Protection Detail - Julie Miller (HI #1727 - Aug 2017)

Series: Precinct: Bachelors in Blue (Book 4)

A seasoned cop becomes the target of a killer. And so does the woman he's falling for.

Detective Lieutenant Thomas Watson had been off air force active duty so long, he thought he was safe. Until a gunman crashes his daughter's wedding, reawakening the warrior inside him. He hires nurse Jane Boyle to care for his injured father so he can focus on bringing the gunman to justice. While Jane is the ideal caretaker, her dark past has landed her in witness protection. And the more she's embraced by this family of cops, the more danger she's in. For a shadow from Thomas's own past might be willing to lend Jane's stalker a helping hand…

Fantastic conclusion to this miniseries. As with the previous books, this one opens at Olivia's wedding, showing the events through Thomas's eyes. I like his obvious love for and pride in his family. He has been a widower for a long time, with his family being the most important thing in his life.

The book then jumps to the current time, and a scene involving family patriarch Seamus, Thomas, and the nurse Jane Boyle. Thomas is dealing with the frustration of the lack of progress in finding who is behind the shooting at the wedding. He also has to deal with his cantankerous father, who isn't always the most cooperative during his rehabilitation. In this scene, it is Jane who brings order out of the chaos created by Seamus's frustrated tantrum, while Thomas is distracted and intrigued by her. He senses that there is more to her than appears.

Jane keeps to herself out of necessity. Three years earlier she witnessed a murder by a serial killer and is the only one who can identify him. She is in WITSEC to protect her until he is caught and tried. She's attracted to Thomas but resists because nothing can come of it.

I loved the two of them together. Thomas's protectiveness extends to Jane as part of the family when they become the targets for another shooting. Their boss/employee relationship begins to change as Thomas allows himself to show Jane his interest in her. I loved his efforts to comfort her in the wake of the attacks, and how Jane slowly allows herself to feel again. Thomas isn't the only one with a protective streak, and Jane worries that her past has brought more danger to the Watsons. Both Thomas and Jane are older, and I loved seeing the differences in their relationship because of it. I especially loved Jane's perspective on Thomas: "After all, it was hard to resist a handsome man with enough mileage on him to make him interesting and sure of himself..." The respect and admiration they have for each other enhance the deeper feelings that have grown between them. I really enjoyed seeing them give in to their desire for each other.

The suspense of the story was outstanding. It isn't obvious to them whether the attacks are aimed at Thomas or Jane. The attacks continue to escalate. There are glimpses of the man behind the attacks on the Watsons and it becomes clear that he is much closer to them than they suspect. I thought I had a handle on who it was, but additional possibilities came to light and made me question first impressions. There is also the tension of knowing that Jane's attacker is on the loose and getting closer. I loved Thomas's take charge attitude and his determination to keep Jane safe. There are some great scenes as he deals with the various other law enforcement types and their plans for Jane. The intensity builds as they plan a sting. The final confrontation was intense as Jane and Thomas experienced a double pronged attack. The resolution was great as the "Unhappy Man" was revealed and dealt with in a most satisfying way.

The epilogue was great as it brought the series full circle. It was lovely seeing Thomas and Jane happy and looking forward to their future. The scene before the wedding with his three sons was fun and so indicative of who they all are. I hope to get updates on them all in future Precinct books.

I was a bit puzzled by the cover. Thomas is a city cop, so I don't get why he's wearing a cowboy hat and making out in the middle of a field.

Necessary Action - Julie Miller (HI #1709 - May 2017)

Series: Precinct: Bachelors in Blue (Book 3)

Learning to trust could bring them together -- keeping secrets could tear them apart

Going undercover to take down murderous gun smugglers is what Duff Watson lives for. Until he tracks the ring to a Missouri farm…and meets paramedic Melanie Fiske. Now the KCPD detective has another critical task: winning over the curvy redhead who tempts him yet whom he can't let himself trust.

Something about the protective ex-soldier makes Melanie believe he can help her find out the truth about her family. And the desire Duff awakens feels like the real thing. But when Melanie's life is threatened, can she keep trusting -- and loving -- a man who lives a life of dangerous deception?

Another gripping episode in the Bachelors in Blue series. It opens, as did the previous two books, at the wedding of Olivia and Gabe. We see Duff, the oldest, who tends toward the grim and brooding, in a moment of unexpected sentimentality. It doesn't last long as he tries to bring his two brothers back under control from their joking around. When the shooting occurred, it was Duff who went after the shooter, and whose frustration is evident as the man gets away. His grandfather's nearly fatal injury just increases his determination to find the shooter. Thanks to information uncovered in the first two books, Duff is assigned to go undercover to investigate possible weapons trafficking. He meets Mel the day he arrives at the farm.

Mel is the niece of the couple who runs the farm. Her father died when she was eleven, and her aunt and uncle raised her. Other than a year away getting her EMT training, Mel has lived there her entire life. But lately, she has seen and heard things that make her believe that there is something sinister going on. She's doing her best to investigate without getting herself into trouble.

