When his witness comes under fire
This detective must protect her at all costs
Detective Troy Colton trusts assistant district attorney
Evangeline Whittaker when she says she's witnessed a brutal crime…but why can't
CSI find any evidence? To get to the truth, the cop must investigate why
someone might gaslight the sole witness…while trying -- and failing -- to keep
his professional distance. As the threats to Evangeline escalate, Troy realizes
both their hearts and lives are at stake!
Terrific book. Troy is a detective with the Grave Gulch Police
Department and is dedicated to his job. Evangeline is an assistant district
attorney for Grave Gulch and is just as devoted to her job. Several months
earlier, the GGPD discovered that the head of their CSI division faked or
ignored evidence according to his own agenda. This resulted in some innocent
people going to jail and guilty ones going free, including a serial killer.
Because she worked on the serial killer's case, using (unknown to her) corrupt
evidence, Evangeline is currently on leave from her job.
For the past few weeks, Evangeline felt as though she
were being watched, even in her own home. One evening as she walked to the local
diner, she glanced down an alley and witnessed a couple arguing, then the man
shooting the woman. Though she immediately called 911, when Troy and his partner
arrived, there was no evidence that there had been a murder there. Though
Troy's instincts tell him to believe her, others are not so sure. An escalating
series of similar events makes Evangeline wonder if she's losing her mind.
Meanwhile, Troy suspects that someone is gaslighting her and is determined to
find out who.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Troy
and Evangeline. Both of them tend to be workaholics with little interest in
dating. Troy's dedication to his job stemmed from the unsolved murder of his
mother when he was a child. Making sure that others don't suffer the same
drives Troy's focus on every case. On the other hand, Evangeline suffers from a
feeling of never being quite good enough, thanks to the emotional abuse of her
father. Evangeline and Troy have known each other for years through their jobs
and have noticed each other on a more elemental level but have done nothing
about it. Troy's protective instincts flare up over the strange events, and he
insists on providing close protection. Spending time in close proximity gives
their attraction a chance to grow.
Neither Troy nor Evangeline wants to admit the feelings
that grow alongside the attraction. Both fight to maintain a professional
relationship, though it's clear they are losing the battle. But when Troy
pushes Evangeline away, believing that he can't be his best as a cop and have a
family too, Evangeline has to take a good look at her baggage. I loved when she
decided to go after what she wanted. The scene at the police station was
fantastic. I loved the conversation with Police Chief Melissa Colton,
especially when she told Evangeline,
"I hope you brought your boxing
gloves" and
"No mercy." Seeing Evangeline push against Troy's
walls was very satisfying, as was seeing those walls crumble. The epilogue was fantastic.
The suspense of the story was excellent. From the moment Evangeline
started feeling like she was being watched, the question became by who, and why?
With the serial killer still on the loose, could he be coming after the person
who prosecuted him? Could it be Randall Bowe, the CSI chief who is still on the
run? I ached for Evangeline because she reported attacks so many times, yet
the evidence disappeared before the cops arrived. Though Troy believed her,
other members of the force did not, and that created some tension between Troy
and the others. I loved when they got a crucial bit of evidence and ran with
it. But the person behind it all was desperate, and the final confrontation was
a nail-biter.
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