In book one of the Lilah Love launch duet, meet Lilah Love, the politically incorrect FBI agent who says what no one else dares and fears her dark side is a little too dark. Note: this book ends in a cliffhanger and continues in Murder Girl. The story…As an FBI profiler, it’s Lilah Love’s job to think like a killer. And she is very good at her job. When a series of murders surface—the victims … murders surface—the victims all stripped naked and shot in the head—Lilah’s instincts tell her it’s the work of an assassin, not a serial killer. But when the case takes her back to her hometown in the Hamptons and a mysterious but unmistakable connection to her own life, all her assumptions are shaken to the core.
Thrust into a troubled past she’s tried to shut the door on, Lilah’s back in the town where her father is mayor, her brother is police chief, and she has an intimate history with the local crime lord’s son, Kane Mendez. The two share a devastating secret, and only Kane understands Lilah’s own darkest impulses. As more corpses surface, so does a series of anonymous notes to Lilah, threatening to expose her. Is the killer someone in her own circle? And is she the next target?
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
I feel like maybe I have been living under a rock when it comes to this author. And yes, this is my first book by her and what a way to discover her!!
Dark books are like a magnet to my soul and I found Lilah to be one of my favorite characters ever. She is strong but vulnerable. Quiet, calculated and knows that her life could easily be turned upside down when has makes her way back to the Hamptons to help solve a murder. A place she swore she would never return to. Waiting on her? A murder that looks to be meant just for her and Kane Mendez, the guy who knows just how much her darkness taints her.
The pull between Lilah and Kane is palpable from the first time we witness them together and never ever goes away. Secrets between them keep them tied to each other but will they eventually pull so tight that line breaks? I personally can’t wait to find out. I’m pulling for the dark side on this one. At least after Murder Notes. I am excited yet a bit apprehensive on where this story might take us. I believe it’s down a rabbit hole we may not get out of and yet I am okay with that.
Murder Notes is the first book in a new series by Lisa Renee Jones and while this one isn’t as steamy as some of her other books it’s a definite must read.
We are taken on a journey to find a killer with FBI profiler Special Agent Lilah Love, is he/she somehow connected to her? Only time will tell because we are left with a cliffhanger, but what I can tell you is that this is not an easy rider for Special Agent Love, no, there are many twists and turns that keep bring up events of her past. Is someone trying to tell her something or is it all just a coincidence?
Part of Lilah’s past is Kane, talk about hot men YUM, (there are a LOT of HOT MEN in this story) Kane is much more than he seems. While most have him written off as a piece of crap that Lilah needs to stay away from I see more than just the leader of a cartel that many people think he is. One thing he keeps saying is that he is not his father, and I for one believe him and I really hope I am not proven wrong because I think that if Lilah and Kane can find their way back together again it would be wonderful.
I was so engrossed with this book that I didn’t even realize I was at the end until there was no more….I really cannot wait to get my hands on Murder Girl.
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**
This new series from Lisa Renee Jones is a grippingly intense thriller in which Lilah is having to confront not only her present – her job and career as a FBI profiler – but also her past, as these two paths seem destined to collide.
A shared secret can either bring two people together or drive a wedge between them. Sometimes though that secret is a tether that binds you despite that wedge.
There are numerous characters to get to know and as this is the first book, it sets the scene and feeds us just enough information to keep us hooked. There’s deception, political controversy and lives at stake.
Without giving anything away, I will say that if Lilah is going to sway one way or the other, I’m rooting for that electric bond that she’s trying to deny.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held me captive and I hope I don’t have to wait too long for book #2.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book which was provided via Netgalley. OMG! I am a big fan of Lisa Renee Jones and have read several of her books. This one by far is the most intense and thrilling of them all. It is a bout an FBI profiler named Lilah Love who who is being brought into look into a series of murders that somehow seem as if they may be connected to her past. There is a lot of mystery surrounding how and why murders both in her current home of Los Angeles and her hometown in the Hamptons are connected. Just so happens her brother is the police chief there and her father is the mayor. Not to mention Kane, her ex and the man who knows what happened in her past still lives there as well. She must find a way to solve these murders without tipping off the person or persons as she tries to put the pieces together and not reveal her secrets. There seem to be so many players involved. She not only has her brother and father who want her to leave the murder cases to them, she wonders where two woman she grew up with have to do with what is going on along with her brother’s friend, a detective on the force. Kane seems to play a part in the mystery of the murders, though she doesn’t know how he fits in and deep down believes he is not responsible. Lilah and Kane have a deep connection and Kane wants to protect her from anything that could occur. And what about the notes she is receiving? What are they all about and who is sending them? How does what happened to her in the past tie into what is happening now? This may not be the standard romance, mystery and lighter story you may be use to from Ms Jones, but it is definitely one series you will be glad you read. I can not wait to read what happens next in this fascinating and awesome story about love, scandal, murder, mystery and intrigue!
