The Last Time I Saw Her: A Novel (Dr. Charlotte Stone)

I've finished "The Last Time I Saw Her the 4th book in her Charlotte Stone series by Karen Robards.

Product Description

In the sizzling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards, Dr. Charlie Stone must prove the innocence of a dangerously sexy condemned man, or lose her one chance at true love.

THE LAST TIME I SAW HER

In this world, Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone skillfully probes the twisted minds of incarcerated serial killers to better understand what makes them tick, and to help nab those who remain at large. But in the next world, Charlotte’s ghostly lover — convicted killer Michael Garland — is facing death yet again. It seem the only way Charlie can snatch Michael from the jaws of oblivion is by proving his innocence. And this dead man’s dead ringer may just be the key.

A mysterious stranger has turned up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and Charlie is shocked to realize he could be Michael Garland’s identical twin. But she suspects the resemblance is only skin deep — and that behind the handsome face may lurk the perverse mind of a killer. While using all her keen profiling gifts, Charlie risks her life to discover the shocking secret that will clear Michael’s name.

Then a breakout at Wallens Ridge State Prison forces Charlie to contend with a sudden swarm of psychopaths bent on spilling blood. No one has a better chance of tracking down the deadly fugitives than Charlie — unless the rampaging killers manage to find her first and make this case her last. But Michael will move heaven and hell — and even make a devil’s bargain — for the chance to save Charlie’s life, and feel her touch once more if only for the final time.

About the Author

Karen Robards is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-seven full-length books and one novella. The mother of three boys, she lives in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Product Details
Series: Dr. Charlotte Stone (Book 4)
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 25, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804178291
ISBN-13: 978-0804178297

My Review:

3/5

Hush (Hardcover)

I've finished "Hush" by Karen Robards.

In New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards’s latest heart-pounding thriller, a woman must uncover a murderer — or risk being the next victim of a vicious killer.

When Riley Cowan finds her estranged husband Jeff dead in his palatial home, she’s sure it’s no coincidence. The police rule it a suicide, but Riley thinks someone’s out for blood — specifically someone Jeff’s father ripped off in one of the biggest financial fraud cases of all time. She suspects that someone is trying to send a message to Jeff’s father: Tell me where the money is, or everyone you care about will die.

Enter Finn Bradley, an FBI agent with a dangerous secret. He's after the money too, and Riley quickly becomes his chief suspect. But when someone tries to kill her, he has no choice but to protect her until he can uncover the truth. The question becomes, can they discover the killer’s identity in time, before he resurfaces — and strikes again?

About the Author

Karen Robards is the author of more than forty novels and one novella. A regular on the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she is the mother of three boys and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Product Details
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition first Printing edition (December 30, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476766584
ISBN-13: 978-1476766584

My Review:

3/5

Her Last Whisper: A Novel (Dr. Charlotte Stone)

I've finished "Her Last Whisper" the 3rd book in her Dr. Charlotte Stone series by Karen Robards.

Readers who relish heated passion and chilling suspense love New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards’s acclaimed novels featuring Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone. A heroine with a keen mind for catching killers and a soft heart for bad boys, Charlie is back in this third sizzling paranormal romance thriller.

HER LAST WHISPER

Madness and murder invaded Dr. Charlotte Stone’s life when she was just a girl — and made her a woman determined to save others from the horror she survived. An expert in the psychology of serial killers, she’s faced down more than her share of human monsters. But Charlie can also communicate with the spirits of those who die violently, an extrasensory skill that has helped the FBI bring lethal predators to justice. Now, after narrowly escaping death a second time, Charlie’s ready to step away from the edge before her luck runs out.

Too bad Charlie is too dedicated for her own good — and too devoted to federal agent Tony Bartoli to say no when he asks her to ride shotgun on yet another risky mission. Of course, she already has her hands full with Michael Garland: the handsome, roguish ghost with whom she’s hopelessly in love — a spirit who depends on Charlie to keep him from slipping forever into the dark side of the afterlife. But in the mortal world, beautiful single women are vanishing from Las Vegas hotels at night. All signs indicate that a psychopath is on the prowl in Sin City, and Bartoli’s FBI colleague Lena Kaminsky has reason to fear that her missing sister may be just the killer’s type.

