It's been many years since I first discovered Beverly Barton, and she never disappoints me with her stories. So, it was with great sadness that I learned that she passed away the same week that DEAD BY MORNING was released. That news made me want to leave DEAD BY MORNING on my tbr shelf so that I would always have something to look forward to, but that just wasn't possible.

DEAD BY MORNING is another in the Griffin Powell Agency series. Someone is not only killing people who have an association with the agency, but is copycatting the famous serial killer known as The Carver. The real Carver is securely tucked away in prison, but will he be able to tell Powell agents anything about the copycat? If so who will he tell?

That answer comes in the form of Agent Maleah Purdue. It quickly becomes a challenge to her to get the answers the Powell Agency needs to not only stop but solve the murders, but in order to get those answers from the Carver what must Maleah give him in exchange? Is it a price she is able and willing to pay?

Assigned to the case with Maleah is agent Derek Lawrence. He and Maleah have worked together previously and each has strong emotional issues that rarely if ever mesh together. How they manage this time makes for an interesting story, and you can feel the tension emanating from the pages. As with any of Ms. Barton's novels there are a myriad of characters, and at times it can get confusing to remember who is who, but always there is a core group of characters who work together and remain consistent from book to book, and watching their stories evolve is just one of the many reasons I am a Barton fan.

When the last page was turned I have to say I was slightly (and that might well be an understatement) angry about the ending. The cliff hanger was amazing, and not at all what I was expecting. That being said I don't think there's a thing about DEAD BY MORNING that I didn't like and will miss being able to walk through my favorite book store or browse the pages of Amazon and not see a new title by Ms. Barton available.