Murder Notes (Lilah Love, #1)

by Lisa Renee Jones

“Must-read romantic suspense.” —USA Today’s Happy Ever After

A heart-pounding thriller about a woman’s secrets—and a past that’s about to come out of hiding—from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

As an FBI profiler, it’s Lilah Love’s job to think like a killer. And she is very good at her job. When a series of murders surface—the victims all stripped naked and shot in the head—Lilah’s instincts tell her it’s the work of an assassin, not a serial killer. But when the case takes her back to her hometown in the Hamptons and a mysterious but unmistakable connection to her own life, all her assumptions are shaken to the core.

Thrust into a troubled past she’s tried to shut the door on, Lilah’s back in the town where her father is mayor, her brother is police chief, and she has an intimate history with the local crime lord’s son, Kane Mendez. The two share a devastating secret, and only Kane understands Lilah’s own darkest impulses. As more corpses surface, so does a series of anonymous notes to Lilah, threatening to expose her. Is the killer someone in her own circle? And is she the next target?

This is the first in a connected duet and ends on a cliffhanger.

• ISBN10: 1503900312
• ISBN13: 9781503900318
• Publish Date: 27 March 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 13 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake Romance
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 270
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Murder Notes is a fast-paced, action-filled suspense / mystery / romance with a kick-ass heroine, and a lot of men who think they know better.

Story:

Murder Notes starts with a nightmare from Lilah's past, only to propel both her and the reader to the present. With several execution-style murders. The dead do not appear to have anything in common - maybe apart from the fact that Lilah is the one who profiles their cases. In order to dig deeper, Lilah has to go to the one place she has no inclination of visiting again. Home in the Hamptons. To her father, her brother, and other people she really does not want to see.

Both the mystery and the suspense parts of Murder Notes are extremely well done, and I felt my heart beat faster, as I moved to the edge of my seat. There are some very strong trust issues in this story, and I am still wondering if Lilah is trusting the right people. And also if she's trying to blame the right or the wrong people.

Well written, Murder Notes has a perfect balance of introspection, murder scenes, police work and great suspense. I'm very sad I have to wait until July to get my hands on the second book in this series.

Characters:

Lilah is the kind of female heroine I absolutely love! She's tough, smart, strong, but flawed. And she is smart enough to know when to get help, and when to do it on her own! As a profiler for the FBI, she has seen more than her share of dead bodies, but she still manages to do her job well.

Kane is Lilah's ex something... they have history, and now, she needs to make sure he's not involved in the case she's trying to solve.

Andrew is Lilah's brother, he's the police chief, and not happy his FBI working sister has shown up to the latest case in the Hamptons.

Alexandra used to be Lilah's friend. Now she's the DA, and quite slippery.

Samantha has always been Lilah's enemy. There must be more to her than meets the eye, I'm sure of it!

Rich is Lilah's friend with benefits man. And he shows up at the worst possible moment.

Writing style :

Murder Notes is written in first person point of view, from Lilah's perspective, and in present tense. This makes the suspense almost unbearable at times.

Feels :

Oh my gosh the feels! I felt the suspense so well. But I also felt the distrust, the love, the challenges, and everything else Lilah was going through.



Ready to get out of here for more reasons than one, I step to Rich and he doesn't budge, his big body blocking my petite one.

I inhale and stand up, turning to find Assistant Director Murphy a good twenty yards away. Yanking my gloves off, I start walking in that direction, only to have Detective Oliver catch up with me. "Hold on there, sweetie." Anger officially ignited, I whirl on him. "Sweetie? Well, look here, honey. Unless you want me to shove that sock you have in your pants in your mouth, back off, Detective Oliver.[...]"

[Lynn]

The first book in the new Lilah Love series satisfies my current thirst for romantic suspense novels.

When the FBI director requests Agent Lilah Love fly to New York to investigate a possible link between her current case in L.A. and one they are investigating in her home town, she's not happy. With a police chief brother leading the case, her job as an FBI profiler to bound to be more complicated than necessary in the small NY town. When her arrival coincides with the discovery of a newly dead body, rumours begin to circulate when beguiling Kane Mendez, the son of the deceased local crime lord, appears at the crime scene. Lilah begins looking for a link between the two cases. However, news of her temporary residency spreads fast in the small town, and she becomes the target of a stalker too. With evidence to suggest the two are connected, it becomes clear the people she loves are not what who she thought they were.

Within the narrative, many twists are revealed but all information presented is easy to follow. In addition, just when you get ideas about who may be responsible or the mastermind of the crimes, new potential suspects are disclosed. There's scarcely a dull moment in this fast-paced novel. It's easy to become embroiled and fully invested in this fascinating story as it unfolds.

