You Belong to Me

Early in the morning while singing along with ZZ Top, Baltimore medical examiner Dr. Lucy Trask jogs. She stops when she notices sexagenarian Mr. Pugh sitting by himself at a chess table. She assumes he wandered out of his apartment so she goes over to help him home only to find the Alzheimer's ailing man dead with his face gone. She calls 911; Baltimore PD Detectives J.D. Fitzpatrick and Stevie Mazzetti lead the inquiry. The shoes are wrong leading Trask to realize the victim is not Mr. Pugh.

The victim is identified as Christopher Jones due to cheek implants, but the cops find Jones alive. Lucy realizes the deceased is cosmetic surgeon Dr. Russ Bennett, who she has a history with. Soon other tortured dead are found, some of which the show more M.E. knows. Lucy wonders if the psychopath is tied to the decades old incident that left her distrusting people.

This is a strong police procedural with a deep cast starting with the beleaguered heroine, the cop who she likes but avoids and the amoral killer. Fast-paced with superb twists, readers will relish this terrific tale of an insane predatory killing machine lacking any societal restraints. show less

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Karen Rose is literally as good as it gets in writing romantic mystery/thrillers. No one can do what she can. She puts you straight into the lives of the MCs and victims, making them feel like characters you've been reading about for years. At the same time, she puts you in the mind of the killers with chilling success. As you continue to bounce back and forth between different POVs you'll become so addicted to her books that you won't be able to stop until you've read them all.

You Belong To Me is no exception. I think this is the first book she has written that isn't connected to all her previous works, but I didn't miss having familiar names and places. I am intrigued by some of the other show more characters introduced, so I'm glad she is setting up a new series of connected books.

Lucy Trask, the female MC, actually had me constantly back and forth as to whether I liked her personality. But, eventually, enough of her history was revealed that it became easy to forgive her for all of her personality issues. Even if I hadn't ended up liking her, it is really refreshing to have an author unafraid to present her characters warts and all versus making them all unbelievably perfect. Although, J.D. Fitzpatrick was pretty darn wonderful. The tough-yet-sensitive-cop character type that will never get old.

I love how we get bits and pieces of the story, some that seem completely unrelated, at a time so that it takes awhile before the bigger picture becomes clear. Then, once we know the who and why - she throws in a curve that will take you by the throat until the very end. The story that starts with Lucy's older brother in high school, continues through his seemingly accidental death and through to the current day and the twelve victims a killer bent on revenge leaves behind will leave you second guessing everything and everyone you come across while reading. If you're a fan of the romantic suspense genre, you definitely can't pass this one by! show less

Oh how I missed you Karen Rose.. I am so glad to see her back with this new book that starts a new series. Karen can write murder stories like nobodys business.. This was a great start to the series. We got to meet what I am sure are to be future main character in there own books.. The main characters in this book, JD Fitzpatrick, who is a Baltimore homicide detective and Lucy trask an Medical examiner (a job I would never ever ever want) were very well suited for each other. As with all of Karen's books the bad guy is really bad and does lots of horrific murders which for this reader I dont mind.. If you are a Rose fan then you will like this new book from her.. The only down side is her books are so long and complex that its going to show more be June 2012 before we get to get the next story... I cant wait... show less

First time reading Karen Rose. Loved the book. Listened to it during two five-hour drives plus most of the evening and morning. Some of the story was predictable and easy to figure out. Some of it dark and disturbing. Will definitely read more of her stuff.

When forensic pathologist Lucy Trask stumbles across a mutilated body by the chess tables in her local Baltimore park, its face so badly damaged it is unrecognisable, her sole concern is that it might be her old school teacher Mr Pugh. When the corpse is identified, Lucy is shocked to discover that the victim is actually another man from her past. Who killed him and why his skin is burnt with the number '1' is unclear but it's evident that someone is demanding Lucy's attention. The discovery of a second branded body raises worrying questions: how many more lives may be at risk before the killer's final message is revealed? And can Lucy solve the killer's gruesome puzzle before their thirst for revenge is complete?

My Thoughts:

When I read show more a Karen Rose novel I know what I am going to get and I am never disappointed. There is the usual thrills and chills with a hot romance thrown in for good measure.

What I do find however is that sometimes the story is overdone. There are plenty of twists and turns but sometimes there is that one twist too many which then can make the story too complicated. Then I find that I just want the story to end.

This book is still a good read and I did enjoy it and will be sorry to leave the main characters but did find it a little too much towards the end and the story could have finished a little sooner.

Karen Rose is good at what she does and I will always seek out her books as there is always plenty to offer. show less

You Belong to Me
4 Stars

Medical Examiner Lucy Trask is devastated to learn that the body she stumbled upon while jogging is someone from her past. Soon more victims are placed in her path, and it becomes clear that a malicious killer has set his sights on Lucy. Only by revealing her deepest secrets can she save herself from becoming his next target.

Lucy is an appealing heroine although her tendency toward secret keeping is rather irritating, especially as a killer is out to get her.

Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick is totally yummy! As a former military sniper and narcotics cop, J.D. has all the makings of an overbearing alpha male yet his physical strength is balanced by a gentleness and protectiveness that makes his romance with show more Lucy all the more intense and passionate.

Rose writes an excellent villain, and the one in this book is no exception. Vicious and brutal, the killer has no qualms about killing anyone who gets in their way. That said, by writing such a one-dimensional baddie, Rose missed out on an opportunity for providing a deeper and more insightful persepective on the moral ambiguities of vigilante justice.

All in all, Rose is definitely back on track after the disaster of the Vartanian series, and I look forward to continuing with the characters from her Baltimore books. show less

I don't know why this book didn't appeal to me more than it did. The concept is right up my alley. The killer was brutal and left lots of bodies in his wake. I understood the motivation behind the murders even if I thought his motives for going after Lucy were a stretch. There was just something about the main characters that irked me. And I wanted to slap the PI across the room (multiple times). Obstruction laws were written just for him. Still, it was a decent thriller and the pace moved along nicely, so I'd still recommend it.