Series:
Defenders of Battle Mountain (Book 3)
A bomb-strapped body
A rookie cop caught in the inferno
After barely escaping a deadly explosion, Officer Alma
Majors has one clue to identify the victim and solve the case: a sliver of
bone. But it's going to take more than shrapnel to expose the culprit. Bomb
expert Cree Gregson will risk everything to protect his neighbor from a killer determined to avoid exposure. Protecting
his heart may prove more difficult…
Good book about two people who must overcome painful
pasts to move on to a better future. Alma was a successful anthropologist until
her jealous husband turned to abuse. She escaped the marriage, moved home to
Battle Mountain, and became a reserve officer with the Battle Mountain police
department. Though she is friendly to those she meets, Alma keeps a distance
between herself and others, unable to trust enough to open her heart. Cree is a
bomb tech in another town who moved to Battle Mountain to escape the guilty
memories from a bombing he couldn't prevent. He's isolated himself, trusting no
one else.
The book's explosive opening sucked me into the story,
and didn't let go until I'd read the last page. Alma was sent to check out
reports of suspicious activity in a gulch, where she found a woman with a bomb
sewn to her body. Alma barely escaped with her life. Her only clue to identifying
the body is a sliver of bone. Cree heard the bomb blast, and even though he was
on a leave of absence from his unit, he still rushed to the site and offered
his services. Seeing his neighbor, Alma, involved stirs his protective
instincts.
While others investigate the bombing, Alma is determined
to identify the victim. If she can do that, it should lead to the who and why
behind it. The investigation quickly becomes complicated when the bomber sets
more explosives to cover their identity. Then the bomber targets Alma herself.
From destroying the contents of Alma's apartment to capturing Alma and
attempting to turn her into a living bomb, the story's intensity increases the
closer Alma and Cree get to identifying them. Alma's methods were intriguing,
bringing in her past work as an anthropologist. The final confrontation was a
nail-biter that kept me glued to the pages until it was over. Alma's
determination and Cree's protectiveness came together in a heart-pounding
scene.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Alma and Cree
develop. Neither is looking for love. Alma is still dealing with the
aftereffects of her abusive marriage. Cree is wrapped up in the guilt he still
feels over his last case. I loved Cree's protectiveness toward Alma and his
sensitivity to what she went through. I liked seeing them grow closer as they
worked together. Sharing what they'd experienced helped each break down the
walls that kept their feelings locked up. It takes nearly losing each other to
open their eyes to what has been missing in their lives. I liked the ending and
seeing them look forward to a future together.
The end of the book and the epilogue introduced a new
character - ATF agent Kendric Hudson. A former coworker of Cree's, it looks
like he will stick around Battle Mountain. I liked how he encouraged Cree to
follow his heart and provided some straight talk about the case that injured
them. He will likely be the focus of the next book of the series.
No comments:
Post a Comment