The Heart of a Killer

Romantic Suspense that will make you SURPRISED at the end

My first real romantic suspense novel without the paranormal being involved and what are my thoughts...well, don't look at the rate score I gave this book as being bad. I actually think of it more of a 3.5 star book. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. I liked the suspense to it and I liked how the book took a twist at the end that I wasn't really expecting. As far as the sex scenes and some of the actual action to the book, I wasn't really impressed. I'm more into hardcore sex scenes, but this book was about capturing the killer on the loose.

12 years ago, the character, Anna Pallino was attacked in the alley behind her ice cream shoppe she worked at when she was 16 years old. She never got over the attack and still suffered with panic attacks. She had her 4 bestfriends there during the attack that went after the attacker for her that night. They thought though they had did something the attacker that could send them all back to Juvie, so that night two of the guys went their own way and two of the guys stayed behind to watch over Anna. Anna even changed her career choice and became a cop to help her over that night.

What Anna doesn't know is that night would relive itself 12 years later, but this time it would involve her bestfriend's foster father and a few other close one's in her life. Her bestfriend/lover, Dante comes back from 12 years of being away. She wants him to know that she has changed and he can't just win her heart over again. Dante of course hasn't stopped loving Anna. They're chemistry in this book was amazing. You could tell after 12 years of being away from each other they had some serious tension between them both. When they finally give in to each other, it's much needed. Dante is very gentle and loving towards Anna and very protectice still. He knows how much she has gone through and he takes it slow with her when she is ready. I think that is why I loved his character the most. (But also because he had mystery to him that every other character was trying to figure out). Anna of course I loved her because she was strong even when she was attacked 12 years ago. She takes her cop job seriously and always tells people, she doesn't need backup. She can take care of herself.

When the killings keep piling up in the book and the killer starts targeting Anna's friends and starts leaving her love notes and flowers on her doorstep...Anna has to look back 12 years ago to find out who the killer really is because something isn't adding up. What she finds out surprises her and even her 4 guy friends.

What Jaci Burton does though, makes you as a reader go WHOA, I definitely wasn't expecting it to be that character. I had to re-read a few sentences in the book to make sure I got the killer's name right. I couldn't believe it. I think that is what made me interested in this book the most.

I recommend this book to all the romantic suspense lovers out there. As for the usual readers who love paranormal romance and are expecting some major heated love scenes...just remember, not every author is the same. Jaci Burton is an amazing author. I definitely liked this book, but it wasn't my fave of the year. I do look forward to the next book in the series and hope the next character Jaci writes about is Gabe. He definitely had a mystery to him and I definitely want to know why he chose the job he did in this book after that attack 12 years ago. I think he's hiding something.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Good Read

I enjoyed this book. It keep me guessing and made things interesting.

Thriller AND HAWT!!!

Absolutely loved the twists and turns and surprise ending!! Loved the love story as well as the suspense!! Can't wait for the next book!

Boring and flat

I have read many of Jaci Burton's books and can't figure out what happened here. Great premise, interesting cast of characters, and the possible questions of if everyone is who they say they are. But who cares? There is no emotion here and the reader simply has to take the author's word on the relationships between the characters because there is not depth or feeling to these characters.

Reading the dialogue you usually get a feel for the characters - serious, jokester, flirt, menace. There is no way to get a read on these characters - there's absolutely no insight into any of these people. The passages of time in the story is very off kilter too.

Possible storyline SPOLIER:
The main character's father is killed, she supposedly is in shock, then the next line says it's two weeks later. What????? The main character's love interest says he's military black op and doesn't exist on paper, but as a cop she just takes it on faith and he just decides to walk away from his previous life no hitches and no questions asked? I don't think so.

I definitley WON'T be reading the next book in the series because frankly I don't care. Burton has done much better in many other books.

loved it

I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put the book down. And it keep me guessing all the way to the end.

Nothing special

I'm extremely shocked at all the good reviews this book got. i've read quite a few of Jaci's books and was really excited about this new series. So it was a huge disappointment at how boring this book was. Yea there were a few 'no way' big shocker moments, but for a romantic suspense i was pretty disappointed. i found myself constantly skipping paragraphs and sometimes entire pages of useless, repetitive information. I tend to like racier or stonger love scenes so i was a little bored with how soft those were too. all in all i'd say the entire book was pretty boring. if you want a really good romatic supsense, than i'd suggest Pamela Clare's I-Team series or any number of Lora Leighs books.

