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Slaughter Creek #4

Dying for Love

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Everything she believes is a lie.

Amelia Nettleton has struggled to overcome her childhood trauma and finally has a chance to lead a normal life—a life with a husband and a family. But a recurring nightmare haunts she dreams of a baby crying for its mother...a baby that may be hers, and was stolen from her.

Six years ago, special agent John Strong woke up in a hospital with no memories—but with a strong feeling that he committed terrible acts. Now, driven to atone for a history he can’t remember, he works with the FBI to locate missing children.

When Amelia turns to John for help, an intoxicatingly familiar passion ignites between them. But the closer they get, the more secrets from their dark pasts come to light...secrets that someone will kill to keep them from discovering.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2014

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About the author

Rita Herron

292 books869 followers
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.

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5 stars
1,543 (52%)
4 stars
902 (30%)
3 stars
364 (12%)
2 stars
83 (2%)
1 star
32 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
Profile Image for Tracy T..
1,019 reviews24 followers
July 19, 2015
Good ending to this series! Great Narration! (Audible Whispersync Review)

The Slaughter Creek series is over. It was a great series to listen to. I enjoyed all 4 books. And the narration was fantastic. You have to read the entire series in order to get the full story and impact of the series. They are not cliffhangers at all, thankfully. (I hate cliffhangers) It's just best and more enjoyable to read them all in order.

This book is about Amelia, who had multiple personalities and our Hero John Stone.

This was another great mystery, intrigue and suspense. The character development was great, throughout the entire series as well as this book. The chemistry between the two was very good and felt real. There is a couple of very nicely written sex scenes, not graphic or erotica.

There was lots of dialogue throughout the entire book which was great! Love lots of dialogue, makes a story so much better.

The story line and plot was really good and kept you guessing. Not guessing as much as the previous books but still guessing quite a bit. That is always good in a story.

As for the narration, it was fantastic. Tanya Eby does a really great job narrating. Her reading voice is nice, she gives everyone their own distinct voice, the men sound like men, and she reads with emotion,

This was a free read free listen with my KU subscription. Fantastic deal for sure!

I still wouldn't want to live in Slaughter Creek. LOL
Profile Image for ⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm.
2,332 reviews17 followers
October 8, 2016
This was one of the best books of the series! At times, it felt very far-fetched, but the story was fast paced and action packed. It definitely gave us closure about Amelia and the things that had happened to her, and she found a hero that was definitely worthy of her and could handle what had happened in her past. John was as much of a victim as Amelia was, but he channeled that into doing good for others. I flew through this book and was sad to see it end, though we didn't get a full resolution into the project as I had hoped we would. I would definitely read more suspense by this author!
Profile Image for Sarah.
969 reviews8 followers
September 18, 2014
I loved Amelia's story even if it was a long time coming in this series. She has been one of my favourite characters in the series and this story was well worth the wait. I loved how her CHIMES history was put to rest and how she finally found love. This book had it all. A great romance and enough suspense to keep you guessing about what was really going on. Wi refuse to give spoilers so I will just say this book had a few surprises I did not see coming and I loved it. I can't wait to see what Herron has planned next because this was an excellent series from start to finish (if this really is the last book).
Profile Image for Sandra R.
3,141 reviews45 followers
September 25, 2021
An excellent ending to this 4 part series. It could be read as a stand alone, but you really need to know about the various characters and the back story, which is about all the nasty things the commander has done to young children, (including the H/h), in the past and the consequences of that. The romance is only a fraction of the book and is fairy brief with a little 'steam', but the H/h are together for much of it investigating, so it's slow burn in the main. The writing is good and there are twists and turns in this romance/suspense/thriller. 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Vikki Vaught.
Author 11 books158 followers
October 26, 2017
My Musings

Great, great book, so suspenseful from start to finish. So glad Amelia got her happy ending. She deserves it.Happy ☺reading 📚!
Profile Image for Maria.
170 reviews21 followers
January 4, 2019
Good ending to the series. Got a little depressing at times, but still a good series.
395 reviews11 followers
March 6, 2017
Amelia was definitely my favorite of all the heroines in the series and that fact still remains. I felt that her character could have been a little better in the common sense area but I wasn't disappointed in her because she actually had a reason for when she did things that weren't so smart. She didn't use her head at times because she was letting her heart guide her in frantically looking for her son. She was a much welcomed refreshing character who didn't make me wanna pull on my hair out of frustration. She was smart, determined, and strong. She never gave up no matter what life threw at her. She didn't let other people's misjudgment or pity get her down in her mission. She knew what she had to do and she did it, if that meant on her own she still would have succeeded regardless. Her gut instinct proved she wasn't still crazy as people thought. She was understanding, didn't let a man walk all over her, defended herself, knew when to back down for her safety and when to push for involvement. She was a role model of what the other women should have been and I'm happy with how the author portrayed her.

