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The Lipstick Murders
Nick Burns, Chief of Police opens a cold case and discovers a series of murders and long-submerged secrets begin to surface. As the body count rises, a brilliant young detective races to solve the puzzle before the killer claims another victim.
- GenresMystery
244 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 15, 2020
"There was no trace of tears in his eyes or any track marks on his reddening face. His eyes were narrowed, rigid and hard and in that moment, he was far away. That was the beginning."
The Lipstick Murders by Ricky Corum
3.5 stars.
I would recommend this to mystery lovers, especially ones who adore mysteries with that gritty feel. This was an interesting read. I did not love it but did not NOT like it either. I think it is a compelling story.
First off I love the title. Man is it refreshing to see a mystery book with no "the girls" or "the lies" or "the husband" or "the wife in the title! They all seem to do that and one blurs into another. I was drawn to this book out of many mysteries because of the title which refreshingly was all its own.
I loved the gritty street feel of the novel. I actually wish it had not be so short.
And people have spoken about typos. Dare I say it but..I do not really care all that much about that. Many times, it isn't even the writer's fault so..anyway moving on..
My only let down was that it is so easy to figure out who the bad guys are. I figured it out pretty quickly. Also how short the book was. It was almost to quick a read. But other then those things, I liked it. It was different and atmospheric and well recommended to mystery fans.
The Lipstick Murders by Ricky Corum
3.5 stars.
I would recommend this to mystery lovers, especially ones who adore mysteries with that gritty feel. This was an interesting read. I did not love it but did not NOT like it either. I think it is a compelling story.
First off I love the title. Man is it refreshing to see a mystery book with no "the girls" or "the lies" or "the husband" or "the wife in the title! They all seem to do that and one blurs into another. I was drawn to this book out of many mysteries because of the title which refreshingly was all its own.
I loved the gritty street feel of the novel. I actually wish it had not be so short.
And people have spoken about typos. Dare I say it but..I do not really care all that much about that. Many times, it isn't even the writer's fault so..anyway moving on..
My only let down was that it is so easy to figure out who the bad guys are. I figured it out pretty quickly. Also how short the book was. It was almost to quick a read. But other then those things, I liked it. It was different and atmospheric and well recommended to mystery fans.
June 9, 2016
This is a good mystery. There are actually a few things going on in the story, but if you work on the police force there is always something happening. When Nick Burns retires from Chicago police department and head to Frederick, Maryland he is going to find even in a small town things happen, including murder and rape.Readers follow along as the story transfers from different points of view and culminates in a couple of twists. I found this to be a quick but suspenseful read and liked the author's writing style. Will be looking for more from him.
December 23, 2021
I really liked how this audio is set out. Cassandra does a great job with all the voices.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between all the different points of view. I felt involved and riveted.
3.5 stars
Gifted audio in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between all the different points of view. I felt involved and riveted.
3.5 stars
Gifted audio in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2016
Not very good.
Predictable and not very well written. Needs some editing especially for grammar and capitalization. Characters neither believable nor likeable.
Predictable and not very well written. Needs some editing especially for grammar and capitalization. Characters neither believable nor likeable.
March 11, 2016
Couldn't finish .... sophomoric writing in places ... repetitive phrases
March 21, 2022
This is my first novel by Ricky Corum.
It follows several perspectives as a serial rapist & murderer terrorises the women in a small town. Cassandra Arnold did an amazing job in flitting between what was a very ambitious decision to tell the story from multiple angles, I do think some editing could have helped polish up the overall plot, and keep the fast paced tone of the novel. It was a very interesting premise. I enjoyed it.
It follows several perspectives as a serial rapist & murderer terrorises the women in a small town. Cassandra Arnold did an amazing job in flitting between what was a very ambitious decision to tell the story from multiple angles, I do think some editing could have helped polish up the overall plot, and keep the fast paced tone of the novel. It was a very interesting premise. I enjoyed it.
September 14, 2023
( Format : Audiobook )
"I love you with all my heart."
It was Faye Lynn Johnson's first day as a rookie police officer when the woman's body was found, lipstick lips painted on her left breast but she would be a detective before the case was solved ten years later. Meanwhile there were other killings and there was a vicious rapist at large. The two stories intertwine and the idea is a good one but, sadly, badly presented. Amateurish writing with a mixture of perspectives and tenses, the author seems to pursue one story at the expense of the other only remembering it again later, returning with much repitition. Characterization is plodding and flat but in neither the murder or the raping was the culprit a mystery. The sex scenes, too, we're graphic and unedifying.
Narration by Cassandra Arnold helped lift the story, give some life to otherwise flat characters but could not avoid the long repetitive passages or better restructure the story. This book badly needs a good editorial hand and then it could be made into something special.
I downloaded The Lipstick Murders as a complimentary copy from Audiobooks Unleashed. My thanks to the rights holder for making it freely available to all who wish to read it. At four and one half hours in it's present state it is too long to be enjoyable beyond the first quarter of the book but there is promise there, hidden in the messy writing.
