were high school sweethearts. After high school, like many kids who live in a small town (and many who don't) the heroine wanted to break free, go to Hollywood, and become an actress. Naive perhaps but then so is pretty much every teenager who has those dreams of fame and fortune. She goes off to Hollywood and like nearly every other high school romance she and Mike drift apart.
Hollywood is not all it's cracked up to be, she ends up doing a Playboy spread and taking a bit part in a porno. Dissatisfied with the way her life is going Lorie returns to her small town and is treated worse than the heroine in the Scarlett Letter. Mike is now married and treats the heroine horribly.
Fast forward ten years. Mike still treats Lorie like dog dodo, but now he's widowed. Heroine starts getting death threats. So she naturally reports the letters to the police. Unfortunately for her the police chief is dick head Mike and he thinks she's lying to get close to him. Though nothing she's done in the last ten years has shown that she was trying to get back with him. Luckily, she has friends who work for a private security agency and gets them to look into the case.
Mike the dickhead, is still a dick head when people from the porno she had a bit part in start dying. Because apparently the heroine is a whore (in his mind) even though nothing she's done in all the years she's been back home suggests anything of the kind.
Sorry, I could go on and on and on about all the dickhead things Mike did in DEAD BY MIDNIGHT. I probably would've put the book down but it was so well written and the mystery was good. Although . . . despite the author's attempts to disguise it, I knew who the killer was from the moment they appeared on the page. But, I usually can, it's a talent I have. LOL.
I never warmed up to Mike, even when he sort of tried to make amends. It was too little to late for me and I felt annoyed with the heroine for feeling like she deserved to be treated like total crap. Despite the awesome writing, I can't recommend this book.
Quick overview: Mike and Lorie were high school sweethearts. After high school, like many kids who live in a small town (and many who don't) the heroine wanted to break free, go to Hollywood, and become an actress. Naive perhaps but then so is pretty much every teenager who has those dreams of fame and fortune. She goes off to Hollywood and like nearly every other high school romance she and Mike drift apart.
Hollywood is not all it's cracked up to be, she ends up doing a Playboy spread and taking a bit part in a porno. Dissatisfied with the way her life is going Lorie returns to her small town and is treated worse than the heroine in the Scarlett Letter. Mike is now married and treats the heroine horribly.
Fast forward ten years. Mike still treats Lorie like dog dodo, but now he's widowed. Heroine starts getting death threats. So she naturally reports the letters to the police. Unfortunately for her the police chief is dick head Mike and he thinks she's lying to get close to him. Though nothing she's done in the last ten years has shown that she was trying to get back with him. Luckily, she has friends who work for a private security agency and gets them to look into the case.
Mike the dickhead, is still a dick head when people from the porno she had a bit part in start dying. Because apparently the heroine is a whore (in his mind) even though nothing she's done in all the years she's been back home suggests anything of the kind.
Sorry, I could go on and on and on about all the dickhead things Mike did in DEAD BY MIDNIGHT. I probably would've put the book down but it was so well written and the mystery was good. Although . . . despite the author's attempts to disguise it, I knew who the killer was from the moment they appeared on the page. But, I usually can, it's a talent I have. LOL.
I never warmed up to Mike, even when he sort of tried to make amends. It was too little to late for me and I felt annoyed with the heroine for feeling like she deserved to be treated like total crap. Despite the awesome writing, I can't recommend this book.
November 2, 2021
Notes:
Yay for libraries!
Well, I enjoyed the setup for the story. The odd southern accents that went in & out were a bit annoying, but not awful. Later, I realized that I had no idea what most of the characters looked like in the story. While certain traits were established, I wouldn't be able to say much more than male, female or kid. Okay, I can also say PI, local police, victim, and potential bad guy.
I love romance novels. I read a ton of them. Do I enjoy most romance novels in audio format? Eh... The writing has to work with audio and have good narrators. This book turned out to be an overtly sweet romance with a side of serial killer. Maybe this story will be better if you read the print vs listening to the audio.
Yay for libraries!
Well, I enjoyed the setup for the story. The odd southern accents that went in & out were a bit annoying, but not awful. Later, I realized that I had no idea what most of the characters looked like in the story. While certain traits were established, I wouldn't be able to say much more than male, female or kid. Okay, I can also say PI, local police, victim, and potential bad guy.
