Love Kills, the eleventh in the mystery series to feature Miami crime beat reporter, Britt Montero, finds Britt alone on a Caribbean island, still reeling from the tragic, accidental death of her fiance. But, when her longtime friend and favorite news photographer, Lottie, tracks her down, she is ready to return to the city and the States. As they are enjoying one last romp in the surf, they find a disposable camera with three pictures left. They use the remaining photos, but get a shock when they develop the film.
A Tragic Honeymoon
The photos on the camera are that of a couple that has been all over the news -- a couple that has gone missing when their chartered yacht capsized. Britt, who has returned to her old job, sees the story in the situation and kindly forwards the photos to the bride's grieving parents, hoping for a word. It seems that the marriage was a whirlwind romance, three months from start to finish.
Soon the groom, March Holt, appears, with a story of a fire and an explosion. Britt, who knows quite well what it feels like to lose someone close, shares her story with him and helps him to unload the guilt he feels at surviving when his bride did not. A sad situation -- or is it? Several days later, Britt spies the yacht that Holt and his bride chartered when it is apprehended in a drug bust. Didn't Holt say that it burned and sank?
A Serial Honeymooner
When she attempts to contact Holt, he has moved out of the couple's apartment, emptied their joint bank account, and cashed in on the insurance policy. Sensing something is not quite right, Britt digs into Holt's past. She finds no less than six deceased brides -- all of whom died "accidentally" on their honeymoons. Coincidence?
With the tenacity of a news reporter, Britt tracks Holt all over the United States, hoping to catch him before he can marry again. Will she be in time?
Love Kills, true to Buchanan's style, combines the excitement of a good news scoop with favorite characters developed throughout almost a dozen Montero novels. Buchanan tells enough for new readers to be able to follow the story, yet throws in a few cameos and nuggets for loyal readers of the series. This novel is an action-filled read with plenty of plot twists and turns to keep you guessing until the last pages.
About Edna Buchanan
Edna Buchanan, a former reporter for the Miami Herald, is the author of sixteen novels and numerous short story collections. She has been nominated for two Edgar awards and has been awarded the George Polk Award for Career Achievement in Journalism as well as a Pulitzer Prize for a collection of her short crime stories. She lives in Miami.
(Full disclosure: a review copy of this novel was made available by Simon and Schuster)
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