John was a man who redeemed himself and I only wish we had gotten to read their story the first time around. I think that would have been very interesting to see how it all started out for him and Amelia. We know he's initially very closed off because of his amnesia but I did feel that he truly cared for Amelia even when he didn't accept it. His dedication to her throughout the book was a big factor that showed when he dropped everything he was doing if she called. Without realizing it, he made finding her son his priority over his other open case and that won me over. I understood his hesitation in not wanting to get involved with her because deep down he knew he'd done bad things so I gave him a pass for his brushing her off. The bonus was that she didn't chase him down like a needy, pathetic, low self-esteem doormat. Each time he tried to shake her off, it was him going back to her which left me very satisfied and justly so. One thing I didn't agree with though was when he made the selfish decision in seeing his son without telling Amelia his DNA matched hers. She was the one who started the search and she should have been there. It wasn't a huge deal but I felt that he took that moment away from her when she had suffered not knowing if her son was dead or alive, he had just found out he was a father while she knew she was a mother for some time.

I felt that the twists were too much in this book. I think a book has much more effect if it has one big surprise instead of several of them thrown in, not to mention recycling those same tropes from the books before. That would have been one amazing twist if she'd subtly hinted at it instead of dangling the evidence right in front of your eyes so obviously. The point is it took a cue from soap opera drama and while a bunch of interconnecting secrets may seem like a great idea in your head, when it's put on paper in a story, a lot of the times what you're going for doesn't work out so well because the story feels cluttered and overwhelms the reader with a mass overload of information and reveals. What happened in this book was similar to what I pointed out in my review of the last book. Too much was added into one book and it took the focus off of what should have been one main storyline and threw in another one that connected with it. Towards the end the curveball reveals started coming in one after the other and didn't let up for you to process the new details and how the story changed...again.

The author put too much focus on trying to get in as many twists as possible which didn't work because the way it was written had everything coming at you back to back instead of little by little like the first book. I'm not sure if maybe she felt rushed or given a short deadline, but it seemed like these last three books she wanted to just write them quick and get the books out. The first book she seemed to take her time and slowly reveal the story, paying attention to each detail, and unveiling secrets that spread out over the entirety of the book.

This wasn't a bad book but it could have been a lot better if it didn't have so much going on. I don't regret reading the series, it was a nice change from what I'm used to but not a series I'll come back to reread because of the things that bothered me and characters aka Brenda, that ruined my enjoyment of a book.
Profile Image for Books 'n' All  Promotions.
838 reviews42 followers
September 15, 2014
This is the 4th book in the Slaughter Creek series and they just get better. Well developed characters and totally unique storyline. The previous books focus on events around Amelia caused by the abuse by an evil man. This book focusses on Amelia and her amazing strength and determination not to let years of awful abuse destroy her chance to have a normal life. Absolutely loved it. It has suspense,romance and psychological thriller all wrapped up in 1 book. Don't start reading until you have plenty of time as you won't be able to stop.
Profile Image for Suzanne Cotton.
331 reviews2 followers
September 15, 2014
Totally awesome read

what a great (I'm assuming) ending to a great series. The Slaughter Creek series is awesome. Full of mystery, love, evil and above all hope. Amelia was a wonderful character in the story, brave, determined and proud. John was her soul mate, falling in love while she was held captive, and then again even after John lost his memory, they were truly destined to be together. Buy the series, read it and enjoy. I look forward to more from Rita Herron
47 reviews2 followers
September 14, 2014
Dying For Love

