Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 7/6/2023 + 2626 more book reviews

Terrific book that kept me reading all night. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. This book picks up where the first book, Ozarks Missing Person, left off. In that book, young and prominent attorney Trey Powers was arrested for the murder of a young woman. As this book opens, Trey and his father, Tyrone, are victims of a double homicide, rendering the murder case against him null and void. The immediate suspect in the murder is Tyrone's young and beautiful wife, Kayla, who also discovered the bodies. The lawyer previously assigned to Trey's defense, Michelle Fraser, now becomes Kayla's lawyer.

Criminal Investigation Division investigator Ethan Scott is new to the local office. As the division chief, he is assigned to the high-profile case. From the get-go, Ethan feels that there is far more going on than there appears to be on the surface. That goes double for the lawyer, Michelle, who he senses is hiding something.

This was a complex and fascinating book to read. The lead suspect, Kayla Powers, is open and cooperative, insisting she has nothing to hide. Michelle, who believes her client is innocent, wants to help Ethan with the investigation, as that would prove Kayla is telling the truth. But Michelle is more than a hot-shot lawyer - she is also an undercover FBI agent investigating the law firm where she works. Are the murders connected to her investigation? And should she trust Ethan with the truth of who she is in the interest of furthering the investigation? And finally, what to do about those sparks flying between them?

I was glued to the pages as I followed the twists and turns of this investigation. I mostly believed in Kayla's innocence, but now and then, something would seem a little off. But were those things her doing, or is someone setting her up? The death of Tyrone Powers puts Michelle's investigation in danger, and there are some tense moments as a late-night trip to the office brings both success and danger. Further investigation reveals other people with hidden secrets and the motivation to kill. The confrontation at the end is intense and answers the questions Michelle was sent to investigate, but leaves the question of the murderer hanging for the next book.

The romance of this book takes a back seat to the case. That's not to say there are no sparks. I loved watching the interactions between Ethan and Michelle. Something about her has Ethan's instincts aroused. She may claim to be a lawyer, and the background checks out, but Ethan could swear she's a cop. As he says, "Like recognizes like." I liked the teamwork, cooperation, and respect that developed between them, even as they put their growing attraction on the back burner until they were done with the investigation. I liked the ending and the promise of further romantic development.

I felt terrible for Grace, the agent in the first book who had been investigating Trey for the murder of the young woman. All the work she did was for nothing once Trey was dead. Fortunately, Ethan greatly respected her abilities and put her to work on his investigation. I could feel the same intensity she had in that book carry over into this one. I'm looking forward to the third book and finding out the truth about what is going on.

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