Second Chance Colton – Marie Ferrarella

Second Chance Colton
Marie Ferrarella
Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Oct 1 2015, $5.50
ISBN: 9780373279371

After a stint with the Marines, Ryan Colton returned home to become a homicide detective with the Tulsa Police Department. He becomes very concerned when a vandal commits several acts at his family’s Lucky C Ranch that recently escalated to dangerous levels with a fire and a house invasion that led to the beating of his still in a coma mom.

TPD Forensic Lab Chief Susie Howard informs Ryan that a stable break-in contained DNA evidence that points to his sister Greta as the culprit. Angry and disbelieving of Susie’s assertion, Ryan challenges her contention, but retesting affirms her initial finding. Recalling a decade ago to when he and Susie were in love, but Ryan abandoned her when he deployed. Still believing he did the honorable thing by the woman he will always love, Ryan and Susie were stunned when she joined TPD four years ago. Forensics at the bunkhouse murder scene of ranch hand Kurt Rodgers also names Greta as the only suspect. As the former lovers investigate the homicide and vandalism that increasingly means arresting Greta; each realizes they remain in love with the other.

The fifth Coltons of Oklahoma (see The Temptation of Dr. Colton by Karen Whiddon and Protecting the Colton Bride by Elle James) is a gripping second chance at love police procedural. Although Ryan’s failure to recuse himself from a case involving his sibling seems unlikely especially in a big city police department and readers will suspect early on what truly happened; Marie Ferrarella provides a tense romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner

High Country Hideout – Elle James

High Country Hideout
Elle James
Harlequin Intrigue, Sep 15 2015, $5.50
ISBN: 9780373698615

Soldier Angus Ketchum lost a leg during his fourth tour in Afghanistan. Covert Cowboys, Inc. hires the veteran though Angus cannot understand why Hank Derringer took on a Wounded Warrior as a field operative. Sexagenarian Last Chance Ranch foreman CW Reinhardt contacted his military buddy Derringer to provide protection for his boss Widow Reggie Davis and her five years old son Tad because of increasingly dangerous occurrences.

Derringer assigns Ketchum, who worked on a Texas ranch, as an undercover cowhand at the Colorado Rockies spread protecting Reggie and Tad. He meets the owner in the field when he rescues her from spooked cattle only to have her yell at him. Reggie has no money to pay Angus, but hesitantly even after CW’s support, provides room and board for Angus and even more reluctantly his dog Ranger. When the peril mounts, the veteran and the canine rise to the occasion to keep safe the woman and child they adore.

The seventh Covert Cowboys Inc. romantic suspense (see Navy Seal Newlywed) is a pleasant contemporary in which for much of the storyline the emphasis is on caring relationships. There is action especially late in the plot, but the falling in love interplay between the Widow and the “One-Legged Cowboy” takes center stage.

Harriet Klausner

Running Wild – Susan Anderson

Running Wild
Susan Anderson
Harlequin HQN, Aug 25 2015, $7.99
ISBN: 9780373788460

To escape temporarily from his overwhelming family, American Finn Kavanagh vacations in a small South American country El Tigre. To wash away some of his travel frustrations he stops in a cantina in the capital Santa Rosa when the beautiful blonde strolls into the bar. Stunned not only to see an apparent American female here, but even more astonishing is his desire for this stranger.

Magdalene Deluca arrived in her childhood home Santa Rosa searching for her missing missionary parents in spite of them practically abandoning her when she was a young teen. Following her as she leaves the cantina, Finn rescues Magdalene from a kidnapping attempt. He also joins her on her search and rescue mission; while the cartel targets her and by extension him.

Running Wild is an action-packed Amazonian romantic suspense starring two amiable leads (Finn was a support character in the Sisterhood Diaries) with polar opposite family issues. Although the protagonists are too perfect especially the blending of their specific skills even as the romance supersedes the danger, readers will relish this “rumble in the jungle” (hard to believe forty-one years have passed).

Harriet Klausner

Protecting the Colton Bride – Elle James

Protecting the Colton Bride

Elle James

Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Sep 1 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373279333

On his father’s Lucky C Ranch in Oklahoma, Daniel Colton runs a successful quarter horse program.  However, Daniel wants to grow his operation, but as an illegitimate has limited means (except his paternal family who he prefers not to beg for help) to reach the top social tier he needs to support his expansion.