I love romance novels. I read a ton of them. Do I enjoy most romance novels in audio format? Eh... The writing has to work with audio and have good narrators. This book turned out to be an overtly sweet romance with a side of serial killer. Maybe this story will be better if you read the print vs listening to the audio.
August 3, 2014
I chose this book because it was #1 in a trilogy and I've had trouble following storylines in other mid-series books. But after I started reading, it felt like the author was reaching back to other books, so I double checked and even though it was #1 in the "Dead By" trilogy, it was #11 in the Griffin Powell series. If I had know that, I wouldn't have even picked the book up.
I started reading and got so confused with all the different characters that I finally went back and started making a list. In just the first 4 chapters, 46 pages, I had a list of nearly 40 characters and didn't know which were important to the story and which weren't. As I read on, I was so busy trying to remember the relationships between all the people mentioned, that I never really got very involved in the story itself. And many of the characters had lost loved ones in the past. All those young people dead/murdered? It didn't seem real.
I read through to chapter 15 before I decided to quit. I hadn't developed any feeling for the characters, there were still new characters being introduced, I was tired of hearing about the "porno," even tired of reading about how much Lorie pined after Mike and about Mike denying that he had feelings for her.
Most, but not all, characters I listed:
Dean Wilson - first "Midnight Masquerade" porn actor killed; Lorie's former boyfriend in her Hollywood days
Jared Wilson - Dean's successful professor brother, friend of Griff
Lorie - received 2 death threat letters, back in home town after unsuccessful Hollywood career including bit part in porn movie "Midnight Masquerade"
Cathy Perdue - Lorie's best friend
Jack - Cathy's new husband
Seth Cantrell - Jack's son w/ another woman (I think)
Mike Birkett - Sheriff dumped by Lorie when she decided to go to Hollywood
Hannah - Mike's daughter, age 9
M.J. - Mike's son, age 11
Molly - Mike's deceased wife
Abby Sherman - Mike's current girlfriend that his kids don't like
Maleah Perdue - Jack's sister, Powell Agency investigator, had cruel abusive stepdad
Nicole Powell - Maleah's boss at the agency
Griff - Nicole's husband, owner? of agency
Brad Douglas - Nicole's former boyfriend
Noah Laborde - Nichole's former boyfriend now deceased
Derek Lawrence - born rich, FBI, profiler Powell Agency
Diana - Derek's sister, social climber, rich
Alexa Daugherty - stunning beauty, Derek's cousin
Ward Dandridge
Tagg Chambliss - famous football player
Hilary a/k/a Ebony O - Tagg's murdered wife, acted in "Midnight Masquerade"
Camden Hendrix - Lawyer
Happy - Derek & Diana's mother
Sanders - #2 at Powell agency, handles things when others are gone/busy
Barbara Jean - paraplegic, works at Powell agency, Sanders' lover, sister was killed
Yvette Meng - was held captive once with Sanders & Griff (another book?)
Robert Talbot - lawyer for Tagg Chambliss
Holt Keinan - investigator assigned to Tagg Chambliss
Travis Dillard - porn movie producer, dying of pancreatic cancer
Charles Wong a/k/a Charlie Hung - actor in "Midnight Masquerade," got death threat letters
Lily Wong - Charlie's wife, works at diner
Beauty Queen Killer - murdered the wife of Griff's best friend
Deputy Ladner - right-hand man to sheriff Mike Birkett
Malcolm York
Jared Wilson - professor friend of Griff
Ben Corbett - investigator
Michelle Allen - investigator
Hicks Wainright - another Powell agent, heading up task force
Shelley Gilbert - Powell Agency investigator, Lorie's bodyguard
Shontee - actress, worked in "Midnght Masquerade"
Tony - Shontee's fiance, rich nightclub owner
Kyle Richey - manages hotel in Mexico, was cameraman for "Midnight Masquerade"
Charlene Strickland - Kyle's ex-wife, also acted in "Midnght Masquerade"
Sonny Deguzman - had affair with Charlene, hated by Kyle Richey
Luisa - pregnant, hotel clerk, Kyle's current wife
Ryan Bonner - newspaper reporter (Huntsville Times)
Casey Lloyd - coauthored script for "Midnight Masquerade," now sleeps in shelters
Laura Lou Roberts - coauthor of script for "Midnight Masquerade"
Duane Hines
Grant Leroy - director of "Midnight Masquerade"
Terri Owens - Tyler's mother a/k/a Candy Ruff, actress in "Midnight Masquerade"
Tyler Owens - Terri's son
I started reading and got so confused with all the different characters that I finally went back and started making a list. In just the first 4 chapters, 46 pages, I had a list of nearly 40 characters and didn't know which were important to the story and which weren't. As I read on, I was so busy trying to remember the relationships between all the people mentioned, that I never really got very involved in the story itself. And many of the characters had lost loved ones in the past. All those young people dead/murdered? It didn't seem real.
