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One Scream Away (Sheridan #1)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 583 ratings · 93 reviews

Killer Chevy Bankes is a master of disguise, and just paroled, he's coming after the woman who sent him to jail, the beautiful antiques expert Beth Denison. A set of antique dolls brings Beth into his sight, and inspire Chevy's disturbing crimes as he draws closer to Beth and her young daughter. Chevy sends the dolls to Beth one-by-one and she soon realizes that these anti...more

Paperback, 423 pages

Published July 1st 2009 by Grand Central Publishing

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Die For Me (Romantic Suspense, #7) by Karen Rose

Romantic Suspense Full of Action

32nd out of 244 books — 193 voters

RITA Award winning books

82nd out of 116 books — 14 voters

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Jul 12, 2009 Mojca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of chilling suspense

Shelves: e-book, suspense-mystery-adventure-thriller, kate-brady, favorites, part-of-a-series, series-sheridans, own, bodyguard-military-merc-gov-cop-leo, first-reads

This was one heck of a book. It had everything I look for in a thriller.

Beth Denison's world falls apart (again). Chevy Bankes, the man who "let her get away" seven years ago is out of prison and is holding a grudge. Starting in Seattle, he's killing women, sending Beth dolls as testimony of his crimes. Moving closer to her with each kill.

Neil Sheridan, former FBI, is called on board when the Seattle murder rings enough bells to be similar to a case Neil'd been working on nine years prior. He'd...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Karen Rose Fans

Recommended to Kathrynn by: Isis

Shelves: romance-suspense, own, series-sheridan_brady, 2009, reviewed, theme-fbi, theme-serial_killer, theme-stalker

Enjoyed this easy to read, modern, romantic suspense-thriller set in 2009. Most of the book takes place in Virginia, but other places are also mentioned throughout the U.S. as the serial killer moves in on his target (Beth Denison) to extract his revenge. The killer's name is given right away, so there is no guessing as to "who-done-it." The suspense came from the "messages" he left along with a trail of bodies, clues, and phone calls that led former FBI agent Neil Sheridan to Beth's doorstep.

W...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Years ago, Elizabeth Denison came in contact with her worst nightmare. She became the victim and obsession of serial killer Chevy Bankes. She survived…if you can call always being on alert and scared a better alternative. Bankes was caught and sentenced to prison. He is now out and ready to pick up where he left off.

Former FBI special agent Neil Sheridan has been asked by his best friend, Rick, who is a cop to help him on a murder case. At first Neil has no interest. That all changes when Neil l...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspance

Sulla copertina c'è scritto che ha vinto il Rita Award e - cavoli - non stiamo mica dicendo 'pizza e fichi' del romance. Purtroppo, però, non mi sento in linea con la giuria del Rita perchè a me - francamente - è piaciuto SO NI. Così così è una definizione vaga, neutra, incolore e insapore, ma è esatta in questo caso. In genere leggo pochi romantic suspance e quando mi capita li scelgo molto accuratamente. Ho preso questo libro, e lo dico senza vergogna, solo perchè era l'ultimo giorno per usare...more Sulla copertina c'è scritto che ha vinto il Rita Award e - cavoli - non stiamo mica dicendo 'pizza e fichi' del romance. Purtroppo, però, non mi sento in linea con la giuria del Rita perchè a me - francamente - è piaciuto SO NI. Così così è una definizione vaga, neutra, incolore e insapore, ma è esatta in questo caso. In genere leggo pochi romantic suspance e quando mi capita li scelgo molto accuratamente. Ho preso questo libro, e lo dico senza vergogna, solo perchè era l'ultimo giorno per usare i punti della Mondadori Card e non c'era altro che volessi comprare. Mi incuriosiva perciò ho deciso di provarlo. Tiepido sia nell'aspetto romance, che nell'aspetto suspance, Legami pericolosi non si sbilancia nemmeno introducendo qualche scena di passione. Tutto viene descritto senza usare parole forti, scene importanti o personaggi veramente carismatici. Sia la protagonista Beth che l'eroe Neil non bucano la pagina e lasciano una scia depressa che sparisce subito. Forse il serial killer ha più carattere di loro due, il che è tutto dire. Per carità, lei è la classica donna che è sopravvissuta, forte nell'animo e nel corpo ma con quel tipico aspetto fragile da cerbiattina. Lui è un ex-FBI con passato traumatico ma alto e aitante e tanto coraggioso e protettivo. Un cliché dietro l'altro, che - per carità - mi sarebbero andati anche bene se solo i due avessero avuto un pò più di vita. Tutto il romanzo è pervaso da un senso di incompiuto: la storia è frenata perché non ci sono vere scene cruente o scene di sesso, i personaggi non si esprimono al meglio perché sembrano volersi comportare seguendo le regole della buona società. Nemmeno la polizia sembra la polizia, ma un centro di assistenza per disadattati. Insomma, ci voleva più sangue e più carne in vista. Per carità, non ho nulla da obiettare contro l'autrice o il suo stile perché, anzi, mi ha portata alla fine della storia con una fluidità ed una facilità incredibili, però...però. Manca qualcosa e su questo non ci piove. Ora non so se riconsiderare l'autrice in un ipotetico futuro, oppure toglierla dalla lista. Urge meditazione.(less)

