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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780821776889
ISBN number: 0821776886
Label: Zebra
Manufacturer: Zebra
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 448
Printing Date: July 01, 2006
Publishing house: Zebra
Sale Popularity Level: 27792
Studio: Zebra
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
'New York Times' bestselling author Beverly Barton delivers a sizzling novel of suspense about a small town sheriff on a desperate hunt for a twisted serial killer that takes her to the edge of danger and desire. He's their secret admirer, wooing them with phone calls, love letters, and special gifts. From a distance, he admires them, desires them, despises them. And when he gets close enough, he kills them all. Adams County, Alabama, is a small, friendly place where everyone knows each other - but not well enough, it seems, because Sheriff Bernie Granger has a serial killer on her hands, a total psycho who stalks, woos, kidnaps and kills his victims. It's Bernie's very first big case, a chance for her to prove herself to her new boss, former Memphis police detective Jim Norton, but it won't be easy. This killer is uncannily smart. It's as if he knows what Bernie's thinking. And his subsequent move is more than shocking - it's chillingly personal. A terrifying game is underway. A desperate hunt has begun. And a rookie sheriff is determined to stop a killer at all costs. But is she getting nearer to catching him or drawing far too close to his deadly flame?
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Another one of my faves by Beverly Barton. Yes, it's graphic - be forewarned, but it's a murder/mystery - I would expect no less. The romance between Jim & Bernie is realistic and sweet, IMO. I also enjoyed reading how the relationship between Jim and his son grew (and his son's relationship with Bernie). The secondary characters were also well defined - Raymond, Robyn and Bernie's parents (as well as others).
As for the murderer, I had it between two of the characters and once I thought I figured it out, the book threw me for a tailspin.
It's definitely worth reading!
Rated by buyers 
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This is the very first Beverly Barton book I have ever read. I found it randomly while walking through a Borders while I waited for the train one day. The beginning was interesting enough and it held my attention. Though, I was a little put off by some of the wording like "panty creaming good looks". I laughed so hard when I read that and not in a good way. It was more in a "Lol what?" kind of way. But I could get past that and get on with the story, at least till I got halfway through.
More and more as I read, I was increasingly being turned off to this book by how it would time and again refer to women as being weak. Whether it be the second victim musing about how no woman has the physical strength to change her own tire. Or the Bernie, the female sheriff's father constantly coming to the rescue and undermining her authority.
Probably though the most infuriating part of the book was the ending. I had guessed the killer several chapters before the end and it was just frustrating when the characters had not yet figured it out. Then when they had figured it out, the reader was still left in the dark. I suppose this was done to add suspense but it failed in doing that. I eventually just began skimming the pages of the last chapter, to confirm who I believed it was and didn't even bother with the epilogue. I just had to read the very first sentence of that to know what was going on.
Overall this book is very average and all the romance for the main couple is at the very end and is very stunted. Barton gave all the romance to the pretty sister, while the heroine of the book gets one chapter near the end of the book where her and the hero are suddenly together.
Rated by buyers 
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As most of the other reviewers gave a detailed description of the plot, I would only say that there are a couple of things that threw me off this book. I think I will re-sell it.
First of course the graphic rape and torture scenes (it made me give the book 2 stars instead of 3) - there are several of them and some of them pretty gruesome and unnecessary (not to mention long). I felt that the book would have won in focusing more on the crime investigation instead of depicting in detail such scenes.
Second, the sheriff and the crime investigator take a long time in figuring out who the murderer is - I mean after the 3rd crime when the victim apparently goes away willingly with the murderer, how hard can it be to figure some things out?
Third, there are some less than subtle ideas that are forced on the reader every 20 pages or so - as Bernie telling repeatedly Jim Norton that he is a good father (he is always at a loss about what to do with his son, so I can't see the reasoning behind it), Jim's frequent comparisons between Bernie and his ex-wife etc etc.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked.
Rated by buyers -
I just finished reading this book and enjoyed it very much. The mystery and writing were excellent. I did figure out the identity of the killer about half-way through the book but it did not take away from the great story telling. I look forward to reading Ms. Barton's subsequent book. I really enjoyed how the end was written, very well done.
Rated by buyers -
I WENT TO BED AT 2 AM, BUT I WANTED TO STAY UP LATER TO FINISH THIS BOOK. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD TO PUT DOWN AND CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I KNOW THE ENDING.
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