Eve Wilson had been the victim of a savage assault by a depraved criminal, but now her face has healed, and the physical scars are nearly invisible...but the psychological scars remain.   She has gone on with her life, and is now a part time bartender, and a graduate student.  Her thesis is based on her research of online communities and the addictive powers they exert.   Her research involves closely controlled participation in an Internet group. When some of her test subjects die by apparent suicide, homicide detective Noah Webster is sure that the deaths are murder, set up to look like suicide.  Each woman is killed by hanging, is dressed in a red party dress, and has her eyes glued open.

Karen Rose delivers her latest riveting suspense novel where reality and the virtual world of the Internet run together and lose focus as a serial killer singles out the subjects in Eve's test group.  Eve guides Noah through the intricacies of the online community as they try to figure out who might be the killer, who might be his next victim, and what his motive might be. When it appears that Eve may be the next to be killed, and they uncover evidence that points to the University, the suspense really steps up.

Noah has some psychological baggage of his own, but there is great chemistry between Noah and Eve in this romantic suspense.  They are compelling, flesh-and-blood characters involved in a chase against time to catch the villain before he kills again. This is the first novel I have read by this talented author, but you can be sure I will be searching for her other books.