I’m a huge fan of suspenseful thrillers, especially ones where readers see the case and all of its complicated parts through the eyes of one of the agents responsible for bringing the criminal to justice, so when I read that Lisa Renee Jones’ newest release, MURDER NOTES, was about an FBI Profiler on the hunt for a serial killer, I knew this was a story I would love; these kinds of books keep readers actively engaged because as clues are uncovered and potential criminals/killers are interviewed, we take notes on each new character, each piece of information uncovered, each lie told, and each truth revealed.
Right from the start, Lisa Renee Jones thrusts readers into the middle of a case that is so complex and so layered that it’s, at times, difficult for the heroine, FBI Profiler, Lilah Love, to keep everything straight, but that’s expected for a case of this magnitude and the varying scenarios that exist. And then, when the leads and the information start to direct Lilah towards an extremely familiar area, the things that added up before, don’t quite back sense anymore and she’s left reeling due to the potential of what it all could mean in direct relation to her own life.
I do have to caution romance readers, a bit, because MURDER NOTES does NOT focus on the heroine’s love life or the potential for one…don’t get me wrong, there are traces of romance in the story line, but the plot is not driven by love…it’s driven by murder…by the need to catch this serial killer and/or the man who hired this assassin/killer. And I have to say as a lover of romance, this story is perfect the way it is. I wouldn’t want its focus to be swayed from what’s most important and because Lilah Love is in the thick of it, she doesn’t really have time for anything else. She’s consumed by the case…by the details they’ve acquired so far…by the real possibility that it’s someone closer to her than she thinks.
Lilah Love is a kickass heroine who understands the gravity of her profession, especially now that it seems like her personal and professional lives have begun to crash into each other. I definitely would portray Lilah as an alpha woman, and while that title could be construed as a negative quality – Lilah owns her strength, her feistiness, and her intelligence, which makes her the perfect woman to bring down this killer.
Lisa Renee Jones did a great job in providing readers with a solid foundation in regards to the case and who Lilah Love is, and while MURDER NOTES does end in a cliffhanger, I feel like it’s the perfect stopping point to build up the suspense and the intrigue surrounding the case and the fact that all evidence points to Love’s hometown being part of the puzzle. I also have to say that I’m rather fascinated by Kane Mendez and the secret that only he knows about Lilah. I’m hoping that book two provides readers with further insight into what these two had together and how they might potentially fit into the dynamics of the case.
4.5 Poison Apples
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Mary Jo –
Lilah understands her dreams, even if she doesn’t want to. The nightmare is actually her reality, even if she doesn’t remember it clearly. She only knows that she was attacked, a man is dead, and she and Kane are the only ones who know the truth. Or are they?
She thought she had left this all behind, until a series of murders has led her back home, to the place she ran away from shortly after the attack that sent her spinning out of control. She doesn’t know who to trust. Her former best friend, who is now married to one of the cops who works for her brother? Or her father, whose interest in running for public office has him making new friends with some of the seedier crime families in New York?
All Lilah knows is that someone knows her secret and they are willing to kill to get her attention.
I can’t wait for book two.
Avid Reader –
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Attempted rape, murder, stalking, Cliffhanger
This is a fast-paced thriller with a lot going on. Lilah is a great profiler. Despite her family and personal history of befriending someone with mob ties, she left it all behind to pursue her dream – she is now an FBI agent. She is darn good at her job and despite having some difficulty with the local police, her boss has her back.
But when similar MOs show up across state lines, she has to travel back to her hometown where her secrets have been buried. What awaits her is a strange cat and mouse game – one where you are definitely unsure who is playing.
You have Lilah’s family: brother and father who we are given different impressions of – although I must say that her father is downright unpleasant. Her brother, well, he seems a little clueless.
Then you have her past lover, Kane. He is an enigma all in himself. He wants Lilah back and they share a deep secret that is mentioned time and time again.
The book leads you to a cliffhanger ending, so I think that readers should be aware. But I hope that it will lead to a conclusion that will leave me breathless. You’re almost to the pinnacle of the story and that’s where you’re left hanging. The dynamic between the two main characters is complex, deliberately provocative, and intense. I can’t wait to read more.
