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Black CATs #3
Black at Heart
Wyatt Blackstone has done his best to mask his romantic feelings for Lily Fletcher, the brilliant but fragile young woman whose technical skills have helped him track countless violent Internet predators. But now he must fin out if the woman he loves has become a rogue agent obsessed with cold-blooded revenge…
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 30, 2009
On the night of Lily Fletcher's memorial service, someone dialed Wyatt Blackstone's number, a voice from the grave begging for help...
Now, seven months later, someone is offing in-the-closet pedophiles, luring them to out-of-the-way motels through known deviant websites, using very familiar names. The murder scenes are similar, the evidence of murderous rage, no usable fingerprints, no possible DNA samples, but the killer always lives a lily blossom beside the victim's body.
Wyatt Blackstone, the rather mysterious and reserved leader of the new CAT unit dealing with Internet-related murders, is particularly interested in this case, so interested in fact, no one in his team (but one, Brandon Cole, the IT specialist he's asked for help that night seven months ago) knows about it.
Wyatt refuses to believe the convenient clues, but the nagging doubts won't go away, until he talks to the only suspect he has...
Whoa, what a ride. After the heart-breaking prologue (with a nice kick in the end), we're immediately thrown into a gruesome murder scene and in the very thick of the investigation. The fact Wyatt is playing this pretty close to the vest should've been a good indication of just exactly was going on, but still the truth surprised the heck out of me...Lily Fletched, that voice calling Wyatt from the grave, is alive, recuperating in his beach house in Maine.
The second surprise of the day was Lily herself. Gone was the shy, quiet woman, in her stead we meet the strong, determined, scarred (both inside and out) warrior. The surprise was very pleasant indeed, I never much cared about the Lily from the past, but this new Lily, the Lily shaped by that horrible night when all went wrong and the seven days that followed it, now this was a woman to be reckoned with and admired.
The details of what she's been through were never fully explained, which I could as a blessing, because the mere tidbits we've been fed were reason and explanation enough for me.
This new Lily at first appeared cold, but it was (as usual) only a defense mechanism), she was strong, she was skilled, she knew what she wanted...Closure and the man she's loved for what a while, her enigmatic boss, Wyatt Blackstone.
And can you blame the girl? I've been itching to know more about Wyatt from book one in this amazing trilogy. He was a true enigma, a man evidently burying his emotion deep, aloof, unflappable...Gorgeous and sexy as hell. It was heart-breaking to learn the truth about his past, it was rather annoying see him resist the temptation that was Lily, and it was HOT to see him finally lose some of that famous control.
The suspense part of the story (the major part) was yet again amazing, with the serial killer on the loose, wondering if it was possible Lily was behind it, the hunt for the Lovesprettyboys bastard who kidnapped Lily and held her for seven days, the bomb that the truth about it was, and the tension after learning the true identity of the murdered and his reasons that was strung until the epilogue.
I loved the Black CATs, it was evident how the team progressed from virtual strangers to a group of people that would do anything to protect one of their own (without judgment, without needing all that much explanation), even putting their careers on the stake. It was nice to revisit those "old" friends (Dean and Alec), learning of how their lives went on after their own stories. It was wonderful receiving some sort of vindication when learning just what went down after the failed pedophile bust seven months prior.
But in this story I did miss the romantic aspect a little. A tiny little bit.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of tension, wondering whether to do something or not, tapping around the edges, and when the moment finally came it brought a relieved sigh and a "was about time!" to my lips, but I find it wasn't enough. I wanted to see more of that Blackstone control slip, I wanted to see Wyatt and Lily happy together (I've been rooting for them since the beginning, despite the fact Lily wasn't my favorite character back then), it just wasn't meant to be, I guess. I'm not disappointed with the romance subplot, I just wish there was more. Only a little bit, maybe.
Anyway, with the tight-strung suspense, good pacing, chills and thrills, great action, gripping tension, that little bit of romance (that could've been more ;)), and wonderful characters Black at Heart presents a wonderful finale to this great and highly-recommended series.
A 5-star keeper!
Now, seven months later, someone is offing in-the-closet pedophiles, luring them to out-of-the-way motels through known deviant websites, using very familiar names. The murder scenes are similar, the evidence of murderous rage, no usable fingerprints, no possible DNA samples, but the killer always lives a lily blossom beside the victim's body.
Wyatt Blackstone, the rather mysterious and reserved leader of the new CAT unit dealing with Internet-related murders, is particularly interested in this case, so interested in fact, no one in his team (but one, Brandon Cole, the IT specialist he's asked for help that night seven months ago) knows about it.
Wyatt refuses to believe the convenient clues, but the nagging doubts won't go away, until he talks to the only suspect he has...
Whoa, what a ride. After the heart-breaking prologue (with a nice kick in the end), we're immediately thrown into a gruesome murder scene and in the very thick of the investigation. The fact Wyatt is playing this pretty close to the vest should've been a good indication of just exactly was going on, but still the truth surprised the heck out of me...Lily Fletched, that voice calling Wyatt from the grave, is alive, recuperating in his beach house in Maine.
The second surprise of the day was Lily herself. Gone was the shy, quiet woman, in her stead we meet the strong, determined, scarred (both inside and out) warrior. The surprise was very pleasant indeed, I never much cared about the Lily from the past, but this new Lily, the Lily shaped by that horrible night when all went wrong and the seven days that followed it, now this was a woman to be reckoned with and admired.
The details of what she's been through were never fully explained, which I could as a blessing, because the mere tidbits we've been fed were reason and explanation enough for me.
This new Lily at first appeared cold, but it was (as usual) only a defense mechanism), she was strong, she was skilled, she knew what she wanted...Closure and the man she's loved for what a while, her enigmatic boss, Wyatt Blackstone.
And can you blame the girl? I've been itching to know more about Wyatt from book one in this amazing trilogy. He was a true enigma, a man evidently burying his emotion deep, aloof, unflappable...Gorgeous and sexy as hell. It was heart-breaking to learn the truth about his past, it was rather annoying see him resist the temptation that was Lily, and it was HOT to see him finally lose some of that famous control.
The suspense part of the story (the major part) was yet again amazing, with the serial killer on the loose, wondering if it was possible Lily was behind it, the hunt for the Lovesprettyboys bastard who kidnapped Lily and held her for seven days, the bomb that the truth about it was, and the tension after learning the true identity of the murdered and his reasons that was strung until the epilogue.
I loved the Black CATs, it was evident how the team progressed from virtual strangers to a group of people that would do anything to protect one of their own (without judgment, without needing all that much explanation), even putting their careers on the stake. It was nice to revisit those "old" friends (Dean and Alec), learning of how their lives went on after their own stories. It was wonderful receiving some sort of vindication when learning just what went down after the failed pedophile bust seven months prior.
But in this story I did miss the romantic aspect a little. A tiny little bit.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of tension, wondering whether to do something or not, tapping around the edges, and when the moment finally came it brought a relieved sigh and a "was about time!" to my lips, but I find it wasn't enough. I wanted to see more of that Blackstone control slip, I wanted to see Wyatt and Lily happy together (I've been rooting for them since the beginning, despite the fact Lily wasn't my favorite character back then), it just wasn't meant to be, I guess. I'm not disappointed with the romance subplot, I just wish there was more. Only a little bit, maybe.
Anyway, with the tight-strung suspense, good pacing, chills and thrills, great action, gripping tension, that little bit of romance (that could've been more ;)), and wonderful characters Black at Heart presents a wonderful finale to this great and highly-recommended series.
A 5-star keeper!
May 12, 2018
Black at Heart
3 Stars
Following the death of one of his agents, Wyatt Blackstone, the enigmatic leader of the FBI's Black CATs unit, is questioning himself when a late night phone call changes everything. His agent, Lily Fletcher, is very much alive and in desperate need of rescue from the depraved pedophile who attacked her. This phone call sets in motion a series of events that may culminate not only in the disbanding of the Black CATs, but in the death of the woman that Wyatt has come to admire and love.
