It’s Lilah Love’s job to inhabit a killer’s mind. The unapologetically tough FBI profiler is very comfortable there. But her latest case is making her head spin. It’s a string of brutal assassinations carried out across the country, each tied to a mysterious tattoo. Body by body, she’s followed the clues all the way back to her hometown. And every step of the way, the killer has been following … her.
Here, beneath the glamour of the privileged Hamptons community, is a secret long buried but never forgotten. It’s bigger than Lilah. It’s powerful enough to escape the reach of the FBI. And it’s more personal than anyone can imagine. Because it’s hiding in Lilah’s own past. To fight it, she’s forced to turn to her lethally tempting ex, Kane Mendez. He’s an expert at bringing out Lilah’s darkest impulses. If she plans to survive, she’s going to need them.
The Lilah Love series:
Book One: Murder Notes (Murder Duet #1)
Book Two: Murder Girl (Murder Duet #2)
Book Three: Love Me Dead (Umbrella Man Duet #1)
Book Four: Love Kills (Umbrella Man Duet #2)
Book Five: Bloody Vows (Wedding Duet #1)
Book Six: Blood Love (Wedding Duet #2)
more
MURDER GIRL (Lilah Love #2) by Lisa Renee Jones is the second book in this thriller/suspense FBI profiler series and picks up right where the first book’s overall plotline left us hanging for more. You can pick up this book which has a great synopsis of book #1 in the beginning, but the first book was just as well written, so I really do recommend you take the time to read it, too.
Lilah Love is one of the best profilers in the FBI. She can get into the mind of the killers’ she profiles without emotional involvement hampering her job and so the nickname “Murder Girl”. Her present case has her returning home to the Hamptons and her ex, Kane Mendez is waiting for her. Lilah believes in law and order, but is drawn to the dark, while Kane is the bad boy, millionaire business man who could be all bad, but he continually tries to fight the dark for Lilah.
Lilah is piecing together the clues of a series of murders others believe are not connected, but she believes are done by an assassin and are all tied together. Each time she gets another piece of the puzzle, she is taken down another path that may go back years and could connect to a secret in her past and her family.
Lilah has to find the assassin, deal with her continually conflicted relationship with Kane and hopefully keep everyone she cares about alive.
Lilah is a great main character. Foul mouthed, beautiful and seriously devoted to catching killers. Her romantic interest in Kane can go so many ways and I am looking forward to seeing if the author can work out their differences enough to bring them together or if he remains more of a character who helps Lilah and just has benefits. Lilah’s FBI supervisor and the assassin, Ghost, are both going to make future books very interesting, also.
I definitely recommend this book and series. It is well written and a page turner that just keeps throwing new twists and revelations at the reader. Bring on book #3, please!
Thank you very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for and honest review.
MURDER GIRL is the second instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult LILAH LOVE romantic suspense series focusing on FBI profiler Lilah Love.
SOME BACKGROUND: A series of murders, all fitting the same MO and assassin style shooting finds our heroine jetting across the country towards the rich and famous, and a past she can’t soon forget. The Hamptons were once our heroine’s pride and joy but murderous demons and the death of her beloved mother forced Lilah away from her family and the man she once loved. Now that her brother is police chief, and her father is schmoozing the political elite, Lilah Love must tread carefully where others refuse to go but in doing so begins to unravel a close connection to everyone she knows. As more bodies begin to pile up, so too do the threatening ‘notes’ that speak of a past, she was hoping to forget.
Told from first person perspective (Lilah Love) MURDER GIRL picks up immediately after the events of book one –Murder Notes- and continues to focus on the hunt for a potential serial killer, that may or may not be connected to Lilah’s past. Two years earlier Lilah, and her then lover, Mexican cartel heir Kane Mendez found themselves embroiled in a dark and dangerous situation that appears to have followed them to present day. As the body count continues to climb, more threatening ‘notes’ addressed to our heroine reveal a personal knowledge about their tainted pasts. As Lilah begins to get closer to the truth, threats from another source find Lilah the prey in a game where she is targeted from a power she is unable to control.