Duff and Mel meet when she treats him for injuries received when he is "welcomed" by his new employer. Something drove Mel to interfere in the fight between Duff and the head of security, though she isn't sure what. I loved the immediate connection that formed between them during that first encounter. Duff is surprised by the attraction he feels to Mel, but is wary, as he had a bad experience during a previous undercover assignment. Mel is also attracted, but wary because he is one of her uncle's men. Duff senses the attraction and plans to use it to get close to her and further his investigation. I loved the banter between them, as Duff teases Mel with his interest in her and she tries to shut him down. But she is also intrigued by him and his effect on her. Over the next couple weeks, they develop that connection into a solid friendship. It was sweet to see how that friendship led to a deeper bond as they shared sorrows and dreams. Duff became very protective of her, stepping in between her and Silas several times.

Mel is also very intelligent and very curious. Something tells her that Duff isn't exactly what he appears to be and she follows him one night. I loved seeing her confront Duff when she discovers him with his contacts. Once all their secrets are exposed, the trust between them is given a chance to grow. There is also the sense that what is between them is more than just chemistry. I loved seeing the gentle side of Duff come out whenever he was around Mel. She is also fiercely protective of him, which leads her to take some risks at the end. I ached for Duff and his fear for her, especially when he remembered what happened to his mom. I loved Mel's bit of humor at the end, which lightened the mood a little as they shared their feelings.

The suspense of the story was great. The story behind the Fiske farm and what it has evolved into shows just how horrible Mel's aunt and uncle are. The more I saw of their manner of controlling the people around them, the creepier I found them. I loved Mel's determination to get to the truth about her father's death, even though the pressure exerted on her to stop grew just as fast. Duff was understandably wary of trusting Mel until he could be sure of her innocence, but once he was their teamwork was fantastic. With each new clue uncovered, the intensity increased. The discovery of what was behind the locked door blew the case wide open but also increased their danger. The final confrontation was really frightening as Mel's life was at risk. It ended rather abruptly, skipping some of the details of the fight, which was a bit disappointing, but overall a satisfying conclusion.

There were a few more revelations about the link between the Fiske farm and the attack at the wedding. While the identity of the shooter was revealed, the man behind it is still a mystery. Once again, the epilogue was from his point of view and is a lead-in to the next book. I can't wait to see how it is finally resolved.

One of the things I loved about this book was the closeness of the Watson family. I loved how they always have each other's backs no matter the situation. I liked the banter at the wedding, and also the concern that both Niall and Keir showed when they met him during the mission. Especially heartwarming was how the entire family showed up at the hospital to support Duff while he waited for Mel to get out of surgery, and how they were all ready to embrace her as part of the family.

Kansas City Countdown - Julie Miller (HI #1679 - Dec 2016)

Series: Precinct: Bachelors in Blue (Book 2)

A seventy-two-hour countdown to save her life

They may have battled in the courtroom, but KCPD detective Keir Watson isn't going to let their turbulent past stop him from protecting attorney Kenna Parker. She was attacked, escaping with her life but with no memory of who wanted to end it. And the only person she dares trust is Keir.

With the clock ticking, every second grows more precious, each action more important…their feelings more intense. If Keir is going to discover Kenna's would-be killer, he has to keep his mind on the case. But his attraction to Kenna is making this self-declared bachelor reconsider just what his idea of forever could mean.

Excellent second book in this series. It opens the same way as the previous book, APB: Baby, with the shooting at Gabe and Olivia's wedding. This time we see it through Keir's eyes. It then jumps a few months forward to Keir and his partner, Hud, commiserating over a beer, after losing one of their cases in court. Keir is ticked because the defense attorney shredded his case, implying that Keir's police work was sloppy. He doesn't have very good things to say about "The Terminator" as she is called. After leaving the bar, he's stunned to find her staggering out of an alley, beaten and cut, and all but incoherent. First and foremost a cop, he is determined to protect her and find her assailant.

When Kenna leaves that alley, she has no idea how she got there, or even who she is. All she knows is that she feels she can trust the blue-eyed cop. Somewhere in the gaping hole of her memory is the feeling that she knows who did it and that he'll be back to finish the job. With Keir, she feels safe and protected.

I enjoyed the progression of their relationship. Keir is a bit wary at first, expecting Kenna to be the same shark he has encountered in the courtroom. Instead, he found a woman who, though still stubborn and determined, is also kind, compassionate, and unexpectedly sexy. I loved seeing his professional protectiveness quickly turn more personal. I loved how Kenna trusted Keir so much. Her occasional moments of panic when he was out of her sight were understandable under the circumstances, but once those passed her trust remained. In each other's company 24/7 for several days gave them the opportunity to get to know each other rapidly and deeply. I loved how circumstances had them seeing each other differently than before her attack. It was especially fun to see Keir look at "The Terminator" and her treatment of him in court from a less emotional point of view. I also enjoyed seeing Kenna look at her own life and actions in a new light and start to think about changes to make. Making it through the attack at the end showed them both how much they had already begun to care, and cemented their determination to see where it would go. I hope to see them in the following books.

The suspense of the story was terrific from the beginning. From the moment Keir found Kenna coming out of that alley, the intensity kept building. There were several suspects that were immediately obvious, plus possibilities stemming from cases she had participated in. Her creepy coworker went on my suspect list right away, as I felt he had the means and motive, but then there were others that seemed just as likely. It wasn't until the end that the truth was revealed, in a confrontation that had me on the edge of my seat until I got through it.

Besides the prologue, there was also some attention paid to the search for the wedding shooter. In their hunt for clues about the attack on Kenna, she found something that appears to have a connection to that shooter. In the epilogue, we get more from the point of view of the man behind that attack. I'm really looking forward to getting more of this story.