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Sep 11, 2011 Grete rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

One night, seven years ago Beth Denison’s life changed when she was savagely attacked. The man responsible went to jail for a different crime and Beth worked hard to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Now he’s out and sending mutilated dolls to Beth as a warning that he’s coming for her. Former FBI Agent Neil Sheridan was involved in a related case seven years ago and consults for the FBI and the Police when a string of murders turn up and all seem connected to Beth Denison in some...more One night, seven years ago Beth Denison’s life changed when she was savagely attacked. The man responsible went to jail for a different crime and Beth worked hard to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Now he’s out and sending mutilated dolls to Beth as a warning that he’s coming for her. Former FBI Agent Neil Sheridan was involved in a related case seven years ago and consults for the FBI and the Police when a string of murders turn up and all seem connected to Beth Denison in some way. Neil is determined to find out what hold the killer has over Beth and unexpectedly finds something he never thought he would again. The chance of a new life and some peace. First though, he has to keep Beth safe from the hands of a demented killer who wants to hear her scream.

It’s been a while since I read a good crime book, having lately been absorbed by paranormal romance and fantasy. It’s the first time I’ve read anything by Kate Brady and having just finished One Scream Away, it will certainly not be the last. Her writing is very smooth and easy to read, even the little bits of back-history that were inserted didn’t jerk me out of the story. Some parts of the book were extremely harrowing and if I didn’t already find collectible porcelain dolls creepy, I certainly would now!

The pace built up gradually until it was rushing along and carrying me me breathlessly with it, and I really couldn’t see what the outcome would be. I thought the plot was extremely clever, several layers going on at once until they were slowly stripped away to a single one by the end. Empathy with the main characters of Neil and Beth built the same way as the pace of the book. I didn’t really feel much for them at the start but by the end I loved them and really cared about what happened. Even minor but key characters I didn’t come to know that well tugged at my heart in certain scenes.

Nailbitingly tense in the extreme.

This review and others can also be read at http://www.bookthing.co.uk (less)

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Nov 01, 2009 Jeanette Stingley rated it 3 of 5 stars

In her debut novel, Kate Brady takes us into the world of Beth Denison. Beth is living in a sleepy little town near Arlington, Virginia with her daughter when women come up missing in Seattle Washington, the city she fled 7 years ago. Neil Sheridan, an ex-FBI agent, is drawn into the case of the missing women because their murders end up being similar to a murder Neil hunted for the killer in. That case was the end of Neil's career and he is very reluctant 7 years later to get drawn into this on...more In her debut novel, Kate Brady takes us into the world of Beth Denison. Beth is living in a sleepy little town near Arlington, Virginia with her daughter when women come up missing in Seattle Washington, the city she fled 7 years ago. Neil Sheridan, an ex-FBI agent, is drawn into the case of the missing women because their murders end up being similar to a murder Neil hunted for the killer in. That case was the end of Neil's career and he is very reluctant 7 years later to get drawn into this one by his friends.

We later find the new cases are linked to an ex-con named Chevy Banks. Banks is out for revenge against Beth and he doesn't care how he gets to her or who he hurts in the process. Beth is an appraiser of antique dolls and leads an ordinary life. The killer is leaving dolls with the victims or posing victims like dolls Beth is familiar with. Sheridan and the FBI rack their brains trying to figure out how and why in the world Beth is tied to a serial killer. Police tap her phone lines, follow her everywhere, and even put Neil on the case to get her to crack.
She is keeping a secret from everyone that she is willing to die with. Beth preps herself to take on Chevy alone to protect her daughter and Beth's secret.

