Kiss Me, Kill Me (Secrets of Shadow Falls, #3)

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Kiss Me, Kill Me (Secrets of Shadow Falls #3)

by Maggie Shayne (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 304 ratings · 41 reviews

She's protected him since the day he was born. Since the day the LIE BEGAN.

A long-ago act of kindness to a desperate woman changed Dr. Carrie Overton's life forever. Before disappearing, the grateful stranger had given Carrie her newborn son. When the woman is murdered, the secret becomes Carrie's alone.

She had kept both it and her son, Sam, safe for sixteen years. But now...more

Paperback, 394 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Mira (first published August 15th 2010)

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Nov 12, 2010 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reviews, romantic-suspense

Sixteen years ago a child was born. Sixteen years ago a young woman who had just given birth to a baby was found murdered. The child was never found and the murder was still in the books. In Shadow Falls, sixteen-year-old children are disappearing, one by one. When the first one, Kyle, is found dead, Carrie Overton, the local doctor, begins to panic. She has a secret that she has been keeping for sixteen years. As she races against time to help the police find the kidnapper and murderer, she fea...more Sixteen years ago a child was born. Sixteen years ago a young woman who had just given birth to a baby was found murdered. The child was never found and the murder was still in the books. In Shadow Falls, sixteen-year-old children are disappearing, one by one. When the first one, Kyle, is found dead, Carrie Overton, the local doctor, begins to panic. She has a secret that she has been keeping for sixteen years. As she races against time to help the police find the kidnapper and murderer, she fears for her own son's safety.

Carrie Overton is a loving and well-liked doctor in the small town of Shadow Falls. She is also a mom and a wonderful parent to her son Sam. Carrie also acts as mother to Sam's girlfriend, Sadie. Sadie comes from a broken home and has had to care for her mother all her life. She is tough and resilient, a strong young woman to the core. But she has become a part of Carrie's extended family.

Carrie has a secret that has been with her for sixteen years. Sam is not her real child. She could not have children. She ran into Sam's real mother on the first night she came into Shadow Falls to begin her career as a doctor. The young woman's car was pulled over to the side of the road. When Carrie pulled over to offer assistance, she found the woman in labor, just ready to deliver. This would be Carrie's first delivery in her new job. Once the baby was born, a boy, she checked to make sure that the mother was alright, tucked her coat around mother and baby and went to the nearest home to contact an ambulance. When she found no one there, she returned to where she had left the young woman and her new baby in the car, only to find the car gone. As she got out, she saw her coat on the ground. Wrapped in her coat, with a note asking her to care for him was the baby, Sam.

Carrie made a decision at that time to keep Sam and to be the best mother ever. It was one of the most unethical things she had ever done, forging a birth certificate as well as claiming him as her own, but she never looked back, and he was her son in every other way possible.
Sam is smart and fun, he has put himself in harm's way in the past to help save someone he did not know, but was well rewarded. He is well-respected for a young sixteen year old and has many friends. He is sports-oriented, loves to camp, and absolutely loves his mom. The other person in his life is his girlfriend Sadie, a girl much like his mother, to be honest—tough, with a core of steel, but also wonderful and compassionate.

Gabriel (Gabe) Cain is a drifter, a musician, with the standard look. He has long hair but is quite handsome. He, like everyone else has just heard the news that a woman who was murdered sixteen years ago had been misidentified at the time. He has come to Shadow Falls with a secret of his own. He is free-spirited and a wonderful, kind man. He first meets Carrie at a sports event where she is watching her son play. One of her son's friends has an asthma attack and he volunteers his help.

The area is rife with tourists, and the police have their work cut out for them. Lining up volunteers for searching for the lost boy proves to be providential. Everyone, including many of the tourists turn out for the search. It is one of these tourists, Ambrose Arthur Peck, who finally finds the body of young Kyle. He is so traumatized by it that he is almost inconsolable. Being a tourist in Shadow Falls has just become a terrible disadvantage. Everyone is being looked at with suspicion, but no one more so than any stranger in town.