Veronica –
Firstly, it needs to be said that Lilah Love is an amazing woman. Strong, intelligent, beautiful, cunning, and brilliant at her job as an FBI profiler. When she returns home to the Hamptons from LA to investigate a series of murders, she discovers that her family and former lover are likely mixed up with the murders.
This was such an exciting book. I just loved following Lilah as she tries to uncover what is actually going on. I wanted her to tear down all the people who were being obstructive and difficult and who clearly think they are smarter than she is. I was desperate to see her beat them all.
This story has so many twists and turns. I’m not sure who Lilah should be trusting, and my ideas about the truth of what is actually going on and why kept changing. This story kept me on my toes. Murder Notes is a fantastic start to a brand new series from Ms. Jones and I can’t wait for the next instalment to see what happens next. I hope the wait isn’t too long.
Ruthie –
4.5 stars rounded up… because it is just that good!
Ms. Jones is a very talented author and this slight shift from romance with mystery on the side, to really the other way around is very successful. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very sexually charged novel, with more intrigue and issues of a romantic nature than can be rightfully fathomed, but the mystery is wonderful.
Lilah is a wonderful lead and along with all her courage, intelligence, and bravado, we also get to see the vulnerable side of her too. I loved the scenes where she forces herself to be sensible… but not scared. She is fabulous as an FBI agent, as an ex-lover, and as a daughter. She also tells us her story in such a refreshingly honest way. And the fun that people have with her name… she is the most patient woman I know on that score!
There are many other important figures, although Kane has to be the most notable. We will have to wait and see how the series continues to work out whether he is a feature for now or forever, but he is deliciously dark, mysterious, and clearly Lilah is an important person in his life, somehow.
It does end on a bit of a cliff (but not in too stressful a manner, thank goodness!), but there are a few pages at the beginning of the next book which just give you a degree of ‘phew’ to make it all feel okay. I must admit I generally don’t read forward, but in this case, it was an imperative.
Very keen to see what happens next in this fabulously written and very exciting new series.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Murder Notes (Lilah Love #1) by Lisa Renee Jones to read and review.
This story captivated me. Lilah Love is an FBI agent that finds herself investigating murders on both coasts. There is only one problem her family and her ex is on the east coast which she left and never looked back and now they all are in the middle of her investigation. Lilah has a dry and no holds bar sense of humor. She will tell you like it is and does not care how you take it. Lilah is a very strong woman with her owe past. I loved this story.
Lilah has a past buried in secrets that torments her nights. As an FBI profiler she is called in to some of the most gruesome crimes the agency faces. Her ability to go into her Otherworld at those times makes her the best in the business. Now, however, someone is assassinating people who seem to have a connection to the past she just wants to forget.
The case takes her from L.A. to the Hamptons and a reunion with the family she tries to ignore as well as the man that knows all of her secrets. With suspects and clues popping up at every turn and the local law enforcement seemingly content to explain away their latest murder, she races to find the truth while protecting her family as well as herself.
Lilah is one tough heroine. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and everyone knows it. As she progresses through the case she fights against the draw her former lover, Kane Mendez, has on her. All while trying to not totally destroy the current man in her bed’s life as she tries to cut him loose. It’s not going so well for her.
I truly enjoyed witnessing her journey through every twist and turn as it presented itself. Her ability to think quickly not only about what actions she should take but regarding what the next step the authorities are planning. With the help of her contact back in L.A. she processes the information in a methodical manner, the case getting closer and closer to herself.
At this point, Kane is a secondary character that appears to have more information than he’s sharing as is all the other people in her life. He’s made it clear that he still wants her and he wants her here and now. On the surface he appears to be a wealthy business man but everyone knows he has links to a drug cartel.
Additional characters add to the feeling of being pulled into something that is going to blow Lilah’s well preserved order away. I love when I’m reading a thriller and I look at each new character as the possible villain and this book made me antsy every time I time I turned the page. Both eager and nervous about what would be revealed.
This is a fast paced, well written mystery thriller with undertones of uncertainty that will pull you in. Although there is a past history with Kane, at this point the story is not about his and Lilah’s relationship except in the background. It ends on a cliffhanger and now I’m just plain anxious to get the next one. Things are definitely heating up and I need to know who, what and where!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones is the First book in the Series called “Lilah Love”.
Lilah is a successful FBI Profiler and works hard in the job she loves. But some new murders have clues that are leading her back to her home town and a secret that she has been keeping. The more she gets into who is the murder the more she finds that the murder is leading into her. Back in her home town not only leads her back to her family but to a ex boyfriend named Kane Mendez, whose father was a part of the local crime lord/mob association.