I read through to chapter 15 before I decided to quit. I hadn't developed any feeling for the characters, there were still new characters being introduced, I was tired of hearing about the "porno," even tired of reading about how much Lorie pined after Mike and about Mike denying that he had feelings for her.
Most, but not all, characters I listed:
Dean Wilson - first "Midnight Masquerade" porn actor killed; Lorie's former boyfriend in her Hollywood days
Jared Wilson - Dean's successful professor brother, friend of Griff
Lorie - received 2 death threat letters, back in home town after unsuccessful Hollywood career including bit part in porn movie "Midnight Masquerade"
Cathy Perdue - Lorie's best friend
Jack - Cathy's new husband
Seth Cantrell - Jack's son w/ another woman (I think)
Mike Birkett - Sheriff dumped by Lorie when she decided to go to Hollywood
Hannah - Mike's daughter, age 9
M.J. - Mike's son, age 11
Molly - Mike's deceased wife
Abby Sherman - Mike's current girlfriend that his kids don't like
Maleah Perdue - Jack's sister, Powell Agency investigator, had cruel abusive stepdad
Nicole Powell - Maleah's boss at the agency
Griff - Nicole's husband, owner? of agency
Brad Douglas - Nicole's former boyfriend
Noah Laborde - Nichole's former boyfriend now deceased
Derek Lawrence - born rich, FBI, profiler Powell Agency
Diana - Derek's sister, social climber, rich
Alexa Daugherty - stunning beauty, Derek's cousin
Ward Dandridge
Tagg Chambliss - famous football player
Hilary a/k/a Ebony O - Tagg's murdered wife, acted in "Midnight Masquerade"
Camden Hendrix - Lawyer
Happy - Derek & Diana's mother
Sanders - #2 at Powell agency, handles things when others are gone/busy
Barbara Jean - paraplegic, works at Powell agency, Sanders' lover, sister was killed
Yvette Meng - was held captive once with Sanders & Griff (another book?)
Robert Talbot - lawyer for Tagg Chambliss
Holt Keinan - investigator assigned to Tagg Chambliss
Travis Dillard - porn movie producer, dying of pancreatic cancer
Charles Wong a/k/a Charlie Hung - actor in "Midnight Masquerade," got death threat letters
Lily Wong - Charlie's wife, works at diner
Beauty Queen Killer - murdered the wife of Griff's best friend
Deputy Ladner - right-hand man to sheriff Mike Birkett
Malcolm York
Jared Wilson - professor friend of Griff
Ben Corbett - investigator
Michelle Allen - investigator
Hicks Wainright - another Powell agent, heading up task force
Shelley Gilbert - Powell Agency investigator, Lorie's bodyguard
Shontee - actress, worked in "Midnght Masquerade"
Tony - Shontee's fiance, rich nightclub owner
Kyle Richey - manages hotel in Mexico, was cameraman for "Midnight Masquerade"
Charlene Strickland - Kyle's ex-wife, also acted in "Midnght Masquerade"
Sonny Deguzman - had affair with Charlene, hated by Kyle Richey
Luisa - pregnant, hotel clerk, Kyle's current wife
Ryan Bonner - newspaper reporter (Huntsville Times)
Casey Lloyd - coauthored script for "Midnight Masquerade," now sleeps in shelters
Laura Lou Roberts - coauthor of script for "Midnight Masquerade"
Duane Hines
Grant Leroy - director of "Midnight Masquerade"
Terri Owens - Tyler's mother a/k/a Candy Ruff, actress in "Midnight Masquerade"
Tyler Owens - Terri's son
October 29, 2012
This book is definitely not for men. I thought it was a good premise made terrible by the author's decision to spend so much time on these silly volatile romances among the characters. If a serial killer is plotting to kill me, and I decide to ignore that fact and become preoccupied with my old high school boyfriend who is married, someone please just shoot me. And the idea that the FBI and police would defer and work jointly with a private detective agency on a matter as serious as a serial killer is laughable. Another annoying part of the book was the detectives arriving late to very obvious conclusions. "Do you think these murders are connected?" asks one detective--right after a 4th shooting victim found naked and wearing only a mask and all victims with identical notes from killer. This book was absurd and stupid. Barton reminds me of Karin Slaughter, just with less talent and more annoying characters.
