Deborah Fletcher Mello

This was a gripping, frequently dark suspense story lightened by an often humorous romance. A serial killer is preying on high school students in New Orleans, and it is Detective King Randolph's job to find out who it is and stop them. King is newly arrived in New Orleans from up North and still getting used to how things are done in the south. And nothing makes that more evident than dealing with the latest victim.

Lenore Martin is a private investigator, the oldest of four daughters, all working for their mother's private investigation company. She is stubborn, controlling, and follows her own set of rules. She is also beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent. As the book opens, a family friend contacts the agency looking for help finding her missing granddaughter. Lenore is at Mama Hattie's when King arrives with the news of the girl's murder.

Lenore and King notice each other, but their time is spent dealing with Mama Hattie and King's news. There is an immediate distrust between them. King doesn't know how to take the "family friend," who seems more interested in the details of the murder than in comforting her friend. Lenore distrusts a member of the police force that too often blows off calls from members of poorer communities. An encounter later that evening adds to King's frustration. His conversation with fellow detectives back at work is eye-opening and makes him realize he will have to find a way to work with her if he's going to get anywhere in his investigation.

I loved seeing these two work together. They start as barely speaking, sharing only the minimum amount of information. Still, as more bodies turn up, their mutual determination to stop the killer makes them more willing to work together. Both are used to being in charge, and learning to share had a steep learning curve. Once they made that decision, there was no stopping them, and I loved watching their fantastic teamwork.

Simmering under the surface of their teamwork is attraction and a fascination with each other. Lenore doesn't trust men, but it isn't long before King slips past her barriers. He is the first man she's encountered who she can respect and isn't driven off by her attitude, bossiness, and volatility. I loved watching King around Lenore. He's equally amused and frustrated by her and wholly fascinated. Even better, he understands her. Their banter was fantastic, often providing a few moments of relief from the darkness they faced during their investigation. They are cautious about getting involved with each other, wary of the intensity of their attraction, but the sparks are impossible to resist. I was impressed by their ability to separate their personal and professional actions. I loved the ending and seeing them able to trust each other with their hearts.

The suspense of this story was outstanding. The intensity of the investigation sucked me in from the first pages, and didn't let go until I finished the book. I could feel Lenore and King's frustration at the beginning as they tried to find the connection between the victims. I liked how they trusted their instincts as little things began to add up. Several twists exposed the likelihood that the case was more complicated and closer to home than expected. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with Lenore in danger and an unraveling that blew me away.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Lenore's family dynamics are fascinating. The four sisters are very close, with equal parts of support and teasing. Their parents are an intriguing pair. They are divorced but still involved in each other's lives. Claudia doesn't suffer fools gladly and keeps iron control on everything to do with her business, including her daughters. She trusts them, but they have no doubt who is boss. A shocking revelation late in the book gives the girls a new perception of her. Josiah has a background you'll have to experience for yourself. No description here would do him justice. I especially enjoyed seeing King's meeting with Josiah and Claudia.

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Terrific book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The intensity and urgency are apparent as defense attorney Ellington is called to the home of his brother Parker. Parker, a Chicago police officer, is accused of murdering his partner and lover, DA Jonathan Wyler. The scene there is intense, with Parker devastated and in shock, the violence of the murder, and the attitudes of the responding officers. Ellington is determined to prove Parker's innocence.

Because Parker is part of the Chicago police department, headed by Jerome Black, Parker and Ellington's father, the mayor assigns a special investigator to the case. Angela is a take-no-prisoners kind of investigator. She is unbiased, intelligent, and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

The book was a terrific mixture of suspense and romance. Ellington and Angela connected the first time they met and quickly realized that both wanted to find the truth. Thanks to Angela's attention to detail, I enjoyed the deeper-than-usual look at the investigative process. I loved that she was suspicious of the accusation from the beginning, and watching her tear a strip off the lead detective in the case was a pleasure to see. The realization that something is fishy is reinforced when the mayor turns around and fires Angela when she refuses to go along with his preferred scenario. Determined to see the truth exposed, Angela joins Ellington, and they combine forces on their investigation.

