Karen Young (1) (1959–)

The book focuses on two sisters, Suzanne and Taylor, their brother Stuart and a cousin Annie.Taylor married Jack Sullivan, who she thought was the man of her dreams, but he turns out to be cruel, a womanizer, and a blackmailer. Suzanne suffers a severe trauma the night of the wedding. Annie is pining for a married man, she is not married. They all have secrets and they all seem to revolve around Jack Sullivan, who is power hungry and now running for governor of the state of Mississippi. One by one their secrets are revealed. Highly recommended for fans of author, Sandra Brown.… (más)

"When baby Max is kidnapped during Mardi Gras, Jane and Kyle Madison's life falls apart. What their daughter, Melanie, does next is unthinkable. Max vanished into thin air while in the care of his teenage sister, Melanie. Six months later, the family is a shadow of its former self: Melanie blames herself and is acting out and rebellious; Jane is obsessed with finding Max; and Kyle, a lawyer, struggles to cope with his own grief and a persistent suspicion that one of his cases is connected to Max's disappearance. With her family in turmoil and her marriage on the rocks, Jane thinks things can't get any worse. Then when an affair and an unexpected pregnancy threaten to tear the Madisons' lives apart, an anonymous caller leads to a break in the case. Can a second kidnapping bring their family back together?" Taken from cover p. 4.
(summary from ISBN 1416587497)

This story had a lot of twists and turns in it. In the story you get to witness how each member of the family handled their grief, and with each one it was very different. No one seemed to be able to share with each other their own grief and talk to one another how they were feeling with the loss of little Max. There were times I didn't think there was any hope for this family, but there is always hope. The author did a good job of taking this tragedy, and showing how it affected everyone, and also showing the dark side of some people and what they could do to hurt another person. The age old questions of "why do bad things happen to good people" was once again asked in this story. The way the author dealt with this question was very realistic and honest; sometimes there isn't an answer one can give. A very well written, suspenseful story.… (más)

A story of mystery and suspense and of a love between two people that was never lost. As the "About the Author" states: "Karen believes that showing her characters' faith journey, in addition to the physical, intellectual, and emotional aspects of their lives, enhances and adds meaningful depth to her books." I think she did this very well in this story.

Camille Vermillion has been divorced from her husband, Jack, now for 7 years. But after a man is convicted of murder, that she help set free from prison, Camille will find herself once again coming into close contact with her ex-husband, Jack. Jack has changed a lot since getting out of prison. He has now become a pastor in the town where the murder has taken place. Camille must convince Jack and the town that the real killer is still out there. Someone wants Camille to stop her quest and her searching for the killer, and will stop at nothing to silence her.

I found myself feeling pretty good as I figured out the "bad guy" quicker than usual. It was a good story to read and watch the mystery unfold, but I especially enjoyed watching Jack and Camille and the romance that was always there, get re-ignited once again.… (más)

For the past twenty years, Anne Atwood has lived a storybook lifestyle under the glare of Washington's political spotlight. As the wife of a prominent and charismatic United States senator from Texas, she's considered one of the capitol's premier hostesses, entertaining in their posh homes and raising their lovely daughter. Then comes the devastating plane crash that leaves Anne a widow - and brings a sinister stranger out of the shadows, determined to collect an old debt.

In order to uncover the stalker's identity, Anne must delve into her husband's past - and she discovers that some secrets are deadly. Desperate to protect herself and her daughter, Anne seeks help from journalist Ian McKay, a man whose own reputation is tainted by tragedy and scandal. Unwilling to trust him, yet with nowhere else to turn, she fears for her life - and her sanity - because ever so slowly, the truth is coming out...

The entire country knows her husband's name; and someone knows his darkest secret. And as Anne Atwood's picture-perfect life unravels, she begins to realize that for the past two decades of marriage, she has unwittingly been living a lie - one that might ultimately kill her.

As I've said before, Karen Young is a new author for me and Kiss and Kill is the first book of hers that I've read. Mareena had gotten this book as a 'just because' gift for me in May of 2013, and it only took me a little over a year to actually read it! Anyway, I thought that this book was well-written and had an intriguing plot - although, in my opinion, it was just the slightest bit simplistic. Overall though, I give Kiss and Kill by Karen Young an A! and would certainly recommend this book to other readers.… (más)