Book source ~ ARC ~ My review is voluntary and honest

Kendall Shaw, local Richmond reporter turned anchorwoman, has spent the last year recovering after being in a serial killer’s sights. Now there are women dying who resemble her and one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, Jacob Warwick, thinks she’s a target. Again. As Jacob and Kendall dig into the victims’ pasts, at first there doesn’t appear to be a connection between them. But Kendall’s sudden nightmares just might tell a different story. Can they catch a killer before the killer catches Kendall?

Told from several POVs this chilling story of a man with an obsession is a nail-biter. The writing is great and the murderer is evasive, but I had a hard time with the characters. Kendall and Jacob in particular. I just couldn’t quite warm up to them. Their character development also seems a bit lacking and the romance between them kinda sudden. However, the suspense build up with the killer is decent. Even if this isn’t the greatest tale out there, it’s enough to keep me turning the pages. ( )

Good suspense book. Realistic creepy killer, but I had him pegged fairly early on. Enjoyed reading it. ( )

Beside each body, he leaves a simple charm bearing a woman's name. Ruth, Martha, Judith. The victims were strangers to each other, but they have been chosen with the utmost care. Each bears a striking resemblance to Kendall Shaw, a local anchorwoman...each brutally strangled by a madman whose obsession will never end...In front of the cameras, Kendall is the picture of stylish confidence. But at night she's haunted by nightmares in which she is young, alone, and filled with fear. Are these memories - or omens? Despite warnings from Richard Detective Jacob Warwick, Kendall can't stop investigating the recent string of murders. She knows she holds the key to catching an obsessed psychopath - if he doesn't get to her first...The deeper Kendall and Jacob dig into the victims' backgrounds, the more terrifying the discoveries. For from the shadows of the past, a legacy of evil has resurfaced. Every murder, every moment has been leading to Kendall. And this time, nothing will stop the killer making her his final victim...

My Thoughts:

Penguin books have claimed this is the perfect thrill for fans of Karen Rose or your money back ! Well Penguin I thought as I started this book can I have my money back please.

However as I carried on reading this book I started to enjoy it more and I can actually say that at the end I quite enjoyed it. The story is a romantic suspense in the vain of Karen Rose/ Erica Spindler/ Sandra Brown but I felt not quite as good. I would have liked the two main characters to have connected a lot sooner in the story to give the book a little bit more sizzle.

Overall it was a very good read eventually with the story picking up a least half way through. ( )

This was a good book, full of suspense and the characters were very believable. When Kendall Shaw keeps having nightmares, she would never have thought they were real. Helped by Jacob Warwick, policeman, she begins to unravel her dreams and you'll never guess the ending! ( )

Reporter Kendall Shaw nearly died at the hands of a serial killer last summer. Since returning to work, she’s done her reporting from the safety of the anchor’s desk. But when a young woman is found strangled by the James River, Kendall feels compelled to cover the story. She wants to prove that she can handle the tough stories – not only to herself, but also to her demanding boss and former boyfriend, Brett.

Homicide detective Jacob Warrington and his partner Zack Kier have little to go on at the murder scene. The killer left no physical evidence and the only clue they have is a small gold charm engraved with the name ‘Ruth’.

When more victims are discovered, each with a gold charm of their own, an unsettling pattern emerges. Each victim was killed in the same manner, and they all bear an uncanny resemblance to Kendall Shaw. As Jacob tries to keep Kendall from becoming the next victim, he finds himself fighting a growing attraction to her.

Does the killer have his sights set on Kendall? And could a mystery from her past be the key to solving the crime?

While I enjoyed Dead Ringer, I felt two of the subplots should have been more fully developed. One promising subplot with Kendall’s boss Brett saw no real resolution. Another subplot, this time involving Kendall’s roommate Nicole and one of her photography clients, was more fleshed out, but it didn’t feel believable to me. However, Dead Ringer offered up some great twists, an interesting protagonist, and a terrifying killer. These three elements made it a difficult book to put down. ( )