Also by this author: Obsession, Crosshairs, Deception, Counter Attack, Fatal Witness
Series: Natchez Trace Park Rangers #2
Published by Revell on February 2, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Christian, Romance
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Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she's forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.
Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn't intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.
With this book, Patricia Bradley remains one of my favorite authors in this romantic suspense genre.
I loved this story! I loved the characters, and I also loved the setting.
This book has it all – it is full of suspense and mystery, has lots of twists and turns, and more!
The characters were great. Realistic, issues that made them feel like real people (as opposed to some suspense novels where you hardly get to know the characters because it’s all about the action…)
I especially liked Emma, it was neat to see a Natchez Trace Ranger at work. Emma was also a historian, and that is a huge part of this story, because she is working at a historical landmark, to ensure no graves are disturbed, when she is shot at.
The cold case in the story is the disappearance of Emma’s twin brother Ryan, about ten years prior to this point in the story. Ryan was accused of murder, but Emma always knew he was innocent. She is determined to find him and prove it.
Then there’s always the romance. Emma’s had various boyfriends, including Sam Ryder, who figures largely into this story. Their breakup was directly related to the disappearance of Ryan, and so they have to face some difficult issues head on in order to have a comfortable working relationship. Well, it’s not too hard to guess where this might lead…it doesn’t take long to see that they never really got over each other.
I also enjoy the element of learning more about geographical locations that I know nothing about. Although this book doesn’t go into a lot of detail, there are still enough tidbits of information interspersed here and there to make it a fun way to learn more about Louisiana. (And I found it rather interesting–last summer our family was on a road trip, and we were driving through the state, when I actually saw a sign for the Natchez Trace Highway!) Seeing a place in person helps make it come to life before my eyes.
But, back to the storyline…I always enjoy attempting to solve the mystery before the story characters get it done. This story kept me guessing….Ms. Bradley threw in some hints, and lots of red herrings…and although I had a few suspicions about ‘whodunit’ the ending surprised me.
I found this to be an action-packed, yet fun suspense to read, and I definitely can’t wait to read the next in this series!