November 28, 2018
Wow, the hero in this book was G - A - R - B - A - G - E. Any guy who calls any woman a slut and a whore - let alone the *heroine* - is completely irredeemable in my book. I genuinely wished he'd got hit by a bus. The heroine was good, but she'd internalised a lot of victim blaming that the "hero" and the town threw at her. And, honestly, almost all the characters had gross, trash-bag views on the heroine. Like, she deserved to be targeted by a serial killer because she's posed nude in Playboy once? Fuck off. She didn't need to repent for her sins, or apologise for doing that. And everyone kept referring to her past as a "mistake". Like...why? I really hated the attitude of this book towards people in the sex industry.
February 11, 2010
Another suspenseful "Powell" book. After a long and difficult period of time, this time around Mike and Lorie finally found their HEA. Figuring out who the "Midnight" murderer was kept me guessing until the last pages. Even up to the last there were two choices that left me unable to determine the killer. Barton does a great suspense and this book seemed to be a bit more steamy than previous. All in all, another great addition to this series of books.
May 15, 2017
This book was 30 chapters too long and way too over dramatic at times. No surprises in this book and the characters were flat. I'm not sure if I'll read another one in this series. I was going to quit reading but skipped ahead to the ending I already knew, haha. If you are looking for an entirely mindless book, this is the one you want.
February 2, 2013
Don't waste your time. I thought this was going to be a mystery/thriller. It was a poorly written, romance novel. I stress poorly written. I'm not interested in romance novels, but this wsa so poorly written, I wanted to throw the book across the room -- except it was an E-book!
July 18, 2020
I've been walking a lot so I'm learning to enjoy audiobooks more (it's safer than trying to actually read while walking) - LOL. I found this book quite interesting and engaging and it certainly took my mind of the miles under my feet.
She found the love of her life in her youth, however, her dreams were sought in the hills of Hollywood and dreams of an acting career. His dreams were seeded into a life in their small town amid familiar faces. When he refused to make the cross country move, they drifted apart. Dreams are sometimes just that -- dreams. The hype and glamor of film and success can come crumbling down rather quickly and, if not careful, people can find themselves doing things they never dreamed of while looking for that one big break. But when your one big break comes in the form of starring in a porn movie, you've sunk pretty low. Nearly 10 years later she returns home and faces the music. Shunned and ashamed, she attempts to make a life for herself while still holding feelings for her old flame who is now the town sheriff.
Sometimes you can put the past behind you and sometimes it feels like a kite string that follows you everywhere. It's been many years since "Midnight Masquerade" was filmed but now it seems someone is out to put the cast and crew to rest -- eternal rest. The letters arrive "dead by midnight" and for some, midnight arrives sooner than you think.
A bit of a cat and mouse game, this thriller was well read with a plot that was cleverly hidden amongst the characters.
She found the love of her life in her youth, however, her dreams were sought in the hills of Hollywood and dreams of an acting career. His dreams were seeded into a life in their small town amid familiar faces. When he refused to make the cross country move, they drifted apart. Dreams are sometimes just that -- dreams. The hype and glamor of film and success can come crumbling down rather quickly and, if not careful, people can find themselves doing things they never dreamed of while looking for that one big break. But when your one big break comes in the form of starring in a porn movie, you've sunk pretty low. Nearly 10 years later she returns home and faces the music. Shunned and ashamed, she attempts to make a life for herself while still holding feelings for her old flame who is now the town sheriff.