In a town full of fast players and few rules, flushing out a smooth-talking stalker like the Cinderella Killer might be a loser’s game. But for Charlie, the only way to cage her quarry is to plunge back into the homicidal hell she vowed to leave behind — and may not leave alive.

Product Details
Series: Dr. Charlotte Stone
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 26, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804178267
ISBN-13: 978-0804178266

My Review:

3/5

Hunted Hardcover

I've finished "Hunted" by Karen Robards.

’Twas the night before Christmas and dozens of rich, influential hostages are trapped inside a sprawling lakefront mansion in New Orleans. The perp? Detective Reed Ware, model cop turned outlaw. After receiving a panicked call from Hollis “Holly” Bayard, a teenage street tough with a penchant for amateur sleuthing who stumbles upon the scene of a drug-deal-turned-murder, Ware finds his and his friend’s lives in dire danger. The crime Holly witnessed could be the biggest police cover-up this side of New Orleans — and no one’s talking. Driven to desperate measures to uncover the truth, Ware stages a coup at a Christmas party for the New Orleans elite, including the mayor, the council chairman, the sheriff, and the superintendent of police, who just happens to be hostage negotiator Caroline Wallace’s estranged father.

Cool, calm, controlled. That’s Caroline’s reputation. But when she’s brought in to talk Ware off the proverbial ledge, she realizes no amount of false promises is going to placate this man, who looks even hotter than he did years ago when seventeen-year-old Caroline tried to seduce him. It was his duty to protect her family then. Now it’s her turn if she can think fast enough over the pounding of her heart.

When Caroline becomes wrapped up in the drama, it’s clear the sizzling tension she shared with Ware never let up. And the harder she tries to defuse the situation, the more she begins to wonder whose side she’s really on.

About the Author

Karen Robards is the author of more than forty novels and one novella. A regular on the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she is the mother of three boys and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition edition (December 10, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451678711
ISBN-13: 978-1451678710

My Review:

3/5

The Last Kiss Goodbye: A Novel Hardcover

I've finished "The Last Kiss Goodbye" the 2nd book in her Charlotte Stone series by Karen Robards.

When New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards brought her irresistible brand of hot passion and chilling suspense to the paranormal romance scene with The Last Victim, it was just the beginning. Now her all-new series cranks up the deadly danger and intense desire to the next level, as sexy serial killer hunter Charlotte Stone returns to action in her thrilling second adventure.

THE LAST KISS GOODBYE

Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone has dedicated her career as a psychiatrist to exploring the darkest territory of all: the hearts and minds of serial killers. It’s a job she’s uniquely suited for, thanks to the secret talent that gives her an uncanny edge — Charlie can see dead people, whose tormented spirits cry out to her for the justice only she can provide. This blessing — or curse — gives Charlie the power to hunt down and catch madmen and murderers. It’s also turned her love life upside down by drawing her into a hopelessly passionate relationship with the lingering ghost of charismatic bad boy Michael Garland.

But there’s little time for romance with her supernatural suitor when murder comes pounding at Charlie’s door in the form of a terrified young woman fleeing a homicidal maniac. Saving her life places Charlie squarely in the cross-hairs of a sadistic predator nicknamed “the Gingerbread Man,” notorious for manipulating his victims like pawns in a deadly chess game. And now the queen this psychopath’s bent on capturing is Charlie. Refusal to play will only put more innocent lives in danger. Matching wits with this cunningly twisted opponent will require all of Charlie’s training and expert skills. But even with her devilish “guardian angel” — not to mention her favorite flesh - and - blood Fed, Tony Bartoli — watching her beautiful back, the Gingerbread Man’s horrifying grin might be the last thing Charlie ever sees.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 13, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345535820
ISBN-13: 978-0345535825

My Review:

Charlie has escaped a serial killer during her childhood and also one during her adulthood.  Now another is after her and is determined to finish the job.

She is a psychologist who happens to see dead people whose spirits cry out to her to help them.  As a result, she is saddled with Michael Garland a convicted bad boy killer who has charismatically charmed her.  She is currently dating FBI agent Tony Bartoli but has put the brakes on their relationship from going to fast.

After a date with Tony one night she finds a beaten victim on her doorstep who has escaped from a serial killer aptly named "The Gingerbread Man".

3/5

Shiver [Hardcover]

I've finished "Shiver" by Karen Robards.