Yummy read!

I was totally hooked into the story from the title, to be bluntly honest. And, well, ok, so the cover had me sold on wanting to read this like 50% (or more, lol).When I looked at that cover my thought process was something like "Steamy..murder..intense..murder..SCORE!",more or less.And as often is the case, my gut instinct was right on the money, or right on the novel as the case is. The writing was really cool, it flowed beautifully, very conducive to a great suspense atmosphere, and the characters were really cool, pretty much all of them, and that's not an easy feat to pull. I didn't like all the characters, but they were all cool to read regardless. I especially disliked Roman and his "honey" blabbing up and down and all over my read, and I was sort of troubled over my reaction to him up to point. I liked the rest of the brothers, Gabe more then Roman for sure, and obviously Dante the best. I mean, who wouldn't, army guy, Special Ops, black ops, action-yummy-uniform-man with blue eyes and all that magnetism? Seriously, Dante was so good, I want to read stories from parallel universes about him in like 100 relationships. Yummy doesn't begin to cover it; the man is that really smart, really sneaky sort of guy, great instincts, all trained and muscled all over, take-charge...the assertive type, you know? The kind that gives you a squeeling fit just by giving you the full force "I want you and we both know I'm gonna have you, and I'm gonna have you real good" stare? Yeah...when those come in stores, I'm totally signing up on the waiting list for one. Anna was a sweetheart, I loved her instantly; I enjoyed watching her evolve and manage to slightly resolve some of her issues, she was totally realistic and believable to me in pretty much all ways. I thought Dante was like godsend to her, and their chemistry was off the charts. I kept thinking while I read scenes of them together being, you know, grown-ups, man this writer needs to write me some steamy erotica because she most certainly has the flair for it. And then I went on to read that she had written some hot stuff, which totally made sense to me, I mean the hot scenes were yumificently hot. (yes, it's not a word from the dictionary, I made it up, admire my genius after a night of reading and no sleep! *mwahahaha* uhm...) If there's anything I'd tweak a little about this novel maybe it would be the pace in some places. I mean, a suspense has to have the right pace to keep you all tense and wondering, but slow enough to build real substance, and a lot of the time I felt we were exactly where we should have been, but there were a few parts where I wished we'd be moving a bit faster. This would easily be a 5 butterflies read for me, it has it all, a really interesting plot, good writing, charming characters, the right atmosphere - a delight. I could have gone fangirl all over it if it had been juuuust a tad bit faster in places. But it's awesome as it is. To sum it all up, if you like romantic suspense I say you should totally give this a try, it was an awesome way to spend my hours!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Usually I can figure out who the killer is before the end....but not this time!

I really did not know who the killer was until the end. What a surprise! I recommend the book.

Good Read....

I really enjoy this author & this book did not disappoint! Looking forward to the next book in this series.

so so

Good read, but not ur typical jaci burton. Little disappointed.

Great book!

Loved the book. Characters were great. Mystery had lots of twists and turns. Kept you guessing all the way.

Loved it! Awsome book totally 5 stars.

Surptise

4 STARS
Last night did not want to put book down by 1:00 AM had hard time keeping awake, so I cheated and went and read the last chapter than I could sleep and not think this guys bad oh maybe this is what happens. Than first thing this morning read the rest of the whole book. Still not guessing all of it even though I knew ending. So it has a lot of suspense, mystery that keep you guessing all the way to through.
The story opens with Anna Pallino just closing the ice cream parlor she works
at. Anna is 16 and her boyfriend Dante not quite 18 comes in as usual with his 3 foster brothers to get ice cream. Some happens and Dante leaves that night and disappears.
12 years later he is back because foster mom Elene asks him to come for her 25th wedding anniversey. Dante has only kept in touch with his foster parents not even asking any questions about his brothers or Anna.
Dante. Gabe, Roman and Jeff had been best friends and foster brothers till that night.
Now that he is back a crime has happened at the same place just like it had that night. Dante has a lot of secrets and does not tell anyone where or what he has been up too the last 12 years.
Anne is now a police detective in charge of the scene. But they never reported about the crime 12 years ago. She still has panick attacks and hides them from everyone.
Roman is a cop too. Gabe is now working for the Mob rides a motorcycle with lots of tatoos. He left the same night as Dante been back 2 years. and Jeff is a insurance agent. They all are still protective of Anna
I hope Gabe gets his own book and we learn more about him later.
The Characters are good and you care about them and want to know a bunch more of their lives. It is emotional and I cried a few places. It is good story their is some love scenes and viloence. But it keeps keeping you on edge.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.