While this is labeled a Romantic Suspense novel, there isn't much good romance in my opinion to label it as such. The plot is great, the suspense will keep you up late into the night trying to finish this book, but the tension that builds between Neil and Beth is flat. I guess I was expecting explosive love scenes when this book is more of a suspense thriller.

Kate Brady has very strong characters in her book. The way Chevy plays games with Beth, Neil, and all the characters in the book is classic and almost makes you like the bad guy of this tale! He is smart, cunning, and relentless. You can put yourself in Beth's shoes and imagine being in the situation and what you would do to protect your child even if it means lying and killing another human being. Neil's back story is riveting and pulls at the heartstrings. You can tell why he is so reluctant to get too close to Beth yet he wants to be loved and have a family.

I highly recommend this book for a curl up on the couch with a good book and hot tea kind of night! Just when you think things can't get any deeper, they do and you can't let this book sit for long without wanting to pick it up(less)

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Jul 06, 2009 Gaby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, contemporary-romance, detective-and-mystery, reviewed-books

Synopsis:

Beth Denison is a young single mother with a growing business in antique dolls. Young, beautiful, and active, she is raising her daughter in a wealthy and safe neighborhood. That she has a small almost imperceptible scar on her face and strong training in self defense are two small clues that Beth is more than she seems. When she receives threatening phone calls from a dangerous man in her past, Beth's life is turned upside down.

Killer Chevy Bankes is just paroled and lives to execute h...more Synopsis:

Beth Denison is a young single mother with a growing business in antique dolls. Young, beautiful, and active, she is raising her daughter in a wealthy and safe neighborhood. That she has a small almost imperceptible scar on her face and strong training in self defense are two small clues that Beth is more than she seems. When she receives threatening phone calls from a dangerous man in her past, Beth's life is turned upside down.

Killer Chevy Bankes is just paroled and lives to execute his revenge against antique doll expert Beth Denison. A master of disguise and a methodical killer, Bankes is a dangerous and motivated man. To prepare Beth for what's coming, he carefully prepares messages in the form of staged victims and antique dolls that he mails to her one by one.

Former FBI Special Agent Neil Sheridan is called in to consult when the police find bodies that are eerily similar to the crime scenes left by a serial killer that Sheridan knew well - and had previously killed. The investigation leads Neil Sheridan to Beth and seeing Beth with her young daughter reminds Sheridan of the family he'd lost. Sheridan must establish the mysterious link between Beth and Bankes. Sheridan must learn Beth's secrets to stop the killings from escalating. As Beth and Sheridan learn to work together to stop Bankes, they are surprised by the strength of their mutual trust, affinity and attraction.

Review:
One Scream Away reads like a fast paced thriller. It struck me as carefully crafted with strong characters and a complex plot. The three main characters, Chevy Bankes, Beth Donovan and Neil Sheridan are strong flawed characters whose motivations are made clear and coherent. While certain scenes have graphic violence, the book is not disturbing - just sufficiently action packed to be an engrossing read. In this way, the book reminds me of the contemporary action/FBI romances by Julie Garwood.

I would recommend the book to readers of action novels and readers of contemporary romances in equal measure. (less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Man nehme einen psychopathischen Serienkiller, der auf Frauenschreie steht, eine Reihe antiker Puppen, eine alleinerziehende, attraktive und kampfsporterprobte Mutter mit einer süßen kleinen Tochter, dazu einen vom Schicksal gebeutelten Agenten und schon hat man alle Zutaten zu einem spannenden Thriller.
Der dem Alkohol nicht abgeneigte FBI-Agent Niel Sheridan und sein Freund Rick bleiben von Anfang an auf der Spur des Killers, der mit jedem Kapitel näher an Beth herankommt. Der genaue Abstand wi...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Erika Badass rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

I really wanted to love this book. But I didn't. I enjoy reading romantic suspense and thrillers and for some reason this book fell for me.

For one, I thought it was too long and drawn out. The romance wasn't really there. I didn't feel it. Sure there was some chemistry, but it felt more based on adrenaline and fear then love.

