Reckless by Beth D. Carter

April 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Reckless by Beth D. Carter
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short story (56 pages)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When a tragic accident changed the course of his life, Mason Lake was forced to leave his Apache roots behind. He made a life for himself at Harlan Securities, being known as the calm, rational man who runs the office. He also lives with the love of his life, Carrie Fenway.

Yet the past never truly stays dead. When they discover that they’ve been hacked and deceived, he and Carrie investigate, revealing a threat that Mason thought long gone.

Even as he tries to maintain control, Carrie’s life is thrown into danger, forcing Mason to reconcile with the recklessness that’s always lingered under the surface of his calm demeanor.

Mason had never thought he’d return to the Reservation and the desolate community he had grown up in, but after his grandfather died Mason wanted to pay his respects. When the past conflicted with his present Mason finds himself in serious trouble and a moment of recklessness changes his life forever.

This fast-paced short story was full of espionage and mystery. I really enjoyed watching Carrie and Mason connect all the pieces together to figure out what was happening. The relationship between Carrie and Mason was long-standing and intensely sexy, but I enjoyed how even after being solid for so long they still were learning and discovering new things about each other. The sex between them was explosive – but it was all the intrigue and the slick way they worked together to solve the puzzle of what was threatening their company that really had me turning the pages quickly to find out how it all resolves itself.

Readers who enjoy spy/espionage styles of stories should really enjoy this. I love the strength and commitment between Carrie and Mason – I found them really compatible and well-suited on every level. While a lot of the story has Mason and Carrie scrambling to try and piece together who is trying to revenge past sins I enjoyed the fact that this helped Mason and Carrie strengthen their romance and learn even more about each other. Rather than doubting or letting their enemies weaken them they trusted each other fully and that was something I really loved reading.

With plenty of action and romance this was a great short story that I really enjoyed.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

April 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment


My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (378 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have our secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Cute and cuddly, this book is not.

I picked up this book because it was recommended. It’s not in my natural wheelhouse of books I want to read. I’m not big on murder mystery type books. I like a straight mystery without much in the way of gory details. Then there’s this book.

The author did a great job of making me dislike the characters. Neither the hero or heroine–if you want to call them that–are nice people. They know how to put on a mask and draw people in, but being honest isn’t their forte. So in that respect, the author succeeded. I had a hard time rooting for anyone in this book. But if that’s what the author wanted, then go her. I haven’t forgotten what I read and I’m still sort of put off by it. The characters aren’t normal and the situations sure aren’t either, but again, if that was the author’s point, then point made.

These characters are killers. There is something a little off with both of them. Now I have to mention there are triggers in this book. If you’re not a fan of reading about abduction, abuse and gross abuse, then this might not be the book for you. If you’re a reader who isn’t comfortable with killing…again this might not be the book for you. There are descriptions in the story that are sure to churn the stomach.

It’s not that this is a bad book. It’s just different.

If you’re looking for a book that’s a little different and heavy on messing with your head, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris

April 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris
Publisher: Books We Love
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (191 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Tangled Love is the story of two great estates. The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter and son-in-law, Mary and William of Orange. In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten-year old Richelda’s father must follow James to France.

Before her father leaves, he gives her a ruby ring she will treasure and wear on a chain round her neck. In return, Richelda swears an oath to try to regain their ancestral home, Field House.

By the age of eighteen, Richelda’s beloved parents are dead. She believes her privileged life is over. At home in dilapidated Belmont House, her only companions are her mother’s old nurse and her devoted dog, Puck. Clad in old clothes, she dreams of elegant dresses, and trusts her childhood friend Dudley, a poor parson’s son, who promised to marry her, but he is not as he seems.

Richelda’s wealthy aunt takes her to London and arranges her marriage to Viscount Chesney, the new owner of Field House. Richelda is torn between love for Dudley and her oath to regain Field House, where it is rumoured there is treasure. If she finds it, Richelda hopes to ease their lives. However, while searching for it, will her life be in danger?

We get to meet Richelda Shaw as a young child, confused by the politics of 1693 England where James II, the real King of England has been overthrown by his daughter Mary and her husband William. This affects her whole life as her father left to go to France to join the real king and left her and her Mother virtually penniless. The one thing that saves the family is the fact that Bellemont Manor is in her mother’s name. We get to learn about the main mission of her life, to regain the ancestral estate of Field House as she promised her father. Another reason she wants to regain Field House is because of the family legend. This legend is a common thread woven through the story of how one of their ancestors, a buccaneer named Sir Nicholas hid a fortune in Field House. The figurehead of Sir Nicholas’s ship whom he called Lady Luck was still placed on the fireplace mantel.

