This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Jen B. This book finaled in the Romantic Suspense category.

Plot Summary: When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He’s not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken.
David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close—and is moving in for the kill.

And now, Jen B’s review:

Pros:

1. Fast paced cops and firefighters story.

2. Well written characters with lots of depth.

3. Not too many characters in the foreground.

4. Small updates on the characters from earlier in the series.

Cons:

1. There are lots of bad guys in this story.

2. The characters forgive and move on very easily.

3. Another psycho hiding in plain sight story.

4. I think that the main bad guy in this story is bordering on larger than life to the point that he isn’t believable.

Unlike most Karen Rose books, this story should be read after reading the prior books in the series (use the handy relationship chart at KarenRose.com). I had been waiting a long time for David to have his HEA. He is a very good character and this story finally gives the readers answers about why David does the things he does. Normally, Karen Rose makes the reader twist and turn trying to determine the bad guy. In this story, the reader learns pretty early on who the bad guys are and even some of the motivations.

There is a good twist at the end that actually had me cheering because it wasn’t Karen Rose’s typical straight line. There is also a lesson in the story about the safe use of technology. If you decide to read this story, check out Karen Rose’s website for an epilogue. There are no surprises in the epilogue, but it is a feel good update.

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