This is a book (much like the first one in the series) that the description makes it sound more thrilling and shocking that it actually is. Is it about dark things? Serial killers and the trauma that surrounds it? You bet. But there's a third-person coldness to it all that makes the book feel more like a TV procedural that you'll forget as soon as you put the book down. Jennifer Hunter is a competent author, and I think I would like her books. But maybe ones that come 5-6 years from now when she's tightened her storytelling a bit. All the ingredients are here: an interesting protagonist, a decent mystery, and a quick pace. It just didn't grab me as much as I wished. Ryan seems like a character I would love, but he comes off as a little bit of a watered-down Alex Delaware. The mystery had me guessing around the mid-point, but by 75%, the killer was pretty obvious. And once the killer is outed, a lot of the tension left. Thankfully this a quick read, and there are worse ways to spend an afternoon (refer back to the previously mentioned TV procedurals). Will I give the next book in the series a read (if there is one)? Sure. But I can't see myself breaking my TBR to get to it.

I received an ARC of The Rose Reaper by Jennifer Hunter through NetGalley. This was my first time reading this author, and while the book had some intriguing elements, it didn't fully meet my expectations. Three years ago, Kate Doyle narrowly escaped the clutches of a serial killer known as the Rose Reaper, who was killed by her rescuers. With the help of FBI consultant and psychologist Ryan Strickland, Kate has since rebuilt her life. However, her newfound peace is shattered when a copycat killer emerges, sending her a red rose with each new victim. As the bodies pile up, Kate and Ryan must delve into her traumatic past to uncover the identity of the new killer before he completes the Rose Reaper's unfinished business.
While the book offers a gripping premise and strong character development, some plot twists felt predictable, and the pacing could have been tighter. However, the psychological tension and the dynamic between Kate and Ryan kept me engaged. #netgalley #therosereaper

I did not realize that this was the second in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the POV of the killer as it seemed like a change from just being in the detective's or victim's mind. It was fast paced and kept my attention. I especially enjoyed the idea of facetime dates watching, watching movies together. This small aspect of the novel added more realism to it, and made it somewhat relatable.

It is graphic in the content, and I will put a trigger warning of rape.

3.5 rounded to 4.

I want to thank Thomas & Mercer & Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

First and foremost, check your trigger warnings before reading this book. This book follows a story of a serial killer who murders 6 women and the one woman that got away. The Rose Reaper is killed the night that Kate gets away, however 3 years later the roses start appearing on Kate's doorstep after each new woman is taken forcing her to relive all the trauma that she thought she had put behind her. Who are the suspects? Could be her new boyfriend, or several shady characters that had not so perfect past. All Kate knows is that it is all happening again, and she is #7. This was a definite make you scratch your head who could be doing this. I didn't figure it out until the last 2 chapters. Very good read!!

Seeing things from the murderers point of view gave a different insight and made the read more enjoyable.

I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, Jennifer Hunter for the arc!

Even though this is the second book in a series I had no problem getting into ,it was everything I was hoping it would be and so much more , dark, twisted, and some what creepy, as well as the Atmosphere vibes of been watched and hunting without even knowing it .

I enjoy a good dark, twisty thriller, but maybe this one should come with a disclaimer? There are some trigger subjects and they're fairly descriptive. There is no easing in to The Rose Reaper, you are thrown into the murderer's twisted world right away and you go at full speed from there. I enjoyed the authors writing style and descriptiveness. You can really paint a picture in your mind's eye. Sometimes that was a good thing, but for some, that may not be to their taste. I found this to be a unique plot that I have not seen in a while (if ever) and having different perspectives gave the storyline an edge. Seeing things from the murderers point of view gave a different insight and made the read more interesting. I look forward to more from this author. I didn’t realize this was part of an established series but look forward to reading the previous book and those to come.