The final installment in Leslie A. Kelly's Black CATs series is an improvement on the previous one, but is still missing that elusive element that makes for an excellent romantic suspense read.
The suspense plot is well-written and compelling with some excellent twists and turns (particularly the identity of the killer), and a gripping climax. Unfortunately, the romance is very weak and underdeveloped as Wyatt and Lily's chemistry from the previous books fizzles to nothing.
Kelly wastes the excellent potential for an office romance type relationship by focusing on Wyatt's hangups and Lily's transformation in a kick-ass Wonder Woman. The latter is not necessarily negative, in fact, it makes Lily a particularly admirable heroine; however, it does undermine the romance as Wyatt is confused and finding it difficult to reconcile his previous ideas of Lily with the new take charge woman in his life. It makes their romance feel contrived and unconvincing.
All in all, not a bad ending to the series, but the uneven mix of suspense and romance is problematic.
3 Stars
Following the death of one of his agents, Wyatt Blackstone, the enigmatic leader of the FBI's Black CATs unit, is questioning himself when a late night phone call changes everything. His agent, Lily Fletcher, is very much alive and in desperate need of rescue from the depraved pedophile who attacked her. This phone call sets in motion a series of events that may culminate not only in the disbanding of the Black CATs, but in the death of the woman that Wyatt has come to admire and love.
The final installment in Leslie A. Kelly's Black CATs series is an improvement on the previous one, but is still missing that elusive element that makes for an excellent romantic suspense read.
The suspense plot is well-written and compelling with some excellent twists and turns (particularly the identity of the killer), and a gripping climax. Unfortunately, the romance is very weak and underdeveloped as Wyatt and Lily's chemistry from the previous books fizzles to nothing.
Kelly wastes the excellent potential for an office romance type relationship by focusing on Wyatt's hangups and Lily's transformation in a kick-ass Wonder Woman. The latter is not necessarily negative, in fact, it makes Lily a particularly admirable heroine; however, it does undermine the romance as Wyatt is confused and finding it difficult to reconcile his previous ideas of Lily with the new take charge woman in his life. It makes their romance feel contrived and unconvincing.
All in all, not a bad ending to the series, but the uneven mix of suspense and romance is problematic.
October 31, 2009
Third and final book in Leslie Parrish's Black CATs trilogy and even though I still enjoyed it a lot, I think I'd have to say that it was my least favorite of the series. It didn't click with me quite at much as the first two. But it was still a good book.
Series note:
As mentioned above, this is the last book in a trilogy about the Black CATs, an FBI Cyber Action Team and I'd highly recommend reading the series in order. This book references a lot of past events and happenings and directly ties in to previous events.
Summary:
Lily Fletcher has lived a life of one tragedy after another. Her parents died when she was young, leaving her twin sister and Lily to be shuttled around foster care. Then years later, her sister's young son was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by a pedophile. The grief caused her sister to commit suicide. Not too long after that, Lily joined the Black CATs and go involved in the Reaper case (from Fade to Black). The case exposed her to a vicious pedophile who called himself Lovesprettyboys and Lily made it her mission to try to stop the evil man. But her involvement goes all wrong and she is tortured and almost killed. Everyone else thinks she died.
But Lily escaped and has been in hiding since, with the help of her boss, Wyatt Blackstone and another colleague/friend. Lily needed extensive surgery and recuperation before the was anything remotely resembling normal. And though she may be physically almost healed, emotionally, she'll never be the same person she once was. Which is why, when Wyatt hears about a string of serial murders that appear to tie in to Lily, he has to wonder if she is on a vengeance binge. He quickly comes to his senses, knowing the woman he has come to care deeply about could never do such a thing. But if Lily isn't doing it, then someone is trying to set her up. And Lily will have to come out of hiding if they have any hope of clearing her name and giving her her life back.
Review:
The whole plot of this book has been building since the first book of this series. It pulls together a lot of strings...Lily's personality, the tragedies she's been through, her crusade to get a pedophile, her attraction to Wyatt, Wyatt's mysterious, brooding nature, etc. This book takes all those elements and brings them together in a good finale to the series.
I'm not really quite sure why I didn't really, really LOVE this book. Like I said above, I enjoyed it a lot, but I never quite totally got into the story. There's really only one core storyline, but there are a lot of threads to it throughout the book. They tug you in a lot of different directions and it kinda kept me from latching on to that core part of the story.
But I did think the suspense part was still well done. I'm glad that the Lovesprettyboys story aspect was wrapped up. That dude needed to be off'ed. What a sociopath he was! And I think the way Parrish worked out that storyline was rather interesting.
As for the romance. Hmmm...while I liked Wyatt and Lily together, they are kinda like two peas in a pod in a lot of ways, I thought the progression of the relationship was a little jerky. Lily in the beginning was thinking no, I can't be with him, then thinking hey, sex would be fine. But then all the sudden she's all Wyatt's mine! That jump seemed a bit off to me. Still liked these two together, though.
And one other thing I didn't necessarily like was how vague the ending was regarding the future of the Black CATs and Wyatt's career. For me, I would have preferred something a big more solid.
Overall, for this trilogy, though, it was a total winner. I'm glad I decided to give it a try because it was well worth the money I spent on the books. I'd definitely recommend the series to those who like romantic suspense.
Series note:
As mentioned above, this is the last book in a trilogy about the Black CATs, an FBI Cyber Action Team and I'd highly recommend reading the series in order. This book references a lot of past events and happenings and directly ties in to previous events.
Summary:
Lily Fletcher has lived a life of one tragedy after another. Her parents died when she was young, leaving her twin sister and Lily to be shuttled around foster care. Then years later, her sister's young son was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by a pedophile. The grief caused her sister to commit suicide. Not too long after that, Lily joined the Black CATs and go involved in the Reaper case (from Fade to Black). The case exposed her to a vicious pedophile who called himself Lovesprettyboys and Lily made it her mission to try to stop the evil man. But her involvement goes all wrong and she is tortured and almost killed. Everyone else thinks she died.
But Lily escaped and has been in hiding since, with the help of her boss, Wyatt Blackstone and another colleague/friend. Lily needed extensive surgery and recuperation before the was anything remotely resembling normal. And though she may be physically almost healed, emotionally, she'll never be the same person she once was. Which is why, when Wyatt hears about a string of serial murders that appear to tie in to Lily, he has to wonder if she is on a vengeance binge. He quickly comes to his senses, knowing the woman he has come to care deeply about could never do such a thing. But if Lily isn't doing it, then someone is trying to set her up. And Lily will have to come out of hiding if they have any hope of clearing her name and giving her her life back.
Review:
The whole plot of this book has been building since the first book of this series. It pulls together a lot of strings...Lily's personality, the tragedies she's been through, her crusade to get a pedophile, her attraction to Wyatt, Wyatt's mysterious, brooding nature, etc. This book takes all those elements and brings them together in a good finale to the series.
I'm not really quite sure why I didn't really, really LOVE this book. Like I said above, I enjoyed it a lot, but I never quite totally got into the story. There's really only one core storyline, but there are a lot of threads to it throughout the book. They tug you in a lot of different directions and it kinda kept me from latching on to that core part of the story.
But I did think the suspense part was still well done. I'm glad that the Lovesprettyboys story aspect was wrapped up. That dude needed to be off'ed. What a sociopath he was! And I think the way Parrish worked out that storyline was rather interesting.
As for the romance. Hmmm...while I liked Wyatt and Lily together, they are kinda like two peas in a pod in a lot of ways, I thought the progression of the relationship was a little jerky. Lily in the beginning was thinking no, I can't be with him, then thinking hey, sex would be fine. But then all the sudden she's all Wyatt's mine! That jump seemed a bit off to me. Still liked these two together, though.
And one other thing I didn't necessarily like was how vague the ending was regarding the future of the Black CATs and Wyatt's career. For me, I would have preferred something a big more solid.
