Volunteering with Mississippi Search and Rescue Team is an act of love for Ladd Reedy and his four-footed friend, Baxter. With the goal of finding lost loved ones firmly in mind, the duo works tirelessly to help out whenever they can. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing people reunited.Stumbling across the trophy room of a serial killer is furthermost from Ladd’s mind. However, once he’s seen … he’s seen the horrors inside, it shakes him to the core. How can one person do this to another? What kind of maniac makes death masks of his victims and displays them upon the wall? The implications are staggering.
Wren Carrolton loves her catering business. Watching others get their happily ever after is a satisfaction in itself. Sometimes, when the ending isn’t so happy, she has to find a way to turn it around. That’s the case when a client cancels unexpectedly. Faced with disposing of her extravagant meal, she decides to take it to feed volunteers looking for a lost elderly woman. Little did she know she would be meeting her fate that day – in the form of a handsome MSART volunteer and his adorable dog.
However, Ladd isn’t the only ones with his eyes on her.
Now, the man dubbed the Death Mask Killer is stalking Wren, intent on making her an addition to his new gallery of trophies.
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This is a great clean romance/suspense/thriller. Ladd, a construction company owner and Mississippi Search and Rescue member, and his dog Baxter are on a search when he finds a cabin where a serial killer keeps his trophies. On this search he also meets Wren who runs a catering business. She had a wedding cancel that day and brought a meal to the search site. Ladd and Baxter fall for Wren and she feels the same about both of them. There is a serial killer who is loose and causing the trouble for Ladd with his eyes on Wren. This is my first time reading a book by this author but it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed the writing style and it kept me guessing who the killer was.
Nice quick read. Characters were fairly well developed for a novella length book. This is the first thing I’ve read by this author and I’m willing to try a longer more developed story by her.
This is my first story written by Melissa Kay Clarke. I read the story blurb and in a matter of moments began to read the story. I loved the story of Ladd and Wren. Baxter was a cute addition. There is a mystery to solve and I did not guess the correct person so that was a nice twist. This was a nice easy read and I am looking forward to reading more by this author. Hope you also enjoy reading.
Ladd and Wren were so great together. I loved that they had no problems knowing what they wanted and were there for each other. This was such a sweet romance. And let’s now forget Baxter, he stole the show.
This was just the right balance of romance, angst, suspense and twists. I did not even suspect who the killer was.
Great story. Love, mystery, suspense. Did not see the ending coming.
WOW!! DEADLY IMPRESSIONS by Melissa Kay Clarke had me intrigued from the Very Beginning and devoured it in ONE Sitting! What a Suspenseful Murder Mystery thriller of Epic proportions with a blooming romance into the mix. Not to mentioned some twist and turns that keep you guessing on a Sick Serial Killer on the lose and a some K-9 heroes.
Definitely Must Read Book and Melissa Kay Clarke is a New Author for me!!!
Despite the name of the book and how creepy the crimes were, there was a sweetness to this book that I wasn’t expecting. Wren and Ladd had connection from the minute they met. I mean even the dog fell for her. There was just something about them that made you swoon. Ladd was dedicated to his job and finding the lost people. He held his head up high and held onto the fact that he didn’t do anything wrong. I will say I was shocked at the outcome but honestly it makes sense looking back on it. Wren was sweet. She had a heartbreaking story but rose to make a name for herself. She gave back to the community and loved animals. Her and Ladd were super sweet together. They completed each other. This book will keep your attention from beginning to end.
Ladd Reedy owns a construction company and also volunteers with MSART (Mississippi Search and Rescue Team) with his dog Baxter. They are out looking for a 75 year old with dementia, when they find something even worse. An old shake that has the trophies of a serial killer. He also meets Wren who is a caterer and had wedding food prepared for a wedding that was cancelled last minute, so she brings the food to feed the volunteers our searching. Ladd and Wren have an instant attraction, as does Baxter. Ladd and Wren are so cute, and both know what they want, and are not shy or scared about admitting their attraction. Ladd seems to be in the crosshairs of the killer or someone, as there is a lot of sabotage going on at his construction sites. Wren defends him better than anyone against a former colleague from when Ladd was with the FBI. Many twists and turns, and I definitely did not see who the bad guy was until very close to the end. Baxter is a true hero and great search and rescue dog….and even can be an attack dog! Truly this book kept me turning the pages and I read it very quickly. Loved the character and character development, and hoping some of these characters are in the next book in the series. I look forward to reading more by Melissa Kay Clarke, this was my first, but definitely won’t be the last.