Wonderful book. Could not put it dawn. It was good from the first page. Anybody that loves a good mystery
Will love this book. Can't wait to read her next book.
Profile Image for Pam.
4,469 reviews56 followers
May 6, 2017
Dying for Love: A Slaughter Creek Novel Book 4 was written by Rita Herron. It is a fitting conclusion to the story of Commander Blackwood. It is well-written and has twists and surprises to keep you reading. One cannot put it down and has to read until finished.
Amelia has made great strides in regaining her sanity. She has her painting to help her deal with her memories. She has moved from the studio behind her grandparent’s house into a condo. She is seeing a therapist and does all her own driving. Recently, however, she has had dreams of having a baby. She finally tells the doctor about her dream and at her suggestion sees an ob-gyn. That doctor verifies that she had indeed had a baby. Now Amelia has to figure out where her baby is. It has been six years and the task seems impossible.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent John Strong specialized in finding missing children. This was an obsession with him. He doesn’t know why he feels this need because he had lost his memory. He didn’t know who he was or what he had done. Even his name wasn’t his. He was a John Doe and a nurse said he was strong so he took that as his name. He joined the TBI and now hunted for missing children. He knew he couldn’t find them all; but he intended to find as many as possible. He just found six-year-old Darby Wesley and returned him to his home. Then he has a visit from Amelia. She wants him to help her find her little boy. Just as he gets started on her case, others pop up. So, he is working on several cases at the same time.
Amelia begins to have someone breaking into her condo and then the studio. Whoever it is writes terrible things on her walls, paints eerie pictures, and even makes sexually laden phone calls. All Amelia wants is her son and a life similar to Sadie’s. Will she find her son? Can John help her? Will he find the boys he is looking for? Will he ever find out who he is?
Profile Image for Yogi Rogers.
573 reviews3 followers
January 9, 2018
The ending was so good I read the last 3 chapters 3 times! I thought the characters connected wonderfully and gave the book a good flow. Some parts of the storyline were absolutely not believable. I mean, how many times can he be in the right place to save her? At times, between the 4 books, the storyline was predictable but even the predictability didn't ruin it for me.
Lots of surprises in the 1st book especially when Sadie was mistakened for Amelia and had the unfortunate experience of living in Amelia's shoes for (what was it??) three drug induced days. That was pretty scary. I was so happy that Jake was able to identify Sadie.

'The Commander' is a good bad guy and easy to hate. I hope he is really gone and unable to victimize anymore children. He has a lot of followers who are loyal to him and his cause. The 2nd and 3rd books was about how 'The Commanders' screwed-up, brain washed victims got their own revenge on the nurses and guards who tortured them during their 'training' with 'The Commander.' By the end of the 1st book you already know that 'The Commander' is evil but you don't really know the extent of his darkness until you've read the 2nd book. Revenge must be satisfied.

I couldn't get through the 4th book fast enough. So many surprises I didn't see coming. John was one of those surprises and of course the big surprise at the end which was well written.

Yup, this was a great series that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good story with great characters even though some aspects of the plot are predictable.
Profile Image for Mary Fowler.
22 reviews
March 19, 2019
I found these books and thought they looked like they could interesting. They were not on the top of my reading list, but once I started I read all four of them in a week. They were pretty good, but I have to say this last book of the series was the best! I also love how with every book she still gave updates on the characters lives from the previous books and they all tied together. She did a wonderful job and this last one was my favorite, I could not wait for Amelia's story from the second I finished the first book and it was great! It gripped at my heart and I felt for her in all the ups and downs. The end was great, I do wish there was one more chapter with a little more information into her future as this was the last book. I definitely recommend!
Profile Image for Cynthia.
490 reviews7 followers
June 3, 2017
Although I did not read the other books in the series I had a good sense of what happened prior to being introduced to the characters in this offering. The author did a good job of weaving in important details from the history of the series. This is a complex psychological thriller with complex characters and a plot that is evil and attention grabbing. I felt the first half of the book was strongest. Towards the end the dialogue overshot the mark and one after another unbelievable events were revealed. But this is fiction so I will let that pass. The ending is fast paced, on the edge of your seat stuff which I must confess was impacted by less than exciting dialogue. Still a good book in this genre.
54 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2020
A must read!!

