Series:
Cavanaugh Justice (Book 47)
Finding a serial killer is their priority…
Working together is their challenge.
Detective Cassandra Cavanaugh is in New York to assist in
a cold case. A long-lost cousin's body has been unearthed, the possible victim
of a serial killer. While NYPD Detective Danny Doyle resents her intrusion in
his case, his attraction to the feisty California cop is undeniable. But
focused on their pursuit, they're unaware they're being shadowed by the killer…
Good book as another Cavanaugh disrupts the life of an
unsuspecting fellow officer. This one is a little different because Cassandra
Cavanaugh is the outsider here. The story opens as the senior Cavanaughs learn
that the remains of a long-lost cousin have been found in New York City,
possibly the victim of a serial killer. There is no question that the remains
should be returned to California and laid to rest in the family plot, but that
can't happen until the killer is caught. The Aurora PD offers two of its detectives
to the NYPD to help with the investigation, and Cass and her cousin Travis are
selected to go.
Detective Danny Doyle of the NYPD is unhappy to have a
couple of California cops thrust into his investigation. He doesn't have time
to babysit a pair of detectives from the land of surfers and celebrities, who likely
don't have the same drive he does. He's stunned to find Cass and Travis at the
station when he arrives in the morning (though Travis is off having breakfast
with another officer). Cass's beauty throws him for a loop, and her positive attitude
confuses him.
The working relationship between Danny and Cass gets off
to a rocky start. Danny is just shy of rude in his interactions with Cass
because of her effect on him. He sets her and Travis to reading the files
"to get caught up" and then leaves them to it. When he returns hours
later, he expects them to have quit for the day and is stunned to find both
still hard at work. Not only that, Cass may have spotted a connection among the
victims.
Danny doesn't take long to realize that Cass is very good
at what she does. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, from sharing
dinners to sightseeing. I liked their teamwork and how their differing styles
mesh to form a successful partnership. Complicating that partnership is the chemistry
that sparks between them. Those sparks don't take long to burst into flame,
heating their nights. But what will happen when the case is over and it's time
for Cass to go back to California?
The suspense of the story was good. The discovery of the
first set of remains provided more questions than answers. I liked that it was
Cass, looking at the pictures of the victims who had been identified, who
suspected the connection between the victims. I wasn't surprised that Cass
leaned on her cousin Valri, back in California, to dig up the information on
their cousin that helped put them on the right track, but it had to frost the
NYPD folks a little that she didn't go through them. But, Cavanaughs tend to depend
on each other. As connections became more apparent, the team began to close the
gap between them and the killer. It took them a while to realize that the
killer was closer than expected. The final confrontation was short but intense.
I loved the ending and seeing that neither Danny nor Cass
was ready to end their relationship. Danny's decision didn't come as much of a
surprise. I wish there had been an epilogue because I would have loved to see
Danny's introduction to the entire clan at one of Andrew's parties.