This was a well written book that kept me turning the pages. Ladd and his dog work tirelessly to volunteer to search for missing people. It is during one of these searches that he meets Wren who brings food from her catering company to the search team.
They are amazing characters and their HEA is extremely challenged with a serial killer who puts his focus on Wren.
This book was fast paced, great setting with twists and drama. An original and exciting read.
Thank you for your review.
Ladd is a volunteer for MSART along with his dog Baxter (Mississippi Search and Rescue Team). Wren is a talented caterer and entices Ladd with her culinary skills and her beauty. Even though Ladd is trying to resist the pull to Wren, he is continually pulled back into her bubble. Lots of twists and turns in this book. Loved it. Highly recommend!!
Ladd Reedy is a member of MSART along with his dog Baxter (Mississippi Search and Rescue Team) as well as running a construction company. When he is out searching for a 75 year old woman with dementia he stumbles upon something more horrific than he could ever have imagined.
Wren Carraton runs Beautiful Bounties catering and when one of her job cancels at the last minute she brings all of the food to the search site where she meets Ladd.
As Ladd and Wren begin to get closer, Ladd tries to stay as far away from the case as he can but he keeps getting dragged back in through different events. Can Ladd put all the pieces together before the killer strikes again?
This was a great book and I really enjoyed the twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I really liked Ladd and completely understood why he walked away from law enforcement after past events. I loved his relationship with Baxter and how well the two worked together. Ladd was very trusting and I was curious to see what was going to happen with a certain employee.
I thought Wren was a great character as well as she was someone who worked very hard and did a lot for others when she could. There was immediate chemistry between her and Ladd and I liked where things were headed.
There were a few characters that jumped on my radar and when I thought I had it figured out I would question someone else. I did figure it out but not until 3/4’s of the way in.
The end was full of tension and suspicion and I was surprised at the jump someone had on Ladd. The end was awesome with Baxter!!
I definitely laughed at the epilogue and the control that Wren needed!
Although this is novella it was a very slow burn to start with, the only real action being our hero, Ladd, finding the “trophy room” of death masks made by a serial killer early on and he meets Wren, a caterer who decides to go out and feed the volunteers. From there the serial killer side of this story seemed to disappear or at least go so much into the background i almost forgot about it, with the action really surrounding Ladd and Wren’s love story – and lets not forget Baxter (I’m in love). I found it very odd that it was Wren, and not the FBI, who fairly late in the book, who puts the obvious to Ladd re who the serial killer could be. Once the story picked up pace i quite enjoyed but then found it was over very fast, and although events were fairly predictable, the ultimate hero was not !!
A great romantic suspense read. Wren and Ladd’s characters were so great together, I really liked the chemistry and no romantic drama. This story was just the right balance of romance and mystery. With a fun supporting character, Baxter.
A great read. Very nice, clean, short and sweet with just the right amount of suspense, angst and twists and turns to keep you entertained. I enjoyed reading every single minute of this book. Fantastic book and definitely recommended.
Ladd and Wren are so great together! They have amazing chemistry and their story was written perfectly. I loved the heat and the suspense that this book had. I will definitely be reading more from Melissa!
It’s a sweet clean romance and also a murder mystery, with the dog as the hero. I loved it.
Wow!!! This book had it all and then some. Great couple, perfect puppy, angst, betrayal, mystery, twists, turns, great writing, HEA and a sick, twisted serial killer. You can not go wrong with this one!!!
A nice quick read. The couple is really sweet together.