MURDER GIRL is another thrilling roller coaster ride of intrigue, mystery, conspiracy and death. The political elite and law enforcement have been compromised such that our heroine can no longer trust the people with whom she works and loves. The aura of restlessness and the uneasiness of Lilah’s investigation places everyone on edge, the closer she comes to uncovering the truth.
Once again, the romance aspect of the story line is limited as Lilah is focused on the end results. MURDER GIRL is another detailed and complex story line that ventures along many paths, differing angles, clues and secrets that do not want to be revealed. At times, the number of suspects, leads and misinformation was complicated and confusing, in the hopes of misleading the heroine (and the reader) from the ultimate prize. Lisa Renee Jones pulls the reader into a story of betrayal and revenge; assassins and ‘ghosts’; and an organization controlled by the political elite who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets and lies. MURDER GIRL is a dramatic, intense, intriguing and edgy story that will keep you guessing until the end.
Packed with heart-pumping, edge of your seat suspense and mystery, the second book in the Lilah Love series, does not disappoint!
Lilah is more determined than ever to find the link between the killings that seem to be following her across the county, all the while, clues continue to subtlety link her or her family, in very small ways, to the crimes. So just who is the killer?
How does this assailant know the deep dark secrets of Lilah’s past, that only she and one other person in her life knows about? Why are they playing cat and mouse with the smart-mouthed, tough as nails, Agent Lilah Love? I will let you find out the answers to that for yourself.
What I can tell you is that I have fallen even more in love with Agent Love in this, gripping; second book and I cannot seem to get my fill of her. Lilah manages to stay one step ahead of each and every one that she interacts with and it is fascinating to witness.
She is not a people person, but it is that exactly, that I love about her. She apologizes for nothing, speaks her mind, and holds nothing back. She is a strong, confident and capable woman – one I wish I myself could be more like.
As she discovers answers to the questions she is seeking, more and more information is divulged, opening things up for Agent Lilah Love to have a very long, fulfilling career with the FBI and one I would love to follow.
“5/5 Beaming Brains!” – Laura, Lit-Up My Mind
Murder Girl is book 2 in the Lilah Love Series. Something that Lisa Renee Jones does that I wish all authors would do is create a recap of the previous book. She also does a glossary of her character’s so you can refer back to. I think this is so useful especially for complicated series but, also if there has been any time between books. It just helps to remind you of the previous book and gets you ready for the one you are about to read. So, THANK YOU for the recap Lisa Renee Jones! You have done this for other books that I have read by you.
Book 2 starts out where Book 1 Murder Notes ended. Kane and Lilah are standing in Kane’s garage with Lilah pointing a gun at Kane and the patriarch to the Romano family is tied to a chair. That’s all you will get from me. It is a very good book and I am loving this new series by Lisa Renee Jones! If you love romantic mysteries/suspense you should read this series but, you do need to start with Murder Notes so you will know what is going on. I loved the story. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. 5 Stars
Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this review. Lilah was literally all over the map in this one. She was fierce, she was determined, and absolutely no one, friend or foe or family alike was going to stand in her way. While her attitude rubbed me the wrong way pretty much from beginning to end, I absolutely respected the crap out of her. LRJ created one heck of a heroine with this woman and you really don’t have to like her in order to admire how she gets the job done.
A killer is still on the loose, secrets abound, and the only person that Lilah knows she can truly trust is Kane Mendez. And rightly so because while he’ll turn on anyone else, he’ll always have her best interests in mind. If only she could accept that he deserves not only her trust, but her heart. Especially when he’s there for her during all of the turmoil that has arisen during this case. As they get closer to the killer, the facts turn into doubts and Lilah is stuck trying to make sense of it all, with Kane by her side. Despite the fact that most of the evidence she collected would be inadmissible in court in real life, it was a heck of a lot of fun watching her do it. I’m really looking forward to her and Kane kicking some secret society buttocks!
“There’s no such thing as a coincidence.”