Sometimes you can put the past behind you and sometimes it feels like a kite string that follows you everywhere. It's been many years since "Midnight Masquerade" was filmed but now it seems someone is out to put the cast and crew to rest -- eternal rest. The letters arrive "dead by midnight" and for some, midnight arrives sooner than you think.
A bit of a cat and mouse game, this thriller was well read with a plot that was cleverly hidden amongst the characters.
February 25, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
Whoa. What a ride this book provided. A romantic suspense that keeps you turning the pages.
This has been on my bookshelf way too long and I finally decided to pick it up. So glad I did. It is part of two series. It is #9 in the Griffin Powell series and #1 in the Dead by trilogy. I had no issues so it can be read as a standalone.
Warning: it is about an ex-porn star so there is plenty of steam. ♨️♨️♨️
I was sad to learn the author passed away about ten years ago so what is out there is all there is.
A plus was a small portion took place on my hometown of Louisville, KY. Yay!
Whoa. What a ride this book provided. A romantic suspense that keeps you turning the pages.
This has been on my bookshelf way too long and I finally decided to pick it up. So glad I did. It is part of two series. It is #9 in the Griffin Powell series and #1 in the Dead by trilogy. I had no issues so it can be read as a standalone.
Warning: it is about an ex-porn star so there is plenty of steam. ♨️♨️♨️
I was sad to learn the author passed away about ten years ago so what is out there is all there is.
A plus was a small portion took place on my hometown of Louisville, KY. Yay!
July 2, 2018
Wow, absolutely wow, this book has left me speechless and in awe of the author. It just amazes me how the author continues to keep coming up with these amazing plot ideas.
This is an edge of ure seat gripping crime thriller, I could not put this book down, was completely taken in by the story from beginning to end.
As always I love the characters in this ongoing series of books. :-)
This is an edge of ure seat gripping crime thriller, I could not put this book down, was completely taken in by the story from beginning to end.
As always I love the characters in this ongoing series of books. :-)
May 15, 2020
3.75 Stars
October 8, 2025
I liked the book although I could have done without so many explicit scenes, the idea that she was in a porn movie didn’t need to be repeated so much and described multiple times once would of been enough (yes I am prudish!).
July 31, 2012
In the first book in her Dead By series, Beverly Barton intoroduces the read to a serial killer who is obsessed with eliminating all copies and those associted with the pornographic move Midnight Mascaraide.
Lorie Hammonds has a past that she is not proud of her past. Ten years ago she was conviced by her then boyfriend to pose for Playboy and have a small role in a pornographic film. Lorie has done everything since then to remake her life, and forget her past, even if those people of the small town that she returned to will not. Lorie is extremely frighted when she receives a second letter that tells her that she may be next, may be dead by midnight. Lorie does not know why she has been contacted but she feels that the threats are real. She contacts the Powell Agency as she knows that the sheriff department will not believe her, as it is run by her high school sweetheart Mike Birkett, whose heart she broke by going to Hollywood to try to become an actor. But Lorie is forced to interact with Mike as the threat become very real, as another actor from the one film that Lorie made are murdered. With each new murder Lorie receives another letter and there is less and less people for the killer choose from, it is only a matter of time before they get around to Lorie.
.I was first attracted to this book because of the premise, I thought that it sounded interesting with a serial killer that became obsessed with the actors in the pornographic movie Midnight Masquerade and his quest to eliminate all those involved in the movie. However, I found as I read farther and farther into this book that the book became more about the relationship between Mike and Lorie than the mystery of the serial killer. I liked that at the beginning of the book there was a separation or two main couples that the book follows, one with Mike and Lorie and one with Maleah and Derek. This allowed Barton to explore the relationship with Mike and Laura but still keep the reader entertained with the hunt for the serial killer. But the book strays away from this format as you get closer to the end. This is where Barton lost me, I felt that this book became more about the relationships and not the hunt for the serial killer. Furthermore, due to the fact that Barton decides to focus more of the relationships, there were way too many sex scenes or sex references for me.
This is the first book that I have read by Barton and I thought that it was the first book in a series by her. However, as the book continues on, out of no where there was a back-story I feel like I missed. As this was the first book in this series, I felt like there was a book before this one that I had not read. This is mainly seen in the murder of one of the Powell agents that is looks like it is connected to a murder that had happened before. Then we get some additional back story about Griffin's past which may now be connected to these other two murders. Barton tried to do too much within this novel, too many sub plots, which distracts too much from the actual main plot and premise of the novel.