For the most part it was predictable to me, maybe because I read a lot in this genre. Half way through I figured out the whole Jenny thing. Still the ending was a wee bit...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Haley Mathiot rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seven years ago, Chevy Bankes did something horrific to Beth. She’s been living with her ghosts ever since then. Beth has learned to live on her own and has raised her daughter by herself. But she isn’t prepared to face Bankes when she finds out that he’s been released from prison, and that now he’s after her. Neil, an ex-FBI agent, has somehow gotten himself roped into the case. Now it’s causing him to have to dig up his own ghosts and face them, too. Can two people who lost love earlier in the...more Seven years ago, Chevy Bankes did something horrific to Beth. She’s been living with her ghosts ever since then. Beth has learned to live on her own and has raised her daughter by herself. But she isn’t prepared to face Bankes when she finds out that he’s been released from prison, and that now he’s after her. Neil, an ex-FBI agent, has somehow gotten himself roped into the case. Now it’s causing him to have to dig up his own ghosts and face them, too. Can two people who lost love earlier in their lives learn to love each other, can Beth keep her daughter out of Bankes’ hands, and can Neil save the woman he loves from her worst nightmare?

One Scream Away was one of those books that you stay up late reading and that you can’t put down, and that you yell at whoever interrupts you because it was so addicting good. It was exciting, suspenseful, romantic, mysterious… everything a book should be.

Without giving away anything, there were many parts in this book that I felt my heart rip when I read what happened. The characters were tangible, like I could pluck them out of the book and set them on my table and watch the rest of the story play out. But they were also relatable, so most of the time I felt like the characters themselves.

Pacing and plot were fantastic in this one. It was impossible to see what would happen next, and Kate Brady keeps you guessing until the very last page, and surprises you at the end.

The writing was not the strongest point. It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t very good either. Acceptably mediocre is the best phrase I can think of, because it wasn’t Dante, but it wasn’t hard to read.

My only other complaint was that a lot of the times, Brady describes what things look like, but not what things feel like. Although the characters were very relatable, I found my own imagination supplying the feelings of the characters while I read this.

Content: There was no elicit sex in this book, although scenes are mentioned and skipped over. There was a lot of language (hey, we’re talking about FBI agents and Police officers and Serial Killers here.) and some rather vulgar details. Murder is not exactly pleasant. Although it wasn’t mapped out in extreme detail, the images left in the reader’s mind are ones that are not for the faint of heart. Or stomach.

Recommendation: Ages 18+

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Dec 10, 2012 Maggie Montgomery rated it 4 of 5 stars

**Warning: Dog Spoiler at End**

Really more like a 4.3 I had to think about this one for a minute and figure out how to organize my thoughts. I'm not going to regurgitate the plot because that's been done so many times already.

Overall, I really liked this book. I thought the author came up with some fresh, genius things in the creepy department. Most of them I twigged onto pretty quickly, but I also pegged The Sixth Sense 15 minutes in, so that doesn't mean anything. I still enjoyed seeing how s...more **Warning: Dog Spoiler at End**

Really more like a 4.3 I had to think about this one for a minute and figure out how to organize my thoughts. I'm not going to regurgitate the plot because that's been done so many times already.

Overall, I really liked this book. I thought the author came up with some fresh, genius things in the creepy department. Most of them I twigged onto pretty quickly, but I also pegged The Sixth Sense 15 minutes in, so that doesn't mean anything. I still enjoyed seeing how she chose to play them out. The final twist had crossed my mind as a possibility early on, but I hadn't given it any serious consideration. I thought it worked well and it could be a really interesting jumping off point for another book.

I do concur with most readers that "Romantic Suspense" is something of a misnomer. That's dandy for me as I prefer suspense to romance anyway (if I'm going to read/write romance, I want a lot of comedy). It's also really tricky to balance romance and suspense without coming down heavy on one side or the other. Not many pull it off. In this case, the romance felt wedged in and I found myself going "Yeah, yeah, sweetheart, honeybun, loveydove, whatever. Off someone else!" There were rather a lot of terms of endearment and the HEA didn't feel genuine. HFN would have been better. Let the adrenaline rush die down and see what happens from there. I was also pretty miffed about the lack of substantial emotional reaction to what I'll call the "Rick situation." And what's up with Heather? In the beginning, it sounds as though she's in a mental home or something, but then she just kinda goes away. That was the one thread that felt loose.

From a writer's perspective, I enjoyed the cleanness of the writing. She got to the point and didn't gunk up her sentences with extraneous adverbs and dependent clauses, which was nice. I'd say she's a far, far better than average writer and I'll definitely pick up her other two books.