Thank you Lisa Renee Jones for the recap at the beginning of Murder Girl to refresh my memory. With so many characters and behind the scenes scenarios to keep straight it was much appreciated. It didn’t take me long at all to become totally immersed and back up to speed, sharpening my profiler skills and learning a few new tricks from ‘Agent-fucking-Love’ who doesn’t mess around. She takes her job, her secrets, and her chocolate very seriously.
I don’t know how many books there will be in the Lilah Love series, but the deeper I get, the more intriguing it becomes. Just when I think we’ve turned a corner and I’ve figured things out, then something new happens and I’m left scratching my head, back to square one. I’ve got my suspicions and persons of interest who I’d like to stalk, but Lilah has more experience so I’ll just keep tagging along with her. I know she’s got my back, and she’s got Cujo.
Kane has a soft spot for Lilah and he lets her get away with things that nobody else would even attempt. He’s very well known and whether he actually dabbles in the family business or not I’m not sure. One thing I am sure of is that he could have any woman, except her, but it’s her he wants. He assures her that he always tells the truth, but does he tell her everything? How much is he holding back to protect her? No really, I was hoping you could tell me.
At this point, I have more questions than answers. But one thing I know for sure is that the chemistry between Kane and Lilah is scorching. I have no idea how she managed to walk away from this man for two years but I can assure you that the distance did not diminish the sparks that fly between them. If it wasn’t for the conflict of interest regarding their chosen careers I’m sure all their problems could be solved between the sheets. And I’m not denying that I mentally urged them to try that method of conflict resolution. I was sure that if it didn’t work by then they wouldn’t care.
As even more players in this deadly game start coming out of the woodwork, the suspense builds. It’s hard to tell who the good guys are, or if there are any. Lilah is starting to question herself and what lengths she’s willing to go to in this game of cat and mouse. She’s letting her dark side come out to play and finds herself reluctant to put it back in its place. As she struggles to figure out who her enemies are, she also struggles to accept who isn’t. The one who seems to always be there when she needs him, and even when she doesn’t. How much longer will she be able to resist the pull of attraction before she accepts the release he offers?
Woo Hoo! What a mind-bending ball of fun this story is. I love trying to figure things out and it’s so exciting when I’m occasionally right with my guesses. I throw myself right into the drama and don’t come out until I’ve turned the last page. And after turning this last page, I don’t have my answers and I’m going back for more. The line forms here…
Lilah Love is such an unique character. This series is so different from what everyone else writes. I love that she is so unapologetically in your face. She tries to joke but most people don’t find them funny. She struggles with the fact that dead bodies don’t bother her but ironically talking about her feelings does. I love Kane! He’s done bad things but there is so much more to him. Lisa Renee Jones has crafted a wonderful new series and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next! I received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Murder Girl picks up right where Murder Notes leaves off. Lilah continues to try to piece together the puzzle of the dead bodies, connect them to her attack with out letting anyone know her connection, understanding why she is the common denominator, all the while wondering who she can trust.
Director Murphy, is he trust worthy? Lilah asked TicTac to look into the Director. To her surprise, she soon receives a call from TicTac but when she answers it is Director Murphy. Even though he is peeved, he tells TicTac to tell her what he learned. She now knows she can no longer use TicTac the way she has in the past.
She believes she can trust Rich, but she also feels he is a liability due to his dislike of Kane. She does recruit him to help handle the local law enforcement. However, when he goes radio silent after accompanying the local FBI to Kane’s she becomes increasingly worried. When he finally shows back up he explains it is because his phone battery went dead. He tells them that the FBI tried to rile Kane but that he owned the meeting. She finally finds a job to send Rich on on her behalf back in LA.
Another murder, a copy cat of one she worked earlier, leaves her a big clue about her mother. It also gives her a glimpse of the assassin. She enlist Lucas to help her hack and obtain information. Unfortunately, the video of the assassin is not of the caliber that face recognition can be done.
She continues her push and pull with Kane. Kane finally gets the call from Ghost for a meeting. She has to agree not to arrest or kill him. She reluctantly does. The meeting with Ghost sheds a lot of light on, well a lot of things. She learns who orders the kills, who ordered her attack, and who is in the cross-hairs as they speak. Can she and Kane arrive in time to save him and catch the assassin? Why is everyone’s phone off, her father, her brother, Eddie’s?
