Midnight Obsession by Melinda Leigh Series: Midnight #4
Published by Montlake Romance
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 326
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
In Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s edgy new thriller, Louisa Hancock thought she was safe…but there’s a new killer in town.
When a mysterious package lands on Louisa Hancock’s doorstep, the Philadelphia museum curator can hardly anticipate the nightmare that’s about to envelop her. The package is addressed to her father—an expert in Viking culture—and inside is a ninth-century sword, a chilling thank-you note, and photos of two dead bodies in a tableau evoking a Nordic funeral. The gruesome images match a recent crime scene. But before the police can investigate the killer’s connection to Louisa’s father, Ward Hancock vanishes.
Sports bar owner Conor Sullivan wants nothing more than to spend his life with Louisa. Devoted and protective, he refuses to leave her side after her father’s disappearance. When a troubled young boxer he’s been coaching is suspected of the murders, Conor is pulled in even deeper. Desperate, Louisa and Conor take it upon themselves to find her father, but soon another ritualistic slaying makes it clear there’s a Viking-obsessed serial killer on the loose. And he has a new target: Louisa.
Review
If you love a really great mystery, cozy or otherwise, then you should be racing to grab a copy of MIDNIGHT OBSESSION right away because it’s well written, appropriately chilling and engrossing suspense that will leave you wanting more! I’m completely blown away by Ms. Leigh’s writing and I’ve got to wonder what the research process is like when I read such a book that both creeps me out and leaves me in awe of the writer’s skill.
Fresh off a case that came too close to ending her life, all Louisa Hancock wants is stop living in fear and for life to return to normal. Unfortunately for her, her wish is not going to be granted any time soon. Her boyfriend, Conor’s mentees are on the run after being pressured to join a local gang and being named as the suspects in a ritualistic double murder. In the midst of this storm, a mysterious package is delivered for Louisa’s father at her work location, which contains items identified as Viking in origin and linked to the murders currently under investigation. Then her father is kidnapped and the only common denominator is the murders.
How do the murders connect to the Louisa’s father and the missing young men’s issues with the gang? Another double murder alerts them to the fact that they have a serial killer on the loose and with the police overwhelmed with the non-stop crime spree, Louisa can’t sit on the sidelines while her father is missing. Her involvement in the case only serves to put her on the killer’s radar and soon Louisa is the ultimate prize in a game whose rules only a deranged mind knows.
Conor would love to shield Louisa from any and all issues, but he knows she’s not the kind of woman to hide away when her expertise is needed and with her father and the boys missing, Louisa won’t stop until she finds them. Conor is not one to sit on the sidelines either and their extension of a helping hand to a family in needs makes his family the target of the gang.
Vikings, gangs, murders, rituals – there is so much going on in this book and the skillful way Ms. Leigh ties all of this up is really amazing. The identity of the killer and the motive are not easily deciphered until the last page and there are no bread crumbs to provide any kind of clues but the end is an eye-opening moment where all those seemingly unconnected threads come together perfectly.
This book focuses more on suspense than romance, so an avid romance fan may not find this very enjoyable, but if you’re like me and don’t mind the minimal romantic elements, then you are certainly in for a really great time with this book. This is my first book in this series and I can say that I didn’t have any issues for not reading it in order.
About Melinda Leigh
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Over the next few years, she learned a few things about writing a book and decided the process was much more fun than analyzing financial statements.
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