What can you say but WOW! This book had you on the edge of your seat! You just can’t put it down and wanting to find out what is going to happen next! So very exciting! This does end with an ending that sets up the next book in this series. Can’t wait
WOW! This was so good I could not put it down and missed sleep because I couldn’t stop reading! Lilah Love is an FBI profiler stationed in L.A. who is hunting a killer, is it a serial killer or an assassin? She is convinced it is an assassin. Now there is a body in New York that fits the profile and she is being sent there, home actually, and when she arrives finds another body in her backyard, the Hamptoms. From here there is so many twists and turns and flash backs it was hard to keep track at times but well worth the effort to keep up. Just when I thought I was figuring out who, what, and where, another twist is revealed and BAM we are left with a cliffhanger and I am going to have to wait for the next book in a couple months! I definitely recommend this one!!!!
Wow, what a book! Just be warned this book ends on a Cliff-Hanger. I loved this book. It was good thriller/mystery. So many secrets in this book. I swear everyone has a secret including Liliah. The question for Liliah is who is telling her the most truth and who is trying to get her to look some where else. The more you read this book the more secrets and lies that come up or are questioned. I can’t believe I have to wait until July to read the next book, that is so far away.
*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest opinion*
Murder Notes is book one in the Lilah Love series. Murder Notes is exactly what the title says. It’s filled with murder, intrigue, the rich and famous, love and hate. Misers from coast to coast, LA to NYC to the Hamptons.
Lies and secrets. Lilah Love is no ordinary FBI agent. Kane Mendez, local Hamptons/NYC mafioso. They have a past. Something wonderful changed in one night. Their decisions and actions from that one night seem to be driving all of the murders and bizarre occurrences. Who is it?! Who is killing? Who is leaving the murder notes? Who is following her, stalking her every step?
Her family and friends seem to be embroiled in it all. It all points back to Kane…until it points back to her. Lilah Love, FBI agent, AKA Murder Girl.
As she’s investigating, instead of clarity, there were more murders, more notes, more suspects, and more reasons to believe that someone else knows what happened that night…
This book was hard to put down! The book continued to build and then left me shocked! Holy mother of all cliff-hangers!! It’s only book one on the series and I’m already addicted. I need my next fix like Lilah Love needs answers!!
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher.
Holy cow. Holy cow! I want to repeat that a third time. Just. Holy cow. Lisa Renee Jones (LRJ) should write more books like this one.
Obviously there’s more coming in this series but hot dog(!) the background and suspense in this book are killer. Haha. See what I did there?
Anyway. This romantic suspense will feed both lives of mysteries and romance. There’s not a lot of romance included in this particular book. Worked for me. I really enjoy the mystery/suspense.
I’m still reeling trying to figure out who’s going to bite the dust next! What will Lilah stumble on next. I almost need my own story board for this one. It’s complex amount of connected but not connected characters. Family secrets. Pay offs. Scare tactics. You name it.
Oh what a joy it was to read this first book in LRJ’s new series. I can hardly wait for the next.
I swear Lisa Renee Jones is the queen of inciting internal riots, paranoia, and conspiracy theories. I have never been able to read a single books of hers without being thrown into a torrent of craziness. Murder Notes is no exception.
Always thought out and clearly on a magic carpet ride of guilty and innocence, it’s always questionable whether you are even close to a clue. One of my favorite things about her books is that you never see it coming. Oh sure, you can guess some things but in the end…you never had a damn clue.
Murder Notes is a new story. It’s the start of something big. It’s exciting and it’s sneaky. What you assume will be a slow build is actually falling into the middle of a huge mess. Lilah Love is an agent with edge. She’s snarky and hell bent on getting her answers. She’s driven and she has plenty to hide. It’s a delicate and dangerous line she’s trying to walk. I eagerly await how this will play out!!!
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
I have loved every book that I have read by this author, but this is my favorite so far. I loved the mystery and intrigue, mixed with family secrets and past and present lovers all vying for Lilah’s attention and she just wants to do her job and find a killer. I have so many questions and I know that I’ll have more before I get the answers I need and I am OK with that. Can’t wait to read book 2
The author is amazing. I have read a couple of her books and been just as captivated by her writing.
Lila is an FBI Profiler, a woman with a guilty past, has more men in her life through blood, work, and steam (she doesn’t do romance) and being assigned this bloody case forces her back to the place she escaped from several years ago.
