Series:
Saving Kelby Creek (Book 6)
A town with a past.
A man with a future to protect.
When Sheriff Jones Murphy rescues his daughter and her
teacher, the widower is surprised to encounter Cassandra West again. Months may
have passed since their one night together, but there's no mistaking she is
definitely pregnant. Cassandra's recent sleuthing has unleashed a secret that
stunned their town a decade earlier. Now someone wants her dead. And though his
heart is closed, Jones's sense of duty isn't letting anyone hurt what is his.
Terrific book and conclusion to the series. I loved the
opening prologue of the book. Jones never expected to be back in Kelby Creek
five years after the death of his wife Helen, much less to be asked to run for
sheriff. He takes himself off to a hotel for a distraction-free place to decide.
While in the hotel bar, he meets Cassandra, who is there for a teachers'
conference. She's having a rough day too. She and Jones start talking. I laughed
at her idea to help him decide, but it worked. He took her to dinner to thank
her, and matters progressed from there.
Fast forward several months. Jones has been asked to
reinvestigate the town's notorious Annie McHale case. He knows that feathers
will be ruffled when it becomes public knowledge. The town has come a long way
since the exposure of the deep corruption in the town government and law
enforcement communities, but trust is still a fragile commodity.
The action in the book gets off to a quick start. Cassandra
is a kindergarten teacher at Kelby Creek's elementary school. She foils a
kidnapping attempt at the school involving Jones's daughter and another
student. When Jones arrives at the school, he's stunned to find Cassandra, the
woman he couldn't forget and obviously pregnant. Later that evening, when they
meet to talk about it, Jones is called away on an emergency that turns out to
be a setup. He's run off the road and into a creek. Lucky for him, Cassandra
happens along right after and saves his life.
This puts Cassandra right in the middle of Jones's
investigation. She is more than a little stubborn and insists on helping Jones
when he has to interview a couple of her students' parents. Her involvement
makes her a target of those unhappy about Jones's investigation. Having read all of
the previous books in the series, it is easy to see there are mixed feelings
about the events of that time. I was glued to the pages because I wanted to
know what had really happened. Jones and Cassandra uncover a web of lies that
shed new light on the actions of those involved, and each new piece of
information leads to more questions. Puzzling abductions and escapes, glimpses
of a new player and his motivations, and a stunning revelation lead to a
gripping conclusion. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as a trap was set
for the bad guy. The resolution was well done, and I loved how it turned out.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Jones and Cassandra
develop. After losing his wife as he did, Jones has no intention of risking his
heart again. He didn't count on being unable to forget Cassandra. When he reconnects
with her, he makes it clear that he wants to be involved in his child's life,
but a relationship between him and Cassandra is out of the question. However,
with the time they spend together, it doesn't take long for their initial attraction
to grow into something more. Jones realizes that he feels more than
protectiveness toward her, though it takes him a while to admit it. Cassandra
was somewhat wary herself. She lost her fiancé in a tragic accident and is
hesitant to get involved with a man who has a dangerous job. But the heart
wants what it wants, and they realize they belong together.
I loved the book's last section and seeing the series' couples
four years later. Kelby Creek is healing, and its population is growing.
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