Good story of a girl who had been kidnapped, assaulted and then escaped , and picking up her story four spy ears later when a copycat emerges to threaten her again. I kind of figured out the suspect fairly early, but it was still an interesting read, with some unexpected maneuvering by the criminal.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the chance to read this book! From the beginning it kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading to see what was really happening! Who could possibly be doing this not once but seven times!? I really thought it was one character the whole time up until the end. I was hoping for one more big twist at the end but I did enjoy this read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. What a fantastic read! This one kept me guessing until the very end. Fast paced and gritty scenes galore! I wasn't aware this was the second book in the series until I was finished. I will be going back immediately to read the first book. Looking forward to more in this series

The Rose Reaper is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With its compelling characters and twisty plot, I couldn't put it down. I didn’t realize this was part of an established series but look forward to reading the previous book and those to come.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Jennifer Hunter.

The second Ryan Strickland novel finds the FBI consultant investigating a copycat killer tied to a victim he helped in the past.

I didn’t realize this was a series when I read it, and I wish I had! It would’ve been more helpful to have a little more context for the character.

I loved this book and that she survived and brought him down.
I never would have guessed who it was. It only came clearer near the end.
This is a page turner I loved it

Jennifer Hunter’s thriller, The Rose Reaper, is not for the faint of heart. It’s technically the second book in the Ryan Strickland duo written by Hunter, the first being The Lost Victim. The opening scene of the latest novel is disturbing and has some content warnings (I don’t usually include those, but this one is unavoidable) that readers should be aware of, as you can’t get through the opening chapter without encountering one (content warning: sexual assault). The Rose Reaper can easily be read as a standalone book.

What is The Rose Reaper about?

Kate Doyle is brutally assaulted by a serial killer but manages to escape when her abductor, Freddy Poole, goes on the porch to smoke a cigarette. Kate makes it to a highway where a couple stops to pick her up and bring her to the police.

Three years later, Kate is finally living her life again, though scarred by what happened to her. She has a handsome boyfriend named Reed who is caring and attentive to her needs. But when she receives a rose out of nowhere and learns another young woman has been abducted, her nightmares return. Who is copying Freddy Poole’s crimes?

As the killer continues to abduct and murder, he sends Kate roses corresponding with the number of victims. Often, the roses come before the victims have been discovered, leading the police to conclude they must be from the real killer. They bring in psychologist Ryan Strickland to speak with her, the person who originally helped her process the traumatic events three years earlier.

Will Kate be able to help them find out who the killer is before he takes her as his next victim?

What did I think?

The opening scene is violent and portrays a graphic sexual assault. I want to say that here because I think readers need to be warned. I’m able to take a lot in my books, but I skimmed past this chapter. In my opinion, it wasn’t necessary to the plot other than to understand the extreme trauma Kate endured. Let’s move on from that…

The bulk of the story outside of that first chapter focuses on the new killer. In this case, the reader doesn’t have to endure things from his perspective which went a long way toward steering away from the gruesome opening scene. The terror for me was psychologically seeing Kate receiving the roses each time the killer took a new victim. It’s clear that whoever the copy cat is, he’s obsessed with Kate and Freddy Poole.

While Ryan works with Kate to unlock more of her memories—any detail that might help—Agent Chapman is working to uncover who the copycat killer is. I enjoyed watching Ryan and Agent Chapman work together on the case. Kate’s story is one of resilience in many ways. Her boyfriend Reed may not be the supportive life partner she thought he was, and that’s something she has to process as the events unfold. Throughout the story she transforms to the victim who got away to a woman who won’t let fear control her life.

The ending had a strange vibe to it—after the reveal and capture of the person responsible for the killings, Kate is laughing about it in the hospital with another victim. I guess everyone processes grief in a different way, but it just was strange given what they went through. The book has such a dark tone, so Kate’s transformation—while lovely—is not entirely authentic to me.

Overall this is a quick, entertaining read. You don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one. I recommend skipping the first chapter if violent sexual assault is a trigger (or even just an unpleasant topic) for you.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Fabulous thriller! I loved everything about Jennifer Hunter's writing. Devoured this book in one day. I highly recommend The Rose Reaper to anyone looking for an edge of your seat thriller that is exciting!

