Blue Mood Cafe

Originally posted on The Book Nympho

Quick summary
Christine (Chris) Holland has been stalked by a murderer for two years now, ever since she surprised him at one of his grisly scenes. Running and hiding hasn't stopped him so she reaches out to Lost and Found, Inc. for help. Marcus Ricci takes the assignment, understanding that she's his until this guy is caught.

The suspense
Chris has no memory of the murderer's face and he knows it, just content to torture her and threaten anyone who becomes important to her. She's abandoned friends, has no family and lives pretty much in isolation. Marcus has his hands full in protecting her and trying to find out the identity of the killer, whose point of view is provided so WE know something about him, just not who he is exactly and why he's targeted Chris. It was chilling to know what was coming Marcus and Chris's way and waiting to see the outcomes. It kept me on the edge of my seat as this guy was ruthless and heartbreak wasn't spared.

The romance
If you've read the previous books, you know that Marcus is a widow, not having really recovered from the loss of his wife. Chris and Marcus connected because of their personal qualities, she being beyond courageous, without any of those TSTL behaviors, and in spite of her circumstances, had a great attitude towards life and he being a simply honorable man. Chris brought out the best in Marcus and their romance was grounded in the things you like to see most...genuine caring, admiration and affection. Hotness doesn't hurt, either.

The bottom line
I'm just blown away by this series as each story seems to outdo the last. It was a gnarly mystery because the motivation of this psycho was unclear, which makes it hard to find a direction to start solving. And, the guy was a serial killer! The romance was sensual and often sweet, just what I was hoping to find for Marcus. Both were wonderful designed and this had everything I look for in a romantic suspense...characters you really like and a strong romance successfully integrated into a suspenseful plot. The climax wasn't easy either. Bring on book #4!

(I received an ARC from the author)