The Intended Victim by Alexandra Ivy (Book Review)
The Intended Victim by Alexandra Ivy
The Agency Series
ONCE, SHE GOT AWAY
The body lying on a cold steel slab bears all the hallmarks of the Chicago Butcher. There’s a cruel slash across her throat, deep enough to sever the carotid artery, and a small crescent carved into her right breast. Her delicate features are painfully familiar to Ash Marcel, once a rising star in the Chicago PD. But though the victim resembles his former fiancée, Remi Walsh, he knows it’s not her.
BUT THIS TIME
Though Remi escaped a serial killer five years ago, her father died trying to save her. Grief and guilt caused her to pull away from the man she loved. Now Ash is back in her life, insisting that Remi is still in danger.
IT’S A DEAD END . . .
Someone is targeting women who look just like Remi. With or without a badge, Ash intends to unmask the Butcher. But the killer isn’t playing games any longer. He’s moving in, ready to finish what he started, and prove there’s nothing more terrifying than a killer’s obsession . . .
Mass Market, 384 Pages
Category: Adult
Genres: Romantic Suspense | Thriller | Psychological
Tags: Serial Killer
Tropes: Reunion romance, woman in danger, hero as protector
Publishing imprint: Kensington Zebra
Publication date: Dec. 30, 2019
Book Review
ALEXANDRA IVY
The Intended Victim
THE AGENCY #4
There is a certain kind of horrified fascination that comes with reading about serial killers, both in the reasoning and methods they use and in the victims they choose. I suspect it is the same kind of interest that comes with reading about vampires (though unromanticized), and the serious risk they pose to those around them.
In The Intended Victim by Alexandra Ivy, a serial killer dubbed the Chicago Butcher has returned, killing women that have an eerily similar look to that of Remi Walsh, a woman who managed to survive her attack five years earlier. Former Chicago PD homicide detective Ash Marcel is convinced the killer is out to get his ex-fiancé, Remi, and he’s determined to find the monster before they can strike again.
Without having read the previous books in this series, I had no preconceived notions about what this book would entail and since it can be read as a standalone, I had no issues with enjoying this story on its own. I have to say though, it was a difficult read in parts. I expected it to go one way and it went another, though somehow it ended up somewhere in the middle of where I expected it to go from the start, just not quite in the way I thought. I liked the switch up, because it wasn’t so predictable, and though I know there was a trail of clues leading where it went, I’m still not quite sure they all lined up as they should have. And yet, I enjoyed the read just the same.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. All the characters were well-written, and the leads were easy to root for. I really liked Remi and Ash together, and I believed in their love story, both in the past and in the present.
If you’re looking for a good romantic suspense read with a twisted serial killer, a determined ex-cop, and a strong, guilt-ridden survivor, The Intended Victim is a great choice to make. It’s got a little bit of everything, and it’s got an ending that will definitely have you questioning every moment you read within the book.
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About ALEXANDRA IVY
Alexandra Ivy is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romantic suspense, paranormal and erotic romance. She has also written Regency historicals under the name Deborah Raleigh. A five-time RT Book Award Finalist, Ivy has received much acclaim for her Guardians of Eternity, ARES Security, Immortal Rogues and Sentinels series.
She lives with her family in Missouri and can be found online at www.AlexandraIvy.com.