The Trap - Carol Ericson (HI #2008 - July 2021)

Series: Kyra and Jake Investigation (Book 4)

Can they outplay The Player?
 
When a fourth copycat killer strikes, Detective Jake McAllister and Kyra Chase race to find the mastermind behind LA's serial murders. Now there's a new lead, but to protect the woman he loves, Jake must reveal a crucial secret about Kyra's past -- the real reason The Player wants her dead. Exposing the truth could turn this investigation on its head…and force this notorious criminal to make one final move.
 
Terrific conclusion to the series. The book opens as yet another copycat killer strikes. This time, the killer left a witness, something against The Player's rules. Jake, Kyra, and the rest of the task force are determined to put an end to his reign of terror. The tension increased with each book as they pursued not just the copycat but the one pulling the strings. In this book, we can feel that they are finally drawing close.
 
Throughout the series, Jake and Kyra's relationship grows closer and stronger. Both learned to trust each other on and off the job. At the same time, their attraction deepened to love. But to have a future together, Jake must keep Kyra alive. When Quinn's death exposes a long-concealed secret, Jake understands the depth of Kyra's peril. I understood Quinn's need to protect Kyra, but I also agreed with Jake that she deserved to know the truth. I loved that his innate need to be honest with her overcame his protectiveness and that he trusted her to be able to handle the news. I ached for Kyra's heartbreak and loved her determination to do something with the information. I loved Jake's support for whatever she wanted to do with it.
 
The further the investigation goes, the more Jake suspects that the truth is closer than anyone knew. I thought I had it figured out in the previous book, but I couldn't have been more wrong. An unexpected twist in Quinn's autopsy sends the investigation down a new path. At the same time, Kyra's search for the truth brings the Player out of hiding. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as the Player attempted to finish what he started twenty years earlier. I loved Kyra's presence of mind when she figured it out and her part in the outcome. Jake's arrival was edge-of-the-seat close and led to a great conclusion.
 
I liked the epilogue, with Jake, Kyra, and Jake's daughter Fiona discussing what happened before the subject changed to Jake and Kyra's relationship. I laughed out loud at Fiona's request and Jake's reaction.

The Bait - Carol Ericson (HI #2002 - June 2021)

Series: Kyra and Jake Investigation (Book 3)

They're after a vicious serial killer.
And this time it's personal.
 
Decades after The Player's infamous murder spree, a third copycat killer terrorizes LA. Detective Jake McAllister and victim advocate Kyra Chase launch a risky dark web investigation -- complicating their relationship and exposing their troubled pasts. But when the copycat kidnaps Jake's daughter, Kyra defies her partner to lay her life on the line. Just one chilling question remains: Is The Player back?
 
The tension continues to mount in this, the third book of the series. No sooner had Jake, Kyra, and the rest of the task force put a stop to Copycat 2.0 than another killer stepped up to take his place. In the previous book, The Decoy, the task force found a dark web connection between the first two copycats. Further investigation leads them to believe that Copycat Three is also linked and that all of them dance to the tune of a master manipulator. The question is, who pulls the strings? Jake and Kyra both suspect that the original Player is behind it all.
 
This case becomes very personal to Jake. Copycat Three takes to leaving taunting messages for Jake with the bodies of his victims. For Kyra, her determination never wavers. Convinced the original Player is behind it all, catching the man responsible for her mother's murder is at the top of Kyra's wishlist. Watching Jake, Kyra, and the rest of the task force dig through what few clues there were kept me glued to the pages. The swizzle stick clue proved to be vital, and I loved seeing how it played out. The intensity shot through the roof when the killer kidnapped Jake's daughter Fiona. I ached for Jake and his fear for her as he desperately searched for any clue to the killer's whereabouts. But it was Kyra, playing a hunch and putting herself at risk, that became the deciding factor. That confrontation was a nail-biter. But the question remains, is The Player back? I have my suspicions about who it is, and I can't wait to read the next book and see if I'm right. This book ends with an unexpected twist, leaving me wondering if foul play was involved.
 
I also enjoyed seeing the progression of Jake and Kyra's relationship. Professionally, their respect for each other continues to grow. Jake overcame his distrust of Kyra as a victim's advocate and fully included her in the task force's activities. Kyra finds it much easier to trust Jake now, though she still tends to rush into danger without telling him what she's up to. In this book, it nearly gets her killed. Personally, their relationship is moving forward, slowly but steadily. That progression becomes complicated when Jake's fourteen-year-old daughter shows up unexpectedly. Though Fiona may have her dad fooled, Kyra has the girl's number from the get-go. I enjoyed watching Kyra help Jake through the rough patches. I also liked how Jake still managed to find alone time with Kyra. Jake won my heart even more with his support of Kyra when her past became public knowledge. Just knowing he stood behind her gave Kyra the strength to deal with the fallout. After surviving the confrontation with Copycat Three, both Jake and Kyra are ready to admit their feelings for each other and see where it goes.

The Decoy - Carol Ericson (HI #1996 - May 2021)

Series: Kyra and Jake Investigation (Book 2)

She changed her name and identity to escape her violent past.
 