The story intensified with each new piece of information they uncovered. There is evidence of corruption and cover-ups; the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they are in. They also discover that there is a personal element to the setup that comes as a shock to everyone. I loved seeing the unquestioning support of all family members for Parker. Their brother Mingus, the private investigator, plays a significant role in uncovering vital information. When the person behind it all makes his move, Ellington's mother and Angela are in extreme danger. The twists and turns of the resolution had me glued to the pages until it was all over. The stunning end was not what I expected, and it will be interesting to see its long-term effects in the next book.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ellington and Angela. They are alike in their pursuit of the truth, and working together allows them to get to know each other. I like how well they connected and how easily they talked about anything. Their attraction is evident from the start and continues to grow throughout the book. I liked that neither one fought their feelings and that they were able to express them. I also loved that Angela had such a realistic view of what it takes to have a good relationship. I have no that she and Ellington will stay together, but she is determined to take it slowly enough to be sure. Her conversation with Ellington at the end was great.

I loved seeing more of Ellington's family. The relationship between his parents is an excellent example for the entire family. The teasing and snarkiness among the siblings were hilarious to watch, but it all stops when it comes to supporting a brother or sister in trouble. I can't wait to see what is in store for sister Vaughan.

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Good blend of suspense and romance. Philip is looking forward to some time off after a tough undercover case when he gets pulled back to work. His covert talents are needed to stop someone suspected of leaking sensitive information. Philip soon finds himself working as a carpenter on a western-themed reality show. When one contestant gets hurt before filming the show, Philip is tagged to take his place. It quickly becomes evident that there is more going on behind the scenes than he expected. Not the least is his attraction to the show's producer, Naomi Colton.

Naomi is the youngest of the twelve Colton siblings and the one who seems to fight the hardest for her siblings' respect. After years of trying, Naomi finally got the coveted executive producer job she wanted. The bonus is that she can film her reality show on her brother and sister's ranch, giving her the rare opportunity to spend time with her family. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though, thanks to personality conflicts and accidents. The last thing she needs is her inconvenient attraction to Philip.

The suspense of this book grabbed me from the start and kept me hooked to the last page. It starts with Philip's mission to watch Brad, the contestant suspected of selling secrets. He's working out the best way to do this when he first spots Naomi and is instantly fascinated and attracted to her. Naomi picks him to be on the show when one of the contestants is injured. Philip isn't sure how it will work out, but it puts him in a better position to watch Brad. On Philip's first night with the contestants, a fire destroys his and two other tents. While it is deemed accidental, his cop instincts are aroused by the details of the fire, and he decides to keep a watchful eye out. Over the next few days, there were several other suspicious "accidents." Philip is also kept busy trying to keep track of Brad's activities. When Naomi catches him out of bounds late one night, he's forced to take her into his confidence. It was evident that the accidents were likely an inside job, and there wasn't much question in my mind about who was responsible. Even so, the final confrontation was intense.

Philip's primary mission was to figure out what Brad was up to and how he would carry out his scheme. Brad was quickly disliked as he was rude, arrogant, and misogynistic. He alienated just about everyone on the set with his attitude. I had to laugh when he "blackmailed" Philip into helping him, which gave Philip an easy way to know Brad's plans. But when the final confrontation came, some unexpected changes put Philip and Naomi in danger. Complicating matters was a twist I didn't see coming but made a very intense situation even more so.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Philip and Naomi. Their connection and attraction were immediate, surprising both of them. Because of his undercover work, Philip has never looked for anything serious, but Naomi has him reexamining his priorities. Naomi avoids relationships because of her poor opinion of men, beginning with her father. Philip is all-in from the start, realizing that his feelings for Naomi are unlike anything he's felt before. I laughed out loud at some of his flirting and double entendres when he was with her and how it flustered her. Philip was also very protective of her, which showed when he confronted her assistant producer. There were some delightful scenes when he would find a way to be with her. Naomi didn't know what to do with her feelings for Philip. She was starting to care for him but couldn't see how anything could come of it. Both have a lot of self-reflection to do before they can make any decisions about the future but eventually find the solution that works for them.