Overall, for this trilogy, though, it was a total winner. I'm glad I decided to give it a try because it was well worth the money I spent on the books. I'd definitely recommend the series to those who like romantic suspense.
February 17, 2014
Two-haiku review:
She's been in hiding
After kidnapped and tortured
He's her former boss
Glad she wasn't dead
Loved both of these characters
Great romance, suspense
She's been in hiding
After kidnapped and tortured
He's her former boss
Glad she wasn't dead
Loved both of these characters
Great romance, suspense
July 19, 2010
3.75/5
I liked Lily and I liked Wyatt throughout the series, but wasn't completely sold on their romance/HEA. The plot was pretty good, and I'm glad that Lovesprettyboys was dealt with, and the twists were interesting and a little unexpected, although not too far out from what would make someone into a child molester. I was a little irritated at the ending, it wasn't concrete, and for a trilogy I wanted a solid ending for the Cats. I guess maybe she could always add to the series. Maybe that is what she is thinking. I would love to see Brandon get a book.
Overall, a good series. I'm glad I read it.
I liked Lily and I liked Wyatt throughout the series, but wasn't completely sold on their romance/HEA. The plot was pretty good, and I'm glad that Lovesprettyboys was dealt with, and the twists were interesting and a little unexpected, although not too far out from what would make someone into a child molester. I was a little irritated at the ending, it wasn't concrete, and for a trilogy I wanted a solid ending for the Cats. I guess maybe she could always add to the series. Maybe that is what she is thinking. I would love to see Brandon get a book.
Overall, a good series. I'm glad I read it.
March 6, 2012
My favorite installment of the Black CATs series. I didn't know if I'd love Lily and Wyatt, but I did. Lily's ordeal changed her into this amazingly strong woman who was exactly what Wyatt needed...even though Wyatt figured he never needed anyone. The case resolution was fraught with twists and turns and the resolutions were well planned and unique. Lots of characters who you love to hate balanced by those who you love to love.
September 30, 2010
4.5 // Action: 4.5 / Emotion: 4 / Romance: 2 / Sensuous: 4.5 / Intrigue: 5 / Humor: 3
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After becoming totally fascinated with the characters Wyatt Blackstone and Lily Fletcher in Fade To Black (book one) and Pitch Black (book two) of The Black CATs Trilogy, could not wait to read their story in book three, Black At Heart .
Their story has a strange beginning. Wyatt is tortured because he allowed Lily to go with Tom Anspaugh's team when they set a trap for the pedophile 'lovesprettyboys'. She was presumed killed during that operation. After attending her funeral, Wyatt received a call from Lily asking him to help her.
Seven months later Wyatt visits his third crime scene where a pedophile is brutally butchered in an out-of-the-way motel and the killer leaves a lily at the site. All arrows point toward Lily Fletcher killing off pedophiles. Wyatt immediately goes to his hated childhood home in Maine where Lily is stashed to see if she has been leaving his home.
It is hard to conceive that the shy, tongue-tied, wears-her-emotions-on-her-sleeve IT Specialist in Fade To Black and Pitch Black is capable of such atrocities. But the broken-but-rebuilt, self-defense-learning Lily might be. After Wyatt ascertains that Lily has not left the little town of Keating, he decides to stay with her for the long week-end.
Wyatt also figures out that Lily has been hacking into the FBI system to be aware that he was blamed for her death. Wyatt is not happy with Lily's interest in his private life and battles. Wyatt realizes that he will climb no higher on the promotional ladder at the FBI, but he feels it was worth it to blow the whistle on internal corruption. Since Fade To Black is a work of fiction, it seems conceivable that Wyatt could somehow overcome the biases against him to once again find himself on the fast track to one day becoming a future leader in the FBI organization. One really good scene displaying Wyatt's amazing leadership capabilities and brilliance is during his interview with Deputy Director Crandall and Tom Anspaugh, both who are card-carrying Wyatt haters. Parrish shines when she wrote that totally amazing scene.
Wyatt is such a strong, tortured, honorable hero. I fell in love with him way back in book one of the trilogy and was hoping that Lily would be able to reach through his strong, steel emotional barriers to rescue him from his aloneness. It took a lot of work, but Lily was able to pull the story of Wyatt's traumatic childhood from him. It seems Lily was able to reach through Wyatt's barriers because he developed a protectiveness towards her when he spent so much time with Lily during her initial recovery after having been rescued from the killer who held and tortured her for a week.
Wyatt's protectiveness eventually matured into desire. Lily had a crush on Wyatt when she was the shy IT Specialist, but now that she is a stronger, more evolved woman, her interest in him is even sharper. Lily feels the sexual tension between them, and since she no longer fears him, she decides to pursue the relationship because she is sure that Wyatt will not. Although there is sexual tension between Wyatt and Lily, it is nowhere near as sharp as that between the protagonists of books one and two. Parrish only gives the readers the one love scene, but it is full of heat, passion and magic. There is a definite connection between Wyatt and Lily.
Brandon Cole is the only other Black CAT who knows that Lily is still alive. Wyatt, Brandon and Lily start trying to figure out who is trying to draw Lily out of hiding to remove the danger she presents to the pedophile and killer. They are sure that the killer believes Lily can identify 'lovesprettyboys' and is determined to kill her to stop such exposure.
Parrish does another great job of providing a set of viable villains for the team to investigate. She is so good at building up the suspense and sending the reader misleading clues that when the killer is revealed, one cannot help but be surprised. The intrigue is further enhanced because not only must Wyatt, Brandon and Lily find the killer, they must also keep Lily from being arrested, particularly by an overeager, demoted Agent Anspaugh who wants to redeem his name after his disastrous operation in which two agents were killed.
Another aspect of Parrish's books is that she writes vivid, realistic characters that draw the reader in emotionally. That is such an amazing talent in a writer. She does an amazing job with the convicted felon who raped and killed Lily's nephew. When she first introduced Jesse Boyd Tyrone in the weight room of Cumberland maximum-security, it seemed he was being treated unjustly by his fellow inmates and the cruel prison guards. That was because Parrish was telling the story from Jesse's point of view and he saw himself as having done nothing wrong. Of course, once the reader realized who was complaining, it was easy to condemn him for the clueless jerk that he was.
It would have been nice to spend more time with the other members of Wyatt's Black CATs, but the very premise of the plot line prevented that. We were able to spend a little bit of time with Jackie Stokes because she saw that Brandon was up to something. It was also a nice touch to show the solidarity that Wyatt's team showed him when they stood behind him without knowing what was going on. It was also nice of Parrish to let us see progress in Dean and Stacey's (Book One, Fade To Black ) happily-ever-after by announcing they were going to have a baby.
Although Wyatt is my most favorite character in the Black CAT Novels, his story was not. All the aspects of a great read were present. {1} A handsome, brilliant, alpha hero who doesn't give up. {2} A beautiful, tortured, intelligent heroine who struggles to persevere. {3} Plenty of action from start to finish. {4} Edge-of-your-seat suspense. {5} Sexual tension and a hot love scene. {6} Well-developed, interesting supporting characters. But something was missing. What, I don't know. I think it is that I was envisioning a totally unrealistic scenario where Wyatt is able to convince the biased Deputy Director and all those other ambitious Wyatt-hating FBI agents that he did the right thing and everybody would magically think he was as wonderful as I do and, poof, he's the new Assistant to the Deputy Director or something.
Black At Heart is another Leslie Parrish must read. I would not recommend reading it as a stand-alone novel. There is just too much development of the hero and heroine in the previous two books of the trilogy to miss. The Black CATs Trilogy will now hold a prominent position on my "to be re-read" list. Parrish really grabbed my attention and my admiration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2018
One of an elite group of FBI agents has one of their own murdered. Now they are afraid one of their own has become a vigilante killer. Pedophiles are being murdered. All the murder scenes are similar. There is no DNA and no fingerprints as a Lily is left next to the bodies.