As the action heats up, Carrie and Gabe are drawn together. Neither of them are the other's type, and yet they begin the slow dance of attraction. Respect turns into a smoldering and cautious tension between them, but they are both holding a secret. Carrie wants to entrust her secret to Gabe, but she is afraid to entrust this secret to just anyone. When Sam's girlfriend Sadie disappears, Sam becomes inconsolable. Gabe steps in to help. His logic and free thinking style seems to be the only thing keeping Sam from the brink, who is petrified that Sadie will be found dead just like his friend Kyle. As the tension and longing continue to scorch the pages, the action and suspense continues. Who is taking the children? Not even Gabe is free from suspicion.

In Kiss Me, Kill Me, Maggie Shayne has delivered an extremely fast-paced, action-filled suspense, filled with romance and longing. The characters are so well developed you get a great visual as they come into their part of the play. The tension and longing between Carrie and Gabe is heartfelt and intense. As each new action plays into the story, they have to continue to rethink their values. Carrie is ready to offer it all to Gabe including her secret, but is afraid. There is more going on in the little town of Shadow Falls, and they have to strengthen their bond of trust because without that, they may miss the signs. And as everything she holds dear comes into danger, she must find the strength with Gabe at her side to protect what is theirs at all costs.

Maggie Shayne has created red herrings at every turn, sending the reader in different directions. Just when you think you know what is happening, another twist to the story turns your direction. But through it all you feel the strong, yet also fragile love, testing its wings, looking for that one sure word or action that will set it in stone. To the very end, there are surprises, a powerful love story and a marvellous mystery, set with an ending that will leave you fulfilled.(less)

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Jul 07, 2010 Kelli (I'd So Rather Be Reading) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a good read. It was part mystery, part love story. There was very little violence, no sex, and no bad language. That was a refreshing change of pace from some of my usual reads. The mystery part had a nice surprise at the end and a neat, Stephenie Meyer-like ending. I have to say that I'm a sucker for an all-tied-up ending!

The premise is unique. I was drawn to the story just by reading the summary and the plot did not disappoint. The love story is nothing we haven't read before, but it...more

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May 03, 2011 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Maggie Shayne novel and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. If it was an option, I would've given this book 3.5 stars. Kiss me, Kill me is the last book in a trilogy, though I didn't read the first two books. I thought this book stood on it's own quite well and I didn't feel like I was lacking any background.
This is a romantic-suspense book that didn't have to lean heavily on the romance. I thought the author did a nice job of bringing the characters to life (though a bit sapp...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pretty good story and great ending to the trilogy. All the plots were wrapped up nicely. Every time I read, I stop half way through and guess how it will end (the who-done-it, and the why). This type, I was only half right! The other two in the trilogy I'd known since the characters were first introduced, but not here. Which was awesome.

The third and final chapter of the trilogy follows Dr. Carrie Overton, the anal doctor who had adopted the missing child of Olivia Dupree sixteen years ago. Pres...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, romance, romance-mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What tangled webs we weave, when we practice to deceive...

Olivia Dupree - survived suicide, gave up drugs, but not drinking, spent the summer with Gabriel Cain. Gabriel - a famous song writer, hippieish philosophy, and his father was a famous country singer, and his handlers paid his mother handsomely to not tell anyone, including his father Sammy Gold, who was the father... Gabriel thought his father was the one paying off his mother... and one summer, he tried to save Olivia Dupree - but woke...more What tangled webs we weave, when we practice to deceive...

Olivia Dupree - survived suicide, gave up drugs, but not drinking, spent the summer with Gabriel Cain. Gabriel - a famous song writer, hippieish philosophy, and his father was a famous country singer, and his handlers paid his mother handsomely to not tell anyone, including his father Sammy Gold, who was the father... Gabriel thought his father was the one paying off his mother... and one summer, he tried to save Olivia Dupree - but woke up one day and she was gone...

a rainy, dark night, Dr. Carrie Overton is driving to Shadow Falls. She knows she can never have a baby, and she is going to her first doctor post... she is ready to put down roots, and her family was always moving from one place to another... and she comes across a stranded car and a very pregnant woman (Olivia)... she delivers her baby, drives to call for help, and when she returns, only the baby is there, with a note to call him Sam and that it was meant to be that they met and both needed as they did...

a month later, the woman whom Carrie met is in her morgue - so she gives up getting her signature on adoption papers, and forges and files a birth certificate for Sam naming her mom...

