Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good combination of suspense and romance. The action began immediately as Owen arrived home to find an intruder in his home and his daughter missing. I could feel his fear for his daughter and his relief when he found her with his ranch manager, Laney. The relief doesn't last long as the intruder begins shooting, and things get very tense before help arrives. In the aftermath, Owen has a lot of questions for Laney, who turns out to be much more than a ranch manager.
Laney Martin is a private investigator who is looking for the truth behind her half-sister's murder. She is convinced that Emerson Keaton had an affair with Hadley and then killed her to cover it up. Laney took the job as Owen's ranch manager to get closer to Emerson, who is Owen's brother-in-law.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Laney and Owen. It had a rough start, with Laney's concealment of who she was and why she was there, and her suspicion that Owen was involved in covering up Emerson's crime. Owen was reluctant to trust Laney because of those reasons. Complicating matters was the attraction that flared between them. I liked seeing the trust between them build as they worked together to find the truth. One of the things that brought them together was the protectiveness that both felt toward Owen's daughter Addie. There were some sweet scenes with the three of them. However, it took the thought of losing Laney for Owen to realize his feelings for her. I did like their big moment at the end.
The suspense of the story was intense all the way through the book. Laney and Owen's search for the truth behind Hadley's murder and the attacks on them were complicated by the appearance of a man who had gone to jail because of his assaults on Laney. There were several twists and turns as the investigation into Hadley's death progressed and the attacks on Owen and Laney intensified. There were several suspects in those attacks, and all of them had ample opportunity and motive. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with all three suspects present and bullets flying. I was glad to see that my instincts were right about the identity of the murderer.
The murder of the elder Sheriff Slater was briefly mentioned, though no further information was revealed about who was responsible. I hope the next book includes some progress there.
Laney Martin is a private investigator who is looking for the truth behind her half-sister's murder. She is convinced that Emerson Keaton had an affair with Hadley and then killed her to cover it up. Laney took the job as Owen's ranch manager to get closer to Emerson, who is Owen's brother-in-law.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Laney and Owen. It had a rough start, with Laney's concealment of who she was and why she was there, and her suspicion that Owen was involved in covering up Emerson's crime. Owen was reluctant to trust Laney because of those reasons. Complicating matters was the attraction that flared between them. I liked seeing the trust between them build as they worked together to find the truth. One of the things that brought them together was the protectiveness that both felt toward Owen's daughter Addie. There were some sweet scenes with the three of them. However, it took the thought of losing Laney for Owen to realize his feelings for her. I did like their big moment at the end.
The suspense of the story was intense all the way through the book. Laney and Owen's search for the truth behind Hadley's murder and the attacks on them were complicated by the appearance of a man who had gone to jail because of his assaults on Laney. There were several twists and turns as the investigation into Hadley's death progressed and the attacks on Owen and Laney intensified. There were several suspects in those attacks, and all of them had ample opportunity and motive. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with all three suspects present and bullets flying. I was glad to see that my instincts were right about the identity of the murderer.
The murder of the elder Sheriff Slater was briefly mentioned, though no further information was revealed about who was responsible. I hope the next book includes some progress there.
