Series:
Cowboy State Lawmen (Book 5)
He must infiltrate a dangerous cult…
To prevent an impending disaster.
Rocco Sharp fears he's placed Mercy McCoy in peril. The
undercover agent has convinced the cult leader's daughter to get him into the
Shining Light's compound. With five days to thwart a violent plot, Rocco's
feelings for Mercy put his assignment at risk. As the connection between them
deepens, Rocco knows he'll have to be the one to tell Mercy who he really is.
Otherwise, they'll never have a chance beyond this critical mission.
Terrific addition to the Cowboy State Lawmen series. Rocco
is an undercover part of the task force investigating weapons trafficking that
may also be linked to the Shining Light cult. The cult leader, Marshall McCoy,
is a charismatic man who has recruited many people lately, making the task
force suspicious about his intentions. The story opens as Rocco witnesses his
CI (confidential informant) run off the road on the way to meet him. The CI
dies right after telling Rocco they had it "all wrong" and that something
big and violent would happen in a few days. The CI's death leaves Rocco with
only his backup plan to get the truth - getting closer to the leader's
daughter, Mercy.
Mercy has been raised in the cult but lately has felt
restless and dissatisfied. Her happiest times are spent at the gym, where she
takes self-defense lessons from Rocco. But her father is about to end those
lessons and prevent her from leaving the compound. Distraught at not seeing
Rocco again, she allows him to talk her into taking him to the compound with
her. He claims he needs her help to get away from bad influences.
This begins a roller coaster of action, suspense, and
emotions. The twists and turns of this case kept me glued to the pages from
start to finish. Rocco is determined to discover what the attack entails and
who is behind it and is willing to risk himself. The intensity ramps up as the
deadline grows nearer. The cult leader is a master manipulator and doesn't
hesitate to use Mercy to further his aims. But just when it looks like Rocco
has identified the who, if not the where and when, an unexpected twist throws
everything into question. The new player is determined and without any
redeeming qualities in his quest. I was glued to the pages as Rocco fought for
his life and to prevent a horrifying attack. I loved watching the task force
and law enforcement come together in a well-planned and executed defense. My
only frustration was that the cult leader managed to weasel out of any
consequences.
A secondary suspense plot involved Mercy, her father, and
his supposed heir to the cult leadership. Mercy was allowed more freedom than
others as her father tried to keep her from leaving altogether. He has plans to
marry her to Alex, keeping the leadership within the family. He uses subtle and
not-so-subtle manipulations to keep both under his thumb. But as Mercy grows
closer to Rocco, her father uses those feelings against her. Complicating
matters, Alex becomes more obsessed with her, and his jealousy comes out in
dangerous ways. The final confrontation between Alex, Mercy, and Rocco was a
nail-biter, and I ached for Mercy when it was over.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between
Rocco and Mercy. He fell for her more each day over the months he taught her
self-defense. But he was also cultivating her as an asset; getting emotionally
involved with an asset is never good. Meanwhile, Mercy also falls for him.
Rocco listens to her when she talks about her life and doubts, giving her a
safe place to vent. Besides his friendship, she becomes increasingly aware of
him as a man but believes he would never be interested in someone like her. She
feels hurt and betrayed when she discovers the truth about who he is, and it
takes some effort for Rocco to regain her trust. I liked Rocco's support of
Mercy as she deals with the truth about her father. Mercy sometimes frustrated
me when she made questionable decisions in the belief she was protecting Rocco.
I liked the ending and seeing Mercy embrace life outside Shining Light and her
developing relationship with Rocco.
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