16 years later, it comes out that a professor in town (must have been in an earlier book) had taken the name of the dead woman... and that the dead woman had a baby and there is a reward for finding him or her...

and Sam's friend is missing - found 5 days later in the woods, evidence of blood taken, and a powerful drug in his system... then Sam's girlfriend Sadie is missing (Sam, Sadie and Kyle were all born in the same month 16 years earlier)... she manages to get free...

in the meantime Carrie and Gabe are getting closer - and Gabe is starting to realize that Sam is his son... he did not know Olivia had been pregnant, and he came to town hoping he might ind him...he doesn't tell Carrie right away... but once she knows he knows, she confesses all to Gabe and to Sam...

and then Sam is taken... by an Ambrose Park - a crazy man who fixated on women with relationships that never happened... and he knew Olivia in the mental ward, and he decided he was the father... he kidnapped Kyle & Oliia, to get them tested, convinced he is the father and he needs to find the baby... finally he kidnaps Sam... Sam fakes an asthma attack... Ambrose calls mom, who calls Gabe... and they all manage to get out alive...

and Gabe finds out his father, Sammy Gold, did not know about him... and they talk... and 2 weeks later, Gabe takes Carrie to a Sammy Gold concert - and on stage, Sammy Gold talks about his son Gabe, and has Sam out to sing a song Gabe wrote for Carrie, proposing to her... ahhhhh(less)

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Apr 26, 2011 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

I am torn as to how I feel about this book. I love a good love story and a mystery love story is terrific too, but this one left me cold. I think it was probably because the story started with a missing teen and then two more teens went missing as well. That is why I did not like the book. The writing was ok, but nothing spectacular and the characters were decent, but I was not head over heels about any of them. I can't say that I didn't like it because it focused on kids getting hurt because I...more

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Sep 09, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maggie Shayne delivers an uncompromising, impossible-to-put down and addicting story of suspense in her latest release, Kiss Me, Kill Me.

Yearning for motherhood but told, medically, that this would be an impossibility, Dr. Carrie Overton meets fate one late night, as she helps a young mother deliver a baby along the roadside. When she returns from searching for help, Carrie discovers the mother gone and the baby wrapped tightly, along with a note saying that the young mother believes that it wa...more Maggie Shayne delivers an uncompromising, impossible-to-put down and addicting story of suspense in her latest release, Kiss Me, Kill Me.

Yearning for motherhood but told, medically, that this would be an impossibility, Dr. Carrie Overton meets fate one late night, as she helps a young mother deliver a baby along the roadside. When she returns from searching for help, Carrie discovers the mother gone and the baby wrapped tightly, along with a note saying that the young mother believes that it was fate that brought her and Carrie together and that she wants Carrie to raise the baby as her own.

Knowing that, legally, what she is doing is wrong, Carrie knows in her heart, that she would be a wonderful mom and that this is her chance to make her dreams come true. With every intention of finding the biological mother, Carrie soon discovers that very shortly after giving birth, the mother is found dead. So begins the search for the missing baby.

Sixteen years later, Sam has grown into a magnificent young man, Carrie an adoring and protective mother, hoping her secret will never emerge. Then teenagers begin disappearing and dead bodies piling up. Carrie fears that her son will be next and will do anything to protect him and keep him safe.

When a stranger, Gabriel Cain, appears in town, Sam is quickly taken with him and questions begin to form. A strange resemblance between Sam and Gabe is apparent and a shocking revelation comes to light. A sizzle of ignition sparks between Carrie and Gabe, Sam’s sudden disappearance brings heated feelings to a peak and the race to find Sam is ticking quickly away. Will death reach Carrie’s son before she and Gabe can, or will the killer win?

