I don't like books about serial killers but this one had enough ...
584056
I had never read a Nora Roberts book before.  I don't like books about serial killers but this one had enough plot going to keep me reading.  I liked that she was a photographer, renovating a house, the romance, the dog, etc. I enjoyed the characters.
4065174
This book tells the story of a very sick and mentally disturbed man who has no qualms about what he has done and does. I felt like i was reading the diary of a real-life serial rapist, murderer, torturer and psychotic individual. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. Not a lot disturbs me and there were a few bits in here which made even me cringe. Roadkill is my new favorite murder weapon.
1254316
It was nice to read a murder mystery without a lot of blood and gore for a change. I learned a little about what holds me together, but more than I could handle, just passed those by. Five suspects, who can it it be? I found out in the last quarter but still enjoyed it.
4292421
I don't give 5 stars easily to books I read but I'm giving it to this one. It was exciting without being trashy or gory.
1899954
Not the most exciting true crime type book.  Not because the author did a poor job, but because the Darlie Routier case did not have any scandal.  Still, if you are interested in the Darlie case, this is a good choice.  The book is well written.  The author did not take sides concerning guilt or innocence.  I'm a little disturbed by the trial outcome.
2362517
Not crazy about this one, since the title says it all. I figured out whodunit immediately, so not much was left in the way of enticing me to read on.  Turns out I was right, even though I hoped some twist of events would happen and another killer would be revealed.  Nope!

It is written well, and I hope author Parks will make the next crime/mystery one in which we won't figure out the perpetrator first rattle out of the box.
796405
Can serial killers get any worse?  It seems the answer is yes.  This serial killer is vicious and his method of choosing his victims downright horrible.  But if you can take it, this story will hold your interest.

It is complicated by the law firm's partners who should have the client's best interests in mind but clearly don't when they assign an inexperienced lawyer to the case.

You wouldn't want to hire this firm, but I think you would want to read this book.
4026174
Well written but could have been less discriptive with serial killer actions too disturbing
736591
This book contains people that wouldn't even be considered serial killers such as those in the old west  and pirates where you'd have to prove that these people received some type of psychological gratification from the killing.
2861410
After a while of reading serial killer books you've pretty much read them all. Oh little things change, trophy, M.O., victimization, etc.,but the bare bones become glaringly redundant. This book is the same. A preacher,a good, likeable man suddenly hears the voice of God sending him on a mission in God's name. However, I must add that the interaction between the investigators made it a worthy read. If you're over sensitive to racial tension you would not enjoy this book. What made this different than most were the characters and their development, thus their obvious differences and how the author deftly made something so incongruous work so well. While I stopped reading serial books years ago, I look forward to this  team of agents next story as they develop closer the more they work together. Let the fireworks fly!!
2065058
I am not a fan of short stories but I will read anything by Brian Freeman. I have read most of his books now with just 3 more to go. This one was ok but I guessed who the killer was about 1/3 of the way thru. It was too easy. I liked the story because I didn't want to read a real book last night. This hit the spot.
2720800
STORY BRIEF:
Dawn's father was psychic.  Somehow when he died five years ago his gifts were passed to Dawn.  She began seeing and talking to ghosts, and she couldn't make it stop.  So she ran away from Vermont and made a new life for herself in California.  She left her teenage sweetheart Bryan.  Since then she has been taking tranquilizers and alcohol to stop the ghosts.  Bryan became a cop.  Nick, another cop, became famous 15 years ago when he caught the nightcap strangler, a serial killer.  Bryan has been asked to prepare a presentation about Nick for an awards ceremony.  It's a secret, and no one is to know that Nick will be honored.  So Bryan secretly takes the serial killer police files to study them for his presentation.  The serial killer is still out there.  An innocent man went to jail.  The killer is aware of Bryan taking the files and is worried that he might be caught.  So the killer kills Bryan's friend Bette and frames Bryan.  Dawn hears about this and comes back to town.  She hopes to use her psychic gift to help find the killer.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This book was labeled romantic suspense, but it's mostly mystery suspense.  There's just enough romance to put it within the genre, but I would have liked more relationship development.  We don't see that because the relationship developed years ago when they were teens.  Now they are separated, and it's mostly about working together to solve the mystery.

I would have liked more explanation about the psychic gift being transferred to Dawn at her father's death.  I expected to see more happen with this gift, but it hardly came into play at all.  That's ok with me, it's just why pay so much attention to it at the beginning of the book if you're not going to use it?  I also wanted to know more about Sara's baby.  It was mentioned several times but never answered.  Again, that's ok, but it would have been nice to get an answer.

Regarding the story, it didn't grab me emotionally.  I didn't get the feeling of "oh, this is good."  It felt more like slowly uncovering clues about a serial killer.  It was a little unbelievable that Bryan and Dawn could go around interviewing people without being captured.  The police were hunting for Bryan to arrest him.  But again, I accept it for the sake of the story.  It was an ok story.  No serious problems, but nothing special enough to set it apart from others.  There was an interesting collection of characters in a cabin at one point.  I was intrigued with their interactions as they suspected each other.  The ending was well done with suspense and action.

OTHER REVIEWERS:
I noticed some other reviewers say they "knew who the killer was" early in the book which was a problem for them.  My reaction was different.  First, I had a suspicion, but I didn't "know" for sure.  Second, I don't think it's a problem to know who the bad guy is.  I've read a number of good stories where I know the villain early on.  It can be good to be in the minds of both the good guys and the bad guys and watch their interactions.  It's just a different type of story.  I wouldn't fault the author over that.  In fact I was pleased with myself that I suspected someone.  I felt smart.  I don't often figure those things out.

DATA:
Story length: 370 pages.  Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words.  Sexual language: moderate.  Number of sex scenes: one, five pages long.  Setting: current day Vermont.  Copyright: 2010.  Genre: mystery suspense with some romance.
1531964
If you've ever been fascinated by serial killers, this is a book I highly recommend.
It's not a book that I'd sit down and read all at once, but it's good to flip through and read the short bios and all things related to serial killers.
4126772
I love murders and serial killers, so I decided to try this book out. Its hard to pay attention bc the voice puts me right to sleep... but very interesting.
2849636
This is one of my shorter reviews because this book basically does what it says it will do. It is an encyclopedia of serial killers.  The editors line up and offer a background on some of the more famous serial killers of all time while also offering some details on what tools are used to find and defeat them.

An interesting note is that most of the killers in this book got their starts in a period that seems to run from 1970-1985.  Imagine a huge bell curve for serial killers and that is what you have. Something to keep an eye on in this book that I found interesting.
2591775
This is the first book I've read in this series, but I still found it compelling. It was a fun casual read for me. I realize it's strange to call a story about a gruesome serial killer "fun" and "casual" but that's just me :) There were a lot of characters to digest, but the book was easy to follow, and the central heroine, Lizzie, is interesting and held my interest. I'd read the next one.
4409380
The sequel to Roses are Red, this one isn't as good.  This doesn't mean it's not worth reading though.
This one introduces the supernatural world to the serial killer genre.  Vampires are in this one and Alex must stop them along with the killer from Roses are Red, The Mastermind.
How can Alex defeat vampires you ask?  Well maybe he doesn't.  Maybe this is where he meets his match. You'll just have to buy this book, read it and find out.