After moving from Los Angeles to rural Missouri, homicide detective Claire Morgan has at last adjusted to the peaceful rhythms of country life. Until a grisly celebrity murder at an ultra-exclusive health resort shatters a quiet summer morning. One of Dr. Nicholas Black's high-profile clients, a beautiful young soap opera star, has been found dead. Back in L.A., Claire investigated the rich, famous, and the deadly, but she never expected the problems of the privileged to follow her to this sleepy small town, nor did she ever imagine crossing the line with her prime suspect. Immersed in the case, Claire finds herself drawn to the charismatic doctor, spending more and more time in his company, and in his bed. Now, to catch a killer, Claire will have to enter the darkest recesses of the human mind. But is Black leading her there to help her...or luring her ever deeper into a madman's grip? A second storyline is about Brat, a victim of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, who at the age of fourteen began a killing spree. How this relates to the main story is yet another mysterious strand in this riveting thriller.
Head To Head
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Romance novelist Ladd (White Orchid) makes a successful venture into thriller territory with this first in a series featuring Missouri homicide detective Claire Morgan. Canton County, located on the "Lake Tahoe of the Ozarks," is a relaxing beat for the former Los Angeles cop until a soap opera star, vacationing at an exclusive resort for the rich and richer, is found at the bottom of the lake—naked, taped to a chair and sitting at a fully set dinner table. As she pursues the investigation to Louisiana and California and back, Morgan herself is pursued by her prime suspect: the resort's handsome, charming owner, Dr. Nicholas Black, whose romantic advances may hide a dangerous agenda. Though Ladd saddles Morgan with an all-purpose tragic past and occasional logic-deficient reasoning, she's a smart, strong character capable enough to avoid the woman-in-distress scenarios her genre colleagues so typically fall into. Despite a propensity for caustic rambling, her tough-girl voice keeps the story moving toward a satisfying denouement with plenty of suspense and surprises. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Chilling, compelling suspense...be prepared to lose sleep!"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very intense....,
By Bobbrun "lvsamystry" (OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Head To Head (Paperback)
Really deliberated about this review...did not want to be like reviewers that ramble on and on until plot has been given away, or, like the ones who simply say "good book" with no real input.
I had read where this author was a romance novelist and this was her first mystery. What a debut! This novel is actually two stories, a background story and an current situation. The two merge just past 3/4 way through. When they merge, all hades breaks loose. Not only is the book intense, it is also frightening....because, even tho' this is a work of fiction, you know and I know, that this "crazy" really exists, somewhere.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
riveting and chilling thriller,
This review is from: Head To Head (Paperback)
After working Robbery/Homicide in Los Angeles and undergoing a horrible tragedy homicide detective Claire Morgan moves to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri where the biggest crimes are domestic disturbances someone stealing a lawn ornament, and x-rated phone calls. That all changes when a murder occurs at Cedar Bend Lodge which is owned and operated by the wealthy and charismatic Nicholas Black. The victim, a famous soap opera star, is found posed underwater sitting at a table covered with kitchen items as if she was waiting for a meal to be served.
At first Claire thinks Nick is the most likely suspect especially when someone attacks her and puts her in the water to drown. She arrests Nick then and there she but he is released after cops prove with the security tapes he wasn't the person who attacked her. When she learns the relationship between the victim and Nick, she crosses him off her suspects list and he begins helping them profile the serial killer. The medical examiner discovers that it is the victim's body but someone else's face attached to the body. When another victim wearing the first victim's face is found in the place where they tape the soaps in L.A. is found Claire's past is exposed. Her boss is so livid he suspends her but she is later reinstated and finds herself in danger because she was the target all along. Linda Ladd has written a riveting and chilling thriller that is really two stories in one. The second story is about a child called Brat who is the victim of physical, sexual and emotional abuse who at the age of fourteen began a killing spree. He kills the victims and chops off their heads so they can keep his mother's head company. How this relates to the main storyline is an another great mystery written by an author who knows how to create two separate but parallel stories. HEAD TO HEAD IS memorizing and exciting reading and the sexual tension that exists between Claire and Nick adds an extra layer to this fantastic novel. Harriet Klausner
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great debut contemporary suspense,
This review is from: Head To Head (Paperback)
Ladd's Head to Head introduces us to Detective Claire Morgan, a woman with secrets trying to solve a gruesome crime at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.
Very rich, very sexy Nick Black is a suspect. Sexual tension is high, suspicions abound and the killer keeps upping the stakes as Claire gets closer to solving the case. This is a fast-paced ride with a predictable ending. However, the twists this novel takes to get you there will have your jaw dropping. Those that enjoy the J.D. Robb series will notice similarities between Ladd's Nick and Claire with Robb's Roarke and Eve, but the characters in this series are unique in their own right - and live in real time, not the future. Looking forward to the second installment - and hoping to see more of the really sexy Nicky. -- Angela Wilson
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