But she didn't run far or fast enough.
 
Therapist Kyra Chase fights for victims and their families. But she harbors her own tragic secret: the unsolved murder of her mother. Now a new threat is terrorizing the City of Angels -- a killer who mimics another killer's MO. LAPD homicide detective Jake McAllister has to help his partner solve crimes in both the past and present before Kyra becomes the victim in a chilling vendetta of violence that's far from over…
 
This book picks up where the first book, The Setup, left off. There is a new serial killer in town in that book, one that mimics a killer from twenty years earlier. Known as "The Player," he was never caught, a fact that haunts retired detective Quinn, the lead in that case. Detective Jake McAllister leads the task force on this case, and Kyra Chase is a victims' advocate assigned to the task force. Their rocky beginning made things interesting, with sparks of attraction simmering under the antagonism. Though The Decoy can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading The Setup first.
 
At the end of the first book, the serial killer meets his fate, but another copycat strikes before the task force can celebrate. The similarities to the original and the first copycat cause the team to wonder if there is a link between them. I could feel the team's frustration as clues were few and far between. With each new murder, the pressure intensified. I loved watching the painstaking work to find something that would lead them to the killer. I cheered for the little piece of tape, and again when modern technology gave them another part of the puzzle. It was interesting to see how the killer gave himself away. I did feel that the final confrontation, while somewhat intense, was a little anti-climactic. There are still unanswered questions, and I don't think anyone is ready to call the case solved.
 
In the first book, Jake and Kyra first had to learn to work together and deal with the attraction simmering between them. Both of them have trust issues. Jake's stem from his wife's betrayal, making him wary of anyone who keeps secrets. Kyra's life is nothing but secrets. She is fiercely independent, and letting down her guard doesn't come easily. When she receives disturbing messages, rather than share them with Jake, she investigates on her own. She partially believes they have nothing to do with the case but also doesn't want information revealed to change the way he looks at her.
 
I ached for Jake, who wanted to get to know Kyra better but kept running up against her secretiveness. I thought he was incredibly patient and understanding. There was also some physical frustration between them, as circumstances seemed determined to interrupt at awkward times. I loved when Quinn helped Kyra realize that she wasn't helping anything by keeping Jake in the dark. I felt her nervousness when she finally came clean. I liked seeing the advancing of their relationship, but I suspect there will still be some bumps in their road to happy ever after. 

The Setup - Carol Ericson (HI #1990 - Apr 2021)

 

Series: Kyra and Jake Investigation (Book 1)

With a serial killer on the loose…
 
Secrets get you killed.
 
Detective Jake McAllister isn't aware Kyra Chase is connected to a twenty-year-old unsolved murder. He sees his new case partner only as an unwelcome distraction. But with the body count rising, they'll need to trust each other to help them catch a killer who seems to know more about Kyra than Jake does.
 
Good start to the new series. As the opener in a four-book set, this story is more mystery than romance, but it works well. A serial killer is loose in LA, and Jake is assigned as head of the task force investigating it. One of the task force members is Kyra, a psychologist specializing in victim advocacy. Jake doesn't like VAs after one used what she learned from him to get a criminal a lighter sentence. He doesn't like Kyra being there, but he'll deal with it.
 
Kyra isn't too happy about working with Jake, but she'll do anything to be on this task force. The killer exhibits all the traits of a copycat killer, aping the moves of the twenty-year-old cold case of The Player. Kyra has a personal interest in this case because her mother was one of the original killer's victims, not that she's told anyone about it.
 
Neither Kyra nor Jake trusts the other at the beginning of the book. They danced around, each trying to protect themselves, until discovering that they make a pretty good team. There are a couple of rough spots as secrets come out, most notably when Jake connects Kyra to her mother and an issue with her foster brother. Jake's growing protectiveness for Kyra surprises him, while Kyra discovers unexpected depths to Jake. I enjoyed seeing them learn to trust each other and the slow easing of the tension between them. There were only faint hints of interest until the end and Jake's relief at arriving in time to save Kyra. The epilogue was sweet with their moment in the sunset and the hope for more.
 
The suspense of the story was great. The prologue opened with the killer and his point of view, giving a glimpse of the disturbed mind the task force had to deal with. The amount of legwork and detail the task force had to handle fascinated me as they attempted to make connections between the killer and his victims. I liked how Jake involved the detective from the original case and the twist connected to Kyra. Kyra's work with the families and friends of the victims had a significant impact on the investigation. Several unexpected turns kept me guessing until the end. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. And just when you think it's safe, a shocking phone call shows it isn't.
 
Though Jake and Kyra are the main focus, I also enjoyed the secondary characters. The retired detective from the original case, Quinn, was an interesting man. It was easy to see that the unsolved case of The Player still haunted him and made him willing to help Jake with the current case. I loved his connection with Kyra and the obvious affection they had for each other. I hope we'll see more of him in the other books. I also liked Jake's partner, Billy. He's quite a character with his fancy suits and big personality. He's also quite a ladies' man, which is a little disturbing because he's married, though separated (again). I had to laugh over his interactions with both Jake and Kyra regarding her friend (and reporter) Megan.