Series: Scene of the Crime (Book 13)
Gabriel Walters didn't need some know-it-all FBI agent
charging in on his territory. But Jordon James wasn't about to let some local
police chief derail her, not with three unsolved murders over at the Diamond
Cove B and B. If she just immersed herself in the investigation, she could
avoid the troubles she'd left back home…and run head-on into some new ones with
Gabriel. He didn't want to discover a fourth victim, which, if the note slid
under Jordon's bedroom door was to be believed, would be her. Now it will take
their full cooperation to catch a killer -- before he strikes again.
Good book. There have been three murders at the Diamond
Cove B&B and police chief Gabriel Walters is at a dead end in his
investigation. Enter Jordon James, an FBI agent with an excellent track record.
He isn't thrilled about have the Feds involved, but he wants the murderer
caught. Jordon is used to getting attitude from local law enforcement, but she
won't let it stop her from doing her job. Neither one expects the sparks that
flare up between them.
I really liked both Gabriel and Jordon. She is a kick
butt agent, very good at what she does. She also tends to be a loner,
preferring to work by herself rather than with a partner. This got her into
trouble a year earlier when she nearly became the next victim of a serial
killer. She's sure that her boss has sent her on this job just because she'll
have to work with the police chief. Her first impression of him is that he's
intense and uptight, but also very sexy.
Gabriel had come to Branson from Chicago, looking for a
job that wasn't quite so intense. He's frustrated by the lack of progress in
this case. He'll do whatever necessary, even work with the FBI agent the mayor
has foisted on him. He quickly notices her beauty and sexiness, but is
determined to resist the unprofessional attraction.
I loved their first encounter. They reminded me a little
of two dogs circling each other, trying to decide if they'll be friends or not.
Both of them were guilty of a bit of prejudging, seeing what they expected to
see. I loved seeing Jordon confront him right away about his attitude, and also
that Gabriel admitted his fault right away. Air cleared, it made it much easier
for them to move forward as a team. I also liked that Jordon was fully aware of
her own faults. It was pretty sweet to see how protective Gabriel was of
Jordon, even though he knew that she was a trained agent. His frustration at
her insistence on staying at the B&B was obvious.
I enjoyed the development of their relationship.
Constantly in each other's company, they quickly got to know each other. I
loved seeing how tuned in to each other's feelings they were. It was especially
obvious during their investigation of the house of mirrors, when Gabriel could
sense Jordon's unease. I loved how he got her to tell him about what had
happened to her. Their conversations were frequently filled with unexpected
humor, as that was Jordon's way of dealing with the stress. It didn't take
Gabriel long to realize that Jordon was exactly the kind of woman he had been
looking for. She understands the life of a law enforcement officer, and he respects
her abilities, too. But Jordon isn't so quick to reciprocate. She had been
married before and her husband had done a number on her ability to believe that
a man would ever love her. Added to the constant disapproval from her parents,
she doesn't think that there is hope for a long term relationship, so she
pushes him away. I ached for him as he laid his heart on the line for her and
she was too afraid to accept it. I wasn't sure how long it would take her to
realize the truth. The ending was great, and I loved the epilogue.
The suspense of the story was really good. The lack of
clues was frustrating to both as they worked to develop a list of suspects.
There were multiple possibilities and all of them seemed to have reasons to do
it. There were several times I really wanted to smack Jordon for the things she
did. She was way too determined to put herself in danger, and she took a lot of
risky chances. Each time an attempt took place, I thought for sure they'd
figure out who was responsible. When the final confrontation came, Jordon
showed that she still hadn't learned her lesson. Back in the house of mirrors,
with a killer whose identity I did not see coming, the encounter was scary and
intense. Jordon was very lucky that
Gabriel had discovered she was missing.
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