Two bombs in six days…
And the culprit isn't finished.
With the help of his K-9 companion, Patches, FBI victim
specialist Jax Diallo vows to help police chief Keara Hernandez solve the
attacks rocking their Alaskan community. Evidence suggests the crimes are
connected to her husband's long-unsolved murder. And the strikes are becoming
more personal. When dodging bullets becomes a daily event, Jax risks everything
to keep his beautiful new partner from meeting a violent end…
Very good book. From its (literally) explosive beginning
to the final confrontation, the story sucked me in and didn't let go until the
end. The suspense and action are intense, and I often felt I was in the middle
of it.
Keara moved to Desparre, Alaska, from Houston six years
earlier to distance herself from the memories of her husband's unsolved murder.
She's happy there and has grown to love the people of the tiny town. After the
bomb went off in Luna, she spent the day reassuring her people that they were
safe, then drove to Luna to see what she could find out. The devastation she
saw brought back memories of Juan's murder.
Jax is a victim specialist with the FBI. He's relatively
new to Alaska, transferring there from DC after dealing with too many mass casualty
events. Alaska's beauty and more laid-back atmosphere are healing. Jax and his
therapy dog, Patches, spent the day talking to survivors and witnesses,
offering comfort and support. Patches zeroed in on Keara shortly after her
arrival, sensing Keara's turbulent emotions. Jax and Keara had a short
conversation before her emotions overwhelmed her, and she left.
Keara and Jax saw each other again a few hours later when
he came to her rescue during a bar fight caused by overwrought emotions mixed
with alcohol. Both Keara and Jax impressed me with their cool heads, though Jax
did end up the worse for wear. While two of the agents questioned Keara about
things she may have heard or seen, one of them asked Keara's opinion about a
symbol found on a bomb fragment.
This is where the intensity begins to ramp up. The last
time Keara saw that symbol was in relation to her husband's murder. But how
could there be a connection between a murder in Houston and a bombing in
Alaska? The FBI agents are skeptical but permit Jax to check past case files.
Jax is determined to find the link, despite his coworkers' frequent reminders
that he isn't an agent. Jax and Keara work together to go through the cases and
soon find information that may back up their theory, despite some puzzling
differences. When a second bomb explodes, in Desparre this time, Jax and Keara
realize the bomber is escalating his attacks. As they come closer to
identifying the suspect, the attacks become personal, putting them both in danger.
An unexpected twist created a nail-biting confrontation at the end.
From the moment they met, sparks flew between Keara and
Jax. Keara fights the attraction, not wanting it to interfere with their investigation.
She also feels unable to move on while Juan's murder remains unsolved. Jax struggles
to ignore his growing attraction to Keara. He mostly succeeds in focusing on
the case, with a few forays into protectiveness. I also loved how Patches is
equally as smitten with Keara. I loved watching them grow closer and wondered
how they would overcome the 400-mile obstacle to being together. I didn't see
the solution coming, but I loved how right it was.
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