The Killing Room by Gerri Hill starts off as a romance then escalates into a fast paced thriller.
Detective Jake McCoy is on a hiatus from her job after trying to recover from a gunshot wound in her leg and the traumatic incident that caused it. She is staying at her cabin in the mountains where she and her dog hike and swim in the hot springs. One day she is soaking naked in the water when a beautiful hiker finds her and their chemistry is instant.
Psychologist Nicole Westbrook is taking a much needed break by hiking alone in the mountains. When she becomes lost and stumbles on some off the map hot springs she is delighted to find another person. And not only is she really attracted to this woman but they spend an unbelievable day and night together in pure pleasure.
But when the woman calls out in her sleep about guns Nicole flees, having convinced herself that she is having an illicit affair with an assassin.
When Jake returns to her job in Denver she is tasked with solving the case of a serial killer. Unexpectedly the case leads her to Nicole. It seems like all the women who are being killed are somehow linked to the beautiful psychologist and Jake makes it her mission to keep Nicole safe.
Nicole finds herself struggling with her attraction to the butch cop and as the case escalates and she sees more of Jake she must make tough choices about what she wants from their relationship. Yes, it’s the first time she has ever felt such a pull with a woman, but Jake is far more out of the closet than Nicole is and being with Jake will force Nicole out in a way that she is not quite comfortable with.
Can Jake solve the case before the killer targets Nicole? Will Nicole and Jake find their happy ending or will Nicole’s fear kill the budding romance between them? It’s an unforgettable ride with smoking chemistry and an unexpected case.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Abby Craden does a marvellous job of narrating this one. There are a number of side characters who are male. Craden kept them clear without forcing the gravelly male voice that can become typical of female narrators.
I enjoyed how she brought the characters to life and it was always clear who was speaking or thinking.
Hill is a master at creating a memorable, high-stakes cop story and Craden perfectly narrated every beat of this one.
Cons And Heads Up
There is a discussion on child abuse towards the end of the book that is a little graphic and can be jarring for some so heads up on that.
Not really a con but something that kind of ages the book is the theme of not wanting to come out. I believe that it was much more of an issue when the book was originally published than it would be now.
The Conclusion
I really enjoyed this book despite the somewhat odd mashup of thriller romance. I have seen the two genres combined quite successfully before but this one felt a little jarring when it moved from a long contemporary romance intro into a thriller.
Having said that, I am pleased that it’s in my collection and will probably return to it when I want hot chemistry with a side of interesting serial killer.
Worth noting is that the ending utterly surprised me and that was great fun.
I do love a good Hill – Craden pairing and this is a solid addition to any audiobook library.
Excerpt from The Killing Room by Gerri Hill
Jake watched as Cheyenne raised her head, ears pointed forward as she stared upstream.
“We got company?” Jake asked quietly. Cheyenne growled low in her throat, then stood and walked quickly along the bank. Jake followed the dog with her eyes, finally seeing movement in the trees.
“Oh, shit,” Nicole murmured as the large brown dog bounded up to her. She stood still, her earlier excitement of seeing steam rising from the water—a telltale sign of hot springs—vanished as she was being stalked by this . . . “Nice doggie. I hope.”
It was only then that she saw someone in the water. Again, her elation at not only finding a hot spring but another human as well, was curbed by the curious dark eyes watching her.
Nicole froze as the dog walked closer, sniffing her pants and boots, then nudging her hand with a wet nose. “Please don’t bite,” she whispered. Finally, the dog shook herself and turned, trotting back to her owner. She watched as the woman in the springs reached out a hand and affectionately rubbed the dog’s head. Nicole cleared her throat, deciding she better ask first instead of just walking over.
“Is it safe to come closer?” she yelled. “I mean, with the dog.”
“Cheyenne won’t hurt you.”
Nicole stared. “I guess that’s a yes, then,” she murmured. As she walked closer, Nicole politely averted her eyes. The woman was naked, casually sitting on a rock as the water swirled around her waist. Great. A naked woman. A naked woman with . . . perfect breasts.
Nicole looked downstream, she looked at the dog, she looked at her own damn feet. Finally, she looked at the woman, struggling to keep her gaze from lingering. “I . . . I don’t mean to intrude,” she finally said. Jesus! You’d think you’ve never seen a naked woman before!
“You’re not intruding. This is public land,” the woman said. Nicole noticed the amusement in the woman’s voice.
Nicole shifted uncomfortably. “Actually, I’m . . . well, I’m sort of lost.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Nicole finally loosened the straps on her pack and let it fall to the ground behind her. “Actually, I’m really lost. I’m assuming I’m still in Colorado. Other than that, I don’t have a clue.”
The woman’s laughter rang out, and Nicole relaxed for the first time in what seemed like days. “I’ve been following this stream for two days.”
“Grizzly Gulch.”
“This is Grizzly Gulch then?”
“Yep.”
“The map showed the trail crossing over Grizzly Gulch and continuing on until it reached Cottonwood Creek. But when I got to Grizzly Gulch, there was a mountain on the other side. No trail.”
“Maps have been known to be wrong.” The woman shifted off her rock and submerged under the warm water, a satisfied look on her face as she resurfaced. “Why don’t you join me? There’s not much daylight left.”
Nicole hesitated. A few hours ago, she would have given her right arm to walk up on some hot springs. But that didn’t involve stripping naked in front of a stranger. A quite attractive stranger with . . . perfect breasts.
“If you’re shy, I’ll turn my back,” the woman offered.
“That’d be nice,” Nicole said. “Thank you.” Jesus, you’re being silly. But as the woman dutifully turned her back, Nicole wasted no time in stripping off her clothes, dropping them in a neat pile next to her pack. As she walked into the water, the dog watched her every move. She had no doubt that, if instructed, the animal would attack. So, she slowly reached out and petted the dog’s head, pleased that it didn’t bite. She settled into the warm water, a quiet moan escaping before she could stop it. “You can turn around now.”
“Great, huh?”
“More than great. I’ve been dreaming of this for three nights. That’s the reason I’m lost.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I had this bright idea to leave the main trail in search of hot springs.” Nicole stretched out, not caring that the crystal clear water did little to cover her. She dipped her head under water, smoothing the hair away from her face as she surfaced. “Two days of being lost is well worth it.” Then she smiled. “Provided, of course, that you tell me where we are.”
Again, the woman laughed, and Nicole couldn’t help but stare. Her hair was cut short, brutally short. But it did little to distract from the attractive face. In fact, it most likely enhanced the woman’s features. Clean, smooth complexion, nicely tanned for this time of year, dark eyes framed by thick eyelashes, and full lips turned up now in a smile. Jesus, Nicole, can you get any more obvious?
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781594930508
Publisher: Bella Books
Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Abby Craden
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