Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Killing Kate (Riley Spartz #4)
by
Julie Kramer (Goodreads Author)
Not all angels are divine…As TV reporter Riley Spartz discovers a serial killer drawing chalk outlines shaped like angels around the bodies of his victims, she unearths an eerie legend dating back nearly a century. Tracking clues to an Iowa cemetery, Riley finds an infamous Black Angel monument that may be connected to the string of homicides throughout the Midwest. Now sh...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
July 26th 2011
by Atria Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
469)
Well, now I have read them all ! I don't have a Riley Spartz in my queue ... what shall I do when I am looking for a clean, humorous, quick-reading little mystery ?
Julie Kramer has become a favorite over the past few months ! I have loved getting to know and appreciate Riley, an on-the-spot reporter from Ch. 3. In the course of "getting" the story she becomes an amateur sleuth in the solving of the mysteries surrounding the story (see Silencing Sam, Missing Mark, and the beginner, Stalking Susan...more
Julie Kramer has become a favorite over the past few months ! I have loved getting to know and appreciate Riley, an on-the-spot reporter from Ch. 3. In the course of "getting" the story she becomes an amateur sleuth in the solving of the mysteries surrounding the story (see Silencing Sam, Missing Mark, and the beginner, Stalking Susan...more
For most people, homicide never has an upside. For television reporter Riley Spartz, however, a homicide can mean a lead story on the evening news, a spike in ratings, or on occasion, a threat to her life. Although, that last one’s not really an upside.
Recently, it seems that every journalistic investigation Riley undertakes culminates with one of the previously mentioned threats on her life. Because of this, her animal-loving boss Noreen has forbidden Riley from doing any more stories on violen...more
Recently, it seems that every journalistic investigation Riley undertakes culminates with one of the previously mentioned threats on her life. Because of this, her animal-loving boss Noreen has forbidden Riley from doing any more stories on violen...more
One of the crucial elements of this series is its platform. It’s a platform the author knows well and uses to full effect. Her platform is the reality and atmosphere of a television news operation. In today’s broadcast television business, tension and often frantic pursuit of ratings, rules. Ratings are tied directly to advertisers and what they can be charged for air time. That’s the reality. This is the novel.
Riley Spartz, newshen of a local television station in the Twin Cities of Minnesota,...more
Riley Spartz, newshen of a local television station in the Twin Cities of Minnesota,...more
Maybe I've been reading too much heavy stuff. Or maybe it was just
time for me to laugh a little. For whatever reason I found this book
to be exactly what I needed.
KILLING KATE is a mystery about Riley Spartz, a television investigative
journalist, who finds herself in the middle of a crime involving a serial
killer.
I understand this is the third or fourth book by Julie Kramer and I'll
certainly go back to read the ones that came before. In some ways I wish
I'd have read them in order, but no harm do...more
time for me to laugh a little. For whatever reason I found this book
to be exactly what I needed.
KILLING KATE is a mystery about Riley Spartz, a television investigative
journalist, who finds herself in the middle of a crime involving a serial
killer.
I understand this is the third or fourth book by Julie Kramer and I'll
certainly go back to read the ones that came before. In some ways I wish
I'd have read them in order, but no harm do...more
One of the great things about Julie Kramer's series is that she gives you enough information about the characters that you don't have to have read any of the previous works to fully appreciate and enjoy this one.
The mystery in KILLING KATE is based on a real-life legend of a Black Angel, who sits in an Iowa cemetery, her once brass color having turned to black over the years. Is it the natural process of oxidation? Or proof of dark deeds?
Riley Spartz finds herself in the middle of a murder myste...more
The mystery in KILLING KATE is based on a real-life legend of a Black Angel, who sits in an Iowa cemetery, her once brass color having turned to black over the years. Is it the natural process of oxidation? Or proof of dark deeds?
Riley Spartz finds herself in the middle of a murder myste...more
My edition is the ARC.
This is a fast paced book with great pacing, short chapters and memorable characters. Riley is an investigative reporter who is bold and resourceful. Her parents are great, I find myself laughing at their parts in her stories, and I can identify them with other people I know from this area. Her parents are protective and even a bit underhanded at time. I love the fact that she writes about Minnesota and Minnesota nice, even when mixed with murder and Iowa at times.
The myst...more
This is a fast paced book with great pacing, short chapters and memorable characters. Riley is an investigative reporter who is bold and resourceful. Her parents are great, I find myself laughing at their parts in her stories, and I can identify them with other people I know from this area. Her parents are protective and even a bit underhanded at time. I love the fact that she writes about Minnesota and Minnesota nice, even when mixed with murder and Iowa at times.
The myst...more
I quite enjoyed the first three books in this series--except for the horrible reader on the audio version of the last one--but found this one to be just okay. It all started when I found an error early on (she "peaked" into the kitchen) and that always seems to distract me from the story because part of my mind is on the alert for more typos or misuse of like-sounding words.