This book is the 3rd in the Black Cat series and I loved it. I love the whole series. It has edge of your seat suspense, action with a bit of romance thrown in. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. I highly recommend this series.
This book is the 3rd in the Black Cat series and I loved it. I love the whole series. It has edge of your seat suspense, action with a bit of romance thrown in. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. I highly recommend this series.
December 3, 2018
Months have past since the death of agent Lily Fletcher. Supervisory Special Agent Wyatt Blackstone has become aware of crimes with evidence pointing towards Lily as the killer. Is their a connection with their previous investigations.
Another fast paced story, an enjoyable one to end this trilogy which I would recommend, and to read in order.
Another fast paced story, an enjoyable one to end this trilogy which I would recommend, and to read in order.
June 29, 2017
Like a locomotive...
This book was like a locomotive, starting slowly, then picking up speed, until it was barreling down at top speed. Hard to put down. Continues where Pitch Black leaves off. It is more about Wyatt Blackstone and Lily Fletcher, one of Wyatt's team.
This book was like a locomotive, starting slowly, then picking up speed, until it was barreling down at top speed. Hard to put down. Continues where Pitch Black leaves off. It is more about Wyatt Blackstone and Lily Fletcher, one of Wyatt's team.
November 11, 2017
Brilliant
Loved this series of books and hope that the author will expand on it. If you enjoy romantic suspense then this author's work is for you, definitely up there with the best. I recommend go read you will not be disappointed.
Loved this series of books and hope that the author will expand on it. If you enjoy romantic suspense then this author's work is for you, definitely up there with the best. I recommend go read you will not be disappointed.
July 16, 2012
Inhalt
In diesem Buch dreht sich wieder alles um Wyatt Blackstone und sein Team: Die Black CATS. Die Black CATS sind eine Sondereinheit des FBI, die Mordfälle mit Internetbezug bearbeiten und bestenfalls auch lösen. Bei einigen grausamen Hotelmorden rückt die FBI Agentin Lily Fletcher in den Kreis der Verdächtigen - doch scheint daran faul zu sein: Lily Fletcher kam etwa 7 Monate zuvor bei einem Einsatz um's Leben! Dies ist zumindest der Stand, auf dem sich ihre ehemaligen Kollegen befinden, denn keiner weiß: Lily überlebte nur knapp die Folter des Pädophilen "Lovesprettyboys" den sie im Roman zuvor gejagt hatte und versteckt sich seitdem in Blackstone's Strandhaus. Wyatt und Brandon befinden sich nun in der Zwickmühle und fragen sich ernsthaft, was Lily mit den Morden zu tun hat - denn die Tatorte tragen ihre "Handschrift" ...
Fazit
Dem Tod versprochen ist der dritte Teil der Black CATS Serie von Leslie Parrish - er knüpft direkt an das Ende von Band 2 an. Nachdem ich von Band 1 sehr begeistert war und Band 2 eher zu wünschen übrig lies, war ich doch sehr gespannt darauf, was mich im dritten Band erwartete und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht: Band 3 beinhaltete wieder eine deutliche Steigerung! Die Story war trotz weniger Kriminal-"anteilen" wesentlich interessanter als der Vorgänger, was vermutlich daran lag, dass man mehr in das Leben und die Vergangenheit der Hauptprotagonisten eintauchen konnte als bisher und so einen größeren Bezug zu ihnen entwickeln konnte.
Die Geschichte beinhaltet zwar auch einen "kriminellen" Aspekt, bezieht sich in diesem Fall jedoch hauptsächlich auf die Entwicklung der Charaktere, besonders der Figur der Lily Fletcher. Durch ihre Entführung und Folterung nach einem Einsatz hat sie sich stark verändert, wurde selbstbewusster und kampfbereiter, köperlich und geistig gestärkt. Wie sagt man so schön? "Was Dich nicht umbringt macht Dich nur härter" - ich würde sagen, dieser Spruch trifft auf diesen Charakter auf jedenfall zu und zeigt einem auf, das ein Mensch an solchen Erlebnissen nicht unbedingt zerbrechen muss. Natürlich handelt es sich nur um eine Geschichte, trotzdem führt man sich die Erlebnisse vor Augen und freut sich auf einmal das es einem selbst so gut geht. Natürlich fragt man sich auch, ob man selbst genauso stark sein/werden könnte? In sofern nicht nur ein Buch für zwischendurch - es regt doch auch etwas zum nachdenken an.
Wyatt Blackstone, der Leiter der Black CATS, wird ebenfalls näher beschrieben. Er erscheint als netter, sympathischer Mensch mit einer grausigen Vergangenheit, die natürlich Spuren in seinem Leben hinterlassen hat. Diese Vergangenheit wurde jedoch nie näher beschrieben, in diesem Band wird das Geheimnis dann aber endlich gelüftet: Es ist erschreckend, ergreifend und sehr spannend und passt einfach genau zur Charakterentwicklung - man wundert sich, dass der "Mensch" sich bei solchen Erlebnissen so gut entwickelt hat und so "normal" geblieben ist und trotzdem passt es irgendwie zu seinem Verhalten. Die Liebesgeschichte, die sich zwischen Lily und Wyatt anbahnt, ist etwas auf das der aufmersame Leser schon seit Band 1 wartet. Natürlich hat sich Lily, auf Grund ihrer Erlebnisse, sehr verändert, doch dies scheint Wyatt nur mehr zu ihr hinzuziehen denn seine Gefühle für sie sind stärker denn je. Lily hingegen, die für ihren Chef immer eine Art Heldenverehrung verspürte, merkt ebenfalls das sich die Gefühle verändern, will sie sich aber lange Zeit nicht eingestehen denn alleine kommt sie ihrer Meinung nach besser in der Welt zurecht. Bald jedoch ändert sich ihre Meinung und die Gefühle die die beiden zu verdrängen versuchen sind kaum noch zu übersehen. Als Leser empfindet man dies jedoch nicht als aufdringlich oder störend, es ist eine zarte Liebesgeschichte, die sich immer weiter entwickelt und die man am liebsten schneller vorantreiben möchte!
Die Kriminalgeschichte, die dieser Roman beinhaltet, kommt zwar etwas zu kurz, die kurzen Anteile daran sind jedoch spannend gestaltet und die Beschreibungen der Opfer in den Hotelzimmern sind eine Freude für jeden Kriminalfan - auch die Beschreibung der ein oder anderen Tat ist spannend gehalten und man fühlt sich als würde man daneben stehen - was manchmal schon etwas beängstigend sein kann. ;-)
Ein Showdown am Ende des Buches darf natürlich wie immer nicht fehlen und macht die Geschichte noch um einiges interessanter und spannender! Die Aufklärung über die Identität des Pädophilen, sowie einige andere Details sind genial ausgearbeitet und überaus spannend gehalten, sodass man immer weiterlesen muss weil man endlich wissen will, wie das ganze sein Ende findet!
Band 3 enthält wieder jede Menge Spoiler von Band 2, es ist also zu empfehlen die Bände entweder in der richtigen Reihenfolge zu lesen oder direkt mit Band 3 zu beginnen, ansonsten vergeht einem doch recht schnell der Lesespaß. Der Stil der Autorin ist wie immer flüssig und gut zu lesen, die Kapitel in einer annehmbaren Länge und die Sprache ist gut verständlich ohne eintönig zu werden. Alles in allem konnte mich dieser Roman dann doch wieder vollstens überzeugen und verdient somit:
Wertung: 5 von 5 Sternen!
