3.5-3.75 stars:

I seem to have jumped into this series with what (at the time it was written at least) is the last book in the series. For the most part, I was able to read the story without being lost.

There's a long-term investigation that takes place (over 10 years or so). It's hard to believe that it took that many years to put this together but . . . perhaps I'm just used to our modern day technology that makes it easier to gather evidence.

As it is, this process takes one amateur sleuth and two Pinkerton detectives, two of whom are abducted and kept drugged for a number of days and one who has to go undercover before the case is finally broken. Along with the help of 2 women and a few men of the town.

The Pinkerton detective who finally breaks the case, Joshua, is struggling with a career decision--he likes being a detective when it doesn't involve undercover work (due to a variety of factors--the lies he has to tell, the things he has to hear about). He also misses his family in Montana.

I was glad to see that the author allows us to see Joshua's struggles, but I also have to agree with another reviewer that I'm not sure what it says about Joshua's faith that a month and a half undercover without a Bible shakes it so much. ( )