Lyrical Press and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of Fatal Game. The choice to review this book is my own.

Private detective Claire Morgan has come home from her honeymoon in time for the Christmas On the Lake House tour. When a stop on the tour is decorated with the body of a young woman, Claire is asked by the sheriff's office to help investigate. Will Claire's involvement in the case put a target on her back?

Having not read the other books in the series, I never felt like I got a true handle on Claire Morgan's character. I am a big reader of mystery thrillers and Fatal Game just blended in with the rest. I doubt I will remember the character tomorrow and I am not interested in reading the nine other books in the series thus far. Perhaps had I started at the beginning, I might feel differently. I am also not usually a fan of books told in different perspectives, especially when the author tries to get readers to see the events from the killer's point of view. For these reasons, I would hesitate to recommend Fatal Game to other readers.

Fatal Game by Linda Ladd is an extremely suspenseful, romantic novel. Linda Ladd is an excellent author. You really cannot go wrong with any of her books. Definitely a must read!!

A quick read. The mystery part was interesting, but I wasn't interested in Claire's personal problems. The book was primarily told from Claire's point of view, but there were some chapters from the killer's viewpoint. I wanted to keep reading to see how it all came together in the end.

This was my first book to read in the Claire Morgan series. Even though this book is part of a series, I felt it was a good standalone read. I really enjoyed the ending!
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A confusing, run-of-the-mill crime mystery.

The sheriff’s department at Lake of the Ozarks has been devastated by flu. Enter Claire Morgan who has retired from the service to start as a private investigator. She has just returned from her honeymoon having married Dr Nicholas Black and is persuaded to head up an investigation on behalf of the Sheriff into the particularly gruesome murder of a young woman. Little does she realise that her pursuit of the perpetrators will put not only her but also her loved ones in mortal danger.

There are so many areas which don’t add up to the storyline. Black, as Morgan likes to call him, is rich beyond the dreams of avarice. He is a famous psychotherapist or psychiatrist or whatever the difference is between the two, who also owns and runs a luxury hotel. Therefore, why on earth Morgan would wish to set out as a gumshoe is beyond me. Other events occur throughout the plot which can’t be quoted as they are spoilers but which will leave many readers wondering why they happened at all. The murderers seem hellbent on placing themselves in jeopardy at every conceivable opportunity for instance. Many of these events are totally illogical so suspend disbelief all those who delve into the covers of this one.

Another confusing aspect is the timeline which jumps about like a cat on a hot tin roof. The changes in time are not signalled and it’s up to the reader to determine what happened and in which sequence although once worked out it is all too easy to spot the relationships between the characters. Additionally, I was also put off by the bloodthirsty nature of the crimes. The violence to my mind was at times gratuitous and I felt that the author was out to shock.

This is the umpteenth in the Claire Morgan series. Maybe the author had run out of ideas. Very often sequels to books and films are nowhere as good as the original. Not having read any of the others in the series I am unqualified to comment but I can speculate. Although I have no intention to disrespect the author who clearly has a huge fan base I just felt that the book had the feeling of being churned out.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

It took me about 20% in before I started caring about the characters but from there in it became more and more engaging. I really enjoyed Black, Rico, etc besides the lead character and her partner.

Junior is the spoilt son of a famous rock star. Lucky is the young pool guy having sex with Junior’s mother. Together they plot to murder her and then live the high life on the income Junior receives from his father. They decide they enjoy killing and plan their next kill and more.
Detective Claire Morgan Black is still coping with the death of her little boy years ago. Leaving the force to become a private investigator she finds herself recalled to assist local law enforcement after returning from her honeymoon. Her first case involves the murder of a young girl found posed on a Christmas tree as an angel.
Nicholas Black is a hotel property owner, newly married to Claire and a shrink to some of the rich and famous in society.
Rico is the young orphan taken on as their own after an extremely traumatic experience for him.
Junior and Lucky seemed a very odd pair of killers. With names like that I had trouble taking them seriously. Also I felt it was a little odd for Junior to have a twinge of guilt about the murders they were committing.
This story moved along at a reasonable pace and had enough action to hold my interests. Claire was a little too girly for my liking and I was expecting her to be tougher and not shrink from things like insects and visiting the morgue. The flashbacks/images of the dead girl she experienced seemed a little repetitive in some sections.
Words like discombobulate and apropos are a little out of place in a crime/mystery/thriller like this. On the other hand, I am always happy to learn new words!
This book finishes with a nail biting ending and definitely worth full marks to the author.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book via Netgalley. Thanks also for the opportunity to provide my review.

