Dead By Midnight
Powell Agency series, No 2
Beverly Barton

Zebra/ Kensington Publishers
March 2011 / ISBN
9781616640132
Romantic Suspense
Amazon

Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer

Lori is trying to lead a normal life after returning to her hometown of Dunmore, Alabama after a career in Hollywood as a Playboy centerfold and one pornographic movie. She receives a death threat warning her to say her prayers and ask for forgiveness, as she will be dead by midnight. A second letter convinces her to go to the sheriff even though she doesn’t want to because of her previous relationship with Mike Birkett. She turns to her best friend, Maleah Perdue of the Powell Security and Investigation Agency.

It becomes apparent that there is a serial killer at large. All murder victims had received similar letters and were connected with a pornographic movie, "Midnight Masquerade."

This is a sizzling romantic suspense novel with a huge cast of characters. It is well written with a few unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader in suspense. There are a few graphic sex scenes guaranteed to pique the imagination of the reader. In spite of this, the story loses nothing in its suspense.