Series: Silver Valley PD (Book 4)
At their first meeting, sparks fly -- but not the good
kind -- between Abi Redland and Keith Paruso. As an arson specialist contracted
by Silver Valley P.D. Abi needs to work closely with the smolderingly hot fire
chief, but as an undercover agent for the top-secret Trail Hiker organization,
she has to hide things from him. To her chagrin, she finds the charming
firefighter is really getting under her skin.
For Keith, finding the culprit who's setting the fires
and has blackened his reputation means redemption. But as the attacks escalate
and Abi becomes a target, danger turns up the heat on their romance…and on
everyone they love.
Fantastic conclusion to the series. For the past two
years, Silver Valley has been dealing with the results of having a cult leader
and his followers move into the area. During the last several months there has
been a rash of unsolved arsons, suspected to be caused by members of the cult
for their own misguided purposes. Abi is an arson specialist, brought in to
help the Silver Valley PD find them. She is also an undercover agent for Trail
Hikers, a secret organization.
Keith is the Silver Valley fire chief, a man dedicated to
the safety of the people of his town. Besides the need to catch the arsonists,
his quest is also personal. The cult members are responsible for damaging his
reputation as a firefighter and the chief, and he looks at catching them as his
chance for redemption.
Abi and Keith have to work together, but their first
meeting has sparks flying between them. First and foremost is antagonism, as
Abi is frustrated over losing the suspect and is then confronted by Keith, who
doesn't like having an unknown civilian at his fire scene. They exchanged some
rather heated words, before they are interrupted by the chief of police. Underneath
the antagonism, though, is a very real spark of attraction, something neither
of them is happy about.
I loved watching them learn how to combine their efforts.
Each has a different way of working and eventually they find a way to maximize
their strengths. At the same time, there is a personal relationship that
continues to build between them. Keith is a man who has played the field for a
long time, and the things that he feels for Abi are something he's never
experienced before. Abi has been burned by a relationship with a coworker
before, and is determined to keep things professional between them. But
chemistry and hearts cannot be denied, and the feelings between them continue
to grow.
I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other.
Keith is a bit of an ass at the beginning, rather judgmental about Abi being
from the city. Abi isn't much better with her attitude toward his social life.
But both are professionals and try to put all that aside when they are working.
And slowly they realize that they were wrong about each other. There are some
terrific scenes of them opening up about things from their pasts that have made
them who they are today. But Abi has one secret holding her back, and that's
her involvement with the Trail Hikers, something she can't tell Keith about. It
makes her feel rather guilty and she worries about what will happen if he finds
out. As their feelings increase, they decide to try to keep them at bay until
after the case is over. But when they are finally free to pursue them, Keith
suddenly decides that he can't put Abi through the turmoil of being with
someone whose life is constantly in danger. I ached for Abi as she tries to go on without
him, at the same time I wanted to kick Keith in the tail. I loved the scene in
the diner with Rio as Keith finally sees the light.
The suspense of the story was great. From the first book
in the series to this one, the actions of the cult have gotten bolder. The
leader was the quintessential charismatic creep and I couldn't wait to see him
brought down. The growing escalation of the arson attacks pointed to something
major in the works, and the SVPD knew they were racing against time to stop it.
As leads were pursued and conclusions drawn, I could see the possibility of
some of it happening in real life. The final confrontation was intense,
especially with Abi and Claudia right in the middle of it. I loved how it all
came together.
I liked seeing more of characters from earlier books,
especially Rio and Kayla, and Colt and Claudia. Claudia was one of my favorite
characters, with her Marine Corps background and her relationship with Colt. I
wasn't at all surprised by her actions at the end, and loved seeing Colt accept
and support her. I also loved seeing the various ladies of Silver Valley and
their involvement in Abi's plans for her future. There's great support and
friendship there. I'd love to see more of Silver Valley in the future.
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