The 47th book by New York Times and USA Today best selling author Karen Robards is exactly one month old tonight, and the third book of hers I've read and reviewed.
Robards penchant for originality shines once again in "The Last Time I saw Her." All of her books, the three I've read at least have the same romantic quest for ultimate love, both cerebrally and physically. Her books are also suspenseful while sagaciously illustrating the realities of the sheer evil in people, yet the infinite presence of the truly good folk persistently prevail.
"The Last Time I Saw Her" is a very unique love tale indeed. Dr. Charlotte Stone, aka Charlie works in a prison and studies the minds of vicious serial killers. One particular killer she interviews on a regular basis prided himself on raping and torturing young teen-aged girls before he killed them is just one of the five or six regulars she studies on a 9-5 basis.
Aside from her cheery job, Charlie, on her off time is trying to prove the innocence of convicted serial killer Michael Garland who was sent to prison for brutally raping and killing several women, six if I remember my reading accurately. Garland, although he was killed while incarcerated was once Charlie's tall, handsome buffed lover. Though Garland is dead, Charlie wants to prove his innocence, even thought she's not 100 percent sure of it, just her natural instincts feeding her emotional frenzy.
It may sound like I'm giving away the whole story, but you have no clue, unless of course you've read the book. The suspense starts to rev up when Charlie meets Rick Hughes, Garlands identical twin. The only way she knows it's not Garland on their first meeting is because Garland, her former lover is dead. The eye color is the only difference in looks between Garland and Hughes.
Convinced Hughes framed Garland and is now free chills her spine to put it mildly. The case is closed, Hughes isn't even a suspect in the eyes of the law, so life must go on. It also turns out Garland is a spirit in the afterlife whom Charlie can see and communicate with. Both yearning for each others touch and passionate love making, yet the physics of being a ghost make it impossible for tangible touch.
Tamsyn Green, a smoking hot 35-year-old woman is the daughter of a voodoo priestess, Charlie's friend and is the one link Charlie and Garland can use in sorting out life as they presently know it, and life in the realms of the outer world.
As the story progresses, Charlie and Garland manage to satisfy their lascivious desires for each other in the shower, and now Charlie has two main goals in her current life, help the police capture escaped serial killers who've got two teen aged girls captive and be with her soul mate for eternity. Want more details? Read the book.
Easily a four and half star read. I got this book exactly a month ago, but didn't start reading it till yesterday. It's a gripping page turner. One of the many reason I give this book such a high rating is the cool usage of French words and phrases. Lieu Du La Mort; The place of death.
"Shiver," the first book of Robards, acquired at the local library, I read and reviewed in Feb. 2013, and her book "Hush" I read and reviewed on Aug. 4.
