Starred review from September 20, 2021
Martin (One Last Kiss) pairs a widowed rancher and a PI in the outstanding romantic thriller that launches her Blood Ties, the Logans series. Eight years before the start of the novel, rancher Kade Logan’s unfaithful wife, Heather, was murdered, and the killer was never found. Now her car is rediscovered, and Kade contacts Nighthawk Security to see if their consultants can shed any light on the situation. Enter Nighthawk investigator Ellie Bowman. Posing as a substitute ranch cook at Kade’s Diamond Bar Ranch, Ellie grills the other employees and townspeople. Then comes a series of attacks on both animals and employees—and another woman dies in circumstances identical to Heather’s. As Ellie and Kade frantically search for the perpetrator, they give in to their explosive chemistry. Martin, a master of the genre, ratchets up the tension throughout, casting numerous red herrings across the trail until the murderer is identified and some righteous justice is served. Her plucky heroine and gruff hero, meanwhile, provide a solid dose of romance. Readers won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.