The Last Victim by Karen Robards

Karen Robards is an auto buy for me ~ she's a KY author, so started out buying her for loyalty, and now I buy her because she's DAMN good, people.  Her suspense ROCKS.  And one of the things I like best about Karen Robards?

You never know what you're going to get.  She's penned books that made me crack up the whole way through, books that made me sob like a baby, books that made me look in back seat ( still to this DAY ) every time I get in my car, and books that deal with the paranormal.  And not all in the same books.  She totally mixes it up.  So had NO idea what The Last Victim was about, just knew I wanted it because Karen Robards had written it. 

Dr. Charlotte Stone is an expert in criminal pathology ~ working on a gov. grant, she's made it her life work to study serial killers.  What makes them tick, what made them what they've become, etc.  Michael Garland is a serial killer on Death Row that Charlie has been interviewing ~ when the FBI show up talk to Charlie, Garland is escorted from the room.  While FBI agent Tony Bartoli is explaining to Charlie that the FBI is requesting her help on a case, Garland is shanked by another inmate...and Charlie is the last person he sees before he dies.

The FBI have come to Charlie because as a teen, Charlie had witnessed & survived the brutal murder & kidnapping of a friends family...and given the police a sketch of the man who did it.  It's not 17 yrs. later, and after all these years, why would the Boardwalk Killer be back?  And can Charlie stand it if he is?  And should she tell the FBI the biggest way she can be of help to them is talking to ghosts of the dead people they find? 

I'm going to through some SPOILERS out here, guys, so don't read if you don't want them!!

Chalie DOES go to help the FBI ~ and while she's attracted to FBI agent Tony Bartoli, she's MORE attracted to the GHOST who has attached himself to her & is harassing her & following her pretty much everywhere...Michael Garland.  Yup, the serial killer.  I had SO many thoughts winging through my head on this! How could she be developing a RELATIONSHIP with a serial killer, never mind he's a GHOST?   NO way, & there's got to be more to this story we're going to find out & he's really a cop &...guess what?  Nope.  While the story of the Boardwalk Killer is resolved, and it's a great mystery, we're left hanging about Garland and what his role in HIS life really was, and what his future role in Charlie's life will be. 

This HAS to be the start of a series...I haven't found it anywhere yet, but HAS to be.  Because truly, the focal point of this story WASN'T the suspense, it was the story of Garland & Charlie, and the fact that Charlie can see & speak to ghosts...the writing was superb, funny moments abound, had a zinger for a whodunnit, but REALLY?  You're gonna leave me hanging like that, Karen???

At least tell me there is MORE to come??? 

If you guys know this is going to be series, tell me, PLEASE!! 

And on the Audio book ~ Ann Marie Lee narrates, and the narration on this was excellent.  I listened in 2 parts...and that's only because I couldn't listen straight through!  She's amazingly skilled at voices...I loved Garland's voice.