The book itself actually wasn't bad until about two-thirds of the way through, and then it seemed like Riley, the main cha...more
The book itself actually wasn't bad until about two-thirds of the way through, and then it seemed like Riley, the main cha...more
Riley is a TV reporter and under constant pressure by her boss, to obtain the 'scoop' and inside story on all her assignments. When she receives the call to go to the site of a homicide, she realizes she has been in the house before during her college years and she may know the victim. The victim is actually the sister of her college roommate, Laurel. Riley discovers while everyone believed Kate worked transcribing medical reports, she actually was a popular novelist of erotic books. Laurel and...more
This novel is part of a series featuring Riley Spartz who is an on-air investigator for Channel 3 News, Minneapolis, MN. KILLING KATE examines the murder of a young waitress in which a chalk angel was traced around the body, and this killing is linked to a serial killer working the region. The novel uses the legend surrounding,'The Black Angel', which is a real statue in The Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City, IA. The statue is a bronze angel with the wings pointing down, and was erected at the grave...more
For me, this was one of those books that would have been more compelling had I read the earlier books in the series. In particular, Riley's long distance relationship with Garnett is a strange to the reader coming into the series with this book.
The main plot does keep the readers attention and is what kept me going with this book despite the sub-plot which starts the book out with a man intentionally murdering a dog by leaving him in a truck during a heat wave. Really turns off the animal lover...more
The main plot does keep the readers attention and is what kept me going with this book despite the sub-plot which starts the book out with a man intentionally murdering a dog by leaving him in a truck during a heat wave. Really turns off the animal lover...more
I expected to enjoy this novel, it's a genre I like and hoped that I would find a new series to collect but sometimes you just don't click with a character and unfortunately that is the case for me in Killing Kate.
By the time I was barely a third of the way into the novel, my attention was wandering and by the half way mark I realised I really didn't like Riley much. The first person point of view revealed her very narrow ambition to 'scoop' a story at any cost. She seemed unable to separate th...more
By the time I was barely a third of the way into the novel, my attention was wandering and by the half way mark I realised I really didn't like Riley much. The first person point of view revealed her very narrow ambition to 'scoop' a story at any cost. She seemed unable to separate th...more
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Even though Killing Kate was the fourth in a series I didn't get the feeling like I was missing out on anything from the previous books. It wasn't the most gripping mystery I have ever read, but it was entertaining. Riley is an interesting and realistic character who just happens to get herself in several unrealistic (some of them) situations. There are several subplots that culminate in a somewhat unrealistic, yet horrific ending. But if you are willing t...more
Even though Killing Kate was the fourth in a series I didn't get the feeling like I was missing out on anything from the previous books. It wasn't the most gripping mystery I have ever read, but it was entertaining. Riley is an interesting and realistic character who just happens to get herself in several unrealistic (some of them) situations. There are several subplots that culminate in a somewhat unrealistic, yet horrific ending. But if you are willing t...more
I enjoy this series because I like Riley Spartz. As an investigative journalist, her pursuit of information is somewhat different than a police officers, but it still gives the character a lot of leeway to be heavily and plausibly involved in crime investigations. This book was fun, although it ends on a slightly unbelievable note. Kramer decided to do something a little different by giving us periodic looks into the mind of the killer. While not overly deep in characterization, the alternating...more
I have to admit that I like serial murder stories. I would be afraid that this would not be normal except for all the stories about serial killers. This one is one of the best I have read for awhile. It's one of those 'can't put it down' 'keep me up until 3:00 a.m. and then I can't sleep because I hear strange noises outside.' It's about a TV reporter and the story was very good about showing the dilemma between what to keep on or off the air. I was sorry when I finished it.
In “Killing Kate,” Kramer pens a refreshing protagonist, journalist Riley Spartz, who works for Channel 3.
While investigating a news report, Spartz finds herself knee-deep in a murder of old roommate’s sister. She becomes the target of a serial killer whose inspiration stems from an almost century old black angel in an Iowa cemetery. The killer is unbalanced and believes he is pleasing the “angel of death” with each murder. The man stalks Spartz and at the same time, believes she is after him.
A...more
While investigating a news report, Spartz finds herself knee-deep in a murder of old roommate’s sister. She becomes the target of a serial killer whose inspiration stems from an almost century old black angel in an Iowa cemetery. The killer is unbalanced and believes he is pleasing the “angel of death” with each murder. The man stalks Spartz and at the same time, believes she is after him.
A...more
This is the fourth Riley Spartz book. I listened to the first three on audio and since my library did not have this one on audio, I read it. As with the other books in this series, I was expecting only light reading and simple diversion and that is what I got. I really have a hard time rating this, as it was really just OK. If I can get the next in the series on audio, I will listen as I think perhaps that is a better format for these stories (at least for me).
