Kristi Loucks

“We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifying than what anyone else can inflict.” – Jim Morrison

“Probably the toughest time in anyone's life is when you have to murder a loved one because they're the devil.” – Emo Philips

I love a really good mystery. A story that keeps me enthralled, wondering, guessing and staying awake into the wee small hours; “Just one more page, just one more page….”

The Rose Red Reaper meets all of these contingencies and more. The mystery itself is extremely well done. Too often I find myself figuring out the “Who dunnit’” shortly into the book. In this case, there was one small hint, well into a double-digit chapter that gives a clue – but it doesn’t give it away, and I actually didn’t start to get suspicious until well into the book. Score. A mystery that makes me think!

And think I did, not only about the story itself, but also about the characters. Loucks’ characters are some of the more interesting that I have come across in mystery novels recently. The lead characters are Lieutenant Commander Mason Cole, previously a Navy SEAL, and his brother Detective Devon Cole. Lt. Commander Cole joins his brother with the Chicago Serial Crimes Unit after the savage murder of Mason’s girlfriend. For a year, Mason obsesses over Jill’s death, desperately attempting to find any clue to her murderer. Sleepless and lost, he walks the streets at night, fleeing the nightmares that torment him. His only solace is his seat at a table in a little diner close to his home, where the coffee is always fresh, and the wait staff are a small group of women who are always kind, and always leave him in peace.

Now, the killer has struck again, and what slowly becomes obvious is that this isn’t just any serial killer. At first, there seems to be no connection between the deaths, no ties between the victims. However, as the number of grisly deaths climb, a picture slowly begins to form, an image of abuse, of torture and depravity of the worst sort, and of massive failures of a system that is purportedly designed to help the most helpless among us. A system that allows unspeakable horrors to be committed with impunity. As Mason, Devon and their small group of specialists begin to unravel the convoluted path into the mind of a killer, Mason grows closer to Dakota, the owner of the tiny diner where he feels so at home. A closeness that now places Dakota in the sights of a killer who has no mercy, and whose final goal is to destroy Mason’s life.

One of the things I like the most about the book is that none of the characters are “cookie cutter cardboard cutouts”. Their personalities are well developed and realistic, allowing you to actually come to know them as people. No one is written as an over-the-top super hero, nor are the women in the story either weaklings or superwomen – they are simply very real and likable characters. Dakota herself is blind, and yet she owns the diner and bakes the wonderful pastries, including cinnamon rolls that had my tummy rumbling whenever the characters moaned in ecstasy as they enjoyed them. Though she might be blind, she comes across as a person who truly enjoys her life and doesn’t see herself as being any different from anyone else, or as lacking or crippled in any way. I deeply admired her. Even the killer, for all his depravity, is in a way a sympathetic character. What he does is horrific, but at the end of the story one can’t help but feel a spark of sadness at what happened to drive him to the degree of hatred that he suffers – a hatred that has destroyed his soul beyond any hope of salvation.

All in all, I can highly recommend this book to any mystery lover. Well-written, well thought out, and absolutely captivating The Rose Red Reaper is a worthy addition to any aficionado’s bookshelf.
… (mere)

Mason, an ex-SEAL has seen the horrific murder of his girlfriend Jill. This gave him the motivation to seek out a way to help murders get captured and put away. Mason, his brother and other FBI agents work on a special team called the Serial Crimes Unit in Chicago. The author does a great job at really showing that they are true brothers with their small bickering back and forth and just the basic interactions between the two.

Things are just starting to look a bit more positive in his life as he meets the owner of a local diner, a woman named Dakota. They are instantly infatuated with one another, which says a lot for Mason who still has residual feelings about Jill's murder. Things look positive until the murders start piling up with the same MO, but will the Cole brothers be able to find the murderer before he kills any more people.

This is a great murder mystery with a love story going on behind the scenes. It's extremely well written, and kept me intrigued throughout the whole process of finding the killer. The love story between Mason and Dakota was adorable and lightened the mood of the book a bit since it does have a lot of graphic parts. Each crime scene is filled with details of how each body was murdered, and it involves a large amount of blood in each one, so this book isn't for those with a weak stomach. I highly recommend to all murder love story enthusiasts. It gets a 5/5 from me.… (mere)

Another great read! A Life Interrupted by Kristi Loucks is....is....too much for words.

Jared and Sara are in love but their team of agents don't realize they are a couple. Just when they are about to announce it, Jared is kidnapped. Soon afterwards, Sara discovers she is pregnant with his child. For 2 years, his brother, his girl, and his team wonder where he is. They keep the hope that he is alive. What they don't realize is the hell he is going through being tortured beyond what any man could bear. But this man has a woman he loves more than life itself to come back to. His captors make one mistake then. They let him know he has a daughter. All bets are off then.

I started tearing up again just writing that synopsis. This is one of the most emotional reads I have ever read. The description of his torture is next excessively graphic, but enough to make you pause and reconsider continuing for a spell. I found that this book took me a long time to read because I had to stop often to compose myself. I am a very emotional reader when it is a good book because the author has now brought me into her world. Kristi Loucks did that and more.

Ms. Loucks character development is amazing. I generally call well developed characters as being full of depth. These go to depths rarely seen in most books presented to me. You don't just know these characters. You become these characters. Her writing is so artfully presented that you feel the pain, joy, and fear almost as much as the characters do. I was bawling before the end of chapter 3 and had to stop reading for the rest of the day. She packs so much in just a few words.

You will read of torture scenes as Jared bares his soul to the shrink and those closest to him. You will read of the pain of being alone not knowing what day it is and how long it has been since you last ate. You will read of the agony of those left behind trying to continue on with only hope that he is alive.

A truly amazing and emotional book. You cannot and will not read this one in a day. It will take you many along with dozens of boxes of tissue. Ms. Loucks is a genius with words and emotions. I have yet to see one other than Danielle Steele who has made me feel so much with just words.

You have to check this book out. Trust me!

Note: This book was given as part of a book tour with no expectation of a positive… (mere)