I did like that before the killer murdered his victim, the reader was able to get a glimpse into the victim's life now after the Midnight Masquerade. Many of the actors have changed and moved on with their life, while others have not, but this makes no difference to the killer. I also liked how with each of this episodes the reader was able to see how much of a chameleon that the killer was able to be.
I think that this book had great potential but it was not for me in the end. I felt that by the end of the book it was just dragging on and that Barton was trying to do too much and actually got away from the main plot/premise of the book to pursue relationship and other subplots. However, I think that individuals who like (or need) a the relationship story and romance in the mystery books they read I think that you may enjoy Barton.
Cheers!!!
Lorie Hammonds has a past that she is not proud of her past. Ten years ago she was conviced by her then boyfriend to pose for Playboy and have a small role in a pornographic film. Lorie has done everything since then to remake her life, and forget her past, even if those people of the small town that she returned to will not. Lorie is extremely frighted when she receives a second letter that tells her that she may be next, may be dead by midnight. Lorie does not know why she has been contacted but she feels that the threats are real. She contacts the Powell Agency as she knows that the sheriff department will not believe her, as it is run by her high school sweetheart Mike Birkett, whose heart she broke by going to Hollywood to try to become an actor. But Lorie is forced to interact with Mike as the threat become very real, as another actor from the one film that Lorie made are murdered. With each new murder Lorie receives another letter and there is less and less people for the killer choose from, it is only a matter of time before they get around to Lorie.
.I was first attracted to this book because of the premise, I thought that it sounded interesting with a serial killer that became obsessed with the actors in the pornographic movie Midnight Masquerade and his quest to eliminate all those involved in the movie. However, I found as I read farther and farther into this book that the book became more about the relationship between Mike and Lorie than the mystery of the serial killer. I liked that at the beginning of the book there was a separation or two main couples that the book follows, one with Mike and Lorie and one with Maleah and Derek. This allowed Barton to explore the relationship with Mike and Laura but still keep the reader entertained with the hunt for the serial killer. But the book strays away from this format as you get closer to the end. This is where Barton lost me, I felt that this book became more about the relationships and not the hunt for the serial killer. Furthermore, due to the fact that Barton decides to focus more of the relationships, there were way too many sex scenes or sex references for me.
This is the first book that I have read by Barton and I thought that it was the first book in a series by her. However, as the book continues on, out of no where there was a back-story I feel like I missed. As this was the first book in this series, I felt like there was a book before this one that I had not read. This is mainly seen in the murder of one of the Powell agents that is looks like it is connected to a murder that had happened before. Then we get some additional back story about Griffin's past which may now be connected to these other two murders. Barton tried to do too much within this novel, too many sub plots, which distracts too much from the actual main plot and premise of the novel.
I did like that before the killer murdered his victim, the reader was able to get a glimpse into the victim's life now after the Midnight Masquerade. Many of the actors have changed and moved on with their life, while others have not, but this makes no difference to the killer. I also liked how with each of this episodes the reader was able to see how much of a chameleon that the killer was able to be.
I think that this book had great potential but it was not for me in the end. I felt that by the end of the book it was just dragging on and that Barton was trying to do too much and actually got away from the main plot/premise of the book to pursue relationship and other subplots. However, I think that individuals who like (or need) a the relationship story and romance in the mystery books they read I think that you may enjoy Barton.
Cheers!!!
June 21, 2017
The book in a nutshell: soft porn with a side serving of ambiguous scenes and some semblance of plot. That said, the underlying mystery wasn't half bad.
August 31, 2011
I picked this up at the airport on the way back from holiday but only got around to reading it now. I hadn't been aware of the author previously and it clearly became obvious that there had been previous books featuring most of the main characters and their involvement with a train of different psychotic killers.
The basic story line was that the heroine had gone to LA seeking fame and fortune when she had finished school leaving her high school sweet heart behind.unfortunately she fell in with sleaze bags who exploited her and after making a porn movie she eventually escaped and returned to her small town life where she is the local pariah/ fallen woman and pines helplessly over her lost love, who was now married with children.
