The Last Kiss Goodbye: A Novel

I've been a fan of Karen Robards for a while in all of her genres but this series is by far my favorite. I'm an avid fan of all things mystery and romance and this series takes pieces from all of her experiences from bodice rippers to romantic suspense to create an intelligent, pulse pounding, and very steamy adult paranormal thriller. The fact that the main Hero in this series is a convicted serial killer and a ghost only makes this that much more intriguing. I know when the first book came out, many people were turned off by that particular story thread, but it's become one of the most compelling and unique stories I've read to date and I have complete faith that Ms. Robards will pull this off to everyone's satisfaction. If you haven't read the first book, it's better to start there to fully appreciate the chemistry, the humor, and the basic premise of the series because this book jumps right in where we left off and it's a wild and fast ride.Charlie Stone is a researcher and expert authority on serial killer behavior with some extrasensory abilities. She can see and speak with ghosts so she uniquely has the ability to obtain information that no one else can. She just wrapped up a case where she helped the FBI catch a serial killer with a long running streak to which she has a deep history that drove her career in the first place. No sooner was that case closed when Charlie is thrown into a new case that literally lands on her front doorstep. The infamous Gingerbread Killer is at it again and his spree is escalating quickly. What's unique about this particular psychopath is that he doesn't generally do the actual killing. He brings people together to make them kill one another. Charlie is familiar with his modus operandi and has no choice to get involved when the killer invites her to try to catch him. Meanwhile, Charlie is desperately grasping for a normal relationship as she finds herself more and more obsessed with deceased and convicted serial killer, Michael Garland, that would not only label her a complete nutjob and ruin her life, but that in essence has absolutely no future since he's dead.From go, this book was hectic, fast paced, and almost schizophrenic. Charlie is pulled in so many directions between happenings in the real world and what she could see of the otherworld. The details and clues to the mystery are engaging and methodical, but overall, this story will bring me back again and again for Michael. His past is still a mystery, but as Charlie goes through the motions, she's starting to uncover evidence and conflicting information that shows there is so much more to him than she could possibly imagine. We know he's not good, but just how bad is the actual question. I'm looking forward to reading how it all unfolds and will have it on pre-order as soon as it becomes available.

Great second book! Although I'm getting impatient, I don't see how we can have an HEA between Charlie and her ghost boyfriend, Michael. Both characters are getting along much better, notwithstanding their sexual frustration. Charlie still has some misgivings about whether Michael is or isn't a serial killer, but her heart tells her he is innocent. I was convinced since the first book and am rooting for them. Ms. Robards is in a pickle here to achieve an HEA, unless she plans to continue this series a long time.Charlie and Michael are in Charlie's house, right after the case in the first book was solved, and Michael started to disappear. Charlie called a psychic friend and and right did some juju on Michael to keep him on the living world. Right after this, a young woman, scared out of her wits, and all bloody, appears frantically knocking on the kitchen door, screaming that a man is following her and will kill her. Right away, they are involved in another serial killer case. All the time, Michael is bitching to Charlie to get out of the case to be safe and Charlie stubbornly refuses. There was one passage where she admits to him that she is always afraid but she needs to help victims against serial killers because,that is what gives her life purpose. If Michael hasn't fallen in love with her yet, I'm pretty sure he did then.Charlie is afraid of her developing feelings for Michael because she's sure it will never work out, so she wants to give a relationship with FBI agent Toni Bartoli a try. The problem is, Michael is not cooperating and playing pranks. They continue bickering during this book, and it was sometimes entertaining, other times it got old for me. Charlie was almost all the time ascerbic with Michael, and he seems to like it, or could be he's stuck with her if he wants to stay away from Spooksville.The investigative part of the book was more complicated than the first book, and more interesting. Secondary characters were as wll developed as the first book. Great reading!

Charlie and Michael once again steam up the scene with their shared looks of longing. It seems cruelly unfair that they're divided by, quite literally, life itself. The serial killer has set his sights on Charlie yet again and she's pulled into another investigation with the FBI trio. Just after they've completed their case with the Boardwalk Killer. This time the killer was in Charlie's home. The twists, the turns, the excitement, the reveals... All coalesce into a great read.

I don't know why I love this series, but I do. This book (even more so than the last) is wordy and repetitive, but it totally sucked me in and I just have to know where the relationship is going. The tension and frustration that Charlie feels for falling in love with a ghost really got to me, and Michael is a great alpha hero.

If you value literacy, believability, accuracy or consistency, then don't read this book. A good storyline of serial killers and what makes them tick is ruined by a totally ridiculous ghost and his disputable actions.

I couldn’t put it down. This is not the type of book that I would usually read, but it was romantic and gripping

I read the first book in this series and this author for the first time whilst in the states. Then purchased this book for my kindle. The is a gripping read and I cannot wait to read the next Dr Charlotte Stone book.

I read it all the way through, and it certainly had its good moments, however this series is not Karen Robards' best in my opinion. I generally love her books, but found this too complicated