Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific addition to the Amish Country Justice series. The books are connected by common characters, themes, and locations, but each can be read as a standalone. As with the author's other books, this one grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me hooked until the end (when I should have been asleep!).
Francesca is a forensic artist and the widow of an FBI agent. One stormy night, she discovered a dead body in her yard. While reporting the body to the police, someone started shooting at her. Besides the arrival of the local police, Special Agent Tanner Hall is also on the scene. Tanner worked with her late husband, and she avoids him whenever possible. He brings up painful memories.
Tanner is on the case because of the identity of the dead man. Francesca's husband, Sean, had been a colleague and a friend, and Tanner believes Sean would want him to watch out for her. Tanner suspects that Sean's death wasn't an accident, and he needs to talk to her about it. But the current crisis has priority.
The dead man was connected to a case that Tanner and Sean worked on and had been in witness protection until he disappeared. Now he's turned up at Sean's house, raising questions about where he's been. Matters become complicated when they find a young Amish boy who is also autistic. What follows is a roller coaster of twists and turns, ups and downs, as they fight off attacks and search for Joey's family. Little clues unknowingly dropped by Joey lead them in an unexpected direction. A discovery at Fran's house provides another surprise and answers a few questions while raising more. The resolution was a nail-biter with a perpetrator I didn't see coming.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Francesca and Tanner. Each has some things from their pasts that make them wary of getting involved. But the more time they spend together, the more they get to know each other. I liked the respect they had for each other's work. Their attraction and feelings grew, but what would happen when the case was over and Tanner returned to his home base? I liked the soul-searching each did as they decided whether to pursue those feelings. I loved the ending and seeing them get the happy-ever-after they wanted.
Francesca is a forensic artist and the widow of an FBI agent. One stormy night, she discovered a dead body in her yard. While reporting the body to the police, someone started shooting at her. Besides the arrival of the local police, Special Agent Tanner Hall is also on the scene. Tanner worked with her late husband, and she avoids him whenever possible. He brings up painful memories.
Tanner is on the case because of the identity of the dead man. Francesca's husband, Sean, had been a colleague and a friend, and Tanner believes Sean would want him to watch out for her. Tanner suspects that Sean's death wasn't an accident, and he needs to talk to her about it. But the current crisis has priority.
The dead man was connected to a case that Tanner and Sean worked on and had been in witness protection until he disappeared. Now he's turned up at Sean's house, raising questions about where he's been. Matters become complicated when they find a young Amish boy who is also autistic. What follows is a roller coaster of twists and turns, ups and downs, as they fight off attacks and search for Joey's family. Little clues unknowingly dropped by Joey lead them in an unexpected direction. A discovery at Fran's house provides another surprise and answers a few questions while raising more. The resolution was a nail-biter with a perpetrator I didn't see coming.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Francesca and Tanner. Each has some things from their pasts that make them wary of getting involved. But the more time they spend together, the more they get to know each other. I liked the respect they had for each other's work. Their attraction and feelings grew, but what would happen when the case was over and Tanner returned to his home base? I liked the soul-searching each did as they decided whether to pursue those feelings. I loved the ending and seeing them get the happy-ever-after they wanted.
