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    Kill Without Mercy
    Kill Without Mercy
    Kill Without Mercy
    Audiobook9 hours

    Kill Without Mercy

    Written by Alexandra Ivy

    Narrated by Jim Frangione

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    About this audiobook

    From the hellhole of a Taliban prison to sweet freedom, five brave military heroes have made it home-and they're ready to take on the civilian missions no one else can. Individually they're intimidating. Together they're invincible. They're the men of ARES Security. Rafe Vargas is only in Newton, Iowa, to clear out his late grandfather's small house. As the covert ops specialist for ARES Security, he's eager to get back to his new life in Texas. But when he crosses paths with Annie White, a haunted beauty with skeletons in her closet, he can't just walk away-not when she's clearly in danger. There's a mysterious serial killer on the loose with a link to Annie's dark past. And the closer he gets, the deeper Rafe's instinct to protect kicks in. But even with his considerable skill, Annie's courage, and his ARES buddies behind him, the slaying won't stop. Now it's only a matter of time before Annie's next-unless they can unravel a history of deadly lies that won't be buried.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 29, 2015
    ISBN9781501904387
    Author

    Alexandra Ivy

    Alexandra Ivy graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She started her career writing traditional regencies before moving into the world of paranormal with her USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestselling series The Guardians of Eternity. Now she writes a wide variety of genres that include paranormal, erotica, and romantic suspense.

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    Reviews for Kill Without Mercy

    4/5

    42 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A chance meeting in Newton , Iowa with Annie White sets Rafe Vargas on the trail of a serial killer. It is the anniversary of the capture and death of her father, the infamous Newton Slayer, but women are going missing and Annie is seeing them in her dreams.... once again. Rafe believes in Annie's visions and begins to follow the clues. She is the one woman he feels he can spend the rest of his life with but first he needs to keep her safe.

      But when the truth about the Newton Slayer starts to unfold, and secrets are revealed Rafe and his partners from ARES are faced with am enemy, more dangerous and cunning than they have faced in Afghanistan.

      Another hit series from Alexandra Ivy

      ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! My only complaint would be that the narrator has some weird inflections at times throughout the recording but it was not so much that it detracts from the story.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in a new romantic suspense series. It introduces the five men who make up Ares Security but it focuses on Rafe Vargas. Rafe is gorgeous and the heart of the group. He is a covert ops specialist and a natural leader. He has come from Texas to Newton, Iowa, to pack up his grandfather's home and put it up for sale. He is filled with resentment for the way his grandfather treated his father and wants to get things done and get out of town.Annie White has also come to Newton. She hasn't been back since she was ten. The town holds mostly bad memories for her. Her father was accused of being the Newton Slayer and brutally killing seven women. After being arrested, he died in jail in an apparent suicide leaving Annie in a state of shock and an orphan dumped into the foster care system. Annie has visions and, after many years, these visions have returned. She has come back to Newton in hopes of finding a reason for the visions and closure. Rafe takes one look at her and decides that he needs to protect her. Annie is afraid that the only reason he's attracted is because of his savior complex. As a new series of young women are being taken, the danger heats up for Annie and Rafe since the killer is leaving messages for Annie. As they investigate the learn that what Annie remembers from the past isn't necessarily what happened and that the town has lots of secrets. I liked the relationship between Annie and Rafe. I also liked the relationship between Rafe and his partners in Ares Security. They are a group of men who went through hell together as prisoners in Afghanistan and who have forged bonds stronger than brothers. They have made each other their families. I'll be eager to read the stories of the other men who make up Ares Security.
    • 3/5
      2.5 stars

      ****Full Review****

      I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

      Annie is starting to have visions again, considering these visions have to do with women being murder and her father was the "Newton Slayer", she has reason to be concerned. Going against her foster mother's wishes, she travels back to Newton, the town where her childhood was shattered. Rafe has been putting it off but he eventually decides now is the time to pack up his deceased grandfather's house and get the place sold. While in the small town diner he rescues a pretty woman from a town gossip and ultimately finds himself in the middle of a serial killer mystery. A buried past, lies, and corruption besiege Annie and Rafe as they search for the truth of what happened years ago and fight to stay one step in front of the current danger and their feelings for one another.
       