Absolutely must check it out

Great story! I loved and definitely recommend this book! When I think of an ice cream parlor, teen love and a group of best friends, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Well, let me tell you, the warm and fuzzies only lasted until Anna Pallino made a simple trash trip to the ice cream parlor's dumpster out in the alley. The assault on Anna Pallino in that humid, malodorous, dark alley was life changing not only for her, but for her boyfriend Dante and his three foster brothers, Roman, Jeff and Gabe. For the attacker it was life-ending. Twelve years later the past has finally caught up to the five of them with several copy cat murders leading many to believe Dante is the killer. Anna must choose whether to believe circumstantial evidence or her heart.could it really be Dante-the one who saved her from her attacker so many years ago? The race against time to catch the killer has begun.

I loved Anna's character as she is willful, brave, intelligent, and kicka$$ in a no holds barred kind of way. Dante made me melt; he is loyal, protective, powerfully sexy, patient and loving.

The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton was an amazing just-can't-put-it-down book! I was whisked away by loveable characters, creative plots and scenes. It was chock-full of crime and suspense, as well as playful bantering and romance. If you're looking for a book with twists and turns that keeps you guessing "who-dunnit" until the very end, you definitely need to put this on your "Must-Read" list - you will not be disappointed!

Originally reviewed for Daydrmzzz(dot)blogspot(dot)com

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Another fantastic novel from author Jaci Burton, this romantic suspense will keep you guessing until the very end! 4.5 stars

Twelve years ago was the worst night of Anna Pallino's life. Attacked outside of her after-school job, Anna is nearly raped and killed when her boyfriend, Dante Renaldi, finds her. Pulling the monster off of Anna, Dante and his three foster brothers accidently beat the man to death. Fearful that the police will go after the four boys for their prior juvenile records, Anna convinces them to leave while she calls her father, a local police detective, who hides their involvement. Little did she know, that would be the last time she'd see the love of her young life for over a decade.
No longer the scared teenage, Detective Anna Pallino retains strict control over her life, allowing few people to get close since that fateful night. When Dante Renaldo shows up at a homicide scene though, all that hard won control goes right out the window.
In town for his foster parent's 25th wedding anniversary, Dante didn't plan to see the one girl that he's never been able to forget. Being in the Special Forces, Dante can't afford any ties, but when people close to him are beaten to death and murdered one by one, he won't turn his back on Anna, even if she does believe circumstantial evidence that he is involved. Now the real question is; was there someone else in that alley twelve years ago that saw what they did, and are they out for revenge?

Jaci Burton's newest romantic suspense, The Heart of a Killer, was a nail biting all-nighter filled with danger and romance with surprising twists and a mind blowing conclusion!
With a superb cast of characters and suspense oozing from each page where everyone is suspect, I was reeled in from the beginning. However, Jaci Burton fans be warned; this is a romantic suspense so don't expect her usual erotic romance scenes. Though she does provide a scorching hot hero, Dante, and equally hot tattooed up biker bad boy and foster brother, Gabe. These two had me melting with their first appearance in the story at the age of eighteen.

Jaci Burton gives readers a believable plot line that moved at a constant and quick pace with a witty dialogue, captivating characters and intriguing subplots. The whodunit aspect of this novel was out of this world; every time I thought I had it figured out I got thrown for another loop. It was like watching a horror flick play out on the pages!

I loved each and everyone one of the main and secondary characters. Anna was a bit of a hard-ass and I didn't expect to like her at first but as Jaci Burton peeled away her layers and threw her in these heart wrenching circumstances I began to connect with her. Though I did still feel that she was a little over the top with her grudge with Dante their chemistry together was undeniable. Dante, well there wasn't anything about him not to love IMO, though I would have liked to delve into more of his special ops past. I am really hoping to get a story from Gabe next, with the glimpses we see here and his undercover work in the mob, wow, I know his book is going to be a-maze-ing!

Another hit to add to Jaci Burton's list of electrifying works, The Heart of a Killer is a must read for romantic suspense fans!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended. A must read!

I've been following the writing of Jaci Burton for quite a few years now so when I heard she had a new book coming out through a different publisher, I was intrigued and excited. Well, my intrigue and excitement were not wasted.