It is a good read, I even didn't realize that it is the second book in the series, I found out when people and cases were referenced in the story and I got intrigued. I was gripped by the story even tho I have to warn the readers about graphic details of rape from the rapist's point of view. The writing style is good and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

This is the 2nd book in the Ryan Strickland series, and I loved it! This was a quick and thrilling read. I've been enjoying the twist on the typical crime thriller with Ryan being a psychologist.

This story was dark and twisty with an unpredictable plot. Jennifer Hunter writes in a way that invokes so many emotions in me. There was great suspense building throughout, and the ending was totally not what I expected.

This can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the 1st book because it's amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book 2 in the Ryan Strickland series was a really good book! I really like the character development of all the people in the story. The red herring a little bit before the halfway point of the story didn't really get me as I thought it was put into the story to move the plot along. The twist was just twisty enough to be a good ending. I hope there's another book in the series. Four stars!

Trigger Warning: The main character is a rape survivor and escaped a serial killer

The Rose Reaper is a fast paced suspenseful thriller by Jennifer Hunter. The book is told from two narrators. One is Kate and the other is the Copy cat killer

The Rose Reaper begins with Kate being tied to a bed and brutalized by a serial killer that has been hunting young single women. The beginning is violent and disturbing. When her abductor, Freddy Poole, walks onto the porch to smoke a cigarette, she finally sees her chance to escape, knowing she is running out of time. After she unties herself from the bed, she takes off into the woods, running for her life, although with no sense of direction. When she reaches the highway, a car with a couple stop, waiting for the police, she’s scared, when a truck pulls up and a man starts to approach her. It’s none other than her abductor and she begins to fear that her escape was short lived.

Three years later, Kate is starting to finally live again. She is dating a handsome man named Reed who takes good care of her, and is always looking out for her health and happiness. But suddenly her nightmares start coming back when she receives a rose, coinciding with the abduction of a young woman.


Who is the new killer? And why does he or she have the journals from Freddy Poole. You see inside their dark and depraved mind as they obsess over the Rose Reaper and their ultimate goal of out killing the original.
“Roses are red, Violets are blue. If you see me . . . It’s too late for you.”

As each victim is chosen and disposed of, the killer sends Kate the number of roses coinciding with the number victim. She receives these before the women’s bodies have even been discovered.
“I want to feel her anticipating me, afraid of me, under me, bleeding for me. Dying for me. Tonight.”

At first he is in no hurry, not following the time line of the original killer, but creating his own, finding victims that resemble the original victims. But the killer has no empathy or remorse, and as his game of cat and mouse continues, he devolves.
“He hummed the tune as he worked. He couldn’t get it out of his head. Not since the first time he’d read the rhyme and an awakening came over him. All those twisted thoughts in his mind, the urges he held on lockdown, the need clawing at him . . . he wasn’t losing his mind. He wasn’t deranged or psychotic. He was born this way.”


Kate is trying to be happy. Her life is on track, and her new boyfriend is everything a woman could dream of. She has finally opened up to someone and stopped living in fear, looking over her shoulder
“She’d been doing so well. And then she’d gotten that first rose. It began the slow erosion of her new life.”
Once she receives the rose, she contacts the police, who at first treat her like she is overreacting. As the case continues, she reconnects with the FBI psychologist, Ryan that initially helped her through the rape and abduction.

The author takes you on a thrilling journey, suspecting everyone. Will Kate be able to live a normal life? Will she survive? And will finding out who is responsible emotionally crippled her for the rest of her life?

I definitely enjoyed the book and will check out more books by her.

I would recommend a trigger warning as the book starts with a violent rape scene, even though the rest of the book doesn’t center around it. It does contain violence and graphic imagery.

I enjoyed reading this story. It's very well written. If you enjoy reading suspense stories, this one is for you. It absolutley felt like reading a Criminal Minds episode.
I suggest reading the first book before this one, but recommend this series to everyone who likes psychological thrillers.