Book Review of The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 1) by Morgan Kelley

Synopsis:

Second edition 
Book one in the ROMANCE series: 

Then: Salem, MA 1692. Burning, hanging, stoning and drowning were the way they killed a witch. The trials were a joke, and the deaths were a shame. The Killing times changed so many lives... forever.

Now: Salem, SC. Elizabeth LaRue has come home. After a stint in the FBI, a failed assignment and a disastrous affair, she has returned to a town she willingly walked away from, her body and heart battered and bruised. Her father's sudden death has brought her home, opening up more questions that need answers. As she agrees to step in as Sheriff, she finds that the sleepy town isn't quite as tranquil as she thought. A string of bizarre killings that are mimicking the Salem Witch trials is plaguing the town, and scaring the people she has sworn to protect.

Elizabeth now has to call in the FBI, and be faced with a past and people she is trying to forget.
Will Ethan Blackhawk be her salvation or her ultimate downfall?

Time is running out, bodies are stacking up, and there are only two options. Stop the killer, or die trying.

Books in the FBI Series.
The Killing Time (book 1)
Sacred Burial Grounds. (book 2)
True Love Lost (book 3)
Deep Dark Mire (book 4)
Fire Burns Hot (book 5)
Darkness in Truth (book 6) June 1 st 2013
Evil Hath Come (book 7) To be released Halloween 2013)

Review:

The Killing Times by Morgan Kelley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A friend recommended this book to me. I would like to thank her, because it is fantastic! Thank you K.C. - I loved it!

Elizabeth LaRue is a fantastic character. She is a dedicated law enforcement officer, who has taken up her father's position as Sheriff in her home town after his death. She is extremely methodical, and uses her training as a former FBI agent to good effect. Unfortunately, she also tends to be stubborn, but when several people go missing and the bodies start piling up, she has no choice to call in for assistance.

Ethan Blackhawk is an FBI agent who tends to bend the rules, if not break them completely. I loved his character! He's a rebel with a cause! He's super sexy, but he doesn't seem to realise his appeal to the opposite sex. After skating too close to the edge once more, he is sent, with his partner, to assist the Sheriff in trying to find the killer or killers in the town of Salem.

This is a fantastic romantic thriller! I struggled to put it down! Unfortunately, I had to do so often, and was extremely annoyed because of it! I was hooked from the first page! The suspense and mystery of who the killer was, and why they did what they did was woven into an amazing story filled with twists and turns. These twists sometimes led to red herrings that had me wondering about several of the characters. Were they involved?
This story is mostly told from Elizabeth and Ethan's points of view, but there are also a few other characters that have their say. This gives the book a movie-like feel. In fact, I could see this being made into a TV movie with no problem. The characters, locations and the situations all came alive for me. The romance between Elizabeth and Ethan was HOT and STEAMY! Their chemistry literally smouldered on the page! The scenes were somewhat explicit, but not erotic.
The killer was a complete surprise! I did suspect a certain person, and they were involved, but I should have read enough murder mysteries by now to expect the unexpected! However, I sure didn't see this one coming!

Morgan Kelley has written an exciting romantic thriller that flowed beautifully! It was fast paced, but not rushed. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Sacred Burial Grounds.

Due to the violence and sexual content, I do not recommend this book for younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love murder mysteries/thrillers/suspense or romantic thrillers. - Lynn Worton

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