I adore Chesney; his good looks are only matched by his golden heart. He never lies to Richelda. He makes sure that she knows that he not only likes her for her beauty but also her spunk, and care for her friends, including the mongrel of a dog she had in the country. Her feelings for Chesney confuse her as her body responds to his touch and kisses but her brain rebels at each step. When she finds out that he had a mistress, and meets her in person when she calls upon her aunt a line is drawn between them.

I did think there was a little too many unnecessary details. There were some things I thought could have been cut without affecting the story. It could make for some long reading, mostly after Richelda had a fight with Chesney.

This was a wonderful, romantic, action packed novel that shows that you never really know someone until push comes to shove. It also shows that jealousy can make or break a relationship and opening one’s heart up and talking through feelings can keep from relationships breaking, and that being naïve about feelings can get you in a ton of trouble. Love can come to those that wait though and perseverance can break down any wall.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brian by Delilah Devlin

April 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Brian: A Montana Bounty Hunters Story by Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (190 page)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The haunted gaze of one wounded warrior sparks a challenge in a woman determined to help him regain what he’s lost whether he wants her help or not…

Physical Therapist, Raydeen Pickering, has seen her fill of stubborn veterans, some too angry to get on with their lives, some still living in hell in their minds, and then some unwilling to let their broken bodies hold them back. She hasn’t figured out which Brian Cobb is yet. The first time she met the handsome, wounded warrior, he was wary and defensive, his gaze always sliding toward the door, looking for as a quick escape from the Soldiers’ Sanctuary meetings.

Even now, there’s something about the ex-Army MP, now bounty hunter wrangler, that sets him apart from the other men she’s helped mend. There’s something more–not just the haunted look in his eyes or the stubborn set of his chin. The way he looks at her when he thinks her attention is elsewhere gives her hope that she’ll reach him, and that he’ll let her help him regain more of what he’s lost.

First though, he has to figure out he’s in love with the wrong woman. The one he needs is right here, and if she has to do the chasing, so be it, because those looks he gives her have rekindled a fire she thought was lost forever…

After losing both his legs to an IED blast, Brian returns home to Montana and tries to piece his life together again. Still stuck in his wheelchair, Brian nevertheless manages to make himself indispensable to the other hunters and that helps give him purpose. Raydeen had grieved a long time after the loss of her husband, but her work as a physical therapist helped bring her back. She’s determined to help Brian retrieve more of his mobility, but the man was as stubborn as he was strong. Can they work things out between them?

I enjoyed this fast paced story. While Brian and Raydeen are the central characters there is a strong and well fleshed-out cast of secondary characters from the rest of the team that really helps keep the story interesting and the interactions varied. I really enjoyed the interactions between Brian and Raydeen, watching them circle each other and work on growing their relationship. I feel it has a really interesting dynamic, balanced between a professional therapist/patient healing vibe with all the chemistry and sexual need simmering under the surface. I was really pleased the author took some time laying everything out for the reader and gently leading us along as there were plenty of potential for complications and hurt feelings in this particular minefield and I thought the author handled it all very well.

The chemistry between Brian and Raydeen was delicious and explosive, but I adored how it was clear that the sizzle between them wasn’t just sexual, but they really liked each others company as well and could push each other past their comfort levels. I enjoyed seeing how Brian and Raydeen connected on a number of levels and could easily see how they’d work their relationship in a normal, day-to-day manner, which helped really sell it to me and lend believability in their long-term prospects.

I found the mystery aspect to the plot was well thought out and realistic. While not overly complicated I thought it was a good method for allowing Brian and Raydeen to spend some more time together and get to know each other better. Seeing Brian “out in the field” was also a cool thing and helped strengthen the impression for me that despite his limitations Brian was still strong and perfectly capable. I also really liked the fact that much of the plot revolved around Brian’s prosthetic limbs and went into quite some detail surrounding what amputees go through during the rehab process. It’s clear the author has done a lot of research into this and I feel she handled the whole situation tastefully and realistically.

A smoking hot and enjoyable read, this was a great book.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pivot by Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti

April 1, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Pivot by Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti
Publisher: Zebra
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (368 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

As girls, they bonded over broken homes and growing up in foster care.
As women, they’re fighting for their lives, and loves, once more . . .