** Now, about the dog. I add this only because the second he went missing I freaked out and refused to read further until I could find someone to assure me the dog doesn't get hurt. I know I'm not the only one who can cope with people deaths but not animal ones. If this is you, just know Heinz is fine and you can safely enjoy the human torture and suffering :-)**(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Manuela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspence

Rispetto a un’autrice come Karen Rose, molto simile nello stile e nella costruzione dell’intreccio, la Brady secondo me ha una marcia in più, è meno confusa e prolissa.
Nonostante l’identità del serial killer sia nota sin quasi dall’inizio, la Brady riesce a costruire un intreccio ricco di suspence, con colpi di scena non scontati. Segreti, rivelazioni, eventi del passato, emergono piano piano nel corso della pagine, senza risultare inverosimili o fuori contesto.
Anche la storia d’amore tra Neil e...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

A true page turner!! I thought Kate Brady did a wonderful job at making the reader want more. There were twists and turns leading me down the slippery slope with the characters lives as the authorities are always a step behind Chevy Bankes. He has had plenty of time to plan his revenge but even he isn't prepared for the evil trick his Mother played on him.

Trusting is sometimes a difficult thing to do especially if you have experienced a horrible experience. There are those who you can trust if...more

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Nov 05, 2010 Kristie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This book sucked me in from the first page. I couldn't stop truing the page, until the middle of the book. Once Chevy locked himself into Beth's house the plot and story slowed down, way down. It started to pick back up once Chevy was out of her house and killing people again. If the middle would have had the same action as the beginning and the end I would have given it 4 stars. But over all I liked it and will read the next book in the series.

This book sucked me in from the first page. I coul...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers, read-in-2010, contemporary

I got this book after reading Rosario's review, Kate Brady is a fairly new author (her second book will be published this year) and I'm always looking for good romantic suspense authors so I decided to give it a go.

Neil Sheridan used to be a cop, seven years ago he worked on a serial case, he got a conviction but being overworked cost his family and he has left the force and been on a self destruction path ever since. Now his good friend Rick asks for his help because there's a new killer on th...more I got this book after reading Rosario's review, Kate Brady is a fairly new author (her second book will be published this year) and I'm always looking for good romantic suspense authors so I decided to give it a go.

Neil Sheridan used to be a cop, seven years ago he worked on a serial case, he got a conviction but being overworked cost his family and he has left the force and been on a self destruction path ever since. Now his good friend Rick asks for his help because there's a new killer on the loose and the modus operandi is similar to the guy Neil helped convict in the past. Could they have gotten the wrong man?

The new killer is using the victim's cell phones to contact Beth which, at first, makes her a suspect and that's why she and Neil meet. But the police soon realise that Beth is a victim too, in fact she may be his next victim but there is something she is hiding about her past and how well she knows the killer.

I did like both Beth and Neil very much. They are resilient people who have had to move on with their lives and they did so in a very real and believable way. They are practical and don't spend their lives thinking of what happened. I liked that. Unfortunately I wasn't totally convinced by their attraction to one another. I thought it came about too fast and while I did like their interaction once they were an item I would have preferred a slower approach, especially on Nick's side.

I have a few doubts about how the police led the investigation at first. We already knew who the killer was, how he was working and partially why and although I see that while Beth was a suspect they couldn't tell her everything but it felt that they would have reached the truth sooner had they told her upfront what Banks was doing. Not only that but it never felt like Neil and Beth were a team trying to catch the murderer, Neil kept trying to protect Beth and Beth planning to confront Banks and I think it would have worked better if they were a team.

Having said that, I really liked how Brady kept us in suspense about what was going to happen next. Despite knowing the killer we are kept guessing whether he manages to do what he wants or whether the police will be able to catch him in time. She kept me reading till the early hours to find out how the end would come about and even managed to surprise a time or two with some characters fates. A very positive first book that made me curious for the next one.

Grade 4/5 (less)

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Jun 24, 2009 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book will definitely keep you on tenderhooks through out the entire story. Just when you think you know what is going on you are thrown for another loop. As a mother myself I can identify with Beth's desire to protect her daughter at any cost and your heart will break after hearing Neil's story about his family.