She knows the only person she can trust is Kane, not her father, not her brother, and at this time not even Director Murphy. And, there is always Pocher…
The questions left open in the previous book – Murder Notes -, are answered in this second book of the series. Lilah is a brilliant FBI profiler but the cases she gets involved in just keep on resulting in more death, stalkers, and more mystery. Also, her relationship with Kane is not clear enough as they seem to be on and off. The mystery deepens and it seems things will be clearer in the next book. So I’ll keep on reading!
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest review.
This is the face paced continuation of Murder Notes. If you read Murder Notes a while back, don’t worry as the author provides a well encapsulated synopsis of book one to bring you up to speed. Lilah continues to be her unapologetic, badass self in her hunt for killers and answers. Kane is her secretive, protective and unbelievably patient anti-hero. As the body count rises, Lilah can trust no one, except Kane who understands and loves the unvarished Lilah – with and without the civility of her badge. While some questions are answered in this book, many more questions and suspicions crop up. Bring on book 3!
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
Gosh i love this author! This book doesn’t slow down, just keeps pushing you and keeps you wondering, guessing. And her heroes are always a bit of an antihero which is something I really love. He’s a bad boy but he’s crazy about her, and he’s got such a foul mouth! Omg! It’s ass editing ass everything else! #netgalley #murdergirl
Having read the first one could not pass this one up. Lilah is a FBI profiler that has us even inside of the mind of a killer. Now though one is centered around a tattoo that has us scratching our head too. Now back to her hometown she goes but so does the killer. On our guard we do become. Secrets need to come out which we love to see what those are. She has us wrapped up in this one as the answers come.
Unsolved and mysterious cases, interconnected murders and two families that aren’t exactly what they pretend to be, in this second book of Lilah Love series, I found myself immersed into a world that I have no idea how everything will be unveiled and solved. There are so many layers and secrets to be discovered, so many unpredictable twists that kept me guessing throughout the book from the beginning to the end. And of course, I love the romance side story and Kane is that hero that you hate but fall in love with even if he plays a villain part.
Another cliffy end as this is a 4 books series but I enjoyed it even if I hate cliffhangers.
I am hooked on this series!
Facts: Murder Girl is book #2 of Lilah Love series by NY Times, and USA Today best-selling author Lisa Renee Jones. It is the continuation of Murder Notes told from the heroine’s point of view with a partial mystery solved ending. Genres: Women Sleuths | Romantic Suspense. Tropes: Alpha hero | love triangle
Murder Girl, the second installment and conclusion of the first Lilah Love duet picks up where Murder Notes left behind. It is fast paced and brimming secrets that lead to interesting plot twists, some answers to the previous book and more questions for the ones to follow.
Unapologetic as ever, FBI Special Agent Lilah Love is as fiercely determined to catch the bad guy and no one, not even her family, will stop her but perhaps Kane Mendez will be able to help her.
While Lilah is piecing together the clues to catch a killer that indicate a connection with her family and a secret shares with Kane, she’s also conflicted with his involvement in her life because of his absence during the past years and his strong ties with the wrong side of the law, she acknowledges that her badge and adherence to the law balances them out.
I was drawn by the intrigue, but kept glued to my eReader because of the wonderful job developing Lilah Love’s characters. I really like her no nonsense, tough persona which is absolutely necessary in the male dominated world she works in.
I love the fact this literally picks up where the first book ends, bad thing is again I could not put it down until I finished it. The more I read the more I love Lilah & Kane. Lilah is bizarrely addicting with her abrasive and no holding back attitude. I love how her mind thinks and takes in the world around her. This book is again filled with great characters, fast-paced action, and an interesting plot. I look forward to book three.
Second in this series and a catch up to the cliffhanger in the first book. This one is full of mystery, drama, violence, and emotional surprises. Loved this book, so much better than the first and makes you want to continue the series, reminds me of the Meli Raine books, although without the romance, there is a small amount of steam. A serious who done it. Grab this one.