MERI
When Meriwether Jones takes her young daughter and runs from trouble in L.A., that trouble follows. By the time Meri reaches Spokane, she’s out of gas, money, and ideas. Luckily, ex-cop Ian Brodie hires her to help him with his father’s farmhouse, and they seem like the answer to each other’s prayers. But Meri is keeping a dangerous secret—and Ian is in danger of losing his heart . . .

MELANIE
That secret explodes when Melanie Cassidy spots two men trying to kidnap a young boy she tutors and responds by ramming them with her car. The last thing she expects is for the man she once loved, Detective Gray Hawkins, to appear and rescue them both. Now she has no choice but to trust him as they investigate the truth about a conspiracy of dirty, drug trafficking cops—and the truth about their relationship . . .

MICHELLE
After a rough youth, Michelle Peach was finally content in Portland—until two men broke into her home, threatened her, and sent her mentally unstable mom on a blackmail spree that Michelle has to stop. The last person Michelle wants to see is her ex, Evan Boldon, a former marine turned sheriff. But Evan misses the woman who walked away instead of letting him help years ago. This time he’s not asking permission; he’s going to put a stop to the trouble stalking Michelle and her friends—and win her heart for good.

I expected a lot from this book, because the quality of the authors’ previous works has preceeded them. Let me review this anthology one story at a time.

First, we have Against the Heart by Kat Martin (Meri’s story). She’s escaping a one-night-stand who’s also, unfortunately, the father of her daughter. This guy wants to bleed her dry for every penny she has, and threatens her kid on top of it. So Meri runs … right into Ian Brodie.

Man, I loved Ian and his father. I have this feeling they may have been in other of Ms. Martin’s books, but I’ve never “met” them before. Ian is steadfast, honorable and loving. His dad is heartbroken from his wife’s death, incorrigible and hides his heart pretty well, until he gets thawed out by Meri’s young daughter, who basically adopts him as a grandpa.

There is no question this story’s suspense was first rate. I was absolutely worried about Meri and, as I got to know the rest of the crew in Spokane, worried about them, too. It seemed her ex would stop at nothing (which included beating up a friend and kidnapping) and, even though I knew in my head this story would have a happy ending, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through reading about them getting there. I did. Barely, and with heart pounding.

The part I didn’t love as much was the romance. Not that I didn’t adore Meri and Ian, I just couldn’t buy they could fall in love–like the “let’s get married and live happily every after forever” love–in that short a time. Honestly a ‘happy for now’ ending probably would have contented me more (and I don’t say that often).

Next comes Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti (Michelle’s story) and this one really had it all. I felt it was the strongest, most well-rounded story of the trio. The suspense was great (though I really did struggle with why she felt ANY kind of responsibility to her mother…but that is what the entire story hinged on so it had to exist). Evan was a take-no-prisoners (and take no crap) kind of guy, and refused to let Michelle get away with much when it came to their previous and current/potential relationship. I also adored Wolfe…his character was honestly about the most well-rounded one in the story! I think several of the secondary characters are also part of other books the author has written, and I’m definitely going to hunt those down. If her other books are as good as this story, she’s going to be an auto buy author for me.

Lastly we have Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy (Melanie’s story). Another second chance romance! One of my favorite tropes when done right, and this one did pretty well. I did feel a bit of what I’m sure was a word count constraint here, so we weren’t able to see as much of their backstories as I would have liked. Still, the romance and the suspense both worked for me here.

All in all, I think this was a pretty solid romantic suspense anthology. I got to find two “new to me” authors that I’ll check out for longer releases and found a good amount of escapism and enjoyment from this well-written trio of inter-connected stories. If you’re a fan of any of these authors, or just the genre in general, you could do worse than grabbing yourself a copy and reading the day away.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Bears Behaving Badly by MaryJanice Davidson

March 31, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Bears Behaving Badly by MaryJanice Davidson
BeWere My Heart Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (320 pages)
Heat level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

These social worker bear shifters give the term “mama bear” a whole new meaning! Bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson is back with this brand-new paranormal romance series featuring a foster care system for at-risk shifter babies and teens.

Werebear shifter Annette Garsea is a caseworker for the Interspecies Placement Agency. When a selectively mute and freakishly strong teen werewolf is put in her custody, Annette has to uncover the young girl’s secrets if she’s to have any hopes of helping her. And not even the growling of a scruffy private investigator can distract her from her mission…

Bear shifter David Auberon appreciates Annette’s work with at-risk teen shifters, but he’s not sure if her latest charge is so much a vulnerable teen as a predator who should be locked up. All that changes when he, Annette, and her motley band of juveniles find themselves dodging multiple murder attempts and uncovering a trafficking cartel that doesn’t just threaten the kids, but risks discovery of the shifters by the wider world of homo sapiens.

