KISS ME, KILL ME, book two in the Lucy Kincaid series by
Allison Brennan, begins just a few weeks after the
conclusion of Love Me to Death. Lucy is dealing with
the emotional fallout from her confrontation with a serial
killer and the derailing of her plans to join the FBI. Sean
Rogan, partner in the security firm RCK East with Lucy's
brother Patrick and Lucy's lover (much to Patrick's
displeasure), pulls her in on a missing person
investigation. Lucy's skills in cybercrime and tracking
on-line predators may be the key to finding his teenage
cousin-by-marriage, Kirsten Benton. Their investigation
quickly uncovers Kirsten's secret life as "Ashleigh", a girl
who frequents an on-line sex site and the underground world
of instant raves that involve music, drugs, and sex with
strangers.
Lucy and Sean's investigation unexpectedly overlaps with the
hunt for a serial killer being led by FBI Agent Suzanne "Mad
Dog" Madeaux. The "Cinderella Stranger" has killed four
women and each body has been found among the debris of a
rave. Each woman was asphyxiated and left with only one
shoe. Witnesses are hard to come by and so is a suspect.
Lucy, Sean, and Suzanne will need to join forces to find
Kirsten and stop the killer in time to prevent another death.
Ms. Brennan ratchets up the suspense on page one and keeps
it going until the last page. The quick pacing and careful
revealing of clues to the killer kept me reading late into
the night. In this book, the romantic element is the
continuing development of the relationship between Lucy and
Sean. I enjoyed watching them build and grow their
relationship in the midst of some serious challenges.
Though I always prefer reading books in a series in order,
this book can stand alone.
Lucy Kincaid has firsthand experience dealing with deadly
criminal predators, and she's fully prepared to share her
many talents with the FBI. But when her career plans are
derailed, her boyfriend, security expert Sean Rogan, asks
for help on his latest private investigation. Using
well-honed cyber-hunting skills, Lucy and Sean are soon on
the trail of a missing teenage girl with a penchant for
disappearing-and a shocking secret life.
FBI Agent Suzanne Madeaux is also tracking someone: a serial
killer on the loose in New York City. Dubbed by the press
the Cinderella Strangler, he cruises seamy underground sex
parties, where drug-fueled women make for easy pickings. As
Lucy and Sean's desperate search collides with the FBI's
hunt, Lucy isn't about to step aside. Haunted by painful
memories of her own harrowing encounters with evil, she's
determined to prevent any more innocents from meeting the
fate she so narrowly escaped. Delving deep into the twisted
psyche of a remorseless killer, Lucy must confront her own
fears -even if it means risking a future job with the FBI
and future happiness with Sean.