Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones

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.

Reviewed by thebookdisciple on

4 of 5 stars

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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

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 January, 2018: Finished reading
  • 20 January, 2018: Reviewed