Good start to the new series. Foster returned to his hometown of Kelby Creek to help turn around the sheriff's department. A few months earlier, the town was rocked by the exposure of massive corruption throughout the local government and law enforcement. As an experienced detective, Foster is assigned to look at cold cases and others that the corrupt officials may have impacted. One of the first cases he tackles is a missing person.

Millie's brother Fallon has been missing for six months. Her initial reports got nowhere as deputies didn't believe her brother was missing, thanks to some trouble in his past. Millie continued to investigate on her own. She had high hopes when she learned of the arrival of a new detective.

The suspense of the story grabbed me from the beginning. From the moment we learn of Fallon's disappearance and the lack of cooperation from the sheriff's department, there's a feeling that perhaps not all of the corruption was stopped. When Millie shows up at the sheriff's office on Foster's first day on the job, she hopes that he will be someone without preconceived ideas and will listen to what she has to say. Unfortunately, one of the other deputies stops Foster and warns him about Millie before she gets a chance. The meeting in his office ends up going the way she expects, with Foster relying on previously recorded information. I liked Millie's rebuttal and the effect it had on Foster. Though he told her nothing could be done, something kept pulling him back to Fallon's case file.

The tension begins to increase almost immediately. That evening Foster, who discovered that Millie lives next door to him, noticed her leave her house carrying a flashlight and a baseball bat. He immediately suspects trouble and follows her. Millie's hopeful side sends her to one of Fallon's favorite spots in the woods, believing that he might show up there. Instead, she encounters a man who is also looking for Fallon. She barely escapes him before running into Foster. Foster begins to suspect that there is something to Millie's story. That suspicion is borne out the next night when the man from the woods breaks into Millie's house, this time with a gun. I loved Millie's presence of mind as she tried to find a way to escape. Foster's providential appearance not only saves her but convinces him that she is in danger.

I loved that Foster began to trust his instincts when it came to Millie. After their initial encounters, they have trust issues to overcome. As they worked together, each brought a different perspective to the hunt for the truth. The suspense intensified as Foster and Millie were drugged and kidnapped, left on a boat miles from home, and nearly shot. They continued to have questions about people who may be involved, and pursuing those answers stirs up more questions and trouble. An unexpected twist at the end provided some answers, but there are still questions left hanging. I can't wait to read the next book and see where they go.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Millie and Foster. Despite the initial antagonism, the sparks of attraction between them are evident. I loved that Foster quickly began to trust his instincts where Millie was concerned. I especially liked the scenes where he stood up for Millie against those who spoke against her or cast suspicions on her honesty. It didn't take too long for Millie to realize that she could trust Foster. There were a couple of occasions when Foster would waver, and I ached for Millie when that happened. I could feel her hurt, but I also cheered when she pushed back. The intensity of their time together made the rapid growth of their feelings believable. I loved the ending and seeing the depth of their feelings for each other. ( )