Kiss Me, Kill Me is the third in the Secrets of Shadow Falls series and honestly, my favorite. The characterization of Carrie is excellent and her feelings are truly felt—her compassion and intense love for her son and desire to keep him safe at all costs, shines through without a doubt and is easily relatable by any parent. Gabe is amazing, sexy and delightful. With a few secrets of his own, the reader will quickly become engrossed in what will happen once these secrets surface and his ability to bring a positive vibe to any scene is refreshing.

Below is the scene after Sam’s girlfriend has been discovered missing and shortly following the murder of his best friend:

Carrie moved closer to her son and slid a hand to his shoulder. “We can go into town, join the next shift of volunteers, if you want. Or we can get a supply of posters and drive around putting them up.”

He finally met her eyes—his so woefully tormented that she nearly gasped aloud. “I don’t know what to do.” Then he looked at Gabe. “What do you think we should do?”

Gabe drew a breath, pulled a chair in front of Sam’s and sat down, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. “You shouldn’t take action until you get your head straight about a matter. I know it sounds like New Age fluff, but everything that exists was a thought before it was a thing. And the thing usually follows the thought. So we need to get our thoughts about Sadie into line with the outcome we want here, and I think we’d better do it soon.”

As a suspenseful and tense-filled story, Kiss Me, Kill Me is perfect. Each page leaves the reader racing to flip to the next, dying to see what happens and holding their breath as one thrilling moment leads to the next. As well as suspense, Kiss Me, Kill Me is sprinkled with a healthy dose of romance, sizzle and sparks as the relationship between Carrie and Gabe takes off. Their desire and attraction is highly palpable and adds a delightful dimension to the story.

Maggie Shayne is a mesmerizing talent and her stories delight and exalt. Kiss Me, Kill Me is no exception and will bring thrilling pleasure to a vast audience of readers.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Pam rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This is my first and last book of Shayne's I'll ever read. This book really just....sucked. That's the only word that comes to mind to describe this book. The book had a great premise and actually started off really well (in the prologue) and went downhill in chapter one. I blame it on the characters that all seemed empty and fake. Nothing felt genuine. Especially the teenage kids. Also the ridiculous dialogue throughout did not help.

For a woman (doctor) (Carrie) who ended up with a newborn to...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Isis FG by: continuation of a series

Shelves: series-mordecai-young-shadow-falls, 2010, info-need, published-2010, reviewed, genre-romance-suspense, stars-4

After the second book in this trilogy fell completely flat for me, I was a little wary of this one. But I liked it mostly. I had two middle-of-the-road issues, but otherwise I liked it.

Series Note:
Third book in Shayne's "Secrets of Shadow Falls" trilogy. I'd recommend reading the trilogy in order.

Summary:
Doctor Carrie Overton has a deep, dark secret she's been hiding from everyone around her: the sixteen year old son she has when medically she can't have any children. Carrie has kept the secret...more After the second book in this trilogy fell completely flat for me, I was a little wary of this one. But I liked it mostly. I had two middle-of-the-road issues, but otherwise I liked it.

Series Note:
Third book in Shayne's "Secrets of Shadow Falls" trilogy. I'd recommend reading the trilogy in order.

Summary:
Doctor Carrie Overton has a deep, dark secret she's been hiding from everyone around her: the sixteen year old son she has when medically she can't have any children. Carrie has kept the secret safe all these years, but with recent events in Shadow Falls, VT, the chance of discovery has increased dramatically.

Things in town get even more tense when her sons best friend disappears and is found murdered. Everyone is one edge...especially Carrie when she realizes there may be a connection to her secret. Making things more tense is newcomer to town Gabriel Cain. He sets off butterflies in Carrie's stomach like no one before. But who is he? And why does he seem to interested in her son?

