SHE’S LEARNED ALL ABOUT KILLERS They aren’t the kind of women anyone misses. Truck-stop hookers, runaways . . . no one would even notice they’d disappeared if the killer didn’t photograph their lifeless bodies, posed in the back of a semi-trailer. Exactly like the infamous Trucker murders. But this isn’t just a copycat. It’s a vendetta. NOW HE’LL TEACH HER Carmen Jacobs interviewed the world’s … Carmen Jacobs interviewed the world’s most terrifying serial killers for her bestselling book, The Heart of a Predator. The police might not believe her, but she knows there’s a monster out there, paying homage to other murderers. The only person who can predict where he’ll strike next is Griffin Archer—a reclusive software millionaire with ample reason not to help her.
HOW TO DIE . . .
Carmen has charmed her way past Griffin’s defenses before. He didn’t intend to let it happen again. But with a psycho sending her trophies of his kills, he has no choice but to get involved. The clues point to a killer obsessed with Carmen—someone who knows her work, her past, her secrets. Someone who won’t be satisfied until he has made all her deepest fears come true . . .
Praise for Pretend You’re Safe
“Alexandra Ivy gives readers a nice balance of romance and suspense in her fast-paced, well-plotted novel.”
—Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author
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Alexandra Ivy gives readers a nice balance of romance and suspense in her fast-paced, well-plotted novel.
Carmen is a writer and wrote a best seller about serial killers. When she was a child, her father killed her mother and then himself, leaving her with her mother’s parents. Now someone is copying the killers in her book. The killer is sending photographs of murdered women. She goes to the police but no one believes her. She goes to Griff, a computer expert for help. She tricked him while she was writing his book to find out about the program he wrote for the authorities to catch killers. Griff is still mad about being duped, he turns Carmen away but then goes after her. He decides to stick by her when she starts getting more photos and is cut by a stranger. The longer they are together, the harder he falls for her. But when she’s taken right out of his house, he’ll do anything to get her back.
Extremely suspenseful. This will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Secrets are uncovered and truths are revealed. A little steamy but more action and suspense. I don’t want to give too much away but I hope people will understand what I’ve wrote and read this story. It will leave you thinking “ OMG “
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *
A deadly copycat.
Investigative journalist Carmen Jacobs has planned a solitary holiday break to recharge from her book tour. Her true crime volume profiling five recent serial killers has climbed to the top of the charts. Then a package of photos arrives at the isolated cabin she’s rented.
Griffin Archer, security and computer expert, allowed the pretty, blond journalist too close before he sent her away. Now she’s back, with disturbing photos of dead, young women.
Tension, suspense, action — Ms. Ivy uses all of these in a perfect mix as Carmen and Griff follow clues to a killer, expose a multitude of crimes, and discover true love.
Scary page turner. Still love this author
An excellent read!
I’m trying to figure out how best to describe how I felt once I finished What Are You Afraid Of? besides wow. It was an edge-of-your-seat read for me that was hard to put down and made me think in more ways than one. Here is my thought process.
First wow: The characters
Carmen and Griffin. I’m not always too found of quick romances, but in this case, knowing there was a history of sorts between them, I’m going to let it slide. She’s a journalist and he creates software. Definitely, opposites are attracting here. I liked the chemistry between them and how their romance doesn’t overtake the story. Instead, it enhances it and adds flavor.
Next is the killer because it is an even bigger wow. I’m chanting to myself “Don’t give it away! Don’t give it away!” because this was simply delicious. Okay, I may have guessed before the ending who was killing the women. Let me rephrase, who was behind the killings. Their deaths, the killer, the whodunit was so multi-leveled that even if I knew who the killer was from the beginning, the ultimate reasons why at the end still would have blown me away.
Second wow: The plot
A journalist who writes a book about serial killers that eventually is stalked by a copycat serial killer that mimics the killers in her book. Is that karma being a bi-otch or was this always to be Carmen’s destiny? Again, I’m chanting “Don’t give it away!” It certainly seems ironic that here Carmen writes a book, which makes her non gratis with the police and now has to seek help from the very man she semi-played to write the book in the first place, Griffin.
Everything about the plot was exciting. The chase, the mystery, romance, the whole cat and mouse from beginning to end kept me sneaking in reads when I should have been doing other things. All the twist and turns are provided not only from Carmen and Griffin trying to find the killer but also from the killer’s perspective as well. That, in itself, made for some creepy stuff.
