Customer Reviews

The Murder Game

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The co-conspirator in the infamous Beauty Queen Killer (see Barton's "The Dying Game") escaped capture, but has come up with a new game - kidnapping athletic women in their prime and forcing them to become his prey in a high stakes game that ultimately ends in death. But killing them is not enough, he needs someone to play the game with him so he forces FBI agent Nicole Baxter and charismatic PI Griff Powell to play the game with him, by providing clues that might allow them to rescue his victims before their game ends. Nicole and Griff are the only two people who thought that there was a second killer in the BQK case, but could never have anticipated becoming his pawns. With checkered pasts, the two reluctantly join forces, but soon their past collide, bringing them closer together, as the killer wants to tear them apart so that he can have his ultimate trophy - Nicole.

Barton finally provides readers with the ten missing years from Griff's past, as well as the secret past he shares with Yvette and Sanders. Nicole and Griff are a great match - readers noticed this early in her novels, so it's great to see that momentum carried on through the years to the two finally getting together. The tension is stepped up several notches, as the Hunter discovers his prey is not as weak as he had hoped.

If you like suspense, romance, and sadistic serial killers, then this book is for you!

Special Agent Nicole Baxter is on vacation from her job with the FBI when she gets a chilling phone call. She had been part of a team who hunted a man they called the BQ Killer--and he had been shot. Forensics found two bullets in him from different guns, and she had always suspected there were two killers working together. Now the second BQ Killer calls Nic on her cell phone and tells her the game is on--he is back. He gives her the details of a recent death in his new game. His victims are all athletic strong women, worthy adversaries.

He also calls the other member of the team who believed that there were two killers, wealthy PI Griffin Powell. Grif and Nicole are forced to work together, even though they detest each other. The FBI is called in when they realize there are several similar deaths in the South. The hunter lets them know certain clues to help them guess who his next victim is going to be, and they know he kills them in about three weeks, so they are racing against the clock to try and stop this monster.

As the victims pile up and Grif and Nic work together to catch this horrific murderer they get to know each other, and finally they realize they are attracted to each other, And that is when Nicole disappears. Did she flee the new romance with Grif? Or has she been abducted?

Grif has some secrets in his past, and he shares them with Nicole as they get closer, and she shares some secrets as well about her father and her dead husband. It turns out Grif and Nicole have a lot in common. They share more than an obsessive passion to stop this killer before he kills again.

Armchair Interviews says: You won't be able to put this book down!

A vicious psychopath is on the hunt. He preys on athletic women,
forcing them to play his sadistic game. The game is for them to run,
hide and, if they can outwit him, escape. But no one has bested him
yet, and when he does capture his prey, his evil is truly unleashed.

Griffin Powell and FBI agent Nicole Baxter have worked together once
before to put away a serial killer. This new sadist is the worst they
have ever seen and he's forcing them to play the game with him. When
the game is murder, Griffin will do whatever it takes to keep Nicole
safe from this psychopath's demented scheme.

I adore the way Beverly Barton writes romantic suspense! She sends me
into the heebie jeebies and rewards me with the hot and squirmies.
Ms. Barton is a top notch suspense writer taking the reader on a dark
and twisted journey. Add to that the heated passion she gifts her
hero and heroine and the reader gets a fantastic escape. The Murder
Game is a must read for fans of this genre and anyone else looking for
quality fiction.

Annmarie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but as with previous Beverly Barton books, I have mixed feelings.

FBI Agent Nic Baxter and PI Griffin Powell team up to play adversary to the second half of the story of The Beauty Queen Killer's (from THE DYING GAME)--a killer only the two of them believe existed.

This is the first problem for me. It is so obvious there were two killers in THE DYING GAME. Two bullets struck the first killer, only one was accounted for. After tearing apart the first killer's house, evidence from only half the murders attributed to the Beauty Queen Killer would have been found. This is real basic stuff here. To go along with the premise that only Nic and Griff see this as proof that there were two killers means you must believe an entire task force of FBI agents are idiots.

If you get past that, and you can if you concentrate on the storyline that eventually moves past that belabored point, the next problem is lying in wait. Nic and Griff don't get along. The same things are stated over and over again; `I don't like you', `I don't like you either', `We're not partners', `This is an unholy alliance', `You're not my type', `You're not my type either'. I dislike Ms. Barton's redundancy, and have since the first book of hers I read. Show me, don't tell me.

Nic is difficult to like, despite, or maybe because of, how often her past traumas and their effect on her are mentioned. The abrupt change in her personality feels fake. And, if she truly loved Griff, she wouldn't have by-passed him near the end of this story.

Griff is more likeable, although he never seems quite three-dimensional in this tale. He also has a major personality shift, but his is slightly more believable than Nic's.

Although there are other characters that appear interesting, they are never really fleshed out into characters you can actually care about.

There are blatant typos in all of Ms. Barton's books, but that fault should be shared between her and her editor, and perfection in a book--in any written work--is nearly impossible to achieve.

Still, I was intrigued with the storyline. Other than the glaring plot problem of the question of two killers, the tale moves along and finishes okay. I will read another of Beverly Barton's books. Despite finding some fault with her work, she has a certain knack for story telling.

Shelley Dawn, author of Sweet, Sweet Jessie and Dark Nights

FBI agent Nicole and Private investigator Griffin thought when they ended the Beauty Queen killer that the nightmares would end but they were wrong...dead wrong. Nicole Baxter and Griffin Powell team up once again to stop a serial killer only this time it wasn't by choice. They both received a personal invite by the killer himself. Nicole and Griffin will do everything in their powers to put a final stop to the madness.

