Series: Longview Ridge Ranch (Book 2)
He'll protect his child at any cost.
After discovering an intruder in his home, Deputy Owen
Slater is terrified when he can't find his infant daughter. He soon discovers
his ranch manager is keeping her safe, leading him to realize Laney Martin is
more than she seems. For the usually professional investigator, this case is
extremely personal, and it leads right to Owen's family. To get to the truth,
they'll need to work as a team, relying on every weapon in their arsenal -- and
sharing secrets they buried long ago.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment