Synopsis:
To catch a killer, you must first think like one…
A serial killer is playing a twisted game of life or death with married women. After he captures them, a countdown begins. He marks the time by sending three disturbing images to their husbands: alive, tortured, dead.
When Detective Ruby Preston receives a new photograph of a terrified victim, she must try and work out where she is, before it’s too late.
But this isn’t the first time the police have seen such a sickening crime. The notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, was put behind bars ten years ago for murdering six women in exactly the same chilling way.
Desperate for more information, Ruby persuades her boyfriend, Nathan Crosby, to set up a dangerous meeting. But will the dark and charming Mason Gatley really help her catch the killer before someone else dies? Or will Ruby be the next victim?
My Rating: 5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley
My Review:
?Great balls of friggin fire!!! ? I have read and absolutely LOVED this whole series…but this book has got to be the BEST of the three by a long shot!!
Ok- let’s get this started! We are back in London and facing such things as kidnapping, wealth, dominance, power/control, mind games, manipulation, righting wrongs and the search for justice. Morality plays a role in this story and I really enjoyed how it was weaved throughout.
WOW! As with this whole series, the reader is instantly HOOKED and taken on a crazy, twisted, mind-blowing fast paced thrill ride that leaves you grasping onto to the edge of the rails in a bid to find your balance and stop your head from spinning! #BOOM! Told in the third person POV, the storyline is enticing, the narrative is compelling and I really enjoyed seeing how the characters have grown. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed to hear that this is the last in this series and I feel there is so much more for Ruby Preston to share with the world!
Character wise – well this was just a deliciously devious mash up of wonder! Loving Ruby Preston who is fiesty, defiant, determined while balancing the fine line of remaining on the right side of the law. She can be a bit rogue in her methods, and for me – this is what separates her from those totally cliched coppers we often see in crime fiction.
*Swoon* – Nathan Crosby …well helloooooo Nate…can I call you Nate? *coughs* – oops! Best get back to the review! Well it is very easy to understand why Ruby does not want to let this scrumptious badboy go! YUMMY! But it seems Nathan is calming down a bit and perhaps moving away (not altogether) from the darker side of things. We didn’t really get much of the #Nathanator in this book…but every little bit counts, right!
DI Downes – awww- I really liked him in this book! He is priming Ruby for promotion and really is a likeable character. He has that firm but fair approach, tells it as it is but also seems to have some conflicting emotions when it comes to Ruby given their history….
Let’s talk about Matthew …..well what a character he is, right!? The reader is introduced to him right from the start with little snippets, like a trail of breadcrumbs, are left for us throughout this novel. “Sometimes you have to do terrible things to make the world a better place” …okaaaaaaay……
Mason Gatley – OMFG….I know this is going to sound completely messed up….but I ADORED him. As soon as his name was mentioned, I was instantly intrigued. The intro to this character, very much reminded me of Clarice and Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (which just so happens to be one of my all time favourite movies EVER!!)
For me, this is a near perfect example of how to write a serial killer thriller! It had all the elements of suspense, sinister characters, a brilliant dose of the heebie jeebies and a kickass killer plot to keep you turning the pages! Would I recommend this book? Well jaysus! If my review did not give out the clues to answer that, I have done something terribly wrong! Ab-so-frigging-lutely I would! Dark, twisted, and powerfully irresistible – Murder Game was a superb way to end this series!
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