In diesem Buch dreht sich wieder alles um Wyatt Blackstone und sein Team: Die Black CATS. Die Black CATS sind eine Sondereinheit des FBI, die Mordfälle mit Internetbezug bearbeiten und bestenfalls auch lösen. Bei einigen grausamen Hotelmorden rückt die FBI Agentin Lily Fletcher in den Kreis der Verdächtigen - doch scheint daran faul zu sein: Lily Fletcher kam etwa 7 Monate zuvor bei einem Einsatz um's Leben! Dies ist zumindest der Stand, auf dem sich ihre ehemaligen Kollegen befinden, denn keiner weiß: Lily überlebte nur knapp die Folter des Pädophilen "Lovesprettyboys" den sie im Roman zuvor gejagt hatte und versteckt sich seitdem in Blackstone's Strandhaus. Wyatt und Brandon befinden sich nun in der Zwickmühle und fragen sich ernsthaft, was Lily mit den Morden zu tun hat - denn die Tatorte tragen ihre "Handschrift" ...
Fazit
Dem Tod versprochen ist der dritte Teil der Black CATS Serie von Leslie Parrish - er knüpft direkt an das Ende von Band 2 an. Nachdem ich von Band 1 sehr begeistert war und Band 2 eher zu wünschen übrig lies, war ich doch sehr gespannt darauf, was mich im dritten Band erwartete und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht: Band 3 beinhaltete wieder eine deutliche Steigerung! Die Story war trotz weniger Kriminal-"anteilen" wesentlich interessanter als der Vorgänger, was vermutlich daran lag, dass man mehr in das Leben und die Vergangenheit der Hauptprotagonisten eintauchen konnte als bisher und so einen größeren Bezug zu ihnen entwickeln konnte.
Die Geschichte beinhaltet zwar auch einen "kriminellen" Aspekt, bezieht sich in diesem Fall jedoch hauptsächlich auf die Entwicklung der Charaktere, besonders der Figur der Lily Fletcher. Durch ihre Entführung und Folterung nach einem Einsatz hat sie sich stark verändert, wurde selbstbewusster und kampfbereiter, köperlich und geistig gestärkt. Wie sagt man so schön? "Was Dich nicht umbringt macht Dich nur härter" - ich würde sagen, dieser Spruch trifft auf diesen Charakter auf jedenfall zu und zeigt einem auf, das ein Mensch an solchen Erlebnissen nicht unbedingt zerbrechen muss. Natürlich handelt es sich nur um eine Geschichte, trotzdem führt man sich die Erlebnisse vor Augen und freut sich auf einmal das es einem selbst so gut geht. Natürlich fragt man sich auch, ob man selbst genauso stark sein/werden könnte? In sofern nicht nur ein Buch für zwischendurch - es regt doch auch etwas zum nachdenken an.
Wyatt Blackstone, der Leiter der Black CATS, wird ebenfalls näher beschrieben. Er erscheint als netter, sympathischer Mensch mit einer grausigen Vergangenheit, die natürlich Spuren in seinem Leben hinterlassen hat. Diese Vergangenheit wurde jedoch nie näher beschrieben, in diesem Band wird das Geheimnis dann aber endlich gelüftet: Es ist erschreckend, ergreifend und sehr spannend und passt einfach genau zur Charakterentwicklung - man wundert sich, dass der "Mensch" sich bei solchen Erlebnissen so gut entwickelt hat und so "normal" geblieben ist und trotzdem passt es irgendwie zu seinem Verhalten. Die Liebesgeschichte, die sich zwischen Lily und Wyatt anbahnt, ist etwas auf das der aufmersame Leser schon seit Band 1 wartet. Natürlich hat sich Lily, auf Grund ihrer Erlebnisse, sehr verändert, doch dies scheint Wyatt nur mehr zu ihr hinzuziehen denn seine Gefühle für sie sind stärker denn je. Lily hingegen, die für ihren Chef immer eine Art Heldenverehrung verspürte, merkt ebenfalls das sich die Gefühle verändern, will sie sich aber lange Zeit nicht eingestehen denn alleine kommt sie ihrer Meinung nach besser in der Welt zurecht. Bald jedoch ändert sich ihre Meinung und die Gefühle die die beiden zu verdrängen versuchen sind kaum noch zu übersehen. Als Leser empfindet man dies jedoch nicht als aufdringlich oder störend, es ist eine zarte Liebesgeschichte, die sich immer weiter entwickelt und die man am liebsten schneller vorantreiben möchte!
Die Kriminalgeschichte, die dieser Roman beinhaltet, kommt zwar etwas zu kurz, die kurzen Anteile daran sind jedoch spannend gestaltet und die Beschreibungen der Opfer in den Hotelzimmern sind eine Freude für jeden Kriminalfan - auch die Beschreibung der ein oder anderen Tat ist spannend gehalten und man fühlt sich als würde man daneben stehen - was manchmal schon etwas beängstigend sein kann. ;-)
Ein Showdown am Ende des Buches darf natürlich wie immer nicht fehlen und macht die Geschichte noch um einiges interessanter und spannender! Die Aufklärung über die Identität des Pädophilen, sowie einige andere Details sind genial ausgearbeitet und überaus spannend gehalten, sodass man immer weiterlesen muss weil man endlich wissen will, wie das ganze sein Ende findet!
Band 3 enthält wieder jede Menge Spoiler von Band 2, es ist also zu empfehlen die Bände entweder in der richtigen Reihenfolge zu lesen oder direkt mit Band 3 zu beginnen, ansonsten vergeht einem doch recht schnell der Lesespaß. Der Stil der Autorin ist wie immer flüssig und gut zu lesen, die Kapitel in einer annehmbaren Länge und die Sprache ist gut verständlich ohne eintönig zu werden. Alles in allem konnte mich dieser Roman dann doch wieder vollstens überzeugen und verdient somit:
Wertung: 5 von 5 Sternen!
May 27, 2017
There is always that couple that you look forward to seeing get together in a series. Black at Heart brings them together and it was everything you wanted.
December 5, 2017
Book 3 great
I enjoyed Lili and Blackstone's story. It's a great mystery, trying to figure out the bad guy to the very end. Also loved the ending...just right for Lili and Wyatt!
I enjoyed Lili and Blackstone's story. It's a great mystery, trying to figure out the bad guy to the very end. Also loved the ending...just right for Lili and Wyatt!
December 11, 2017
I love this series! On to the next one.
August 4, 2018
Black at Heart had the perfect mix of romance, suspense and action for me. I loved it.
November 30, 2019
I really loved Wyatt & Lily finally having their story told!!!:) Fast paced & intriguing story line,thank you Leslie A. Kelly.
March 17, 2017
Black CATs #3
An excellent ending to a great series! It's well-written… The mysteries are good, and when you get to the end and finally find out who did it, you are usually pretty shocked. There is also a thread of romance that runs throughout each buck, giving you a different pairing in each one. Definitely worth the read!
Read:
March 15-16, 2017 - Kindle Unlimited (in a set of the three books in this series)
An excellent ending to a great series! It's well-written… The mysteries are good, and when you get to the end and finally find out who did it, you are usually pretty shocked. There is also a thread of romance that runs throughout each buck, giving you a different pairing in each one. Definitely worth the read!
Read:
March 15-16, 2017 - Kindle Unlimited (in a set of the three books in this series)
August 3, 2012
Inhalt: Wyatt Blackstone ist der Leiter des CAT Teams und wird nach dem Tod seiner Kollegin Lily Fletcher aus vielerlei Gründen seelisch gequält. Nicht nur, dass er sich Vorwürfe an dem Tod der jungen Frau macht, auch ein perfider Mörder treibt sein Unwesen. Bei den Opfern des Mörders handelt es sich um pädophile Männer, die allesamt auf der Internetplattform ‘Satans Playground’ angemeldet waren. Männer, denen Lily Fletcher vor ihrem Tod auf die Schliche kommen wollte. Doch das ist nicht die einzige Verbindung zu Lily. An den Tatorten findet Blackstone jedes Mal eine Lilie, am letzten sogar eine Tigerlilie, eine makabre Andeutung an seine verstorbene Kollegin, die beim FBI unter dem Namen ‘Tiger Lilly’ bekannt war.