      The first in a new series, Kill Without Mercy, introduces us to Rafe and his four friends. They were all in the military, captured in Afghanistan, and tortured before their eventually escape. All discharged, they now live in the states and are starting up a new security business called ARES. A prologue gives us all the men's names and what their specialties in the military were, while throughout the story we get more snippets of the men through conversations and interactions with Rafe as they all work together to help Rafe find the serial killer. It's easy to think about why they would have a close bond but I missed having at least one scene of their time in Afghanistan to get a better feel for them as a group. There were a couple times where one or two of the friends were focused on a bit much for what is supposed to be Rafe's story and ended up feeling like series baiting but that is typically a problem in firsts in a series.
       
      Annie was one of the more level headed heroines usually found in romantic suspense books. She took Rafe's advice and listened to his expertise but still exhibited strength of character. However, with the murder mystery and introduction of the AREs' men, she became a wallflower in her own story at times. The story arc of her visions also ended up feeling somewhat tagged on as the explanation for them felt puzzling and disjointed. Rafe was a non-arrogant alpha; he was bossy but not misogynistic in his attitude towards Annie. There were times though, that I could feel myself side-eyeing how obliviously controlling he could be. He never sees any other outcome than Annie doing what he wants. For example, he tells his friends she is moving to Texas with him to live on his ranch (they have known each other for about two weeks) without ever even discussing it with her, to him it is a foregone conclusion because that is what he wants. It was little things like this that made me slightly uncomfortable with him and gave me problems with the romance aspect of the story.
       
      I wouldn't say Annie and Rafe's relationship was insta-love or lust but insta-connection; they are just immediately together. With Rafe's surety that Annie would go along with all his plans for them, it eliminated some of the excitement of the two coming together. I know in the romance genre this is a foregone conclusion but the spark of the journey ended up missing here. I found Annie to disappear the most when it came to their relationship part of the story. While I found the romance to be weaker, the murder mystery was the strongest part of the story for me. It was interesting with the author showing you first where the details of the serial murders had landed and then going back and showing you how/why they landed that way, thus connecting the dots and telling the true story. Secondary characters played a big part in this aspect and for the most part, were flushed out enough to create a believable story.
       