She is a tough lady fighting for her place in this man’s world which leaves little room for a personal life.
The grisly murders from three cities may be tied together and she is sent to find out. The question soon becomes is she tied to the murders and is she next?
The clues are parsed out slowly from backstory to the current case. Trust for those around her is called into question leaving her the only one she can depend on for complete disclosure. Every page pulls you in deeper. I’m invested and can’t wait for the rest of the story.
Reviewed for Words Turn Me On
Nooooo! Of course, Murder Notes ends on a cliffie! This book is oh so good! I couldn’t wait to get to this book. Murder Notes is a new suspense series. Lilah Love is an FBI profiler. She thinks like a killer to solve murders. Good thing she is good at her job. Lilah goes back to her hometown to find a killer. Where her father is Mayor and her brother is the Police Chief. And, she knows the local crime lord’s son Kane Mendez who is suspect of these murders. She knows him intimately and they share a deep dark and devastating secret. And, the story goes on from there.
I love this new series. There is just enough suspense and romance that keeps this book interesting. It’s a page turner!
I give it 4.5 Stars and can’t wait to see what happens next.
***ARC Provided by the Author***
Lisa Renee Jones books are tough to review. They are so good, and so well written, that I want to say so much…but, so much is a spoiler. And, the things I think are obvious might just be something that another reader doesn’t see coming.
I want more Lilah. I want more of her with Kane. I want to know what is going on, I want all the answers, and I want them NOW. I am not good at waiting, and when a book is well written, and well constructed, with interesting characters and then a cliffhanger, you find yourself wanting more, and wanting the next book as soon as possible.
Lilah is an interesting character, and you want to know more about her, and what is going on, and what she doesn’t yet know about the things that are clearly going on in her hometown.
I enjoyed this title, I recommend it, and i am looking forward to the next in the series.
Murder Notes is the first in a brand new duet by Lisa Renee Jones, it’s full of intrigue, deception and more mysteries than Lilah can through her hated Louis Vuitton’s at. The bodies are piling up and a mysterious antagonist who likes to taunt the FBI profiler Lilah Love is keeping her up all night.
Lilah has been sent by her boss back to her home state of New York to investigate a murder that suspiciously matches ones being investigated in L.A where she lives and works. On arrival in New York, Lilah discovers yet another murder has been committed. This one in the Hamptons where she grew up.
Nothing in these cases is easy or straightforward, just like Lilah’s life, before and after she left the small community she called home.
This is an edge of your seat story filled with violence, dark secrets and even darker lovers. Men like Kane Mendez, the head of a drug cartel who wants to clean up his father’s legacy and have legitimate businesses.
Lilah and Mendez had a forbidden love affair until her own secret from her past, one that she shares with a Kane. This is a secret so bad, she has horrifying nightmares about a certain night in her past. We’re given glimpses with each one, slowly piecing together the events and the catastrophic conclusion that chased her from the Hamptons to L.A where she has hidden for two years.
Lilah is a strong-willed determined and cool characters. She’s downright badass and she needs to be. She’s got so much on her plate. This is a single POV story told by Lilah, we sadly don’t get insights into Kane’s thoughts, which is probably a deliberate ploy by Lisa to keep us on our toes.
Kane is dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. I loved him as much as I did Lilah. He’s flawed just as she is. They make a great couple even if they don’t get to be much of one here.
Now, she’s back and is trapped on all sides by varying agencies. Her father and brother are one. Kane is another. Then there’s the murderer, but is he a paid assassin or just a crazy guy that knows too much.
There’s just some much going on with this full on thriller. I have to warn you lovers of Lisa’s previous books and romance in general. This is not a romantic suspense. Yeah, there’s some romantic history and sexual tension between Lilah and Kane. Their chemistry is undeniable, but the one and only tryst wasn’t what we’ve come to expect.
We just have a massive amount of events happening one after they other. They’re timed well enough so it’s not like a barrage that you can’t process. We get to sort through all this along with Lilah, and I have a few theories myself which I have to keep close to my chest.
Nearly everyone we met could be a potential culprit, from Kane to people close to Lilah. People she once thought were friends. Everyone seems to be hiding something or have a hidden agenda. Even Lilah’s dad is not telling her what she needs to know.
I really, really loved this story even with the lack of hot hanky panky. The story drags you in and keeps you there, turning page after page until the end and then… Well, we just have to wait until Murder Girl releases to find out what happens next and GAAHHHH!!!! I can’t take the wait. I need the conclusion to this story and I need it now.