Review: Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan + Giveaway

Love Me to Death
Author: Allison Brennan
Publication: Ballantine Books; Original edition (December 28, 2010)


Description: Six years ago, Lucy Kincaid was attacked and nearly killed by an online predator. She survived. Her attacker did not. Now Lucy’s goal is to join the FBI and fight cyber-crime, but in the meantime, she’s volunteering with a victim’s rights group, surfing the Web undercover to lure sex offenders into the hands of the law. But when the predators she hunts start turning up as murder victims, the FBI takes a whole new interest in Lucy.

With her future and possibly even her freedom suddenly in jeopardy, Lucy discovers she’s a pawn in someone’s twisted plot to mete out vigilante justice. She joins forces with security expert and daredevil Sean Rogan, and together they track their elusive quarry from anonymous online chat rooms onto the mean streets of Washington, D.C. But someone else is shadowing them: A merciless stalker has his savage eye on Lucy. The only way for her to escape his brutality may be another fight to the death.



My Thoughts: This was an excellent, page-turning, spine-chilling thriller. Lucy has been coping pretty well since she was kidnapped by a sadistic rapist at eighteen. She escaped and killed him. (See Fear No Evil) 


She is making a new life for herself. She has graduated from college and applied to the FBI. While waiting, she is working for an organization run by a former FBI agent that tracks down internet predators. She is particularly concerned about convicted felons who are out on parole and still committing sex crimes. She sets up a meeting with one man but he is found dead outside a different club. Lucy is suspicious and checks back to find out that 8 of the parolees whose cases she worked on have been found dead either by accident or murder. And, when the man who was the partner of the man who kidnapped and raped her is found dead near her home in Washington, DC, the whole case threatens to open up again.

Sean Rogan is the partner of her brother Patrick in an investigative firm, he offers to help her find out what is happening. He also likes her and wants to date her. Lucy is also interested in him. Together they try to find out who is killing the parolees and who killed the man instrumental in her kidnapping. This leads to a vigilante group killing those convicted of sex crimes. But that isn't all, Lucy has a new stalker of her very own.

The stalker is one creapy dude who looks perfectly normal and who is completely insane. He feels that it is his duty to train "females" to perfect obedience. If they can't be trained, he kills them. He has decided that Lucy is the next in line for his training.

This was an excellent thriller with a wonderful, strong but not perfect heroine and hero who loved her and had some serious skills. I recommend it to lovers of chilling thrillers. Allison Brennan is now on my "must read" list.

Favorite Quote:  

"Skating is all about balance and movement. Let your thighs do the work."


"We're moving!" She squeezed his arm as it tightened around her waist. The little girl with the future Gold twirled around as if she were floating. "I swear, she did that to make me feel inferior."


"Probably."


"I wasn't serious."


"I was." He kissed her on the cheek. "Now stop comparing yourself to the other children and focus."

To get a list of Allison Brennan's books, check out her page at Fantastic Fiction.


To win my gently read copy, fill out this form. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian followers of this blog. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. The contest ends on Jan. 27 at midnight CST.