Bad Moon Rising

Donna Julian's Bad Moon Rising is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. It grabs you on page one and doesn't ever let go. She's a master of mixing tantalizing characters with suspense. I'd recommend this book with all my heart!

His hometown of Kansas City has bad memories for special investigator, Eric Keaton, a member of the elite SAVANT force. It is because it is the place where his fiancee and his brother were murdered. Still, when a client hires Eric's company to investigate the murder of their daughter by a serial killer in Kansas City, Eric volunteers to investigate, even as his boss warns him not to step on the toes of Alex Anthony, a close friend, whose family is involved in the case. Over the past few years, someone has murdered five contestants participating in the Rose Pageant. Coincidence or purpose, they all look like Alex's daughter, Christi, who has just returned from Europe. Eric quickly realizes that Christi is the ultimate target of the killer, who has practiced on substitutes. As Eric begins to fall in love with her and she with him, Eric must use every skill in his arsenal to keep her form becoming the final victim. BAD MOON RISING is an elaborate, well designed and cleverly written romantic suspense novel where the tension continues to rise until the final page. The lead characters are a delightful pair while the killer is brilliantly hidden in open view, turning the novel into a sizzling intrigue. Donna Julian is heading towards the top rung of the genre with this winner. Harriet Klausner