He can psychoanalyze any serial killer,
But can he protect her from one?
Special Agent Nicholas James knows serial killers up
close and personal. After all, he was practically raised by one and later
became a Behavioral Analysis Unit specialist to put them behind bars. But Dr.
Aubrey Flood's sister's murder is his highest-stakes case yet. His professional
history with the beautiful medical examiner is legendary. So is their
attraction. But the clock is ticking…and Nicholas has every intention of making
sure Aubrey doesn't become another victim.
Good start to a new series, this one about a Behavior
Analysis Unit of the FBI. This book is about Nicholas, the team's profiler. He
has a fantastic record of identifying serial killers, starting with the X Marks
the Spot killer. That one was hard on Nicholas because the killer turned out to
be his next-door neighbor and like a second father to him. During that case, a
crucial piece of evidence was uncovered by the medical examiner, Dr. Aubrey
Flood.
Three years later, Aubrey's sister died at the hands of a
copycat serial killer. Aubrey insists that Nicholas be the agent to work this
case because she knows he's the best. She also refuses to remain uninvolved in
the investigation.
The action in this book stayed intense from beginning to
end. This case stirs up some hard memories for Nicholas with its resemblance to
the original X Marks the Spot's MO. It also makes him even more determined to
catch the killer quickly. When the killer strikes again, using the MO of a
different serial killer, Nicholas knows he has a challenge on his hands. I
could feel his frustration as he realized that this killer has an agenda, and
Aubrey is his focus. The detective work fascinated me, from Nicholas trying to
get inside his head to Aubrey using her ME skills to notice minute details that
may help identify the killer. The part I found frustrating was the number of
times the killer outwitted and physically bested the agents. The ending was a
nail-biter as the killer almost got away with his plan, but for Aubrey's and
Nicholas's determination to save each other. The twists and turns of the case
kept me glued to the pages. I did figure out the killer's identity before the
end but wondered how they would stop him.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Nicholas and Aubrey. The sparks have been there since the first time they met,
though neither did anything about them. When they come together on this case,
the time they spend together gives those sparks time to strengthen and grow. I
liked that they respect each other's work and can admit when they need help. Both
Nicholas and Aubrey have issues that keep them from developing lasting
relationships. Aubrey tends to put everyone else's needs before her own,
leaving her with nothing for herself. Nicholas's ability to trust disappeared
when he realized how his neighbor had manipulated him for so many years. Thanks
to Nicholas, Aubrey made changes in her life, but he let her down when it
counted most. I wanted to shake Nicholas when he allowed his trust issues to
come between him and Aubrey. It was lucky he saw his error as quickly as he did,
or things would have turned out very differently. I loved the scene at the
hospital as he opened his heart fully to Aubrey.
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