Meine Meinung: Bereits mit dem ersten Band der Black CATS Serie konnte mich die Autorin Leslie Parrish begeistern. Die Mischung aus einer spannenden Kriminalgeschichte und prickelnden Gefühlen ist ihr sehr gut gelungen. Band zwei habe ich nicht gelesen und kann nach dem Lesen von ‘Black CATS – Dem Tod versprochen’ auch sagen, dass man den zweiten Teil nicht zwingend kennen muss, um den dritten zu verstehen. Trotzdem ist es ratsam, die drei Bände in der vorgesehenen Reihenfolge zu lesen, da ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ nahtlos an den zweiten Band anknüpft, die Geschichte fortführt und die Handlung Höhepunkte aus dem Vorgängerband vorweg nimmt.
Auch, wenn mir ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ unterhaltende Lesestunden bereitet hat, konnte er mich leider nicht in dem Maß fesseln, wie Leslie Parrish es mit ihrem ersten Buch geschafft hat.
In ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ greift die Autorin abermals Mitglieder aus dem FBI-Internetteam Black CATS auf. Im Fokus stehen dabei der Ermittler Wyatt Blackstone und seine ehemalige Kollegin Lily Fletcher. Auch das Verbrechen, was in diesem Band thematisiert wird, dreht sich abermals in der einen oder anderen Weise um die Internetplattform ‘Satans Playground’, die wir bereits in ‘Was kostet der Tod?’ kennengelernt haben. In dieser Geschichte jedoch wird das Thema Pädophilie aufgegriffen. Die Verbrechen an Kindern werden hier aber verständlicherweise nicht sehr detailliert beschrieben, hier reicht allein der Sachverhalt und die Tatsache an sich, dass es dem Leser allein bei der Erwähnung der Misshandlungen eiskalt den Rücken herunterläuft.
Neben diesen Gräueltaten behandelt dieser Band die eiskalten und gut geplanten Morde, die an pädophilen Verbrechern ausgeübt werden. In diesen Szenen geht die Autorin weitaus mehr ins Detail, lässt durch ihre Beschreibungen ein genaues Bild vor den Augen des Lesers entstehen.
Leider hat es Leslie Parrish aber nicht geschafft, die spannende und gut konstruierte Grundidee von Anfang an fesselnd umzusetzen.
Die ersten 200 Seiten beschäftigen sich zwar immer wieder mit den Morden, doch treiben diese Momente die Handlung kaum voran. Vielmehr legt Leslie Parrish anfangs einen Schwerpunkt auf die Einführung der Hauptfiguren, die ihr wiederum sehr gut gelingt. Die Autorin baut Erzählungen aus den Vergangenheiten Blackstones und Fletchers fließend in den Verlauf der Geschichte ein, gibt dem Leser ununterbrochen Gelegenheiten, die beiden Figuren verstehen- und kennenzulernen. Durch diese emotionale Ebene erhält der Thriller eine besondere Note, vernachlässigt aber gerade aus diesem Grund die unerträgliche Spannung, die ich persönlich von einem Thriller erwarte.
Erst in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs wendet sich das Blatt. Auf den letzten knapp 150 Seiten nimmt die Handlung gehörig an Fahrt auf, sowohl innerhalb der Kriminal- als auch der Liebesgeschichte. Hier kommen Fans beider Genres voll und ganz auf ihre Kosten. Hier wiederum muss man Leslie Parrish auch zu Gute halten, dass sie die Beschreibung von Wyatt und Lily anfangs so gewissenhaft durchgeführt hat. Denn gerade, weil man für die beiden Figuren so viel erfahren hat, fiebert man bei der Entwicklung der Beziehung und der Aufklärung des Falles besonders mit.
Fazit: Wer gut geplante Kriminalgeschichten mit einer schönen Prise Gefühle liebt, der sollte sich die drei Bände von Black CATs auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen.
Meine Meinung: Bereits mit dem ersten Band der Black CATS Serie konnte mich die Autorin Leslie Parrish begeistern. Die Mischung aus einer spannenden Kriminalgeschichte und prickelnden Gefühlen ist ihr sehr gut gelungen. Band zwei habe ich nicht gelesen und kann nach dem Lesen von ‘Black CATS – Dem Tod versprochen’ auch sagen, dass man den zweiten Teil nicht zwingend kennen muss, um den dritten zu verstehen. Trotzdem ist es ratsam, die drei Bände in der vorgesehenen Reihenfolge zu lesen, da ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ nahtlos an den zweiten Band anknüpft, die Geschichte fortführt und die Handlung Höhepunkte aus dem Vorgängerband vorweg nimmt.
Auch, wenn mir ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ unterhaltende Lesestunden bereitet hat, konnte er mich leider nicht in dem Maß fesseln, wie Leslie Parrish es mit ihrem ersten Buch geschafft hat.
In ‘Dem Tod versprochen’ greift die Autorin abermals Mitglieder aus dem FBI-Internetteam Black CATS auf. Im Fokus stehen dabei der Ermittler Wyatt Blackstone und seine ehemalige Kollegin Lily Fletcher. Auch das Verbrechen, was in diesem Band thematisiert wird, dreht sich abermals in der einen oder anderen Weise um die Internetplattform ‘Satans Playground’, die wir bereits in ‘Was kostet der Tod?’ kennengelernt haben. In dieser Geschichte jedoch wird das Thema Pädophilie aufgegriffen. Die Verbrechen an Kindern werden hier aber verständlicherweise nicht sehr detailliert beschrieben, hier reicht allein der Sachverhalt und die Tatsache an sich, dass es dem Leser allein bei der Erwähnung der Misshandlungen eiskalt den Rücken herunterläuft.
Neben diesen Gräueltaten behandelt dieser Band die eiskalten und gut geplanten Morde, die an pädophilen Verbrechern ausgeübt werden. In diesen Szenen geht die Autorin weitaus mehr ins Detail, lässt durch ihre Beschreibungen ein genaues Bild vor den Augen des Lesers entstehen.
Leider hat es Leslie Parrish aber nicht geschafft, die spannende und gut konstruierte Grundidee von Anfang an fesselnd umzusetzen.
Die ersten 200 Seiten beschäftigen sich zwar immer wieder mit den Morden, doch treiben diese Momente die Handlung kaum voran. Vielmehr legt Leslie Parrish anfangs einen Schwerpunkt auf die Einführung der Hauptfiguren, die ihr wiederum sehr gut gelingt. Die Autorin baut Erzählungen aus den Vergangenheiten Blackstones und Fletchers fließend in den Verlauf der Geschichte ein, gibt dem Leser ununterbrochen Gelegenheiten, die beiden Figuren verstehen- und kennenzulernen. Durch diese emotionale Ebene erhält der Thriller eine besondere Note, vernachlässigt aber gerade aus diesem Grund die unerträgliche Spannung, die ich persönlich von einem Thriller erwarte.
Erst in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs wendet sich das Blatt. Auf den letzten knapp 150 Seiten nimmt die Handlung gehörig an Fahrt auf, sowohl innerhalb der Kriminal- als auch der Liebesgeschichte. Hier kommen Fans beider Genres voll und ganz auf ihre Kosten. Hier wiederum muss man Leslie Parrish auch zu Gute halten, dass sie die Beschreibung von Wyatt und Lily anfangs so gewissenhaft durchgeführt hat. Denn gerade, weil man für die beiden Figuren so viel erfahren hat, fiebert man bei der Entwicklung der Beziehung und der Aufklärung des Falles besonders mit.
Fazit: Wer gut geplante Kriminalgeschichten mit einer schönen Prise Gefühle liebt, der sollte sich die drei Bände von Black CATs auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen.
April 5, 2012
Erster Satz: Noch nie zuvor hatte Special Agent Wyatt Blackstone dem Begräbnis eines seiner Teammitglieder beiwohnen müssen.