10 years after her return, she gets a number of death threats and reports this to a friend who works for a private agency run by the mysterious Griffin ( billionaire - clearly subject of previous books). Anyway it soon becomes clear that a serial killer has decided to kill every actor who stared in the said porn movie - can he be caught in time?? well I have to say that the Griffin agency did not overly impress as by the end of the book the h was pretty much the only actor left alive.
Overall this was an ok read but not a keeper. I found all the detail about previous characters confusing ( although if you had read the other books you may have appreciated it), there was too much focus on setting up what seemed likely to be two more books, and everyone seemed to have had people they loved killed and in the latter half of the book she also introduced a further mad murderer killing people from the private agency ( next book).
I spotted the killer early on but right at the end of the book the author started throwing in a number of false possibilities which was just annoying as it was so obvious. Also it was clear the killer wasn't exactly a rocket scientist and so it was hard to understand how he pulled off all the murders.
the heroine was an enigma. There was no sense of why she had acted as she had in the past, it is clear she feels ashamed but why she would return to a small time to be a pariah for 10 years was beyond me. The hero ( now widowed) obsesses that everyone he knows has seen the movie and doesn't believe she is good enough for him or a good role model for his kids, and professes to hate her for most of the book. He forgives her in the end after she saves his kids from ( yet another) killer.
One for the charity box
The basic story line was that the heroine had gone to LA seeking fame and fortune when she had finished school leaving her high school sweet heart behind.unfortunately she fell in with sleaze bags who exploited her and after making a porn movie she eventually escaped and returned to her small town life where she is the local pariah/ fallen woman and pines helplessly over her lost love, who was now married with children.
10 years after her return, she gets a number of death threats and reports this to a friend who works for a private agency run by the mysterious Griffin ( billionaire - clearly subject of previous books). Anyway it soon becomes clear that a serial killer has decided to kill every actor who stared in the said porn movie - can he be caught in time?? well I have to say that the Griffin agency did not overly impress as by the end of the book the h was pretty much the only actor left alive.
Overall this was an ok read but not a keeper. I found all the detail about previous characters confusing ( although if you had read the other books you may have appreciated it), there was too much focus on setting up what seemed likely to be two more books, and everyone seemed to have had people they loved killed and in the latter half of the book she also introduced a further mad murderer killing people from the private agency ( next book).
I spotted the killer early on but right at the end of the book the author started throwing in a number of false possibilities which was just annoying as it was so obvious. Also it was clear the killer wasn't exactly a rocket scientist and so it was hard to understand how he pulled off all the murders.
the heroine was an enigma. There was no sense of why she had acted as she had in the past, it is clear she feels ashamed but why she would return to a small time to be a pariah for 10 years was beyond me. The hero ( now widowed) obsesses that everyone he knows has seen the movie and doesn't believe she is good enough for him or a good role model for his kids, and professes to hate her for most of the book. He forgives her in the end after she saves his kids from ( yet another) killer.
One for the charity box
November 2, 2012
Don't bother with this book. It's a waste of time.
I'm read this as an audiobook. After about 1/3 of the way through I was only half listening until there is some mystery solving action going on as there is just layers and layers of fluff in this book that do nothing for character development, plot development, or even setting a scene. Should have been 75% shorter overall.
I like the overall plot. It is not so predictable and formulaic as other books. The characters are annoying and I wnet from disliking the romance to downright hating it. The author seems very uncomfortable with the subject matter. The Ping-Pong game of Christian hellfire vs. sex is fun is just downright confusing. The romance in general is way overdone for a mystery OR underdone for a romance. The book just doesn't know what it's trying to be and the middle ground doesn't work IMHO.
The writing is a little annoying because of its super detailed style, pointing out the obvious, telling not showing, and repeating topics over and over again. Fully outlining every little thing just distracts from the story. There's too much of "he picked up on the 4th ring", "he parked behind her car in the driveway", and outlining each little step of mundane tasks in an overly professional manner. And this writing style is bugging me more than usual because I really don't like the reader's overly sappy cadence and inflection.
The killer was very obvious as soon as he came on the scene. I just wanted to know for sure why he was killing. And that reason was pretty disturbing and goes along with the Christian hellfire side of the writing (porno is to blame more than bad parenting).
I'm read this as an audiobook. After about 1/3 of the way through I was only half listening until there is some mystery solving action going on as there is just layers and layers of fluff in this book that do nothing for character development, plot development, or even setting a scene. Should have been 75% shorter overall.
