Gritty, messy, dark, and highly readable. This is the second book in the series I've read and both have been extremely engrossing and satisfying. ( )

Valerie Hart and her boyfriend Nick Blaskovich are adjusting to a new dynamics where she is a homicide detective, available at all hours, and he transferred to forensic technology with consistent hours. They are trying to have a romantic weekend when a murderer who hasn't killed in 6 years strikes again out of nowhere. His accomplice Katherine Glass was given the death penalty and waits in jail. The mystery killer demands the she be released or he will continue to kill. With each murder, they get closer and closer to Valerie and her loved ones. The only clues sent are ones that Katherine can decipher due to shared memories and references. Can Valerie catch the killer before he does irreparable damage to her family?

Lovemurder is the second book in the Valerie Hart series. The first was good, but I had some problems with it. This second one is so much better. Valerie is in a much better place. Her relationship with Nick is stable and she's even thinking about having kids. They're adjusting their dynamic since Nick transferred out of homicide. He's the househusband, cooking dinners, making plans, and being left alone when she has to rush off on an investigation. Since he's done the job, he completely understands her and there's really no conflict there, just a bit of guilt on her part for becoming so absorbed with her job. I love their relationship. They fit together so well and there's no hidden resentment or grudges. It's heartwarming and balances the dark parts of the book.

On the other side, Katherine Glass captured public hatred due to the brutal nature of crimes she committed that contrasts with her beauty and intelligence. She knows how to get under someone's skin and enjoys mind games especially with Valerie. I liked seeing how their dynamic had changed since the first time they interacted with Valerie beocming much less easy to shake and Katherine a bit cowed by her time in prison. Katherine's relationship with her murderous partner looked so similar to a loving relationship in the videos they made while they raped, tortured, and murdered women that it's grotesque. Working with her is a nightmare since she enjoys making everyone as uncomfortable as possible and it gives her leverage for getting things she wants. You never know if she's just bored or if she has some sort of plan going on underneath it all. The only think known about her partner is that he's amazing with technology and as well educated as her. I didn't know who he was at all and I was pretty surprised when it was revealed.

Lovemurder has a bit of a silly title, but contains lots of twists and turns that I didn't expect. Black's writing kept me reading for hours and replicated a Lecter-Starling-esque relationship that wasn't a carbon copy. The tension builds as it goes along and gets more intense. I found it far superior than the first in the series and I would love to see where it goes next. There's no sequel listed anywhere, but I'll have my eye out for it. ( )

This can be read as a stand alone if you come across this book although it’s highly encouraged to read the first one only because it’s just as good!

This time around, Valerie doesn’t get pummelled all over the place and you don’t cringe as much when she gets hit by something (whether it’s a bullet or a hit to the head). The plot held up to the same standards as the first; fast paced, filled with scenes of gratuitous violence and some sexual content here and there. This may not be for some readers as it does get graphic but I think without it, it would be hard to describe how heinous the crimes are.

Throughout the novel, Valerie has these tete a tetes with Katherine and they’re well written. You feel the tension between them and the mind games Katherine plays are subtle and sometimes even frustrating because she’s maddingly brilliant and manipulative. You’re running along with Valerie trying to catch this killer and you follow through the chase filled with puzzles and cryptic notes and gifts (none very nice gifts either…). The killer is brilliant and when you think he’s this one person, he ends up being someone you didn’t realize and it’s mind blowing considering who this killer ends up kidnapping.

And just when you think everything’s done there’s more extra twists happening. This is what makes this novel so quick and fast to read. You’re deeply engrossed in the plot and in the chase to find this killer but you forget he most likely has a plan B and you’re blindsided again. This is what makes this book so good!!!!!! I loved every minute of it!!!

The only concern I have is, how much more can happen in this series before this starts getting repetitive. I love the way it’s going and I hope the series can stay fresh and exciting like it’s been so far. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, given there’s a bit of a teaser at the very last page of the book. ( )

Unfortunately, I read The Killing Lessons, the book before this one. That book was awesome! I have never been as scared reading a book as that one - yet I loved it! However, it is hard to equal that type of success two times in a row, and this book is proof of that. While it was a decent read, it was very predictable and not as frightening. Detective Valerie Hart is back, but so is the evil Katherine Glass, although she is in prison here. Her co-conspirator in previous murders wants his teammate back, so that is the basis of this tale. There are some interesting moments, but nothing very surprising. ( )

A couple of years ago, I really enjoyed The Killing Lessons, a serial killer thriller, which featured Valerie Hart, a homicide detective. I was a bit surprised to see Valerie is back. For me, The Killing Lessons wasn't all that much about Valerie, who was your fairly standard broken detective then. However, in Lovemurder, she really takes center stage. Her life has changed for the better making her a different person to the one we met in the first book.
Even if you haven't yet read The Killing Lessons, Lovemurder works perfectly well as a standalone serial killer thriller.
The highlight for me was the relationship between Valerie and Katherine Glass, the beautiful, intelligent and mysterious serial killer who has been residing in prison since 2009, caught by Valerie and her team. I couldn't help but think of Chelsea Cains' Gretchen Lowell. Definite similarities.
Katherine's partner in crime has never been caught, and now it seems he's back. A small disappointment for me was the fact that I identified Katherine's partner pretty early on. Nevertheless, there was plenty of suspense and while it wasn't quite as dark and disturbing or as strong as the first book, it was still a very enjoyable thriller.
I received an ARC via NetGalley. ( )