Product Description

When she swore off love, he was the last man she imagined would steal her heart.

If driving a piece-of-crap tow truck through the seediest part of town with a Smith & Wesson beside her means putting a roof over her son’s head, then Samantha Jones is going to be the best damn repo woman on the books. The streetwalkers, the drug pushers, the bands of looking-for-trouble punks haunting the mean streets at midnight don’t intimidate her. These are her people. The guy she finds bound and bloodied in the trunk of her latest conquest, a flashy new BMW, is a different breed entirely.

Daniel Panterro was certain he was going to die. Instead, by a stroke of luck, he was beaten to within an inch of his life and left for dead. But if he’s having a bad day, Sam’s day is about to get way worse. Danny knows he hasn’t seen the last of the vicious drug runners who kidnapped him from protective custody. His only recourse is to take his pretty savior hostage and force her to help him. There’s no going back for Sam and her four-yearold son, Tyler. They’re in way too deep.

With ruthless killers stalking their trail, Sam’s only choice is to trust this handsome, menacing stranger. But as she relinquishes control, Sam feels an unmistakable desire. Could she be tempted by Danny, who seems intent on protecting her and Tyler from even his own darkest secrets? And what is the price of falling in love with a man who operates on the edge of danger — her heart, her life . . . or both?

About the Author

Karen Robards is the author of more than forty novels and one novella. A regular on the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she is the mother of three boys and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition first Printing edition (December 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451678673
ISBN-13: 978-1451678673

My Review:

Samantha Jones is a single young mother who repos cars to provide a roof for her and her 4 year old son Tyler.  She never expected to find a beaten and cuffed man in the trunk of a BMW she is suppose to repo.  She is knocked unconscious and thrown in to the trunk with the FBI man Danny Panterro/Trey posing as Marco.

Danny/Trey/Marco believes this is the end when he is kidnapped from protective custody and viciously beaten almost till the inch of his life when he spots a beautiful and young women looking down at him. 

When they escape Danny convinces Samantha to help him to safety with her Smith and Wesson.  Sam is very furious to be brought into this mess and just wants to get her son to safely.  When she arrives home she finds out her house been breached and her neighbor who is babysitting Tyler is brutally killed.  All of them are taken in protective custody and on the run from the viscous gangsters.

The relationship is slow building with a lot of sexual attention which concludes to a steamy love scene. 

3.5/5

Sleepwalker [Hardcover]

I've finished "Sleepwalker" by Karen Robards.

Product Description

It’s not that Micayla Lange is afraid of the clinking she hears coming from the first floor of the empty McMansion she’s housesitting for her uncle Nicco. She’s a cop, after all. It’s just that finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her was enough drama for one night. Now she’s alone on New Year’s Eve, wearing flannel pajamas and wielding a Glock 22 as she zeroes in on the unmistakable source of the sound: Uncle Nicco’s private office. Jason Davis steals things for a living, so unexpected developments are a natural part of the job. Getting caught red-handed by a hot, pigtail-sporting police officer in what is supposed to be a gangster’s deserted house is just one more twist in the game. Kind of like finding incriminating photos in Nicco Marino’s safe, only to discover the cop — and the security cameras — have gotten a real good look at his face. Unfortunately for Mick, she also got a good look at the damned pictures. Her “uncle” might love her like family, but if he knows she’s seen evidence that implicates him in the murder of a city councilman, she doesn’t like her chances. Which is why she’s having a hard time reconciling her professional instincts with what she is rapidly concluding is an inescapable fact: She’s about to help a criminal get away with a suitcase full of stolen money. And she’s going with him. Mick and Jason’s race for their lives hurtles them through the dangerous Michigan wilderness on speedboat and snowmobile. As their adventure heats up and their enemies close in, Mick is torn between her duty to the force and the combustible passion engulfing her and her unlikely partner in crime. She’ll have to turn Jason in sooner or later . . . if they survive. But will they ever get a second chance at love?

About the Author Karen Robards is the author of thirty-four novels and one novella. A regular on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she is the mother of three boys, ages 12, 17, and 23, and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books (December 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439183724
ISBN-13: 978-1439183724

My Review:

Micayla Lange affectionally known as Mick witnessed the brutal murder of her mother right in front of her eyes when she was a kid.  She has overcome her tragedy and has a law enforcement career as a police officer for the Detroit Police Department.

