In her third novel involving the highly dysfunctional Vartanian family (also found in Die for Me [2007], reviewed on Myshelf; and Scream for Me [2008], reviewed on Myshelf), best-selling author Karen Rose presents another spellbinding tale of horrific violence and depravity interwoven with a passionate romance. Susannah Vartanian, a physically and emotionally damaged assistant district attorney in New York City returns to her hometown in Georgia for the funerals of her parents and to give her statement regarding a gang of rapists that attacked her thirteen years ago.

The same gang appears to be connected with the current abductions of teenaged girls through the Internet. These girls disappear, have their spirits broken through torture and humiliation, and then are sold in a human trafficking scheme. Susannah’s brother, Daniel, and his partner, Special Agent Luke Papadopoulos, both employed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), work to help solve the sordid mystery.

In a strange parallel, the Vartanian connection to solving the crimes is equally balanced by the Vartanian connection to committing the crimes. As Susannah and the GBI agents peel through layer after layer of lies, sort out twisted family trees, discover moles in their midst, and keep track of the ever-growing body count, they fight to retain their humanity in the face of such inhuman behavior. As they get closer to the brains behind the operation, they must also fight for their lives.

The lurid descriptions of torture and references to rape and murder make the story hard to read at times. As in her previous novels in the trilogy, Rose wisely divides each chapter into brief sections chronologically and geographically in order to explain the action. Readers never have to spend too long at the crime scenes, although the sections take enough time to get the point across. The budding romance between Susannah and Luke feels genuine, and adds some needed relief from the dark and disturbing elements in the story. For newcomers to the trilogy, it may be difficult to keep track of the huge cast of characters, but the story slowly reveals its secrets inch-by-inch for everyone to understand and appreciate.

Reviews of other titles in this Romantic Suspense Series

Baltimore
Death Is Not Enough

Chicago
I'm Watching You
You Can't Hide
Count to Ten

Philadelphia/Atlanta
Kill For Me
Scream for Me