PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 01, 2012

erena Hopkins is a medical examiner with spunk and an outgoing nature. Nothing really bothers her, except for maybe the thought of falling in love again. When her former classmates start getting picked off by a serial killer, Serena starts investigating the murders to try and catch whoever is killing her classmates and targeting her in the process. With her childhood crush at her side and intent on protecting her, she is determined to catch this killer before he kills anyone else, even if it puts her in the crosshairs.

FBI agent Dominic Allen came to that first murder because of boredom and restlessness. Little did he know that that decision would embroil him in a mystery that’s becoming more personal with every gift left behind by the Doll Maker Killer copycat. With the killer leaving presents on his and Serena’s car, along with bodies, Dominic wants to protect Serena from a killer who seems to always slip from their grasp and right into Serena’s house.

As the two try and stop a murderer from killing again, they explore their attraction for each other and try to stay alive. The more they delve deeper into a long buried case the harder the killer comes after them and the more determined they are to solve this mystery. But when it becomes apparent that this killer is determined to get to Serena and nothing can stop him, it becomes a mad rush to find the killer before he gets to Serena and makes her another victim of the copycat killer.

Lynette Eason hooked me with the first in this series and delivered yet again with a sequel that could quite possibly be better than the first. It had a suspense that makes it practically impossible to guess the killer, as well as a romance that blended perfectly into the storyline and happily included itself perfectly in almost every aspect of the book, making this book an absolute joy to read.

If there’s one thing that you can be sure of in this suspense is that you will be staying up as late as possible because you just don’t want to put it down. I don’t know how this author does it but she created by far one of my, if not my favorite suspense novels ever. The author manages to captivate her readers, giving them hardly any hints, as they struggle to try and guess who did it. Another thing I loved was the dark secret that all this killing revolves around. You have no clue what that secret is and it drives you crazy. The only thing I don’t like, is the cliffhanger endings the author seems to be fond of, however, the only reason why I don’t like the cliffhangers is because I’m not very patient and having to wait months to find out feels like years. I will give the author credit for knowing how to keep her readers interested and how to get them to come back and read the next in the series.

I tend to be picky about my romances, particularly in a suspense novel, but this author has continued to make a romantic suspense that I can’t find a fault in. She blends it perfectly, giving you just enough romance to keep it in your mind but not so much that it over powers the suspense. Her romances flow naturally and never really feel stilted or forced and I actually think this story would’ve suffered if the romance wasn’t present, a feeling that I don’t normally have.

This author skyrocketed to my favorites list with her first in this series and definitely held her position on that list with this book. She amazes me with her skill in mysteries and hooked me with this dark secret that I have to find out. I literally can’t wait for her third in this series to come out and hopefully crack everything open and finally tell her readers what’s going on. Either way, I’m now a huge fan of Lynette Eason’s and will be for the rest of my life if she keeps writing books like the ones in this series.

I’m sure that those who have read the first in this fantastic series are as anxious as I am to find out this deep dark secret big enough to kill for and want to find out why it’s caused all these problems. I guess we’ll all just have to try and patiently wait until the author decides to let us in on this huge secret and makes all this anticipation and suspense totally worth it. I just hope that the author hurries up and doesn’t make us wait too long.

–Danyelle Hunnicutt

edical Examiner Serena Hopkins is pleased when one of her cases is assigned to FBI agent Dominic Allen, a former high school crush. However, when similar crimes start to hit a little too close to home, Serena starts to get nervous. An apparent copycat killer is targeting the girls from her high school graduating class, and suspicious circumstances make her think she may be next on the killer’s list. Are these crimes connected to a package that she agreed to hide for a friend, who has since disappeared? Dominic and Serena work together to try and catch the killer before another classmate is claimed.

When a Heart Stops hits the ground running and lures you in the story immediately with action and suspense. The book is very fast paced and will have you glued to its pages waiting to find out more.

The characters quickly become believable and people who you root for. Serena Hopkins is a strong woman who can take care of herself and stands up for her beliefs. Her family’s background in law enforcement and politics and her career as a Medical Examiner gives her the ability think quickly on her feet and allows her to become a key player in trying to solve the crimes that are surrounding her. In addition to this, she has a soft heart and reaches out to volunteer at The Covenant House, a safe house for troubled teen girls. She is sure to make time in her life for one pregnant teen, when no one else will give her the love that she needs.

Dominic Allen is a man who has overcome his odds of a hard life. Surviving a bad childhood, he turned to drugs, alcohol, and crime and served jail time when his lifestyle caught up with him. He now uses his knowledge of the illegal activities he engaged in for his career in the FBI.

One drawback from the exciting beginning and writing in 3^rd person, is that you are bombarded with characters in the first chapters and it’s difficult to remember who has what relation to other characters and it’s easy to mix them up. However, when the story progresses and the characters develop, they are able to stand out in the story. By using 3^rd person, the author is able to give us thrilling and insightful glimpses into the killer’s mind and motives. She is careful enough to draw us into the story more without giving too much away .

While this story does have romance in the plot, it’s a minor storyline compared to the crimes and mystery. However, if Serena and Dominic’s romance were to have more story time, it would have slowed down the plot and felt out of place. Easton does a great job of adding just the right amount to satisfy romantics without sacrificing the story.

Unlike most Christian fiction, there was no real spiritual theme or lesson. However, readers will be able to see that the main characters depend on their faith in difficult times. Dominic’s story is also a testament to God’s grace in redeeming him from his past and both Serena and Dominic depend on prayer in desperate times of their lives.

What makes this story so exciting is that it becomes evident that there are multiple storylines that are interwoven and hidden within one another. The reader gets a satisfying completion to the book, yet there are other issues that get drawn up from the background that sets the story up nicely for a sequel after a very shocking ending that will leave you anxiously waiting for the next book.

WARNING: This story does contain moderate violence.

–Emily Hartzell