From Publishers Weekly
Miami crime reporter Britt Montero (Margin of Error, etc.) endures a heat wave and much worse when some apparently unrelated stories converge. When a woman claims to Britt that she's a hit man's target, she's perceived at first as lonely, then as paranoid; a headless man smashes up a car during a shootout when his lifeless foot jams on the accelerator. That's all in a day's work for Britt, but then a female serial killer roars onto the scene. Keppie's M.O.: two shots delivered to near naked, post-coitus males, lipstick traces on exploding shells, stolen cars and purloined credit cards. Britt is on the story, and the pretty killer, enamored of her press clippings, takes an interest in the reporterAwho, not being one to turn down a chance at good copy, consents when the cops hatch a plan to catch Keppie by using Britt as bait. Of course, the plan goes awry and Britt finds herself in a car with the murderer and a frightened young boy, driving across the Sunshine State. In addition to winding up on the wrong end of a pistol-whipping from the slinky Keppie, Britt helplessly witnesses the killer practice her craft and gets caught up in a televised, O.J. Simpson-like car chase. Throughout, Buchanan sustains a feverish pace with hyper-fast cuts between major and minor plot lines. Although the resolution is relegated to an emotionless kind of narrative postscript, Keppie, a long-legged mankiller with a family secret and guile to spare, will easily command the attention of Buchanan's fans. Meanwhile, Britt herself, tough yet tender, remains a solid enough character to retain readers' interest despite the hyperbolic escapades Buchanan subjects her to in this over-the-top tale. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
After taking a break with Pulse, Miami crime reporter Britt Montero is back and she's hotter than ever! As usual, Britt is in the thick of things, sweltering during a Miami heatwave and chasing the usual suspects. But her most interesting assignment is about a mysterious woman who kills a sheriff in north Florida and then weaves a southerly track downstate toward Miami, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. Each is found with his pants downAhis genitals mutilated, shot with Black Talon bullets, and graced with traces of lipstick. She becomes the "Kiss-Me Killer." Britt's coverage of the murders attracts the attention of the killer, who contacts Britt and draws her into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that could cost Britt her life. The usual cast of interesting side-kicks add to the fun. Britt's many fans will welcome this fresh installment in the series. Recommended for public libraries.
-ARebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond, IN Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