I like the overall plot. It is not so predictable and formulaic as other books. The characters are annoying and I wnet from disliking the romance to downright hating it. The author seems very uncomfortable with the subject matter. The Ping-Pong game of Christian hellfire vs. sex is fun is just downright confusing. The romance in general is way overdone for a mystery OR underdone for a romance. The book just doesn't know what it's trying to be and the middle ground doesn't work IMHO.
The writing is a little annoying because of its super detailed style, pointing out the obvious, telling not showing, and repeating topics over and over again. Fully outlining every little thing just distracts from the story. There's too much of "he picked up on the 4th ring", "he parked behind her car in the driveway", and outlining each little step of mundane tasks in an overly professional manner. And this writing style is bugging me more than usual because I really don't like the reader's overly sappy cadence and inflection.
The killer was very obvious as soon as he came on the scene. I just wanted to know for sure why he was killing. And that reason was pretty disturbing and goes along with the Christian hellfire side of the writing (porno is to blame more than bad parenting).
May 20, 2010
This is my first book by Beverly Barton, and I was so excited about the premise of the book. Unfortunately, I only got into the first forty pages before I put the book down. It was the over-abundance of characters that did it for me. There were too many to keep track of within those first few pages, their roles weren't clearly defined, and I as completely lost.
On the other hand, what I read about each of those characters was very good. Ms. Barton does have an excellent way with characterization. Had I not gotten lost, I would have continued reading, but I don't want to read a book where I have to create a list of characters to follow along.
I see that this book is a series, and perhaps Ms. Barton doesn't write them as standalones, and that would make this my fault which is why I gave the book three stars. Her writing is solid, but I felt like I was trapped in a maze while reading this book.
It's possible I may pick up Book One in this series, and if I do and discover the books are not written as standalones, I'll edit my review here.
On the other hand, what I read about each of those characters was very good. Ms. Barton does have an excellent way with characterization. Had I not gotten lost, I would have continued reading, but I don't want to read a book where I have to create a list of characters to follow along.
I see that this book is a series, and perhaps Ms. Barton doesn't write them as standalones, and that would make this my fault which is why I gave the book three stars. Her writing is solid, but I felt like I was trapped in a maze while reading this book.
It's possible I may pick up Book One in this series, and if I do and discover the books are not written as standalones, I'll edit my review here.
May 18, 2015
This has NEVER happened to me before but when I got to the very end of this book I realized that I had absolutely no idea who they were talking about in the last scene where they revealed her stalker. I don't know if it was just bad reading on my part or if it was supposed to be just a random person. Feeling a bit...stupid! Lots of characters in this book though. I should possibly have taken notes... That said I did actually enjoy the book (despite having predicted the killer as soon as he stepped onto the page - again!) and didn't actually write it off as predictable (which I see others have)because I actually doubted my prediction all the way through. This is my first Beverly Barton book. does anyone know if this book is supposed to set up the next one? Are her books all linked? And does she always write so many sex scenes? Because let's face it - crime novels very seldom contain relatively decent bordering-on-erotic scenes. I'm not one to complain about someone who can write them quite so easily!
April 26, 2013
This book had several low ratings, but again, I decided to draw my own conclusions. This book is the first in the "Dead By" series but also connected to the Griffin Powell series (I believe it is number 11). I found the book very difficult to follow in the beginning; there were multiple characters named and it was difficult to keep track of everyone. However, I did enjoy the storyline and once I let go of the fact that I couldn't remember everyone's name and stage name, I felt better about my reading experience. I might decide to begin the Griffin Powell series but they are not a high priority on my reading list. So while I will not be reading the next books in the series, I still gave it 4 stars because I couldn't put it down.
April 5, 2013
This is supposed to be a trilogy, but I almost think I should have read some other book to have some idea about the myriad characters in the novel. I loved the mystery and the way I couldn't figure out the killer until the very end. Even though I realized that she gave it away when we first met the killer. I thought it was a long book and not every word was needed. Twice she added that the character flushed the toilet. Maybe it is her way of making the characters more personable. Who knows. I will say that Barton can weave a tale and I'm sorry I found her after she died. I would have looked forward to many more in this series.
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