Series: Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy (Book 4)Cardwell Ranch (Book 13)
A relentless marshal. A rogue detective.
A bargain they may not live long enough to regret.
When Montana deputy marshal Brick Savage asks homicide
detective Maureen Mortensen to help him find the person who destroyed her
family, she quickly accepts his offer. But as the stakes rise and they get
closer to the truth more horrible than they ever expected, can they find the
murderer before they become targets?
Fast-paced book that sucked me in from the beginning and
kept me hooked to the very end. It started with Brick nearly running over a
young woman who suddenly appeared in front of his pickup truck. The terrified
woman, dressed only in a sheet, turned out to be a suspect in the deaths of
multiple children. Brick is intrigued by the woman and the case but is
forbidden to get involved. He is still on light duty, recovering from being shot
in the previous book (Ambush Before Sunrise). He still suffers from nightmares,
and neither the doctor nor his father, the marshal, will clear him for duty
yet. That doesn't stop him, especially when he discovers a fake nurse bending
over the woman in the hospital.
Suspended homicide detective Mo is determined to bring Natalie
to justice. She is sure that Natalie is responsible for her nephew's death, and
her sister's subsequent suicide. She is shocked when Natalie claims that Trish
didn't kill herself, but is interrupted by Brick before she can learn more. Mo escapes
from Brick but later ends up in jail for her actions at the hospital. Brick
shows up at the jail with a proposition: He'll get her out if she will share
what she knows with him.
I enjoyed the combination of suspense and romance. Mo
accepts Brick's offer but is wary of trusting him. The feeling is mutual, as Brick
refuses to let her out of his sight. They have opposing views on Natalie's
guilt. Mo is convinced the woman is a heartless killer, while Brick sees a
woman who is terrified that someone is after her. Both of them may be proved
right when Natalie makes her escape by subduing a nurse and stealing her
uniform.
The action is nearly nonstop as Mo and Brick pursue
Natalie. Brick ends up being impressed with Mo's instincts as they remain hot
on her heels. They aren't the only ones looking for Natalie. Soon circumstances
require them to decide whether to continue looking for Natalie or investigate new
leads into Trish's death. I loved seeing their respect for each other grow as they
worked together. I was just as intrigued as they were by the information they
uncovered. An unexpected picture of Trish emerged, upending everything Mo
believed about her sister. Several twists later, the truth about Trish's death
came out as Mo faced the killer. I was glued to the pages as Mo fought for her
life, and Brick showed up to deliver the final blow.
When it was all over, Brick and Mo finally had the time
to see where the sparks between them would take them. I liked that they took
the time to make sure it was right. A crisis at the Cardwell ranch opened up an
unexpected job opportunity for Mo. I liked catching up with Brick's siblings
and parents at the end. I am curious about what the story is with Ella and her
mother, Stacy. Ella was a big part of the previous book, as was her worry about
her mother. I liked her and would like to see what happens.