This is a fantastic follow up to Murder Notes. An ingenious plot full of twists, turns and suspense with complex characters none of whom you’d turn your back on unless you’re not afraid of a knife between the shoulder blades.
Murder Girl starts where Murder Notes left off. Lilah Love isn’t someone you would want as a friend. She’s anti-social, full of attitude, distrustful, foul mouthed and very confrontational but if you were ever unfortunate enough to be murdered, then she’s the the person you’d want on the case. She is willing to go to any lengths in pursuit of justice for the victims she stands for and will let no one stand in her way whether they be family, friend or foe. In this book the plot deepens. There is literally no one she can trust other than Kane Mendez who accepts every part of her, even her dark side but she hates that he see the real Lilah that she struggles to hide from the world. All the threads are gradually being woven together to find the killer but who will be left standing at the end?
It’s hard to describe just how well Lisa Renee Jones weaves a tale. The stories are so well thought out and finely crafted that you are immediately caught up in them. This is certainly true in Murder Girl. Murder, intrigue, secret societies, assassins and/or serial killers keep Lilah Love busy as she tries make sense of it all. The body count rises, her stalker is still around and her family tensions increase exponentially. All the while Kane Mendez is there every time she needs him. He is the only one she can trust.
This is book 2 in the series please read Murder Notes first or you’ll miss key information,twist, turns,betrayals, lies.and secrets that continue in this book. FBI Profiler Lilah Love is still looking for answers some were answered but so many more were left hanging. Additional murders and new confirmed betrayals/corruption have left her vulnerable as to who she can trust. We have so many players to choose from each mysterious, sneakier and intriguing. Yet Kane has been there every step of the way protecting her or has he?
This book is action packed, suspense filled mystery thriller with a side of hot steamy chemistry between Lilah and Kane that will have you so immersed that you won’t be able to set it down. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger like last time but definitely not the end of the story.
Five Mysterious suspenseful
I’ve had Murder Girl in my kindle waiting for me to finish it since this past summer. I’ve been in a reading funk since then, but now I’m back at it. It may be due to the holidays coming up and also making time for myself again. I finally finished Murder Girl and I’m so happy I did. Although, I now have to wait until March for the third book to come out.
Lisa Renee Jones knows how to suck me into her well-defined stories and in-depth characters who I either love or hate. In Murder Girl though, Lilah and Kane are still my favorite characters. Lilah’s family members and the bad guys are not the ones I really like at all. Lilah is an FBI profiler who is back in her hometown after a string of murders across the country brings her there. She knows the killer is an assassin, but the local cops in her hometown don’t think so. They would love to pin the blame on Kane, who is Lilah’s on again and off again guy who she won’t have a REAL relationship with. He loves her though, but Lilah is not a ‘relationship’ type girl. I wish she would let him in since he has been there through everything with her, especially in the past. He’s determined to find out who planned to hurt/kill Lilah and Lilah wants to take care of it herself.
Lilah is learning a lot more about her family after being in her hometown for a while and she realizes they may be apart of something that could actually be behind the assassinations. She doesn’t know who to trust, which is why she chooses to handle everything herself. Even though, Kane is who she truly should trust. I realize she has hesitations for a reason because Kane’s father is apart of the cartel and she has an FBI badge, which is a huge conflict, but really how could she resist him. He’s a very good looking guy at least the way Lisa describes him the story.
Lilah is been stalked in Murder Girl though, which is another issue in the story. She has no idea who it is until someone unlikely tellers her who it is. Murder Girl definitely lives up to its name due to Lilah’s character. She’s an amazing profiler and her director even knows she’s great at her job. Even though it has put herself in some very sticky situations in Murder Girl.
Overall, Murder Girl is just as addicting as the first book and I give it 5 stars. I had a hard time putting it down until I finished it. I really hope that Lilah and Kane hook up even more in the next book, even though I know it’s not about the romance in the story, but the actual suspenseful storyline that Lisa Renee Jones has written. I look forward to the next Lilah Love story and I know it’s going to be just as amazing as the first two.