In Ms. Burton's newest book The Heart of A Killer, I was expecting what I am used to reading from her; strong characters, hot sex, some suspense, and great emotion. What I got far exceeded any expectations and preconceived notions I have about her writing. Some authors improve with each book while some authors do not. Jaci Burton, however, not only stunned me with her spectacular writing, but also with a great many surprises I didn't see coming, scorching hot sexual tension, and so much emotion I needed a box of Kleenex while reading this book.

Dante Renaldi and Anna Pallino were teenage sweethearts. But one tragic, fateful night destroyed the lives of Dante and Anna, as well as their very close friends (and Dante's foster brother's) Gabe, Roman, and Jeff. After that night, Dante leaves town, and Anna, behind, not returning to his home, his foster parents, or his brothers for 12 years.

In the 12 years since Dante has left, Anna is now a different person. Once young, sweet, and innocent, she is now a disciplined, hardened Police Detective, married to her job and nothing else. But now Dante has returned, and with Dante's return, dead bodies begin appearing, bearing a striking resemblance to that tragic night in which all their lives changed. Dante, intending only to return for his foster parents 25th anniversary and to quickly leave town again, is thrust into the tragic turn of events taking place and upon seeing Anna again, and how much she has changed, decides to stay and face the past and all that happened. And in facing that past, he must face Anna, and the new person she appears to have become and the fact that, even after 12 years, he still has deep feelings for her. Anna, realizing that Dante isn't just going to leave immediately must face for herself the events of that night and the fact that the hardened woman she has become just may still have a weakness in Dante. And they both must face this while bodies begin piling up.

In many romantic suspense books, it is almost too easy to figure out where the book is going to take you before you even read it. You've guessed the bad guys and figured the ending all before reading the book. Well, don't expect that in this book. There were so many unexpected surprises in this book. Tragedy that isn't expected takes place, the plot begins to thicken and there are so many head-turning events the book literally sucks you in and takes hold, leaving you wanting more. And the ending, well, it just adds to the thrill of the ride Ms. Burton has just taken you on, in a very unforeseen way. Typically Ms. Burton's books are filled with more erotica, which is more my thing, and while there is loads of sexual tension and the sex scenes are great, they don't overwhelm the book, leaving more emotion and more suspense. And while I just admitted that erotica is more my pace, this book was a refreshing breath of fresh air. There is not one thing I would change about this book except to tell Ms. Burton that I want more. Her writing is at its all time best, proving with The Heart of A Killer that not only is she an author who has mastered her craft, she has surpassed all expectations of what readers should expect and added to that, making her one of t

The Heart of a Killer is a tense second chance police procedural

Twelve years ago, Anna Pallino worked at an ice cream parlor. She was near closing waiting for her boyfriend Dante Renaldi and his foster brothers (Gabe, Roman and Jeff) to arrive for their nightly freebie. She goes to the dark alley to toss the trash, but someone assaults her with a knife. They hear her scream and rush to the alley where Dante tackles her attacker. The man dies. Anna has the boys flee so they can avoid juvie, but her relationship with Dante died that night too.

Encouraged by her dad Frank, Dante joined the army and for the next dozen years was in the Special Forces. Now his beloved foster mother Ellen Clemens asks him to come home for her twenty-fifth anniversary gala; he would do anything for her and George so he returns to St. Louis for the first time since that night in the alley. However, his return is marred by the murder of George that copy cats what went down in the same alley twelve years ago. St. Louis homicide detective Anna leads the investigating in which her former boyfriend is a prime suspect. More similar murders follow with Anna wondering whether the man she loves is a cold killer.

The Heart of a Killer is a tense second chance police procedural filled with a surprising twist that seems over the top of the Arch. Action-packed, readers will enjoy the marred homecoming of Dante as he struggles with the death of beloved George, helping Ellen with her loss and keeping Anna safe while being the prime suspect.

Harriet Klausner

Highly Recommended-You won't be disappointed!!!!

This book is MUST read! I couldn't put it down. This thriller kept me guessing until the very end. This book is about a group of foster brothers that beat up a guy for assaulting Anna. The group fell apart after that night for various reasons. Twelve years later they are still dealing with the grief and misery. Another murder is committed and they are all determined there was another person that witnessed the assault and aftermath. They think that person won't stop until they are all dead. The chemistry between Dante and Anna is sizzling. I loved the whole family of characters and can't wait for the next addition to the series. You won't be disappointed in this book!

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No text was provided for this review.