      The romance part of this story was simplistic but if you're looking for more of a mystery than suspense, this was a good “figure it out and connect the dots” read. It was well written and overall well paced; keeping the reader wondering just what went on in this small town all those years ago. The hero was a bit pushy but with four other heroes waiting in the wings, one is bound to be a favorite if looking for a new series to try.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this! Kill Without Mercy starts off a new romantic suspense series about five ex-soldiers who now run a security company together. This first part is Rafe and Annie's story. They meet in Iowa where Rafe is supposed to clear out his grandfather's house. Women are disappearing in the area, and there seems to be a connection to Annie's past. With the help of Rafe's friends, Rafe and Annie start to look into the case of a serial killer from fifteen years ago to establish a link to the current kidnappings. While the premise wasn't completely new and unique, I really liked the characters and enjoyed their interactions. There was just the right mix of romance and suspense with some good twists. The writing was very good and the story fast paced to hold my attention throughout. This was my first book by Alexandra Ivy, and I look forward to following the rest of this series. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      Five military men who escaped from torture in a Taliban prison star in this new series by Alexandra Ivy. Each one is physically all a woman could dream for and it seems, from this story, they are also quite willing and able to attract and please any woman they might set their sights on. They are also excellent friends that have become family.Rafe and Annie are the main characters in this first book. Rafe has gone to Newton, Iowa to deal with the house his not so wonderful grandfather left behind when he died. Annie has gone back to the same town due to nightmares she has been having that remind her of a painful time in her past. Wanting to find answers and make peace with her past sees her in Newton again. Rafe and Annie meet in a restaurant, are attracted to one another then become involved in trying to find out more about a serial killer that did his work in Newton 15 years before. The other four members of the team show up, help out and are fleshed out a bit for the future books in the series. Hauk is mentioned most often as having something mysterious going on that will probably be dealt with in the next book. I liked the characters, the tight plot, they excellent writing and the fast paced story. The theme is not new but the characters and their interactions were excellent. I did deduce who one of the bad guys was early in the story but was surprised by the identity of the other one. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the copy of this book to read and review.
    • 5/5
      I liked the start to this new series. Five ex-military join together to start their own security agency. They're just getting their things together when Rafe has to go and clear out his grandfather's house - has he has passed away. While there he meets Annie, he can tell she needs help, even though she keeps to herself. But that doesn't last long with Rafe around, so he his friends end up saving her and helping to solve the mystery that has plagued Annie for years.A great thriller and great new characters that I'm looking forward to reading about in future.
    • 5/5
      Kill Without Mercy by Alexandra Ivy is a 2015 Kensington publication. I as provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Count me in. This is my kind of romantic suspense. Terrifying, pulse pounding suspense, with red hot romance and a hero that will have you eating out of the palm of your hand. Alexandra Ivy is mostly known for her kick butt urban fantasy series. So, I was more than a little curious when I saw she was beginning a new romantic suspense series. Many of you know that romantic suspense is my favorite genre, but these days I'm finding fewer and fewer series to sink my teeth into and have begun to rely on discovering older titles with more traditional outlines. So, I have to say I am doing the happy dance over this one. The author has combined the tough ex-military team with the more traditional romantic suspense themes I enjoy most, making this book a must read for romantic suspense fans of all flavors. Annie returns to her hometown in Newton, Iowa, after the disturbing visions that have plagued her since childhood begin to increase, leading her to believe she must finally face her worst nightmares. Annie was the lone survivor of the “Newton Slayer” a serial killer who also happened to be her father. But something about the case is nagging at her, so for her own peace of mind, she needs to make an attempt at finding closure. Rafe has left Texas and his newly formed security firm to put his grandfather's affairs in order, a task he finds particularly distasteful. But, his chance meeting with Annie sends his protective sensors into overdrive and before long the couple are working together, seeking answers to the old case involving Annie's father and a new crop of missing or murdered women. Are these killings related to the 'Newton Slayer'? Is it a copycat killer? Either way, two things have become crystal clear: One- Annie is being watched and could be in danger and Two: Rafe has fallen head over heels for her. This is a dark story with a super creepy serial killer, some morally bankrupt characters, lots of volatile secrets, and an action packed race against time that had me holding on for dear life. There were a few times when the story lagged, just a little, mainly due to the necessity of introducing the main characters, which sets us up for future installments. However, any down time was short lived, and the pace stayed balanced, building the suspense little by little, and ending with a spectacular showdown. Ladies, if you don't find Rafe hotter than fire and if he doesn't have your temperature rising, then you better check your pulse! Whew! This guy has 'book boyfriend' written all over him. He definitely comes down on the Alpha side of the fence, but, he's also super sweet, very loyal, and will put his life on the line for the woman he loves. Annie, was not one of those women that comes with a sarcastic tongue, a tough as nails attitude, or the ability to hold her own against a guy ten times her size. Her terrifying visions aside, she's an everyday, normal person, with a plain vanilla life, until she gathers the courage to face her past. She's vulnerable and a little fragile, but she rises to the occasion, unlocking a fierce fortitude, and does what she has to survive and bring down a twisted, sick serial killer. Rafe and Annie make a great team, and a great couple. I really enjoyed this first book in the Ares Security series and so I am SO stoked for the next installment!