I loved Lilah's straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude to both her work and life generally. She's definitely not a conventional heroine. A rough diamond, her only concession is make-up. Lilah's feisty yet vulnerable as secrets from her past haunt her. Uncovering truths about people in her inner circle, her list of people to trust is diminishing...fast.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favourite novels I've read so far in 2018 and hope the continuing series keeps up the same pace. The author has crafted a compelling and thrilling mystery with engaging protagonists and secondary characters. I can't wait for the subsequent instalments.

***arc generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***

[thebookdisciple]

Murder Notes is the story of an FBI profiler with a dark, secret past. She is quite good at her job and has caught a case that is obviously connected to her past. She ends up back in her hometown facing demons and people she has tried to ignore.

Lilah isn't exactly a likable character. She is gruff, rude, and abrasive. The story is told entirely from her POV and you see how ill tempered she is! As the story goes on you start to understand her, but I still think she was a bit too abrasive for my taste.

The murders are very strange. As the reader, you are trying to figure out who the killer is, but also figure out what exactly happened to Lilah in the past. Lilah's narration provides pieces to the puzzle as you read but its still mysterious and unfinished. There are plenty of possible suspects throughout the story! There is family drama, a hidden past event that could ruin Lilah, political corruption, and a killer on the loose. Lilah has to navigate the local police, whose chief happens to be her brother, in order to get information. Officially, she can't just come in and take over. She also has to face her past sins because they seem connected to the cases she is working. That means facing her ex, Kane.

I wouldn't call Murder Notes a romance. There are sparks between Kane and Lilah, but that relationship is by no means the center of the story. The plot is very twisty and has so many connecting threads you have to pay close attention to keep up with it all. The secondary characters are numerous and you are never sure who is trustworthy. Also, the story is told entirely in Lilah's POV so your views of the characters are clouded by her thoughts of the characters. All the combines for a very compelling read! If you enjoy detective novels or books with twisty murder plots, Murder notes is a great pick!

 

• POV: 1st


• Tears: no


• Trope: FBI, serial killer, secret past


• Series/Standalone: Series


• Cliffhanger: YES

Hunting Grounds by Katee Robert, Into the Night by Cynthia Eden, Have you seen Her by Karen Rose...then you will probably like Murder Notes!

 

Murder Notes

 

See full review on The Book Disciple

[Eve1972]

 
 
I don't know where to begin with this review. I kind of just want to say it was AMAZING so go forth and read it ASAP (or rather in March, when it's published *lol*). I can't believe I was so late to the game with this author. Every single book I have read since I discovered her (four) have been outstanding and this one was no different in that respect. I have no idea how the author expects me to just sit here patiently waiting for book two??



So deets...this wasn't really a romance book. I wouldn't even say it was a romantic suspense book. More a thriller with some romantic undertones. So don't go into it expecting some hot sex. There is really only one sex scene, and it was very tame. The romance reader in me struggled with this and one other issue (Samantha). I think it's hard sometimes when you read a lot of romance to separate expectations. Especially when the book has some romantic undertones. I am not even sure if that makes sense, but "I" wanted more sex and I could have done without the whole "Samantha" scenario. --- that's the romance reader talking. Both were small issues that genuinely shouldn't have bothered me but like I said I struggled to separate my feelings in this case, so they did. 



That said, I found this one to be fantastically well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. I LOVE all things serial killer, profiling, criminal minds, etc. I eat TV shows like that up by the spoonful and this book would make a fabulous TV series for sure. The plot was intricate and full of twists and turns. The author does an excellent job of laying the groundwork for what I can only assume will be an epic and far-reaching conspiracy. There is a full cast of characters that make up this book. Each one intriguing. Each one mysterious. Each one potentially hiding secrets. My mind is a bit of a muddle trying to figure out who is doing what and why. Who is dirty? Who isn't? Some I loved. Some I hated. Some remain a mystery waiting to be exposed. Kane I LOVED. Who doesn't love a smokin' hot bad boy? But what is he hiding? Can he be trusted? Lilah I ADORED. I struggle with alpha heroines A LOT but Lilah just worked for me on every level. She was strong. She was feisty. She was funny. She was badass. But she was also vulnerable especially when it came to Kane. The only man that has ever understood her. Last, we were left with a decent cliffhanger that will make you want to hunt down this author and force her to give you book two tout suite! 

All in all, this was a fantastic first book in a series I am sure will blow a lot of readers right out of the water. Therefore yours truly will give this one two HUGE thumbs up.