2023 A second reading after enjoying book 2 in the seties, the Bicycle Gang, also read by Cassandra Arnold. Her reading is too robotic to lift this story which, as previously noted, is itself too disjointed to e fully enjoyable: more like the preparatory draught than the finished book. A pity as it has potential.
"I love you with all my heart."
It was Faye Lynn Johnson's first day as a rookie police officer when the woman's body was found, lipstick lips painted on her left breast but she would be a detective before the case was solved ten years later. Meanwhile there were other killings and there was a vicious rapist at large. The two stories intertwine and the idea is a good one but, sadly, badly presented. Amateurish writing with a mixture of perspectives and tenses, the author seems to pursue one story at the expense of the other only remembering it again later, returning with much repitition. Characterization is plodding and flat but in neither the murder or the raping was the culprit a mystery. The sex scenes, too, we're graphic and unedifying.
Narration by Cassandra Arnold helped lift the story, give some life to otherwise flat characters but could not avoid the long repetitive passages or better restructure the story. This book badly needs a good editorial hand and then it could be made into something special.
I downloaded The Lipstick Murders as a complimentary copy from Audiobooks Unleashed. My thanks to the rights holder for making it freely available to all who wish to read it. At four and one half hours in it's present state it is too long to be enjoyable beyond the first quarter of the book but there is promise there, hidden in the messy writing.
2023 A second reading after enjoying book 2 in the seties, the Bicycle Gang, also read by Cassandra Arnold. Her reading is too robotic to lift this story which, as previously noted, is itself too disjointed to e fully enjoyable: more like the preparatory draught than the finished book. A pity as it has potential.
January 20, 2016
I received a free kindle copy of The Lipstick Murders by Ricky Corum in an Amazon promotion. I gave it almost four stars.
The plot was interesting, even though the rapist & murderer were telegraphed from the beginning.The characters were not fully developed. The new police chief of Frederick, Maryland was Nick Burns who had retired from Chicago looking for a quieter life. He opens some cold cases of a serial killer. There's also a serial rapist in town.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P...
The plot was interesting, even though the rapist & murderer were telegraphed from the beginning.The characters were not fully developed. The new police chief of Frederick, Maryland was Nick Burns who had retired from Chicago looking for a quieter life. He opens some cold cases of a serial killer. There's also a serial rapist in town.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P...
October 9, 2015
THE LIPSTICK MURDERS RICKY CORUM
THE LIPSTICK MURDERS can be described as a taut suspenseful police procedural. There are two exciting stories being told here. One is a case of a rapist where a new detective cracks the case in some stunning detective work. The second is a cold case of a series of murders. New police Chief Nick Burns has moved from Chicago to small Town Frederick Maryland. His first mission is to clean up a few cold cases. The first dates back to 1982 on the anniversary of the Killers moms’ death. The killer is obsessed with women but can’t understand why they don’t share his feelings. Obsession leads to anger and ultimately murder where he leaves his special mark. I enjoyed the characters and was surprised at the identity of the rapist. This book was a real page turner and hard to put down. I give Mr. Corum five stars for his debut novel.
THE LIPSTICK MURDERS can be described as a taut suspenseful police procedural. There are two exciting stories being told here. One is a case of a rapist where a new detective cracks the case in some stunning detective work. The second is a cold case of a series of murders. New police Chief Nick Burns has moved from Chicago to small Town Frederick Maryland. His first mission is to clean up a few cold cases. The first dates back to 1982 on the anniversary of the Killers moms’ death. The killer is obsessed with women but can’t understand why they don’t share his feelings. Obsession leads to anger and ultimately murder where he leaves his special mark. I enjoyed the characters and was surprised at the identity of the rapist. This book was a real page turner and hard to put down. I give Mr. Corum five stars for his debut novel.
September 19, 2015
Interesting concept in a murder mystery with suspenseful edges. Characters were raw and gritty although I wished they were a bit more developed as for me they were hard to connect and relate to. I truly loved the psychotic tendencies the author created in his serial killer/murder/rapist. All in all it was a quick fast paced gritty true crime city vibe I enjoyed. At times it might have been a little repetitive however it had a shocking reveal at the end that made it all worth while.
Thank you Ricky Corum!
Thank you Ricky Corum!
February 14, 2016
This was really good. I enjoyed it despite a confusing slow start. There were a number of different voices that were followed throughout the book; the CoP, the lipstick killer, and the serial rapist. It was an interesting read, but I'm kind of glad it was a standalone as this is not something I think would make a good series.
August 30, 2015
Love a Mystery
Different type of book from what I normally read - this was a murder mystery book all the way, grabbed me from the first page and held my attention until the end.
Different type of book from what I normally read - this was a murder mystery book all the way, grabbed me from the first page and held my attention until the end.