The idea of the serial killer, Chevy, using antique dolls as clues as to what was happening or going to happen to each of his victims was unique and disturbing. It was not until abou...more

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Apr 27, 2009 Kelly Moran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviews

Kate Brady has won or been a finalist in many writing contests, including the Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America, the Maggies, and the Suzannah. One Scream Away is her debut novel.
After a previous case goes horribly wrong, Neil Sheridan leaves the FBI behind and embarks on a quest to drown out his sorrows in alcohol and woman whose names he can’t even recall. Now working for a private security organization, the scars from his past emerge when an old colleague and friend knocks on h...more Kate Brady has won or been a finalist in many writing contests, including the Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America, the Maggies, and the Suzannah. One Scream Away is her debut novel.
After a previous case goes horribly wrong, Neil Sheridan leaves the FBI behind and embarks on a quest to drown out his sorrows in alcohol and woman whose names he can’t even recall. Now working for a private security organization, the scars from his past emerge when an old colleague and friend knocks on his door about a case which is eerily similar to a disturbing one from his past. Across the country, one by one, women are brutally murdered in comparable means to resemble antique dolls. The connection- Beth Denison- a single mother who is receiving calls from the killer and at one time has researched the dolls. A beautiful woman with a secret she’ll do anything to keep. After Beth surrenders to Neil, both in his embrace and in his protection, Neil discovers that seven years ago Beth was attacked by the killer named Chevy Bankes. Beth created a new life for herself, far removed from the tragedy of that night. But now Bankes is out of prison and after her, killing women in prelude to his real desire- her. It may just be too late for her and her daughter when the truth comes out. Neil knows Beth isn’t telling him everything, like why Bankes really wants her screaming, or why she’ll consider the unthinkable- facing Bankes alone.
The only real fault I have with the book was the secret Beth was keeping. I figured it out very early on. Then again, the author may have written it or wanted it this way. I didn’t feel it ruined the story either.
I think, in a story like this, where there is so much trauma from the past, Kate Brady did a remarkable job of understanding her characters and reactions from them. This wasn’t just a romantic suspense, but a delve into the psyche of human nature and how we rebound from heartbreak and previous experience. This may be a bit too deep of a statement for a fiction book, but from a writers perspective, it made the plot flow well and engages the reader without them understanding why. I felt it was worth mention because a great author does this well. This book is well worth the read for the characters alone, both antagonist and protagonist, you walk away, or close the book, without questions and with truly feeling what made them tick. I was particularly pleased with the ending. Without having to put up a spoiler alert, this wasn’t a quick, wham-bam-thank-you, Mam finish. The suspense slowly built until the last page. As previously stated, the plot flowed well, was well spaced, and there weren’t any areas where I lost interest.
One Scream Away, by Kate Brady, is one heck of a break-out book from a talented emerging author.

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer
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Aug 20, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: readers-advisory-class

I really ended up enjoying this novel, more than I ever expected to. This is probably because I went into it with my preconceived notions about what to expect from a romance novel. The cover helped feed these misconceptions. Even though this book did win the RITA award for Best New Novel in 2010, I was surprised by how little there was in the way of sex scenes worked into the story. I get most of preconceived notions about romance from bodice rippers and books like Wifey by Judy Blume. Maybe I'm...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Bridget rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beth has lived a life of tragedy. She lost her husband, mother and father all on the same day. Now, Beth's life is in danger. A sadistic serial killer, Chevy, has his eye on her and is determined to get what he wants. Beth can't go to the police. Her and Chevy have a history. She has a secret and she promised never to tell. Now she and her daughter are forced to pick up and take off.

Neil used to be employed by the FBI and has been asked to work as a consultant on Chevy's murder spree because of...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! There was never a dull moment. The heroine went through a lot in this book and totally held it together. The hero was so caring and protective but he had his problems too. They worked them out fine by the end of the book for a totally HEA. The romance part of the book was well done but the heat was low. Those of you who know me know that I love my book's with lots of heat. Despite the fact of the very mild heat in this book, I loved it anyway's. The villain in this book was sm...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Nely rated it 3 of 5 stars

Beth Denison is being stalked and harassed by serial killer Chevy Bankes. Chevy was just recently paroled and is after Beth since she’s the one who sent him to jail seven years ago. He keeps calling her cell phone to threaten her and her young daughter Abby. She is terrified by his antics but at the same time she feels that she has the strength to take him on.