My final wow: The concept
I like a story I can sink my teeth into. I like even more a story that will make me think. Not in the figuring out who the killer is but applying this to real life. I’ve never given much thought to true crime stories and their writers. What Are You Afraid Of? certainly had me thinking about them. Do real authors experience loathing by the police? What does it take to be a writer of these kinds of books? Do they get hate mail from victims and love letters from the wannabes? Author Alexandra Ivy has given me quite a bit of food for thought with What Are You Afraid Of? This is going to be a book that is going to linger in my mind for quite some time.
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
3.5 stars–WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? is the second instalment in Alexandra Ivy’s contemporary, adult THE AGENCY romantic suspense series. This is IT specialist Griffin Archer, and best-selling author Carmen Jacobs’ story line. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from several third person perspectives including Griffin and Carmen WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? follows the hunt for a serial killer-a copycat killer who is re-enacting the murders profiled and researched by our heroine Carmen Jacobs. With the upcoming, paper back release of her best-selling book Carmen finds herself the victim of a stalker, a killer who is copycatting the murders and sending her the pictures of his latest ‘achievements’. Needing additional assistance when the local police refused to help, Carmen contacts an IT expert who isn’t thrilled with Carmen’s re-appearance. Enter Griffin Archer, IT specialist, and the man with whom Carmen will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance between Griffin and Carmen, and the potential fall-out as a serial killer ups the body count in direct proportion to Carmen’s best-selling novel.
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? is a suspense-filled, thrill ride but the ‘guilty’ party(s) is alluded to early on thus avoiding the twists and turns that I would have expected. The predictability was disheartening as were the likely and forseeable reasons behind the copy-cat killings-sometimes too much information imparted to the reader unravels the mystery before it begins. The premise is engaging; the characters are intense-we are reintroduced to Rylan Cooper from Pretend You’re Safe (book one); the romance is a slow build towards a happily ever after.
This was a quick read for me. I have not read the first book but you don’t have to read this book. I really enjoyed Griffin and Carmen. Poor Carmen has a lot of messed up people in her past that come back to haunt her. Griffin is her rock even if he doesn’t want to be at first. Griffin is someone I would want to date in real life, too bad he is only in a book. Someone is stalking Carmen and she turns to Griffin for help. The story evolves quickly as in less than a week everything happens. I did enjoy the book. I would read more in this series or by the author.
*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest opinion*
Carmen just wanted to relax and make it through the holidays. All of plans are ruined when she receives an unexpected package. Is someone stalking her or is there a copycat killer on the loose? When the local sheriff’s department refuses to help her, she decides to ask for help from the one person least likely to help her due to their past interactions.
Carmen Jacobs is the last person that Grif wants to see, even though she’s all he’s thought about for months. But when he realizes that she is really in trouble, all of his protective instincts kick in and he is determined to keep her safe.
Can they figure out what’s going on and what will they do about the attraction that they both feel?
Lots of suspense and twists and turns to keep you turning the page.
What Are You Afraid Of? by Alexandra Ivy
The Agency #2
Carmen Jacobs interviewed serial killers, did the book tours and took some time off to recuperate when she suddenly received something in the mail that sent her out to find another killer. She approaches tech guru Griffin Archer for help and the two eventually work together to try to find out who is killing women and why. There are plenty of suspects, a few red herrings, action aplenty, some romance, a surprise or two and quite a few twists and turns before a few mysteries and murderers are revealed. I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington – Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Alexandra Ivy has done it again! The Agency’s second book is a spine chilling suspense that will holding your breath in anticipation.
Griffin and Carmen are two very strong characters that easily draw readers into their story and are easily related to. Their relationship starts off on a slippery slope but grows stronger and hotter as they fight for their lives, and the story is full of emotional turbulence which holds readers tightly in their grip. Carmen faces some hard truths and she discovers just what learning about killers has done to her life as comes face to face with disbelief, mistrust the one man who has ample reason to dislike her.
The fast paced plot keeps suspense and anticipation building throughout the story keeping chills rocking reader’s spines as the killer plaques the couple with doubts and fears by ensuring that Carmen knows that he understands her and knows all her secrets. Readers find themselves glued to the pages to find out what happens next as surprising twists keeps everyone on their toes.
Alexandra Ivy always produces well thought and defined out plots that keep readers guessing and holds them captive throughout each story and the characters are always life like and well developed. What Are You Afraid Of? is another exhilarating example of her romantic suspense stories, it held be captivated from the first chapter until the very end and even had me wondering what I was afraid of? I am certainly looking forward to the next book by Alexandra Ivy.