A handsome werebear with a sweet tooth to rival Buddy the Elf teams up with a beautiful and clever she-werebear to protect the discarded and displaced were-cubs of Minnesota. They’ll fight the bad guys but maybe along the way stop fighting their attraction to each other.

Bears Behaving Badly is the first book in a new series and it sets up a literary world that isn’t so unlike our own. Except of course, there’s a hidden community of shifters. Bad guys are still bad guys and foster care kids still need someone watching out for and fighting for them.

The element of foster kids as were-shifters was a definite draw for this reader. The fact that one, Caro, is described as ‘selectively mute’ had me wondering about her story. I knew it wouldn’t be pretty but I didn’t see the direction the story would take and that’s a good thing. It wasn’t cookie cutter lit.

A major theme or thread in the story deals with child trafficking. If that’s a sensitive subject, be forewarned. It’s handled very well but it’s there.

The dialogue is pretty funny, clever really, but what I thought the author did especially well was to make the actions of the characters, while in human form, fit their inner were-beast. The werefox are quick and nimble. The bears are protective and strong. The prey animals are meek. Loved Nadia’s fierceness! And Pat is…something different. Pat added some serious color to this novel.

I really enjoyed watching David and Annette’s story develop. They both start out in denial outwardly but totally on board, inwardly, with admitting their attraction. I could see right away it wouldn’t take them long to give in but not without bumps and bruises along the way. Someone is out to kill Annette’s charges and this mamabear isn’t playing around.

Pop culture references are always a win with this reader and the story is chalked full of some of my favorites. There’s also a decent sprinkling of Gen Y and Millennial speak. Having teenagers at home helps to decipher.

An exciting foray into the paranormal with a well built story and a mystery to solve.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Frost Fair by Edith Layton

March 27, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Frost Fair by Edith Layton
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (199 pages)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

When a gentleman is found dead on a fishmonger’s doorstep in Regency London, a rugged Bow Street Runner has to pair with the man’s elegant noble nephew to solve the crime. They both find unexpected help—and infatuation—with the fishmonger’s very unusual young widow.

Individually, each has a reason for getting to the bottom of the mystery. And, as a trio, they find they are uniquely effective detectives with the ability to accomplish something few others can: solve a crime by scouring London, from its glorious heights of luxury to its rankest depths of depravity.

Viscount Lucian Peregrine Gregory Maldon, fifth Viscount of Maldon is minding his own business when his younger brother Arthur comes unexpectedly asking Lucian if he had seen their uncle. He had been missing for a few days and they can’t find him anywhere. Even his fiancee, Louisa doesn’t know where he is which is worrisome because they are to be married in a few days. As Lucian is the head of the family and takes his duty to them seriously, he goes to the Bow Street Runners for help. Unfortunately, there’s a dead body and it’s the uncle.

The characters in this novel are well developed and full of colorful personalities. I liked them all. The plot is original and drew me in right away. I enjoyed the wonderful description of the world, the culture, and the colorful characters all around them. I really was surprised at the ending, too. My two favorite characters are older fish wives named Mrs. Gow and her best friend Mrs. Gudge. They are the typical hard-working, hard-drinking, poorer woman who are also merry and loyal to those that are their friends. The banter between them whenever they appear made me laugh.

Will, Maggie, and Lucian’s relationship developed well and I liked how the author treated them throughout the story. More like a pair of brothers, and Maggie, rather than three people who met each other in another way. Their getting close was a treat to read.

There are some obstacles along the way and the ending wasn’t what I expected. I won’t give the ending away, but it made me yearn for the next story for these three. It is a friendship that should not be severed and I hope that there is another book that has them together.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Double Swerve by Craig Whyel

March 26, 2020 By 2 Comments


Double Swerve by Craig Whyel
A Draper Rollins Thriller Book 1
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (151 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Draper Rollins would be better if people weren’t giving him such a hard time.

The police chief of a small Pennsylvania town faces considerable criticism on several fronts. His estranged wife harps on him to make more money and live in better conditions. His parents harp on him to ditch his law enforcement career in favor of joining the family’s lucrative automotive dealership.

On the job front, things aren’t any better. The tiny police department is decimated with injured staff; the borough council won’t hire any new police officers, and the town’s lady mayor complains about his leadership style. She also is critical of him in their intimate moments-something created out of loneliness, which Draper deeply regrets.