Ich habe lange auf dieses Buch gewartet. Nicht nur, weil ich die Black Cats Reihe sehr gut finde und sie die erste Romantic Thrill Buchreihe war die ich jemals gelesen habe, sondern auch weil Wyatt und Lily von Anfang an eine gewisse Faszination bei mir ausgelöst haben. Das miteinander der beiden war voller Spannung und Distanziertheit und dennoch hat man deutlich gemerkt das die beiden etwas verbindet. Nimmt man noch die Gehschehnisse des letzten Buches hinzu, ist es also völlig verständlich das ich sehr gespannt auf deren Geschichte war.
Dem Tod versprochen unterscheidet sich auch gleich zu Anfang von seinen Vorgängerbänden. Als Leser der Reihe ist einem von vornerein klar wer hinter den bestialischen Morden steckt und wer versucht einen Kindermörder aus dem Gefängnis zu bekommen. Auch der Zweck ist klar: Lily wieder an die Oberfläche zu treiben und sie dann zu beseitigen damit das Leben wie gewohnt weitergehen kann. Dennoch bleibt die Spannung erhalten, schließlich wissen weder Wyatt noch Lily, noch man selbst als Leser WER genau der Mann in Wirklichkeit ist.
Im Gegenteil zu den anderen Büchern wird man hier auch nicht Zeuge von mehreren Morden, der Großteil des Buches besteht aus der Suche nach Indizien und der Suche nach dem Mörder. Ab und an gibt es auch wieder Einblicke in die Gedanken der "Gegenseite", alles in allem bleibt die Spannung also trotz der veränderten Verhältnisse spannend, genauso so wie man es von der Reihe gewohnt ist.
Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Lily und Wyatt gehört für mich zu einer der schönsten der gesamten Reihe. Beide haben ihre Probleme, ihre dunkle Vergangenheit und haben mit ihren Gefühlen zu kämpfen. Vor allem Wyatt, für den es noch mehr Gründe gibt sich Lily nicht zu nähern, schließlich ist er ihr ehemaliger Chef. Man merkt wie die beiden im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr zueinander getrieben werden, durch die Umstände und ihr Gefühlsleben und wie Lily sich bemüht Wyatt klar zu machen das sie keinesfalls eine Familie mit Kindern haben möchte, sondern das die Ereignisse sie für immer verändert haben.
Natürlich ist auch die Auflösung des Falles wieder unglaublich spannend, noch dazu weil eine Agentin unter Tatverdacht steht. Das Dem Tod versprochen das letzte Buch der Black Cats Reihe ist wage ich übrigens anzuzweifeln, schließlich sind erst zwei neue Teammitglieder dazu gekommen und ich könnte mir gut vorstellen das die Autorin irgendwann weiterschreibt. Schön wäre es zumindest.
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Fazit
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Dem Tod versprochen bringt, was den Ablauf betrifft, etwas frischen Wind in die Reihe und ist nicht minder spannend als seine Vorgänger. Wyatt und Lily sind ein sehr gutes Team und da die Geschehnisse sich über drei Bände hinweg aufgebaut haben, ist e sschön das diese Geschichte endlich ad acta gelegt werden kann.
Ich habe lange auf dieses Buch gewartet. Nicht nur, weil ich die Black Cats Reihe sehr gut finde und sie die erste Romantic Thrill Buchreihe war die ich jemals gelesen habe, sondern auch weil Wyatt und Lily von Anfang an eine gewisse Faszination bei mir ausgelöst haben. Das miteinander der beiden war voller Spannung und Distanziertheit und dennoch hat man deutlich gemerkt das die beiden etwas verbindet. Nimmt man noch die Gehschehnisse des letzten Buches hinzu, ist es also völlig verständlich das ich sehr gespannt auf deren Geschichte war.
Dem Tod versprochen unterscheidet sich auch gleich zu Anfang von seinen Vorgängerbänden. Als Leser der Reihe ist einem von vornerein klar wer hinter den bestialischen Morden steckt und wer versucht einen Kindermörder aus dem Gefängnis zu bekommen. Auch der Zweck ist klar: Lily wieder an die Oberfläche zu treiben und sie dann zu beseitigen damit das Leben wie gewohnt weitergehen kann. Dennoch bleibt die Spannung erhalten, schließlich wissen weder Wyatt noch Lily, noch man selbst als Leser WER genau der Mann in Wirklichkeit ist.
Im Gegenteil zu den anderen Büchern wird man hier auch nicht Zeuge von mehreren Morden, der Großteil des Buches besteht aus der Suche nach Indizien und der Suche nach dem Mörder. Ab und an gibt es auch wieder Einblicke in die Gedanken der "Gegenseite", alles in allem bleibt die Spannung also trotz der veränderten Verhältnisse spannend, genauso so wie man es von der Reihe gewohnt ist.
Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Lily und Wyatt gehört für mich zu einer der schönsten der gesamten Reihe. Beide haben ihre Probleme, ihre dunkle Vergangenheit und haben mit ihren Gefühlen zu kämpfen. Vor allem Wyatt, für den es noch mehr Gründe gibt sich Lily nicht zu nähern, schließlich ist er ihr ehemaliger Chef. Man merkt wie die beiden im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr zueinander getrieben werden, durch die Umstände und ihr Gefühlsleben und wie Lily sich bemüht Wyatt klar zu machen das sie keinesfalls eine Familie mit Kindern haben möchte, sondern das die Ereignisse sie für immer verändert haben.
Natürlich ist auch die Auflösung des Falles wieder unglaublich spannend, noch dazu weil eine Agentin unter Tatverdacht steht. Das Dem Tod versprochen das letzte Buch der Black Cats Reihe ist wage ich übrigens anzuzweifeln, schließlich sind erst zwei neue Teammitglieder dazu gekommen und ich könnte mir gut vorstellen das die Autorin irgendwann weiterschreibt. Schön wäre es zumindest.
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Fazit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dem Tod versprochen bringt, was den Ablauf betrifft, etwas frischen Wind in die Reihe und ist nicht minder spannend als seine Vorgänger. Wyatt und Lily sind ein sehr gutes Team und da die Geschehnisse sich über drei Bände hinweg aufgebaut haben, ist e sschön das diese Geschichte endlich ad acta gelegt werden kann.
September 28, 2010
Average, ok, solid mystery with a little suspense, and a small amount of sort-of-romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Lily was a member of the FBI Cyber Action Team (CAT) whose targets were internet criminals. While doing surveillance on a sexual predator, Lily was shot, held prisoner and tortured for a week. The kidnapper made it look like she died in a car going over a bridge. Everyone thought she was dead, and a funeral was held. She managed to escape and called her boss Wyatt for help. She lived in secret in Maine for seven months while she healed physically and mentally. No one knew she was alive but Wyatt, another FBI agent, and the killer. The killer wanted to find Lily to finish the job. The killer began killing other sexual predators, making it look like Lily did it. Wyatt’s boss had never liked him and is making Wyatt’s life difficult. Wyatt is breaking rules by keeping Lily’s existence a secret.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is labeled romantic suspense on the cover. I would define it as mostly mystery, some suspense, and a small amount of “sort-of romance.” I expected to see and wanted to see the development of a relationship, but it wasn’t happening. Lily used to idolize Wyatt. After her torture, she became stronger and tougher, and was direct in telling him she wanted him. He had been reluctant to have a relationship with her for a couple of reasons, but he went with it. The reasons were something about “life is too short, we could die anytime, so let’s have some pleasure together.” I felt like the author threw in one sex scene so she could call it a romance, but it was missing a falling-in-love process.
As to mystery and suspense, they were well thought out. I had no technical problems with anything, but there was nothing new or different. I wasn’t surprised or delighted. It kept my interest. I did not feel that I wanted it to be over. So on balance, I would call it an average, ok, solid mystery.