His diligent assistant Megan Talbot informs him that she must quit after only a few months on a job she loves due to her demanding father threatening to sell her horses if she fails to return to California and marry a man of their choice.  Daniel suggests a marriage of convenience that will give him a ticket to the elite through his wife and Megan a husband so that her parents cannot choose her mate in a forced marriage.  Although attracted to each other and share a common interest in horses, neither expected to fall in love; nor he risking his life to keep his wife safe from an assailant trying to kill her.

The fourth Coltons of Oklahoma (see The Temptation of Dr. Colton by Karen Whiddon) is an engaging fresh contemporary that deftly uses the marriage of convenience theme between amiable protagonists though this premise typically is found in historical romances.  Although the viable death threat adds exhilarating suspense, the subplot feels unnecessary as the delightful love story of Daniel and Megan is what makes this a marvelous read.

Harriet Klausner

Agent Zero – Lilith Saintcrow

Agent Zero

Lilith Saintcrow

Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Sep 1 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373279357

The IED in Mosul left soldier Reese crippled.  The military offers Reese a chance to not only regain his health and more as a super-agent; if he agrees to take an experimental drug that overwhelmingly kills most volunteers.  Code name Agent Six, Reese is one of the few survivors.

Holly the waitress at the dumpy Crossroads Diner receives two major emotional bombs when her doctor informs her she suffers from a terminal illness and her husband whom she supported through medical school dumps her.  Stoic yet sad, Holly accepts she cannot do anything about either condition.  Recently a strange man comes in every few days to order coffee he does not drink and says nothing but stares at her.  Eventually Reese persuades Holly to meet him on her off day.  Instead, someone abducts Holly.  Knowing she is an expendable pawn used by those to get at him, Reese risks his life to free Holly from her captivity; but though successful his enemies ruthlessly pursue them.

With a nod to the X Files super soldier premise, Agent Zero is an exhilarating cat and mouse thriller.  Fast-paced, readers will cheer on the emotionally disturbed protagonists as they struggle to survive while falling in love.  Though the romance feels off-kilter as the audience will wonder about the injection side-effect on him and her rebounding from a horrid betrayal at a time she needed spousal support; subgenre fans will agree the intrigue is awesome.

Harriet Klausner

Cold Hearts – Sharon Sala

Cold Hearts
Sharon Sala
Mira, Aug 25 2015, $7.99
ISBN 9780778318309

In Mystic, West Virginia, Melissa Sherman takes her car to Paul Jackson’s garage for repair. Paul muses to himself that he always liked Lissa who was his son Mack’s high school girlfriend; thus he stays open late to repair her vehicle. After troubling auto parts dealer Freddie Miller to stay open so that he can get what he needs to do the job; Paul finishes the repair at eleven that evening. Before he steps away from beneath the hydraulic lifted car; a friend enters the garage. The newcomer releases the lift dumping Lissa’s car onto Paul.

Mack comes home for his father’s funeral, but is stunned to learn that Lissa’s car killed him and that the lift was not broken; someone murdered his dad. The police focus on a 1980 DUI tragedy as the motive since Paul is the second recent homicide victim (see Wild Hearts) with ties to that three-decade old vehicular accident. At the same time, Mack and Lissa turn to each other for solace while each looks back to the miscarriage that ended their relationship.

The second entertaining Secrets And Lies romantic suspense uses the same theme as its predecessor: a modern day homicide police procedural tied to a cold case vehicular death and a contemporary second chance romance. The storyline starts somewhat slow; but once the cast is set, rotating viewpoints between several players accelerates the plot into a tense hyperspeed mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Black Canyon Conspiracy – Cindi Myers

Black Canyon Conspiracy

Cindi Myers

Harlequin Intrigue, Aug 18 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373698578

Billionaire Richard Prentice held former TV news reporter Lauren Starling captive for six weeks.  After DEA agent and Ranger Brigade operative Marco Cruz rescued her; Richard successfully spun the tale that Lauren was a guest who wanted to stay and made up her fantasy of being his prisoner.