When a double murder rocks the town, Draper’s aggravation increases ten-fold. He initially thinks the responsible person might be someone he knows-likely a colleague.

Things get worse when people connected to the lawman disappear under suspicious circumstances. Draper realizes he must push harder to prevent further deaths. He doesn’t realize the danger and lifechanging implications that come with getting to the truth.

Knowing someone for decades doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything about them.

The dialogue was well done. I appreciated the fact that it was written in such a conversational style. All of the characters seemed to be people who were pretty casual in their daily lives. It was common for them to jump from one idea to the next or to share a sentence fragment as their reply to a question or statement. This fit the overall one of this piece nicely and was a good decision.

With that being said, the character development could have used more attention. There were such a large number them included in it that none of them had enough time in their scenes to grow as individuals. It would have been nice to either focus on a smaller number of them or to have a longer book so that they could have more scenes to work with. This was something I particularly noticed with the female characters whose development tended to be even more stunted than their male counterparts.

This story was filled with plot twists that I enjoyed discovering. Woodward Heights Borough, where it was set, was a community filled with folks who tended to have known each other for decades if not their entire lives. These deep roots made for all sorts of interesting developments in what people knew about each other, what they kept hidden, and what they pretended like they weren’t aware of it. This made for great twists and turns in the storyline and it also felt quite accurate of small town life is really like in my experience.

I’d recommended Double Swerve to anyone who likes small town murder mysteries.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

House of Seven Spirits by Julie Howard

March 25, 2020 By Leave a Comment


House of Seven Spirits by Julie Howard
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (130 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Some secrets are deadly, and ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester and her photographer boyfriend discover it’s true when they set out to investigate an Australian family who disappeared without a trace in the 1880s.

An abandoned sheep station rumored to be haunted by the Kinsley family with ghosts instead of dead bodies or clues is one challenge. The other is the beautiful but deadly Outback.

As Jillian probes deeper into the mystery, one thing becomes clear: She might not make it out of this quest alive.

Certain secrets are impossible to keep.

This story was filled with rich details that immediately sucked me into the plot. Even though I’ve never been to Australia in real life, I sure felt like I had due to the care the author took to explain not only what the climate was like but what Australian culture is like, too. I had such a good time exploring this part of the world. It was pretty hard to stop reading once I started because of how immersive this experience was and how curious I was to see what long-buried secrets might be revealed next.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to Jillian’s character development. She could be pretty stubborn and impulsive at times. While I definitely appreciated the fact that her flaws were so realistic and meaningful to how the storyline played out, it would have been nice if she’d shown how she changed as a result of these experiences. I sure would have been impacted by them, so it felt a little odd to meet a character who reacted the way she did to it.

The romantic subplot was handled nicely. I got the impression that this book was or will be part of a series, but I couldn’t confirm that for sure either way. At any rate, their shared history was explained so well that I felt totally comfortable jumping in at this part of their journey. They were young and in love but still had so much left to figure out about life and romance. It was pretty interesting to see how Jillian and Mason attempted to sort some of it out while at the same time both of them were juggling heavy work responsibilities.

I enjoyed reading House of Seven Spirits and would recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal mysteries.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni

March 25, 2020 By Leave a Comment


A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full length (355 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.

Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

I sure didn’t put this one down very often. It’s the first book I’ve read in the Tracy Crosswhite series. It’s Book 7, and I was never lost. Oh, I could tell things had happened previously in Tracy’s life that weren’t explained in detail, but I don’t think there was one thing that made me feel I was in the dark in this book. I’m not sure how an author writes a continuing series; contains a whole new story in a book; gives you a sense of background and doesn’t go over and over trying to explain what happened before but…Dugoni did it here.

So my previous paragraph probably made it clear I enjoyed this book. I liked all of the characters. Tracy and her husband and their occasional taut relationship and I enjoyed the sense of motherhood weaving in and out. Dugoni built a great sense of tension and danger in his story. He made you worry about Tracy’s daughter Daniella, even about her friends and family. I immediately liked her old chief, Cal and their friends Faz & Vera, even their nanny, Therese. Good grief I’ve listed all of the main characters. I suppose that shows what distinct personalities Dugoni gave them.

As I mentioned, this is book 7 in the series. I’m not one to often go backward in a series but this seems as if it might be worth it. However, I noticed Bugoni has another series or two and I hope he’s writing Book 8 of this one as we speak.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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