I enjoyed the setting of this book. The reality show theme was intriguing and gave a wide range of characters. The various contestants and their stories were interesting, as were their reactions to the multiple challenges. Grace, the beauty queen, was a formidable contestant determined to show up the men. She was also quite aggressive in her pursuit of Philip, and it was amusing to see his attempts to keep his distance. I laughed out loud several times at the posturing among the men as they trash-talked each other, mostly in good fun. On the other side, we had various members of Naomi's family. She loves them all, but as the youngest, she suffers from a surfeit of unwanted advice. I felt her frustration over the apparent lack of respect they show for her work. There were fun scenes with Naomi and her sisters as they shared "girl time," and she talked about Philip. Her brother Jasper got some excellent page time between his issues with one of his (female) employees and the effect Naomi's problems are having on the ranch. I'm looking forward to his story.

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Good book. The story opens as Soledad prepares to help her best friend escape her abusive husband. Just when they think they've gotten away, Gavin appears behind Soledad's car and starts shooting, then rams the car with his SUV. Annie makes Soledad promise to take care of baby Lyra and keep her safe from Gavin if something happens to her - a prophetic request, as Annie dies of a gunshot wound. Desperate to escape, Soledad takes Lyra and runs into the woods, eventually hiding in a barn.

Palmer Colton is one of the few Grave Gulch Coltons not involved in law enforcement. He owns an 800-acre ranch where he raises cattle, sheep, and chickens. When he heads to the barn to check on a sick horse, he finds Soledad and Lyra and barely gets her story before Gavin shows up. Gavin pretends to be a cop with the GGPD, immediately making Palmer suspicious. I loved Palmer's immediate protectiveness and determination to keep the two safe.

I loved watching Palmer jump right into caring for Soledad and Lyra, something highly unusual for him. Palmer cherishes his solitude and rarely has anyone other than family in his home. After listening to Soledad's story and reasons for avoiding the police, he insists that he is their best option for staying safe.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Palmer and Soledad. Her sister is engaged to his cousin (Colton Bullseye), and Palmer has had a crush on Soledad for months. However, he is more than a little shy and never got up the courage to ask her out. Soledad noticed his interest at the engagement party and is equally interested in him. The main drawback for Palmer is that he has no intention of ever marrying or having kids, and he overheard Soledad talking about both.

I loved how Palmer did everything he could to make Soledad and Lyra comfortable in his home. The shopping scene was hilarious as he bought everything a baby could need while feeling entirely out of his element. Matters got a little tricky when he ran into his brother, Detective Troy Colton, while doing it and had to do some fast talking about who it was for. For a man who claims no interest in a family of his own, Palmer is fantastic with little Lyra. There are some awesomely sweet scenes between the two of them. The longer Soledad and Lyra remain in his home, the more Palmer starts to rethink his views on family.

Soledad could see herself falling for Palmer despite his views on a family of his own. With every day she stayed there, she lost a little more of her heart to him. She couldn't understand his resistance to a family since she could see how much he already cared for Lyra. While their feelings for each other grew, so did the sparks of attraction. Though she knew it could lead to a broken heart, Soledad couldn't resist giving in to the heat that burned between them. I liked watching each of them come to terms with their feelings and open up to each other about them. I felt terrible for Palmer when his date-night plans were so rudely interrupted, but he made up for it in the end.

The suspense of the story was good. It began with intensity as Soledad tried to rescue her friend Annie and then ran for her life to protect herself and Lyra. There were a couple of more intense moments early on as Gavin tried to get to Soledad. Then it became a waiting game as Gavin disappeared and the GGPD searched for him. There was a constant feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering if he would show up at the ranch again. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Soledad struggled to get Lyra to safety, and Palmer raced to be in time to save them.

One of my favorite characters was Palmer's dog, Jack. From the very beginning, he appointed himself Lyra's bodyguard and best friend. I can't count the number of times the two of them made me laugh at their antics. Jack also played a part in bringing down the bad guy at the end.

I also liked how the Coltons continue to support each other through everything that happens. Palmer doesn't fool anyone when he denies that Soledad and Lyra are with him, but they go along with it because she should be safe with him. I ached for Chief Melissa Colton, who has to deal with the fallout from the tampered evidence scandal, and for the rest of the GGPD, who work to regain the town's trust. I can feel everyone's frustration as both the escaped serial killer and the corrupt CSI chief remain at large.

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