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For her exciting debut in hardcover, New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers a heart-stopping suspense novel that picks up where DIE FOR ME left off, with a detective determined to track down a brutal murderer.

Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in DIE FOR ME. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

We first met our hero, Special Agent Daniel Vartanian of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, when he was searching for his missing parents in Die for Me, Karen Rose's previous release. Generally I think Ms. Rose does a credible job of writing her novels so they can stand-alone, but in this case I feel Die for Me needs to be read first. Too much of what happened to Daniel in this novel is directly influenced by what happened in it's predecessor. Not only that, but the plot itself revolves around things uncovered in Die for Me.

I began reading Karen Rose with her first release Don't Tell in 2003 (Casee forced me into buying it) and I feel I've had the wonderful opportunity to watch her grow as a writer. Don't Tell was wonderfully written, but each subsequent release is just that much better. Scream for Me doesn't disappoint.

This is a complex story that moves back and forth between past and present, wrapping everything together and blurring the lines between then and now. The characters are compelling and well drawn, each scarred and searching for themselves in a world turned upside down.

The plot kept twisting and turning, until an intricate and delicate web had been woven around the characters. Just when I thought I'd figured out what was going on, the scene would shift and I'd be back at square one.

Alex Fallon is forced to return to her hometown 13 years after the brutal murder of her twin sister because her step-sister Bailey has disappeared, leaving her daughter Hope alone. When Alex arrives she finds Hope traumatized, a town full of secrets, and before long women are being murdered - in the exact same way Alex's sister was murdered.

Alex turns to Daniel for answers about where her sister may be, and what these new murders mean to her and her niece. With each new body that's found, Alex wonders which if the next one will be her step-sister.

Daniel has a secret, though. The disturbing pictures his brother Simon left behind still haunt him, and one of them features Alex's dead twin sister. As the past continues to unravel, Daniel and Alex turn to each other for support and safety.

This book read like an episode of CSI, with the perfect balance between intrigue and police work, with the added bonus of a romance thrown on top. The story drew me in from the first and I truly enjoyed watching the mystery unravel. Casee and I had a discussion the other day about Die for Me, in which she stated the romance was somewhat lacking in that novel. I didn't notice it then, but with her thoughts in my head, I considered the romance in this novel a bit more before writing my thoughts on it.

I'm happy to report that if it's lacking, I didn't notice it. Though I will say the way Daniel immediately took to Alex made me somewhat suspicious. I wondered if the main reason he was so determined to be with Alex was because of the guilt he felt over his brother's part in ruining her childhood. As the story progressed, however, I moved past that and realized Daniel truly cared for.

I did have a few issues. Daniel carrying around the weight of the world because of the guilt he feels over something he had no control over drove me absolutely insane. I kept thinking, "Get over it! Everyone else has.", every time he'd start going on about how horrible he feels for not doing something 13 years ago.

**SpoilerAlert**If there's one aspect of the novel that left me unsatisfied, it was this. At the end of the novel, I'm not convinced Daniel has released his guilt and decided to go on with his life.**EndSpoiler**

Just a warning: Parts of this novel are very gruesome. One part in particular left me sick to my stomach and even now, days after I finished reading, I still feel ill when I think of it. Because I feel the need to share, I'm going to spoil that part..

**SpoilerAlert**Bailey, Alex's step-sister, has been kidnapped and is being held hostage and tortured for information that was imparted to her by her brother just before he died. She's a recovering drug addict who's been sober 5 years, and when her captor can't break her with beatings and torture, he switches tactics. He injects her with heroine. For five years she struggled to overcome her addiction so she could be a better mother for her daughter, and with one injection all that goes up in smoke. It was chilling, and horrifying, and...brilliant. Kudos to Karen Rose for that.**EndSpoiler**

One last thing: It took me half the book to figure out who the villain was. For me, that isn't something to be taken lightly. I generally figure it out within the first few chapters. And in the end? I was honestly surprised at the final turn things took. I had no idea it was coming.

This was a fast paced, solidly written novel with the perfect amount of suspense, romance and gore. Highly recommend.

5 out of 5

This book is available May 13, 2008 from Grand Central Publishing. You can pre-order it here in hardback or here in e-format (Bonus: it's only $8.75 at BoB).

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