Review:
I got a little worried a little ways into this book that it was going to drive me nuts from all the secret keeping. Because this is one of those books where both the hero and heroine keep major secrets from each other for nearly the entire book. I HATE that. It drives me nuts. And it's a horrible way for the h/h to build trust in each other for a future relationship. So when I saw that this book was heading this way I got frustrated. And I stayed that way for the most part. It annoyed me, but not as bad as in some other books I've read. I put up with it since the rest of the book was interesting.

And I loved the character of Gabe. What a unique, interesting guy he was. Sort of a laid-back new-age hippie. He's got long hair, drives a old VW bus, spouts off zen-isms and whatnot. I was totally fascinated by him. He's such a different type of hero than you find in 95% of romance books these days. And he was a nice guy period. So I enjoyed that part of the book.

Carrie was pretty good too. A bit insecure and judgmental at times, but I didn't mind her. The romance was fairly average. Not bad, not great. There's only one sex scene and it gets skimmed over fairly quickly. So that aspect of the book wasn't as good as I hoped.

The suspense plot was interesting and tense. Not one of the best I've read, but I liked it. It had some interesting facets and twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more to know what would happen.

My only other complaint on this book (other than the secret keeping thing) was some stuff at the end. Carrie's got the big secret about how Sam came to be her son, which turns out to be related to the suspense plot. But when you finished the book, you're left hanging over whether the secret stays a secret among a few select individuals or whether it comes out to everyone. If so, how did that affect Carried? And then there was an issue between Sam and Gabe that they never get to talk through. And Gabe has an issue with his father that is totally glossed over at the end. I just felt like when I finished the book that all this important stuff had bee left hanging. It was rather annoying. Kind of a lousy ending to a fairly decent book.

Good series overall, for the most part. I liked books 1 and 3. Book 2 was a bit of a stinker. It's a decent romantic suspense trilogy if you're looking for something new to read.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Lynsey A rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-author, romantic-suspense, books-i-own, 2011-reads, made-me-cry, swap-or-trade-this-book, on-pbs-com, child-children-involved

This was a great ending to this series. The first book was just so/so but this one is definitely worth reading. All these stories are tied together so you really should read all three but the first one is kinda slow.

This final book in the series is the complete opposite. It is page turning with great characters. I liked Carrie but I didn't love her and I loved Gabe. The ending was so sweet and made me cry. It was a bit cheesy as well but I'm a big fan of cheese (in books and as a delicious snack...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Larissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, to-review

4.5/5 Stars!

Following Killing Me Softly and the awesome Kill Me Again, The third and last book in Maggie Shayne’s Secret of Shadow Falls Trilogy closes this awesome trilogy with a bang. Until I read Kiss Me, Kill Me, Kill Me Again was my favorite, but this third and final book blew me away and I absolutely loved it.

As a Paranormal junkie, is not often that I let my self wonder off from the genre and I am so happy that i have let myself branch out lately, because I have found some amazing books o...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Kathleen Brooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

The series was good, but not excellent. You kinda knew what was going to happen the whole way through, but the books did get better as they went a long. I liked the third book the best, would give it 3.5 stars. But, I felt as if there were a lot of repeating on feelings and conversations the characters have with themselves in all the books. I have this secret or I feel this way about him and I don't know if I should tell him. The action was great and you can connect with the characters, again, e...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, romance

By far my favorite of the first three in this series. I liked Sam a bit better in the second book where he first caught my interest but, overall he is a great character as is Sadie. The two adults are also great characters and this book isn't marred by repetition as the first two in the series were. The ending was trite but otherwise I really enjoyed it and didn't want to put it down until I reached the end.

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Jul 25, 2011 Patricia Solla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, pbs

Interesting storyline. This is part of a series; but didn't detract from reading book as a stand alone story. There was enought background information so the reader isn't lost figuring out what happened before. Lots of action. Interesting premise.

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Jul 19, 2012 Alysha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't know who the author was, I haven't read any other story by her. But this was a great story. I originally started this as a book to read while I was at the laundromat and I ended up not wanting to put it down.

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Nov 12, 2011 Kathy Petrullo rated it 1 of 5 stars

Thiss was just an ok read. I didn't hate it, but didn't really like it either. It started with an interesting concept but the characters and the story just kind of fell flat. Really woundn't recommend it.