5/5: How I have missed Claire Morgan!! Ladd writes exactly what makes me cringe is disgusting glee!! Non stop thrills and some holidays joys in her newest thriller!!

This is book 10 in the Claire Morgan series. Claire is a former police detective now a private detective and her husband, Dr Nicholas Black is getting back into his routine as psychiatrist to the rich and famous and uber disturbed. Claire and Nick return from their honeymoon along with Rico, the boy who they rescued in the last book. When a bad flu bug hits the Sheriff's department in Lake of the Ozarks where Claire used to work, she finds herself agreeing to work with her old partner Bud to help out while they are short staffed during the Christmas season. During the local Christmas House Tour, the body of a young woman is found as a angel topper on a Christmas tree.
This book follows Ladd's style of alternating the past and present stories until they merge into one. Her writing style continues to mature and the stories and characters more in depth and intense, keeping the reader riveted and unable to put down the book until the last page is read.
In this book, the murderers bond at a young age over the death of one's mother, and develop a real life murder game they create based on the combination of several board games. Claire and Rico find themselves pawns in their game and are captured by the duo in a revenge/murder plot. Claire comes closer to dying than she ever has before and she begins to see Black's POV on the risks and dangers of her life.
This series has become a favourite of mine and even though this could be read as a stand alone, I would recommend starting at the beginning to fully understand Claire and her personality. Ladd's style is dark and her characters are deeply troubled which could be a turn off to some.
Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Unlike many readers of Fatal Game (Claire Morgan #10) by Linda Ladd, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Granted there were a few things I think could have improved the story, but overall it was a complete story that held my attention.

Reader's of previous books in the series will know many of the returning characters (Claire, Black, Buckeye, Shag, Bud, Harve & Rico to name a few)and will feel comfortable with their backstories, and relationships with each other. Claire and Black are now married and back at the Inn with their ward Rico. Due to illness in the local police force, Claire has been asked to fill in, her PI partner; Will Novak is away on vacation.

The story jumps between the investigation of the current grizzly crime and the evolution (spanning many years) of the killers. The language of the book is simple and very descriptive at times, and the reader will identify the killer(s) early on, but this does not spoil the overall story in my opinion. The running subplot involves the married lives of Claire & Black, tabloid photos, and Rico’s future.

The one area I felt could have been improved was the last 10-15 percent of the story, so much time had been spent developing the killers' persona, and plans, yet the book's conclusion was a quick wrap-up. The ending felt rushed to me, with the heroes just being there at the right time. I would have liked it to have been plotted out with more detail to support the action and the people involved.

I wish to thank the Author, Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book’s publication date is Dec. 5th, 2017 and is available in Kindle and paperback editions.

For me, this was a 4-star read.

Private Detective Claire Morgan and her husband, Dr. Nicholas Black, have returned from their honeymoon when she gets roped into helping our the Sheriff's department since the flu has hit almost everyone.

Together again with her old partner, they are called to investigate a body found in a home on the Christmas House Tour. What they find is beyond gruesome. A beautiful young lady is the angel topper on a Christmas tree ... and she's very, very dead. There is a present addressed to the cops ... Game On.

This game has no rules .. anything goes. And people die.

This book is written in alternating chapters. Two young men bond over the murder of one's mother. And over the years, they perfect their game. But who are they ...really?

When the chapters merge, the suspense escalates leading to a surprising violent ending.

I've been following this series since 2006 and it's become one of my favorites. Although this is 10th in a series, it does well as a stand alone ... as all the books. I do recommend starting at the very beginning .... especially for those who have never read this author until now.

Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books-Lyrical Underground / #FatalGame #NetGalley. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Christmas time is the worst. Detective Claire Morgan Black just wants to spend the holidays with her new husband & son but murder stops for no one and the latest case is gruesome. A young woman has been killed and the case is still about to get stranger as the man that owns the house is a well known rock star and someone that Claire has had the pleasure of meeting. The more that she & her partner Bud are dog the stranger the case becomes. Why this young girl and why the others what have they done to die this way? What does an aging rocker & a fake FBI agent have in common? Who wants Claire to be the end game? Two killers with two end games want her to the the ultimate ending? Will Claire be able to outwit them before it is too late? A great solid read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I have read in this series by Linda Ladd and while I was excited by the story synopsis this story did not hold up long.
The writing left Juvenal at best the female Private Investigator Claire Morgan was truly unlikable she complained, completely self centers and annoying at best. When you bring in the paparazzi into the Ozarks it becomes laugh out loud with lots of eye rolling. I have a feeling most wouldn't be able to find it on the maps even if they were given some.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Really enjoyed this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Fatal Game
Linda Ladd

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It had some hillarious one liners. There was a grisly murder to start it off. Then add two psychopathic young men who like to play "games" and you have a "can't stop" read.
Black and Claire make a great couple. He is the,rich Docter, husband and she is the Detective. I really like Claire's character. She has a temper and can be hard as nails when needed. The characters were compelling to follow as the plot unfolded.
You won't go wrong with this novel. Definitely recommended.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did.

I did not read the other books in this series but I did enjoy this book. It did refer to cases from other books that I knew nothing about but it did not detract from the story. I hated the ending, I want to know what she is getting him for Christmas. I have a good idea what it is but want confirmation, lol

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of Fatal Game, the tenth novel to feature former police detective turned P.I. Claire Morgan set in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

The police department has been decimated by the flu so Claire has agreed to work temporarily as a homicide detective until the regular team are fit again. She and her partner, Bud Davis, are called out to a murder at one of the mansions on the Christmas Tour where a young woman has been suspended above a Christmas tree and posed.

This is the first novel I have read in the series so I was completely open minded when I started it. It has a good plot with some tense moments at the end but overall it is a bit facile for me in both the writing style and execution.

The novel alternates in point of view between Claire's investigation and the killer's history. It is, therefore, not difficult to guess what is going on at any point in the novel with one exception where a new player is well disguised so all that remains is the detail. Apart from the ending I did not find the novel suspenseful although the plot held my attention. I think this is to do with the writing style which is full of unnecessary descriptions of Christmas decorations, Claire's husband Nick's enjoyment of the season and the first world problems of paparazzi photographers. I also found the descriptions of Nick and Claire's love sickly and sentimental.

I didn't take to Claire Morgan, finding her overly judgemental and prone to under think situations. She lives a fairytale existence with her fabulously wealthy husband and dangerous job. Real life it ain't. And therein lies my problem with the novel, it is an escapist story where reality and practicalities have no place.

Fatal Game is not the kind of novel I like to read but it is competently done and will be a good addition to the series.

It's a chilling novel that could be a tv show. I recommend it for those who chilling mysteries

Claire Morgan is just back from her honeymoon after marrying Nicholas Black. She is back as a homicide detective when she catches a particularly nasty case. It appears to be the work of a serial killer who has been getting away with murder for years.

Claire has an attitude, with good reason. She has been thru a lot and as a result doesn’t trust easily. This book is told from multiple view points. There are chapters that are told from the killers view points and chapters told from Claire’s. The plot was good enough to keep me interested in finding out how it was going to end. It is part of a series but I felt it could be read on its own. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Full review to be published online in early December.

Former police detective and now Private Investigator Claire Morgan has just returned from her honeymoon to her small town snuggled into the Ozarks, and has landed right in the middle of a new investigation; a grisly murder with a Christmas theme. She soon realizes that the killer is taunting her and playing mind games

.I had not realized when I picked up FATAL GAME that it was a book well into a series. Despite having a bit of trouble sorting out characters and backstory, I found this book by Linda Ladd to be engaging Romantic Suspense. I will be going back to read earlier books in the "Claire Morgan" series. Creepy, crawly, mysterious good fun.

A rock star, his glory days behind him, is determined to leave his hard partying ways behind him. His mansion is on the Christmas tour at Lake of the Ozarks, but instead of seeing visions of sugar plums, visitors are treated to a woman’s body, posed as an angel on the rocker’s tree. With local law enforcement down for the court with a nasty bout of the flu, P.I. Claire Morgan, recently returned from her honeymoon, finds herself on the case. A clue left at the scene leads Claire to believe this is not the killer’s first rodeo, nor will it be his last, she’s looking for a cunning, dangerous serial killer. Ladd doesn’t disappoint, Claire is a complicated, realistic heroine, who won’t stop until she finds her man (or woman)