Series:
Eagle Mountain: Critical Response (Book 1)
A stranger with amnesia is the only key to unlocking a
search and rescue mystery…
The injured man search-and-rescue volunteer Grace Wilcox
discovers left for dead in a Colorado snowstorm can't remember why he's on
Eagle Mountain or even who he is. But bloody footprints discovered near a crime
scene spark a memory of deception and the chase for a murderer. Now, as Grace
works with the handsome stranger to find out who he's after and what really
happened at Dixon Pass, they must rely on each other for survival before a
desperate killer strikes again…
Whew! Having a naked and injured man appear out of a
blinding snowstorm is one heck of an opening. Grace was returning from a search
and rescue call when the man appeared a short distance from her cabin. After
she gets him to her home and treats his injuries, she discovers he can't
remember who he is or what happened to him. His memory mostly returns the following
day, but the events leading up to Grace finding him are frustratingly elusive.
Meanwhile, his car was found abandoned on the side of the road with a murdered woman
in the backseat and his gun on the floor. Needless to say, the Eagle Mountain
sheriff's office is suspicious of his story.
Grace is an environmental scientist who lives and works
in a remote cabin outside town. Declan makes quite an impression on her, and
she is reluctant to believe the suspicions about him. She is particularly
empathetic to his memory loss as a victim of a similar experience. Her
instincts tell her that he is a victim, not a perpetrator. I liked her willingness
to help him.
Declan remembers enough to know he was tracking an
escaped serial killer, an action deeply personal for him. I understood his
determination, considering the circumstances of Barclay's escape. That he is
doing so against orders makes no difference to him.
The suspense of this story kept me glued to the pages
from start to finish. Declan is positive that Bradley is in Eagle Mountain, but
the man's ability to blend in makes it difficult to identify him. I liked Grace's
willingness to help him, and Declan even had Gage convinced. The suspense built
as two likely suspects were identified, but nothing could be done without proof.
The author kept me guessing to the end, finishing with a final confrontation
that could have ended badly. I loved Grace's ability to think and act under
pressure and the difference it made for her and Declan's survival.
I also enjoyed the development of the relationship
between Declan and Grace. There was a connection between them from the moment
Grace found him in that blizzard. Her experience with amnesia made her
especially empathetic to what he was going through. Added to that connection
was an attraction that neither could deny. Both are loners - Grace because of
her work and the trauma she endured as a child, and Declan because he has been
focused on chasing Bradley for five years. I loved seeing them open up with
each other and share their deepest fears and feelings. I loved Declan's look into
Grace's past and what he found out about the events that haunt her. I loved the
ending and seeing the changes in store for them.
This was a great start to the new series, and I can't
wait to see what is next in store for the people of Eagle Mountain.
No comments:
Post a Comment