This was a waste of time. I can't believe it has such high ratings. It is SO full of cliches and the 'bad'guy is just a cardboard egocentric psychopath, but BORING! Nothing about this story felt original or creative......just rehashed parts and dialog from a hundred other thrillers. And don't get me started on the lame love story co-plot. I skipped about 100 pages in the 2nd half and skimmed and skipped to the end to see if it got any better.....it didn't. It's the first of a trilogy and I definitely won't be reading any more. Definitely not recommended. ( )

Killing Fear by Allison Brennan
4.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Seven years ago, Theodore Lawrence Glenn was convicted of murdering four exotic dancers and swore revenge against those responsible for his imprisonment. Now he has escaped and Robin McKenna, the main prosecution witness, and Will Hooper, the detective who put Glenn away, are reunited and must get past their personal issues if they are to survive the machinations of this sadistic killer.

Review:
Wow! This book is incredibly gritty and realistic. The plot has several intertwined threads that come together to form a strong and cohesive whole. Some of the past events are told in flashback, which reinforces characterization and does not distract the reader from the progression of the present day storyline.

The author does not shy away from portraying both the personal and professional weaknesses of her characters. Robin and Will’s relationship, past and present, is intensely emotional and engrossing. She is a strong and independent heroine whose success is even more significant given the adversity she has faced while he is prototypical ladies’ man who has finally met his match.

The sociopathic Glenn is also a phenomenal character and one of the most diabolical villains I have ever encountered. Nevertheless, some of the secondary characters could have been better developed, as the lack of sufficient detail regarding their backgrounds makes it difficult to fully grasp the import of certain developments within the investigative subplot.

In sum, a fast-paced and exciting read with riveting twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Be warned, once you pick it up it will be very difficult to put it down again.
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Unfortunately, this is more of the kind of thing Brennan's second series gave us, nowhere near the quality of the The Hunt, etc. The hero's a jerk, the heroine's perfect and their romance is never explained. There's no reason (other than adrenaline and fear) for these two to get together, certainly not to stay together. The serial killer aspect isn't anything new. So if you read this book don't expect the best of the writer. ( )

Started April 03d, 2014.
While the ending was predictable and I hoped for something different, the built-up and everything before that, was high suspense and the book a real page-turner. Again, most twists I could not guess and there where quite a few.
A few nice sex-scenes and romance, but the romance was complicated and felt real and was just in the right amount as not to distract.
Allison Brennan will be on my list as a top female author. I only hope that not all books have a predictable ending as this one.
The shorter [b:Maximum Exposure|18926466|Maximum Exposure (Max Revere, #0.5)|Allison Brennan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1387579346s/18926466.jpg|26933212] was more satisfying in that regard.
Highly recommended.
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A good romantic suspense with plenty of action that moved right along. I liked how the story was told by interweaving segments of the past that explained the reasons for current behavior. When convicted killer escapes from prison, he goes after detective Will who arrested him and ex-stripper Robin who testified against him.
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