October 28, 2021
2 1/2 rounded up to 3 because of the potential. Sometimes an audio version of a book can “fix” some grammatical errors and typos but it can’t hide everything—even with a good narrator. As a reader nothing is more frustrating than to have go backwards because of mixed tenses and time gaps. There is are two interesting mysteries here unfortunately they never coalesced into a cohesive storyline. Someone must have read the advice that “sex sells” but missed the part where graphic sex scenes still need to advance the storyline. This book has all the makings of a very good book—female protagonist, police procedural, 2 ongoing mysteries. I’m sad that they were too disjointed.
I received a free copy at my request from Audiobook Unleashed as a Verified Reviewer.
I received a free copy at my request from Audiobook Unleashed as a Verified Reviewer.
January 4, 2022
Format: audiobook
Narrator: Cassandra Arnold
Narrator’s delivery is a bit robotic sounds a bit like an automated voice.
Starts with a murderer who leaves lipstick marks as his calling card then suddenly the story switches to a rapist ? Left me confused at the sudden switch.
There’s a bit of repetition when the new detective reviews the cases, I don’t think it needed the whole recap as the detective reads the files as it’s info the reader already has.
Not a bad story but it didnt leave me reaching for the next book.
Narrator: Cassandra Arnold
Narrator’s delivery is a bit robotic sounds a bit like an automated voice.
Starts with a murderer who leaves lipstick marks as his calling card then suddenly the story switches to a rapist ? Left me confused at the sudden switch.
There’s a bit of repetition when the new detective reviews the cases, I don’t think it needed the whole recap as the detective reads the files as it’s info the reader already has.
Not a bad story but it didnt leave me reaching for the next book.
December 2, 2025
A gripping, twist-filled thriller that kept me hooked from page one. Chief Nick Burns reopening a long-cold case immediately pulled me in, and Faye-Lynn Johnson is a brilliant, determined character you can’t help rooting for. The plot is fast-paced, dark, and full of surprising turns as the killer taunts investigators and the stakes keep rising. I loved the way past secrets slowly unravel into present danger, building tension right up to the final reveal. If you enjoy crime mysteries with strong characters, high suspense, and clever twists, The Lipstick Murders is a must-read.
November 2, 2021
Not very good, TBH. The writing needs polishing, the characters are one-dimensional and the double plot was unnecessary and distracting from the main one.
And, really! a police officer leaving the first two buttons of her uniform undone to show cleavage? REALLY? *bangs head against desk*
I might read some later work by this author, as this seems to be an early book, but not soon.
And, really! a police officer leaving the first two buttons of her uniform undone to show cleavage? REALLY? *bangs head against desk*
I might read some later work by this author, as this seems to be an early book, but not soon.
September 13, 2023
I really enjoyed the start to this series and the narration really worked. Yes I found some plot holes but I just went with it. I kept listening as I wanted to find out what happened next and before I knew it I was at the end, it was that addictive.
September 16, 2023
I enjoyed listening to Cassandra Arnold
Frederick Maryland, is a rapist as well as a serial murderer and back in two town. Nick Burns is Chief of Police, from Chicago, This is a fast paced enough suspense to keep you guessing
Frederick Maryland, is a rapist as well as a serial murderer and back in two town. Nick Burns is Chief of Police, from Chicago, This is a fast paced enough suspense to keep you guessing
September 11, 2023
Loved it!
November 25, 2018
I wanted to like this book because there is so much potential to the characters and story lines but in the end there are just entirely too many things wrong with this book. An editor worth an ounce of their job could have helped shaped this book into something great but they failed. Anyone with a brain who has ever read a single mystery would know the identity of the rapist almost immediately and the serial killer is given to us so there was nothing to figure out there. The back and forth of years was not done consistently and made it hard to follow at times. Even in the years that we think the book takes place the victims would not have cell phones to call for help.
I would consider reading another mystery by this author but I hope that he gets better as he goes because he has definite potential.
I would consider reading another mystery by this author but I hope that he gets better as he goes because he has definite potential.
September 16, 2016
Horrifying the young females of Frederick Maryland, is a rapist as well as a serial murderer. In this laid back, small town, Nick Burns became the Chief of Police. Previously and due to killings and disorder of the immense city of Chicago, he had retired as their Chief of Police. This read was indeed good. I found the idea of the story quite thought-provoking. The narrative’s progress encompasses alterations in periods and viewpoints, with portions of the story written from the criminal’s opinion, and a portion from the chief of police’s opinion, and there are portions from additional characters. This is a fast paced and enthralling book. I’m looking forward to reading more of author, Ricky Corum’s writing. Hand claps to a wonderful debut novel.
January 11, 2016
I found the premise of the book very interesting. I think it has great potential but I found it a bit fast paced and it kind of went back and forth a bit. I wish it would have been a little harder to figure out what was going on as I figured out who the rapist was fairly quickly and I had already known who the killer was. Over all I did enjoy the story I just would have liked more suspense and mystery.
December 1, 2015
This was a very good book with lots of twist and turns. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews