Willa’s review of Edge of Midnight (Chasing Evil, Book 3) by Leslie Tentler
Romantic Suspense published by Mira 24 Jan 12
Romantic suspense is my genre of choice. I love a good mystery, following the clues, layered together with the romance. In a genre where Secret Ops, Black Ops, Undercover Ops seem to be prevalent at the moment, complete with three, four, five or more team members all waiting in the wings and queuing for their books, finding this one was a real thrill.
Mia Hale is found on a stretch of beach by two cops, having been kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer. Somehow she has managed to escape – the only problem is, due to a cocktail of drugs given to her by the killer, she remembers nothing about the events. The FBI is able to link her distinctive injuries to the serial killer known as The Collector. For the last three years he has been silent, but now he has appeared again.
Eric MacFarlane works for the FBI – he worked on the first case when The Collector was active and was frustrated at not being able to bring the case to a close. This is heightened due to the killer taunting him with notes and taking and killing Eric’s wife Rebecca as his last victim. When he hears that there has been a survivor to these brutal killings, he heads down to Florida.
Mia is a reporter and had been working on cases of women who had recently gone missing – who they now realise are the victims of The Collector, as their bodies are slowly uncovered. She desperately wants to help the investigation along, so teams up with Eric to try to uncover her memories.
The action and questions start right on the first page and drew me in. The pacing is lovely, a fab blend of slowly, tightening suspense that kept me saying “just one more chapter,” attention to detail, and a believable romance are perfectly layered in. I love the fact that although both Mia and Eric had endured much in their pasts, they are both willing to acknowledge their attraction and slowly, hesitantly build on it. There isn’t lots of self-torturing that goes on and on and on, but they aren’t glib either. There are interesting secondary characters that add to the layers – Eric’s old partner from the FBI, Cameron, happily married, so no overt sequel baiting, which I enjoyed too. And Ms. Tentler still manages to pop in a few twists and surprises along the way – which are always appreciated. A great read and Ms. Tentler is now on my must-buy list.
This is listed as Book 3 in the Midnight Trilogy, but each book stands on its own. The only thing that connects them is that all the heroes work for the same FBI department.
Grade: A
Summary:
The writer becomes the story when crime reporter Mia Hale is discovered on a Jacksonville beach—bloodied and disoriented, but alive. She remembers nothing, but her wounds bear the signature of a sadistic serial killer. After years lying dormant, The Collector has resumed his grim hobby: abducting women and taking gruesome souvenirs before dumping their bodies. But none of his victims has ever escaped—and he wants Mia back, more than he ever wanted any of the others.
FBI agent Eric MacFarlane has pursued The Collector for a long time. The case runs deep in his veins, bordering on obsession…and Mia holds the key. She’ll risk everything to recover her memory and bring the madman to justice, and Eric swears to protect this fierce, fragile survivor. But The Collector will not be denied. In his mind, he knows just how their story ends.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