She has found out her homicide investigator boyfriend Nick Nick Horacki has been cheating on her.  As a result she has come to her best friend's father Uncle Nikko Martino house a day earlier to house sit.

When she wakes up from a sleepwalking nightmare which she relives the death of her mother she interrupts a couple of burglars in the middle of robbing Uncle Nikko's safe.  She doesn't hesitate to jump into action and gets in a fight with one buglar (she gets the upper hand) but the other points a gun at her and tells her stop.  Jason Davis knew that when he picked robbing criminals he knew their would be risks but he didn't expect to find a Hot Officer.  During their struggle some pictures fall to the ground which incriminate her Uncle Nicco of killing Edward Lightfoot and his family.

Then Uncle Nicco's security team arrives and suddenly Micayla becomes his accomplice and wants to help him which surprises both of them.  Now both of them are on the run for their lives.

This book I found kind of slow at the beginning but become fast paced once Micayla and Jason were on the run from Uncle Nicco's henchmen.  The sexual tension between Micayla and Jason was really hot but forbidden.  It has twists and turns with a red herring near the end.

3/5

Justice [Hardcover]

I've finished "Justice" the sequel to "Pursuit" by Karen Robards.

Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards is back with an exhilarating romantic thriller that will leave readers breathless. 

Feisty criminal attorney Jessica Ford has done her best to comply with the orders of the Secret Service’s unofficial witness protection program ever since she became the lone witness to the First Lady’s murder. She changed her name, dyed her dark hair blonde, and traded her sturdy black-rimmed glasses for contact lenses. Unfortunately, winning her first high-profile case for prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm Ellis Hayes, and subsequently landing her face all over the news, is not exactly “keeping a low profile.” Or so says hunky Secret Service agent Mark Ryan, whose newest assignment — despite Jess’s stubborn protests — is keeping her safe at all costs. It just so happens he’s also her ex-boyfriend.

The trial earns Jess a permanent spot on the firm’s elite legal defense team, replacing an associate who eloped suddenly and never came back. It’s the chance of a lifetime. But Jess’s mind has raced with questions from the moment the prosecution’s star witness shocked the courtroom with an electrifying revelation involving the handsome son of a powerful U.S. senator. Was the pretty, young mother intimidated into changing her story on the stand? Why will she not return Jess’s calls? Did Jess’s ambitious predecessor on the case really just abandon her successful career? Or did both women mysteriously disappear?

After Mark rescues Jess from an attacker outside her apartment, she begins to consider the possibility that she is a target. Maybe it’s not so bad to have her irresistibly charming and hard-bodied former lover around for protection. Maybe. The question is, which of the many inadvertent enemies Jess has made recently is he protecting her from? The investigation leads her to some startling coincidences — and to a teenage runaway who may just hold the missing link . . . if Jess can find her.

As Jess hurtles closer to the truth — and the sexual tension between her and Mark grows hotter than ever — she finds herself in a race against the clock to find the answers before what she doesn’t know gets them both killed.

Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Gallery (July 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439183708
ISBN-13: 978-1439183700

My Review:

I highly recommend reading "Pursuit" first before this one so you know the history between Jess and Mark. Also this book is a very gripping, suspenseful and intriguing read with a happy ending with a twist I didn't see coming from a mile away!
Storyline:  The book opens up with a young women dying and two young runaways as the only witnesses.  Then it moves to a rape trial with unexpected results.  Jessica is puzzled and trying to figure out why the star witness recanted her story while on the stand.

Criminal attorney Jessica Ford is in the Secret Service's witness protection program after being the only survivor and witness to the murder of the First Lady. But she decides not to relocate and now after replacing a former associate that left on a high profile case that gets her attention someone is out to kill her.

With the help of her ex-boyfriend Secret Service agent Mark she begins investigating on who is trying to kill her and a former associate and why.

Romance:  I really liked how Jess and Mark had a romantic history between them and they thought the relationship was completely over.  You can really feel the attraction is still there and they really loved each other.

Killer:  The rapist is a very sick man and has been doing his thing for a long time and I'm really glad he got what was coming to him.  He had no remorse and didn't even blink an eye during his trial.

The killer was a professional and I would have never thought he would be one.  They used their good looks and was sure quite an actor to win her confidence.

4/5

Thanks Maylene from Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!