Met Julie Kramer at the Montezuma Writer's Conference a few weeks ago. Have been following her on Facebook and noticed a photo she posted in front of the Black Angel in Iowa City. Found out her book 'Killing Kate' had something to do with the statue, so of course, I had to read it.
Love her protagonist. She feels real, I think, because of the author's background. Liked the premise of the story and it was one that I whipped through pretty fast because I wanted to know how it was going to end.
Now...more
Love her protagonist. She feels real, I think, because of the author's background. Liked the premise of the story and it was one that I whipped through pretty fast because I wanted to know how it was going to end.
Now...more
Minneapolis/St. Paul area reporter Riley Spartz finds herself investigating the murder of an old college friend . . . and soon discovers that she is the murderer's next target! Can a mysterious angel statue in a cemetery provide clues as to the killer's identity? A suspenseful thriller with a bit of chick lit flavor, this is sure to please. For my full review, visit http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.act...
Awful. No copy editing - 'peak' instead of 'peek', 'layed' instead of 'laid' - by that time I skipped along to see if things improved by the middle. Nope. Even the last page was awful. Simon and Schuster publish this stuff - I'm checking on those other things I give up on, too, and bet they're published by S&S too.
Picked this up while browsing the shelves in desperation for some good mind-washing stuff. Heh.
Picked this up while browsing the shelves in desperation for some good mind-washing stuff. Heh.
I found this to be the darkest of all of the Riley Spartz novels. It was still well-written and intriguing but I was creeped out while reading it. First of all, several chapters are told from the killer's point of view--so while some of the mystery is revealed, you get to learn too much about the inner workings of a murderer. Secondly, there's a side-story that just ends terribly and is so very depressing.
I love these Riley Spartz hard-boiled/thriller mysteries. I just reviewed this as the Minneapolis Books Examiner and Julie Kramer said “Absolutely love this, Linda. Might just be my favorite review.”
See the full review posted at http://www.examiner.com/books-in-minn...
Hope you like it! Start with her first one, Missing Mark, if you haven't read them!
See the full review posted at http://www.examiner.com/books-in-minn...
Hope you like it! Start with her first one, Missing Mark, if you haven't read them!
Really enjoyed this book, a page turner, to be sure. Riley Spartz, a reporter for a tv station, is an excellent character who helps the reader learn more about the behind the scenes network life. The plot was excellent as well. Will look forward to reading another in this series.
Of course I grab a good book from the library.
Of course it's part of a series, that I have not even read nor heard of.
I swear. I need to pay attention more when I go to the library.
But I will look into starting at the start of this series.
One day. It was a good book. Nothing fantastic or special.
Of course it's part of a series, that I have not even read nor heard of.
I swear. I need to pay attention more when I go to the library.
But I will look into starting at the start of this series.
One day. It was a good book. Nothing fantastic or special.
Another interesting entry in the series. Although I kinda wish Riley could get her personal life together. Having the killer's perspective as well was interesting and added narrative tension.
With the big ending it will be interesting to see how the next book handles Riley's life.
With the big ending it will be interesting to see how the next book handles Riley's life.
Jul 24, 2011
Claire
added it
The title should have tipped me off, it’s a murder mystery- some time these are just hard for me to read. I kept with it, but it was depressing.
I am sure fans of the genre will like the Riley and the convoluted plot. Crazy serial killer…
Actually, thus far I think I have enjoyed this one the most from the Riley Spartz series. There's no denying these are addictive little fast-reading mysteries. While we knew who the killer was from nearly the beginning in this one (as opposed to the other novels where the reader had to guess), there were some good surprises in this book. Good mindless mystery reading :)
I enjoy these books and they style they're written in but they are definitely of the "mind-fluff" category! The ending bummed me out and I hope that issue gets resolved in the next book.
I probably got most of the benefit of the local setting and insights into the Minneapolis television world in her first book. This one was somewhat entertaining but not very gripping.
I picked up this book because the Black Angel, a statue in an Iowa City cemetary, plays a central role. I love that cemetary and was routinely creeped out by the statue. This mystery, however, is heavy handed and unbelievable. A lot of the writing feels gimmicky (e.g., adding one sentence at the end of a chapter to create suspense). Couldn't get through more than the first few chapters.
Read this over the weekend...I think it's Julie Kramer's best writing to date!! Julie is a Minnesota author - check out her books - you'll love them!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Julie Kramer is has moved from journalist to novelist. She writes a mystery series set in the desperate world of television news—a world she knows well from her career working as a freelance news producer for NBC and CBS, as well as running the acclaimed WCCO-TV I-Team in Minneapolis.
Her thrillers, STALKING SUSAN, MISSING MARK, SILENCING SAM, KILLING KATE and soon to come - SHUNNING SARAH (Aug. 7)...more
More about Julie Kramer...
Her thrillers, STALKING SUSAN, MISSING MARK, SILENCING SAM, KILLING KATE and soon to come - SHUNNING SARAH (Aug. 7)...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jul 10, 2012 01:27pm