The killer or as he likes to call himself "the hunter" is glad that both Griffin and Nicole have accepted his challenge. He was ready for a new and worthy opponent to hunt and he has just the perfect prey in FBI agent Baxter. The hunter likes to play with his victims first by letting the women experience temporary freedom and then hunting them down for the ultimate kill. Also this killer scalps the women for trophies. Agent Baxter's scalp will be his pride and glory.

The Murder Game is the second book in this series. The Dying Game is the first. Though I have not read The Dying Game yet, you don't necessarily have to read it in order to enjoy The Murder Game. It's been a little while since I have read a Beverly Barton book and after reading The Murder Game a book that I have been wanting to read for a little bit now, I am excited to say I won't let another long period go by again without reading one of Ms. Barton's books again. Once I started this book I had a very hard time wanting to put it down. It moved at a great pace. The way the killer took on his prey was very sinister and I loved it. I am already on the hunt for the next book I am going to read by Ms. Barton.

Special Agent Nicole Baxter would like to keep as much distance between herself and private investigator Griffin Powell as possible. It should be easy to do. They live in different states, socialize in different circles, and neither of them like anything about the other. But when someone calls her with a revelation about a serial killer, she is willing to listen. The caller will give one clue to her and one to Griffin. If she plans on ending The Murder Game before the caller has a chance to capture his next victim, she will have to work with the most arrogant and self-promoting man in the business.

THE MURDER GAME is riveting from the first page. A few chapters into the book, I became aware that this book is a sequel. It didn't matter. Ms Barton was able to handle the back story in a way that I didn't feel cheated or confused. She sporadically dropped in just enough information to fill in the gaps but allowed me to stay focused on the present story.

Tense...talk about nail-biting. I couldn't believe what was happening. About one hundred pages from the end, Ms Barton pulled the biggest surprise of all. My mouth hung open for a good twenty pages (in a good way). I kept thinking, are you kidding me? How is this possible? This was no sucker punch, simply good story-telling. I never saw it coming, but should have. All of the clues were there.

The only problem I had was when Ms Barton would jump forward in time without a scene break. This was infrequent but enough to mention. And toward the end of the book, a few spots, not many, felt a little Mary Sueish to me.

The characters in this book were fabulous. I was right there with them, feeling every emotion, and there were plenty to share. If you like a good thriller, that isn't gory, (okay, a little, tiny bit) you need to read this book. There are so many twists and turns, you'll feel like you are getting a workout. I did.

[...] author

Well written suspense with female heroine. Relationship plays a role, but romance isn't overplayed. Interesting bad guy. Not too heavy/graphic, not too light/sexy. Overall, a pretty good book which even some guys might like

I am always nervous when I start one of Bartons novels because for me, while I always enjoy her books, it is hit or miss whether or not I will really love it. Sometimes I just dont connect with her characters. I thought this may be one of those times as I didnt like Nicole Baxter at all in the dying game, and actually wasnt such a big fan of that whole book and since this was a continuation..well I was wrong. She developed the characters so well. and you really understood where they were coming from and why the change of heart and how they truly connected on a real level. As for nicole she was only irritating in the begining but barton softened her up and then the book got great. Definitly worth while. I cant wait til her next book comes out in september.

Like some of her contemporaries, Beverly Barton has become a master at combining two popular genres --- romance and suspense. With THE MURDER GAME, Barton definitely is at the top of her game. She achieves the perfect balance between a heartwarming, falling-in-love romance and a heart-pounding, nail-biting suspense novel. FBI agent Nicole Baxter and billionaire private investigator Griff Powell have had a hate-hate relationship since they worked together on a previous murder case. Now they are forced together again as the serial killer phones each of them with clues about his next victim.

The story is set in the Deep South that Barton knows so well. While she doesn't overdo her descriptions, she produces a flavor so rich that you can almost smell the magnolias. Even the minor characters are well-mannered and full of Southern charm. With the exception of the killer, the author has created a charismatic cast of supportive and capable individuals who we would be glad to have on our side if we ever had to fight for our lives or our sanity. As for the Hunter, as he wants to be known, we always hope in our heart of hearts that such people do not really exist, but one look at any large city's daily newspaper will confirm that they do. There in fact are conscienceless predators who have no regard for anyone but themselves and what gives them pleasure.

The murder game that is being orchestrated by this monster, who is quite capable and devious himself, begins with the kidnapping of a woman who is strong and intelligent --- in other words, one who will provide him with the most challenge as they play out his sick scenario. The Hunter manages to remain one step ahead of the law because no one can find his "hunting ground." Meanwhile, he continues to taunt Griff and Nicole with obscure clues that take them too long to figure out. By the time they know who the next victim will be, he already has kidnapped her.

The improbable attraction between Nicole and Griff affords another storyline that includes a mysterious 10-year period in Griff's life that he has yet to talk to anyone about. The only ones who know what happened are his two closest associates because they went through it with him. Nicole feels at once drawn to and repelled by this self-sufficient trio; she has decided that she would never be close to anyone who might be a threat to her independence. Agent Nicole Baxter has some mysteries of her own lurking in the past. Doesn't that make for a delicious backstory? Trust me, it does.

THE MURDER GAME is guaranteed to keep you turning pages well into the night as you discover how this talented author works it all out.

--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. [...]

As with the previous book, the characters weren't very likable, though they were more tolerable than Lindsay and Judd. And I also thought the ending was too unbelievable and can't believe the author expected people to buy into it.

Three stars only because it's better than its predecessor.