Trial in the Backwoods - Maggie Wells (HI #2029 - Oct 2021)

Series: Raising the Bar Brief (Book 3) 

A small-town DA faces a deadly threat.
And fatherhood.
 
Thanks to the upcoming trial of a millionaire trafficking drugs and humans, Masters County district attorney Harrison Hayes finds himself the target of escalating attacks. So when the woman who once shared his bed blows back into town, claiming to be pregnant with his baby, Harry doesn't want her anywhere near a situation that's becoming deadlier by the day. But impending motherhood won't stop DEA special agent Alicia Simmons from springing into action. As the former lovers join forces, they confront danger from all sides -- and an imminent threat that could take them both down.
 
Good book. Harry Hayes, district attorney, and Alicia Simmons, DEA agent, celebrated the capture of drug and human trafficker Samuel Coulter in an up close and personal way. A few weeks later, Alicia showed up at Harry's house to let him know that she was pregnant. She never expected to have children, so she is happy despite the circumstances. Once he recovers from the shock, Harry is surprised to find himself looking forward to the prospect of being a father.
 
Both Alicia and Harry are good at their jobs. Unfortunately, Alicia proved to be too good at it, placing her in the crosshairs of a jealous coworker who then became her boss. He relegated her to desk duty, so she found a way to go back to Pine Bluff to follow up on the Coulter case and see Harry while she was there. Just as she was ready to leave, someone started shooting at Harry's house. As the DA who filed the charges against Coulter, Harry became the target of Coulter's supporters, who wanted the charges dropped. Harry refuses to be intimidated and goes on about his business.
 
The situation Harry and Alicia find themselves in is quite challenging. Both believe strongly in what they do. Alicia knows what she's doing and doesn't shrink from danger but tends to forget that it isn't just her anymore. Harry wants to protect her, but she fights it all the way. Alicia moves in with Harry while she's in town, both as protection for each other and as a chance to get to know each other better as they head toward parenthood. Alicia, a city girl, has some trouble adjusting to small-town life where everyone knows your business. I enjoyed seeing Marlee and Lori from the first two books take her under their wings. As the feelings between Harry and Alicia grow stronger, both have to look at what they want in their futures. I loved the ending and seeing what they decided.
 
The suspense of the story was terrific. The tactics employed against Harry were mainly nuisance things at first - broken lights, keyed car, flattened tires. But the closer it came to trial time, the more the incidents escalated. Even though a federal prosecutor would prosecute the case, Harry was still the focus. With the escalation, Alicia, Harry, and the sheriff became more determined to find out who was behind it. The more they investigated, the more it became clear that there was more behind it than some disgruntled locals. I liked seeing Alicia, Lori, and Marlee team up to do some investigating through the women of the town. I laughed at Alicia's reaction to the methods, though she admitted that they were quite effective. The final confrontation was intense and not only brought the perpetrator into custody but also made Alicia and Harry realize the depth of their feelings for each other.