Marco knows the truth and fears that obsessed Prentice through some untraceable goon will come after Lauren.  He vows to protect her, but also believes ultimately the only way to keep her safe is to prove Prentice kidnapped her.  As the bodyguard and the damsel in distress fall in love, danger comes from unexpected sources, but diligent Marco remains adamant about Lauren’s safety and his gut belief that though obfuscated all roads lead back to Prentice.

The latest Ranger Brigade romantic intrigue (see Colorado Bodyguard, Lawman Protection and The Guardian) is an engaging thriller starring a likable lead couple who series fans already adore and a diabolical affluent villain who readers already detest.  Although over the top of Castle Peak, Black Canyon Conspiracy is a tense suspense.

Harriet Klausner

Playing With Fire – Rachel Lee

Playing With Fire

Rachel Lee

Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Aug 1 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373279296

Arson investigator Charity Atkins arrives in Conard City, Wyoming to help the local fire department with their rash of deliberately set fires.  Feeling like a displaced urbanite in the small town, Charity seeks Fire Chief Wayne Camden only to find him when he rushes out of a burning building carrying a baby.

Desperate before someone dies in one of these blazes, Wayne welcomes Charity; as he knows his town needs her skills and experience.  As they team up to end the reign of terror, the arsonist also welcomes Charity though he has different plans for her.  As the fire chief and the arson investigator fall in love, the single dad struggles with his distrust of women after his wife deserted him.

The tenth Conard County: The Next Generation romantic suspense (see Undercover Hunter) is an action-packed, fast-paced thriller.  The protagonists are a fantastic pairing as love and courage flourish; while the clever villain hides in plain sight although the original motive for the fires seems over the top of the Grand Tetons.

Harriet Klausner

Kansas City Secrets – Julie Miller

Kansas City Secrets

Julie Miller

Harlequin Intrigue, Jul 21 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373698493

Six years ago someone murdered Richard Bratcher.  KCPD focused on the victim’s fiancée Rosemary March, who offered no alibi.  However, the police failed to prove she killed her abusive fiancé although their suspicion remains strong that she got away with murder, which turned her into a detested pariah.

Adding to Rosie’s consternation of being the evil outsider is her brother Stephen resides behind bars for murdering a reporter; which he claims to his sister he did to keep her safe.  Investigating the Bratcher homicide, KCPD Cold Case Squad Detective Max Krolikowski questions Rosie, but her previous experience with the cops make her uncooperative.  When someone sends Rosie threatening notes, she turns to hard boiled Max who wants to believe the woman who got under his skin is a victim not a killer.

The second Precinct: Cold Case (see Kansas City Cover-Up) is a thrilling romantic police procedural starring a tough gruff former Army sergeant and a woman who either got away with murder or is the fall-gal of a clever predator.  Although her turning to him seems unlikely, a great final twist climaxes a pleasing fast-paced storyline that focuses more on the case than the attraction.  Subgenre fans will appreciate this intrigue and also want to read Julie Miller’s The Precinct series (see Crossfire Christmas).

Harriet Klausner

The Detective – Adrienne Giordano

The Detective

Adrienne Giordano

Harlequin Intrigue, Jun 16 2015, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373698479

While on medical leave from CPD, Chicago homicide detective Brodey Hayward reluctantly agrees to help his Hennings and Solomon private investigator sister Jenna with solving the Jonathan Williams’ murder that another cop has lead.  He visits Williams’ vacant house where the homicide occurred.  There he runs into interior designer Alexis Vanderbilt; hired by the widow and mother of three Brenda to renovate the house.

Brodey persuades Lexi to delay her modifications and instead assist him on solving the case.  However, determined Lexi fails to heed Brodey’s warning of take no risks when she begins sleuthing on her own.  This places her in the crosshairs of a cold killer with no compunction to murder a pretty, foolish but intelligent interior designer.  Revising his mission from solving a murder to keeping the woman he loves safe, Brodey has never felt this scared even when he worked the nastiest streets of Chicago.

The latest Hennings romantic suspense (see The Marshal, The Defender and The Prosecutor) is an enjoyable investigative novel.  The leisurely-paced storyline entertains the audience especially once the inane heroine goes rogue.

Harriet Klausner