Former FBI agent, Neil Sheridan has been called in for his expertise by his friend and colleague, Rick. Neil once handled a murder case w...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: betrayal, genre-thriller-suspense-mystery, men-of-service, series, own-kindle

The past few years has not been kind to Neil Sheridan, spending most of his time with the bottle instead of finding something to live for. When his old friend shows up and needs his help on a case he had worked on and believed to be solved, he finds he web of betrayal stretches farther than he can reach.

Beth Denison has moved on with her life, she has a beautiful daughter and has filled her home with love, as well as made sure she trains daily to protect herself from any threat that may come he...more

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Jul 16, 2009 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 999-challenge

Doing a giveaway for some copies of this one! Check out my blog to enter!

I loved this book! At the beginning it was a bit cheesy for me, but the overall effect left me crying, laughing out loud and punching my fist in the air with a whoop of joy! I loved that Juliana worked things out for herself and didn't rely on outsiders to help her. She was a great character that I couldn't help but like!

Michael is every woman's dream come true. He knew all the right things to say to Juliana and all the rig...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Leslie (That Chick That Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was so excited to read this book! It had ever thing you will ever want in a book; an unstable murder, to a broken woman trying to piece together her life as best as she can for the sake of her daughter, an ex cop with his own secret past and don’t even let me get started on the dolls. A lot of the stuff that went on in the novel I totally did not expect! The writing is in third person and it focuses on Beth, Neil and the serial murder, Bankes. The only thing that I didn’t really enjoy about th...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

So I just finished One Scream Away! I really liked this book! There's tons of action and suspense in the hunt to catch Chevy Bankes.

I really liked Beth, she's such a strong, determined woman. She's been raising her daughter alone for the past 7 years and has been preparing to defend her family against Chevy the whole time. She slowly starts leaning on Neil as their relationship grows and develops.

I love Neil. Neil gets involved in this investigation because it closely resembles a case from his...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Lhenry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Intense, gripping and complex. It took me quite a while to figure out what the villain was doing with the dolls and some of his other tricks confused me too - which is a compliment to the author - she really kept me guessing. The twists and turns right up to the end really did surprise me.

I also was happy that the main characters were likable and competent. So often the heroes and heroines in romantic suspense appear to be kinda stupid, but that was not the case here. More important, the charact...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Juliette Swett rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-suspense

As I continue along my RTR project, I have made peace with the fact that I prefer my romances light and funny. One Scream Away did not fit the bill. It was not light nor funny. In fact, it was dark, a bit gruesome, and very suspenseful. Because of that, there's no doubt that if you are a fan of authors like Tami Hoag, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, or Iris Johansen, you will enjoy this fast-paced mystery. The main character, Beth Denison, is somehow connected to serial killer Chevy Bankes. As ex-...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rs-mystery-thriller, cops-fbi-dea-cia-etc, serial-killers, 1st-in-series, my-5-star-romances

A fast moving, easy to read romantic suspense. Uber creepy villain. I loved the hero and heroine. This is an author I'll be watching for more from.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 16, 2009 Jennifer Defoy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, gr-first-reads-past, 2009-reads, book-blogs-reading-romance

I can't recall ever reading any really suspenseful novels, and if I have they haven't made an impression on me like this one. This book was tense, suspenseful and kinda scary. I would say that this book is exactly how suspense is supposed to be written!

There were some things about the story that were explained a little too conveniently... but they weren't major parts of the plot, so that was ok. The things that mattered: characters, major plot points, and writing were done very well. This killer...more

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Jun 05, 2009 Sarai rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysterysuspense, romance, read-in-2009

First off I'm not a HUGE suspense/thriller romance reader. I like them every once in a while and when I feel like it a good one really hits the spot. This one didn't work for me. A lot of it was the characters. I know a lot of people will find the contradiction refreshing but I didn't. I felt that the heroine was SUPER weak one moment and than TOO tough the next. I understand that she had been through a lot of horrible crap and nightmares ect. are par for course but one moment she is ready to bl...more

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About Kate Brady

Kate Brady began writing fiction when her doctoral research became tedious. For years, she wrote in the closet, penning several novels that—thankfully—remain there. Now, she leads a double life. Some days, she’s a choral conductor and professor of music education. Other days, she plays with imaginary people on her computer.

Kate lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and an array of furry...more

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“Being smart was key; being careful was critical.
Being lucky didn’t hurt.” — 6 people liked it

“Probably nothing, but it was one of those thoughts like toothpaste: Once it’s out, you can’t squeeze it back in.” — 4 people liked it

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One Scream Away (Sheridan #1)

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