I absolutely loved this book!! I loved how descriptive the author writes, making you feel like you are a part of the story. I liked the characters and how they were portrayed. The mystery that surrounded them both. I liked that there was romance amongst them and that it didn't outshine the mystery. I loved that there was so much mystery in many aspects of this book!! Love when a book throws in some surprises you do not expect. So much suspense made it hard to put down!
Profile Image for Alison.
185 reviews
August 30, 2019
After reading the other three books in the series, I felt this was to be my next book.
I absolutely loved this story, found myself gripped all the way through and couldn't wait to find out what happened. I felt this book was better written than the third book. The characters felt more real, by having worries we all think about from time to time.
Very enjoyable read and I would highly recommend this.
Profile Image for VEL.
883 reviews
June 15, 2022
4.5 ting, ting, ting the chimes are sounding stars!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. Full of suspense and twists keeping you on edge with every turn of the page.

Slaughter Creek is the town you do not want to visiting!! But then you have the handsome stubborn characters and the feisty strong yet vulnerable ladies, filling the town with their life's! You just need to take a seat and literally people watch to see the events unfolding!!

Ting, ting, ting!!!
Profile Image for Colleen.
171 reviews
July 21, 2017
My favorite of the series

The story finale with Amelia remembering more about what happened to her in the Chimes Project. This leads her to John and asking him for help. The story unfolds with Amelia remembering even more, John having memories and being confused on how it could relate to what is currently going on....
Profile Image for Janet Hollman.
134 reviews
August 7, 2018
A good series.

I really enjoyed this series of books and hope there will be another one. Just to know how it all turn out with the boys.
Each book introduces new characters but also continues the epic horrific story. Of people so cruel all supposedly in the experimental research of the CIA. The thing is it is so well written it could be true.
16 reviews
March 7, 2019
Worth the read

Not my favorite in the series but definitely worth reading especially if you’ve come this far. Some time of the timeline seems off but I could be mistaken. Don’t want to get in to it because it would spoil the story. If you sit back and just enjoy the read without overthinking, you’ll like this book.
1,793 reviews21 followers
April 16, 2022
Nearly a 5*

This was a great conclusion and deserved a 5* rating up until the very end. The final fight was just off kilter. Somethings didn't add up. I even went back and slowly reread the last part and I was still left a little bewildered. As a whole this was a worthy read with a ton of moving parts.
Profile Image for Ski Croghan.
609 reviews5 followers
May 16, 2022
Is Blackwell dead??????

Did the Commander die in that helicopter crash? Will John and Amelia find luv together? Will she ever find her baby boy? This is outstanding end to a series! Rita writes great books. Terrific storylines, fully developed and charismatic characters and never-ending action, suspense and mystery! Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Tonya Peterson.
1,348 reviews3 followers
September 27, 2022
When Amelia found out that she had given birth she needed someone to find them. And since John was the best she went to him. From the beginning something was familiar but he just couldn't remember. Feeling for each other were on and off because they both had secrets and lost time. As time they began to put pieces together and find missing boys.
42 reviews
May 16, 2017
Awesome series

I've become a big fan of Rita Herron for writing a very good series of books. My heart was rooting Amelia on throughout. This book is full of action and suspense and also a great love story. A must read!
Profile Image for Deloris.
961 reviews38 followers
May 30, 2017
By the time I got to this book I was glad it was over . The series started out strong . The strength didn't last past the first . I felt I had to see this through , that's why I read all of the books .
Profile Image for Elke Feuer.
Author 8 books67 followers
June 14, 2017
Satisfying end!

I loved this series and wasn't sure how it was going to end. Rita didn't disappoint.

The twists and surprises keep me turning the page to see what would happen next. Throughly enjoyable read!
Profile Image for Rosann Berger.
13 reviews
June 21, 2017
Ok

It's an ok book if you have nothing else to read. I read the series because I started the 1st book.
The series of books are repetitive.
I am a reading addict and this was a quick fix.
28 reviews
August 21, 2017
I love happy endings!

Another great read! All 4 in this series kept me on the edge of my seat! At times, I got tired of bad things happening over and over as well as the constant bad weather throughout all 4 books! The ending was amazing, though! Going to read the prequel now.
Profile Image for Kylie Kreun.
1 review3 followers
February 2, 2018
This was just as good as the first book. Great ending with a few twists I didn’t see coming. I almost gave up the series because I disliked the 3rd one but so glad I stuck with it. This was well worth it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews

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