Next door neighbor Trent Brady, self exiled former cop from nearby Chicago, notices the lights in the middle of the night and investigates. Elise explains the dilemma and Trent urges her to let the local officers handle it. She is less than comfortable with their tacitly mild interest in her sister and makes plans to plow forward on her own.

Trent gives Elise a tour of the small town and lets her know about Sally's, a fairly tough bar where Ashley usually hung out on Friday nights. Since apparently Elise had last heard from her sister on Thursday, she focuses in on Sally’s to pursue her own investigation.

Sally’s is a rough place and when Trent sees Elise dressed in her sexiest finest, he tries to stop her; that failing, he accompanies her and their adventures begin. Love You to Death is different in that up front readers know the identity of the serial killer who has been torturing and killing for years. We quickly learn that Sally's is owned by the brother who has been covering for him for those many years.

Elise’s questions draw attention to herself quickly. After she finds a photo of a man hiding in the shadows of Ashley's  backyard and broadcasts it, she becomes a target; for the brother to chase her out of town, and for the killer to fulfill his very bizarre dream.

Love You to Death is dark; one of its greatest strengths is the point of view of the killer's sinister mind. Shannon Butcher's creativity is remarkable as she fashions an extraordinarily macabre killer. However, when told from Trent or Elise's point of view, the story weakens as each one anguishes about their respective issues of guilt. Trent's guilt emanates from an accident while on duty as a Chicago cop. Elise's guilt is in her view she had not done enough to take appropriate care of her flighty, artistic sister.

The guilt issues are constantly rehashed; in addition the tension between Trent and Elise is always the same. Trent tries to persuade Elise that the police should handle the investigation because her life is at risk in this pursuit, and her response always is that she would do or risk anything to find her missing sister.

Notwithstanding these issues, the romantic spark that has been struck flickers and then gradually becomes a consuming focus. Shannon Butcher has fashioned yet again another romantic thriller that, although fairly formulaic, displays her talent and wonderful imagination.

--Thea Davis