DATA:
Story length: 345 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 1, four pages long. Setting: Maine, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery suspense with minimal romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Lily was a member of the FBI Cyber Action Team (CAT) whose targets were internet criminals. While doing surveillance on a sexual predator, Lily was shot, held prisoner and tortured for a week. The kidnapper made it look like she died in a car going over a bridge. Everyone thought she was dead, and a funeral was held. She managed to escape and called her boss Wyatt for help. She lived in secret in Maine for seven months while she healed physically and mentally. No one knew she was alive but Wyatt, another FBI agent, and the killer. The killer wanted to find Lily to finish the job. The killer began killing other sexual predators, making it look like Lily did it. Wyatt’s boss had never liked him and is making Wyatt’s life difficult. Wyatt is breaking rules by keeping Lily’s existence a secret.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is labeled romantic suspense on the cover. I would define it as mostly mystery, some suspense, and a small amount of “sort-of romance.” I expected to see and wanted to see the development of a relationship, but it wasn’t happening. Lily used to idolize Wyatt. After her torture, she became stronger and tougher, and was direct in telling him she wanted him. He had been reluctant to have a relationship with her for a couple of reasons, but he went with it. The reasons were something about “life is too short, we could die anytime, so let’s have some pleasure together.” I felt like the author threw in one sex scene so she could call it a romance, but it was missing a falling-in-love process.
As to mystery and suspense, they were well thought out. I had no technical problems with anything, but there was nothing new or different. I wasn’t surprised or delighted. It kept my interest. I did not feel that I wanted it to be over. So on balance, I would call it an average, ok, solid mystery.
DATA:
Story length: 345 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 1, four pages long. Setting: Maine, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery suspense with minimal romance.
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October 20, 2014This is the third in a series whose first two books I really liked a few years ago, about an FBI team investigating cyber-crimes. In the previous book, Lily decided decided to go all vigilante and try to catch a paedophile the team had come across in an online investigation (her nephew had been killed by a paedophile, so her work was always really personal for her). Lily went outside her team to do so, and was captured by the man she was after, who kept her captive for days. Her team, including her enigmatic boss, Wyatt Blackstone, thought she was dead. She managed to call Wyatt for help, though, and he rescued her. Since then, Wyatt has helped her stay in hiding and everyone thinks she's dead. Except the paedophile suspects she might still be out there, and has hatched a plan to force her out.
This just didn't work for me. It took me ages to get into it at the beginning (weeks and weeks to read the first half of the book), mainly because I didn't find the characters particularly interesting. This was a trilogy constructed to have the last book contain the romance the readers would be dying to read, but I... wasn't. The relationship between Wyatt and Lily felt unequal in the first two books, and even though now she's supposed to be so much stronger, I just didn't feel it. Plus, I was a bit annoyed at the direction the suspense element was taking. The villain was revealed to be rich and powerful and preparing to use that power and money to target Lily, even using the police and justice system. That's not a plot that is to my taste.
So, a disappointment. I'm not sure if I would have liked this better when the series first came out, but I didn't now.
MY GRADE: A DNF.
This just didn't work for me. It took me ages to get into it at the beginning (weeks and weeks to read the first half of the book), mainly because I didn't find the characters particularly interesting. This was a trilogy constructed to have the last book contain the romance the readers would be dying to read, but I... wasn't. The relationship between Wyatt and Lily felt unequal in the first two books, and even though now she's supposed to be so much stronger, I just didn't feel it. Plus, I was a bit annoyed at the direction the suspense element was taking. The villain was revealed to be rich and powerful and preparing to use that power and money to target Lily, even using the police and justice system. That's not a plot that is to my taste.
So, a disappointment. I'm not sure if I would have liked this better when the series first came out, but I didn't now.
MY GRADE: A DNF.
February 17, 2015
synopsis:
wyatt is on the trail of a serial killer without his usual team around him, because only he and one other member are aware that the member of the team who supposedly died is still alive, and the crimes implicate her. the memorial service for lily had been held, and wyatt got a phone call from her that night. she was severely injured and wyatt agreed to hide her so that she could recover. then someone starts killing men who are after children and leaving some type of lily at the scene. also, the man who killed lily's nephew is set free. all this happens and draws lily, a stronger lily, out of her suspended animation.
what i liked: i liked that lily came back stronger, with all her insecurities stripped away. i also liked that, once she learned what was happening, she was ready to abandon her safe haven to do the right thing. i liked that wyatt saw lily as what she had become, and as someone with lots of strength, rather than what had happened to her.
what i didn't like: most of the build in relationship between wyatt and lily happened off the page, before the events of the story. also, there just didn't seem to be a lot of story.
wyatt is on the trail of a serial killer without his usual team around him, because only he and one other member are aware that the member of the team who supposedly died is still alive, and the crimes implicate her. the memorial service for lily had been held, and wyatt got a phone call from her that night. she was severely injured and wyatt agreed to hide her so that she could recover. then someone starts killing men who are after children and leaving some type of lily at the scene. also, the man who killed lily's nephew is set free. all this happens and draws lily, a stronger lily, out of her suspended animation.
what i liked: i liked that lily came back stronger, with all her insecurities stripped away. i also liked that, once she learned what was happening, she was ready to abandon her safe haven to do the right thing. i liked that wyatt saw lily as what she had become, and as someone with lots of strength, rather than what had happened to her.
what i didn't like: most of the build in relationship between wyatt and lily happened off the page, before the events of the story. also, there just didn't seem to be a lot of story.
May 8, 2014
The book, 3rd in the series, did not disappoint me. I love the way this author writes and love her storylines. I can't wait for the 4th in this series to come out, 'Black Out'. These books have a lot of suspense, romance, and thrilling. You really need to read the first 2 in their order, 'Fad to Black' and 'Pitch Black'. The characters are built from book 1, thru book 2 and into book 3. I loved how the stories are different but each book moves to the next. Each book does solve the crime and the stories did not leave me wondering. They held my interest from beginning to end. I did not find a slow spot within them. I'm glad I found and tried this author.
October 15, 2015
'Black at Heart' was action packed, thrilling, full of drama, deceit, mystery and suspense. The storyline picked up where book two, 'Pitch Black', left off. What a ride. The way it played out was full of surprises. I liked that this was Wyatt's story. He's dark, mysterious, very smart and makes a great leader. The Black CATs are a great team of different personalities and specialties. And then there's Anspaugh. Oh how I had an intensely strong dislike for him since I first met him. He's definitely an arrogant ass. I suppose he fit in nicely with the rest of them in Washington DC. I've truly enjoyed this series and I look forward to reading the next book. A great read.
May 23, 2010
This is the 3rd book and what appears to be the final book in The Black Cats series by Leslie Parrish. The heroine is Lily, the FBI agent that everyone believed was killed at the end of book 2. The hero is Wyatt Blackstone, the enigmatic leader of The Black Cat's division.
This was probably the best book of the 3 in the series. The action was tight and the romance that had been hinted at in the other two books fully came to life in this story. We also get more of the back story on Wyatt and how he came to be the man he is. I thouroughly enjoyed this book.
This was probably the best book of the 3 in the series. The action was tight and the romance that had been hinted at in the other two books fully came to life in this story. We also get more of the back story on Wyatt and how he came to be the man he is. I thouroughly enjoyed this book.
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January 22, 2013Started really well, it's an FBI internet related crime team suspense story but it had a lot of back story and even though I hadn't read the previous books it covered enough ground for me to start here but it took ages for the story to get going. There was too much background and back and forth between who each character was and what the story was about and what happened in the previous book that I just gave up. It's well written but I just got frustrated with it. I keep thinking I might come back to it but I'm just not sure if I will.
August 2, 2014
Cyber Action Team Leader Wyatt Blackstone is known for his icy control and being able to detach himself from his work. Now he is beginning to fall for a woman who is under his protection...a woman who may be brutally murdering criminals who she believes deserve to be executed.
This book was a surprise for me. From the identity of the woman Wyatt is protecting, to the great twists in the murder mystery, this book kept me glued to the pages. This is the 3rd book in the Black CATs series. I highly recommend reading all 3 books. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
This book was a surprise for me. From the identity of the woman Wyatt is protecting, to the great twists in the murder mystery, this book kept me glued to the pages. This is the 3rd book in the Black CATs series. I highly recommend reading all 3 books. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
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