You Belong to Me [Paperback]

I've finished "You Belong to Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Baltimore city Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of violence but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. And now he's starting to suspect that his medical examiner, Dr. Lucy Trask, may be shielding a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings - and put her next on the killer's hit list ...

About the Author

Award-winning international bestselling author Karen Rose earned her degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland. For a number of years, she worked in the engineering field, earning two patents, but she began writing novels when scenes started to fill her mind and her characters would not be silenced. Since her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July 2003, she has written more than twelve novels and been translated into nineteen languages. Her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany's der Spiegel bestseller lists. A former chemical engineer and high school teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her family, her dog, and her two cats.

Product Details
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233573
ISBN-13: 978-0451233578
My Review:

Storyline:  In the quiet town of Anderson Ferry, Maryland, a young lady is brutally assaulted and murdered on her prom night. The onlookers did nothing to stop the violence or help the girl. Twenty-one years pass.

Dr. Lucy Trask is a Baltimore medical examiner. While jogging in the early morning of Monday, May Third, she stumbles upon the posed body of a man so badly damaged that she does not realize that she knows him. Very soon afterward, other bodies begin to appear. All of the victims have been tortured. All of the victims are from Lucy's home town of Anderson Ferry. The killer places and poses the victims' bodies specifically when and where Lucy would be the one to discover them.

Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of death, especially during his time as a soldier. But neither his time in the military, nor his time working in Narcotics could have prepared him for the tortured bodies showing up in Baltimore. J.D. and his partner, Stevie Mazzetti, instinctively know that Lucy is innocent. It does not take long to prove it either. It's quite obvious that the killer has personally targeted Lucy. But why? J.D. can tell that Lucy is keeping secrets about her current private life but that should not have anything to do with her life from over twenty years ago. Back in Anderson Ferry Lucy had been a kid while the victims were  in high school. Lucy may have known them since the town was small but they have never been what anyone would have called friends. So how, in the killer's mind, could Lucy be linked with any of the deceased? All J.D. is sure of is that he must convince Lucy to share her secrets with him before she becomes the killer's next victim.

Characters:  Lucy has a very troubled past which she has shed and re-invented herself.  During the day she is a medical examiner while at night she's (you will have to read the book to find out, LOL!).  J.D. is a former sniper and is new recruit in the homicide department.  Both are lonely and have suffered a great lost. 

Romance:  Both acknowledge they are attracted to each other from the get-go but each has reason(s) not to get involved.  I really enjoyed their romance because it started slow and they got to know each other before falling into bed.  Glad to see J.D. was very patient and caring with Lucy and know she was the one for him.

Killer:  Wow the killer was truly sick in the head and loved to torture, rape and film the killings so they could watch it all over again.  I felt sad for the tragic accident that caused them to start their killing spree.

This series has a great blend of truly horrifying crimes, well written characters and the right amount of romance.

This book had lots of twists and turns with a wickedly sick and demented killer doing very vile things to women.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!