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Sep 23, 2011 Lynne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

It was an okay book 'cause it fits into a purse and thus can be easily carried to a doctor's waiting room,airport, or any other place that requires a little mindless time-killing

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Sep 21, 2010 Michelle added it

A woman's desire for a child.....
A secret kept.....
When is the right time to tell the truth & who can be trusted.
A good read....will keep your interest to the end.

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Sep 27, 2012 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I knew Maggie Shayne could write crazy good PNR but this series proves she's able to write edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense on a caliber with Karen Rose and Anne Stuart. Only one more book in the Shadow Falls series and I'll be waiting for a new RS from her. Gosh I hate waiting!!!

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Nov 29, 2010 Jacque rated it 4 of 5 stars

The end to an exciting series and another great book with a whole new story. It was enjoyable and fun to read.

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Dec 16, 2010 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, suspense, romance

I enjoyed the first one of this series that I read, but this one had a little more stilted dialogue. I still enjoyed the suspense and the totally unexpected ending, but it just felt a little more forced on the whole. In this book, someone is kidnapping local teens all born around the time of the missing Baby Doe 16 years ago. The kidnapping soon escalates to murder and the whole town is wary of one another. Top it off with one person who knows for sure who Baby Doe is, and several others with su...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Cassaundra Aunna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first Maggie Shayne novel I have read, and I must say, she has a beautiful talent for writing. Can't wait to read some more of her stuff!

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Oct 31, 2010 Elvis added it

Had a really hard time putting this one down. Secrets kept for years has a way of leaking out.

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Aug 04, 2010 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a good book.
It made me think about the secrets that seem to exist in everyone's life.

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Oct 26, 2010 Brianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

this one was okay. For some reason, it didn't click with me.

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Feb 01, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought it was good but again all the twists were easy to figure out and I was not in suspense because I knew the ending. But I did enjoy reading it.

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May 07, 2011 Lavada Dee rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the 3rd and last book of the series and the other were good but this one was exceptional. At two o'clock I was still saying just one more page. If you like Maggie Shayne your going to love this one.

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Aug 16, 2011 Yazzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Decent, but not particularly memorable.

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Sep 01, 2010 Harlequin Books added it

Shelves: harlequin_mira, 2010

Miniseries: Secrets of Shadow Falls

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Mar 17, 2012 Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finised-books

Loved it the final book in shadow falls searis.
Greate from start to finish a must read all three of thes books.

Miss shane has out done herself with seairs each book is better then the last.
You like suspese you like romance give miss shane a try you
won't dispointed.

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About Maggie Shayne

I live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hou...more I live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.

My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.

No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)

That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!

And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)

Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my partner, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 190 pounds and 165 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line.

She has a story of her own, my cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still.

My partner is an artist, a mechanic, and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I am. But we’re true soulmates. We share a demanding hobby--a 90 gallon salt water “reef” aquarium where we’re growing gorgeous corals and a few fishes, too (clowns, damsels and a blenny, so far.) In addition to the dogs and the fish (and each other!) we enjoy kayaking, walking, riding our bikes, and being outdoors as much as possible. We’re building some beautiful dreams together. Co-creating, you might say.

I feel I’ve risen from the ashes of those hard times. There are still a few lingering residual after effects, but those are just some stale old vibrations in need of cleaning up, For the most part, my life no(less)

More about Maggie Shayne...

Books by Maggie Shayne

An Enchanted Season (Includes: Psy-Changeling, #0.5; Murphy Sisters, #1)

Wild Thing (Includes: Warriors of Poseidon, #1.5; Guardians, #1.5)

Weddings from Hell (Night Huntress, #1.5; Brotherhood of Blood, #3.5; Nicki Styx, #2.5)

Prince Of Twilight (Wings in the Night, #12)

Edge Of Twilight (Wings in the Night, #10)

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Kiss Me, Kill Me (Secrets of Shadow Falls #3)

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