Carol Ericson

Good story that had me hooked from beginning to end. Aria is the newest member of the Tactical Crime Division team and arrived just in time to participate in their most recent case. Young women have turned up dead, each bearing identical IDs. In a strange turn of events, a baby was found with the most recent victim. While investigating that murder, Aria learns of a missing person report filed for a woman and her baby. This puts Aria in contact with the woman's brother, Grayson.

Grayson is show more worried about his half-sister, Chloe, and her son, Danny. They never showed up for Thanksgiving dinner. Chloe may be an addict, but when she makes a promise, she keeps it. The last time he talked to her, she mentioned Port Huron, so he is now pretending to be a dockworker and hopes to learn something about her disappearance.

I liked both Aria and Grayson. Aria is very good at what she does. She began her career as a Detroit street cop and did some undercover work before the TCD recruited her. She has excellent instincts, and though she was a little nervous at first, she fit in with the team very quickly. Grayson is a successful businessman who loves his younger sister. He blames himself somewhat for Chloe's problems and is determined to do whatever he must to find her and Danny.

I liked the first meeting between Aria and Grayson. There was no doubt about the immediate connection between them, though Aria was careful to be professional. I ached for Gray when he was so hopeful that she was in jail, only to find out that she was dead. The scene at the morgue was heartbreaking, and Gray's determination to find her killer was understandable. As Gray carried out his plans and Aria worked the FBI side, they spent more time together. The sparks between them continued to grow, sometimes at inconvenient moments. Aria tries to resist, aware that her job makes relationships difficult, but she can't deny her growing feelings for him. It was interesting to see Gray interact with Aria. He knows that she is a fully capable FBI agent, but his innate protectiveness makes him worry over her safety. He tried her patience a few times with that protectiveness until one event brought the reality into focus for him. I loved the ending and seeing how Gray and Aria took a realistic look at their prospects for the future. I hope to see them in future books and catch up on their romance.

The suspense of the story was excellent. From the moment of Chloe's shooting to the end of the book, I was hooked on the story. I loved seeing each of the TCD agents put their unique talents to work to solve the case. Aria's instincts in thinking outside the box were excellent, and she arrived at some interesting conclusions. I understood her skepticism over Gray's "undercover" intentions, but she quickly learned that his instincts were also good. As Gray's actions led to an arrest, the intensity steadily increased, and more information came to light. The search for the "kingpin" took an unexpected twist, and the final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

I enjoyed meeting the other members of the team and look forward to reading their stories. Max and Alex both have fascinating histories, and I am intrigued by the relationship between the two sisters, Ophelia and Selena. There was a heartbreaking scene with Aria and the team's leader, Alana, that made the book's theme even more poignant. show less

Good start to the new series. As the opener in a four-book set, this story is more mystery than romance, but it works well. A serial killer is loose in LA, and Jake is assigned as head of the task force investigating it. One of the task force members is Kyra, a psychologist specializing in victim advocacy. Jake doesn't like VAs after one used what she learned from him to get a criminal a lighter sentence. He doesn't like Kyra being there, but he'll deal with it.

Kyra isn't too happy about show more working with Jake, but she'll do anything to be on this task force. The killer exhibits all the traits of a copycat killer, aping the moves of the twenty-year-old cold case of The Player. Kyra has a personal interest in this case because her mother was one of the original killer's victims, not that she's told anyone about it.

Neither Kyra nor Jake trusts the other at the beginning of the book. They danced around, each trying to protect themselves, until discovering that they make a pretty good team. There are a couple of rough spots as secrets come out, most notably when Jake connects Kyra to her mother and an issue with her foster brother. Jake's growing protectiveness for Kyra surprises him, while Kyra discovers unexpected depths to Jake. I enjoyed seeing them learn to trust each other and the slow easing of the tension between them. There were only faint hints of interest until the end and Jake's relief at arriving in time to save Kyra. The epilogue was sweet with their moment in the sunset and the hope for more.

The suspense of the story was great. The prologue opened with the killer and his point of view, giving a glimpse of the disturbed mind the task force had to deal with. The amount of legwork and detail the task force had to handle fascinated me as they attempted to make connections between the killer and his victims. I liked how Jake involved the detective from the original case and the twist connected to Kyra. Kyra's work with the families and friends of the victims had a significant impact on the investigation. Several unexpected turns kept me guessing until the end. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. And just when you think it's safe, a shocking phone call shows it isn't.

Though Jake and Kyra are the main focus, I also enjoyed the secondary characters. The retired detective from the original case, Quinn, was an interesting man. It was easy to see that the unsolved case of The Player still haunted him and made him willing to help Jake with the current case. I loved his connection with Kyra and the obvious affection they had for each other. I hope we'll see more of him in the other books. I also liked Jake's partner, Billy. He's quite a character with his fancy suits and big personality. He's also quite a ladies' man, which is a little disturbing because he's married, though separated (again). I had to laugh over his interactions with both Jake and Kyra regarding her friend (and reporter) Megan.

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Terrific start to a new series, with a gripping mystery and a second chance romance. The story opens as Hannah, a forensic psychologist, is working with a small boy whose mother was murdered. Complicating matters, the dead woman once accused Hannah's high school boyfriend of rape, sending him to prison. Jed has since been exonerated and is back on the island but is once again a prime suspect.

I liked that Hannah never believed Jed was guilty, but her sheriff father disapproved of their show more relationship and did everything possible to break them up. Things are a bit tense between Hannah and Jed when they first meet again, thanks to confusion about letters never received. When a second single mother is murdered, Jed gets a request from his friend, the woman's brother, to investigate. Because Jed has a private investigator's license, he doesn't have to play by the same rules as law enforcement. This includes inviting Hannah to work with him on the investigation.

The suspense of this story had me hooked from the beginning. I felt Jed and Hannah's frustration as their initial leads seemed to hit dead ends. They didn't let that stop them, and before long, they started to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated clues. One lead sent them to a deserted house that had been the site of a horrific murder-suicide. Their belief in its importance was confirmed when someone tried to kill them. I was glued to the pages as they closed in on the identity of the killer. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with a reveal that I never expected.

I enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Hannah and Jed. They have a few trust issues to overcome in the beginning, not the least of which is her father's role in Jed's conviction. But Hannah's unwavering belief in Jed's innocence goes a long way toward solving that problem. Working together brings them closer, and the old sparks of attraction quickly reignite. I loved Jed's protectiveness when Hannah was targeted. I also liked that no last-minute misunderstanding drove them apart, just Jed rescuing her from a killer. I liked the ending and seeing them plan a future together.

Tate and his sister, Astrid, were excellent secondary characters. I liked their belief in Jed and their willingness to help him get his life back on track. Tate is a forest ranger who is helping Jed join the rangers and giving him a place to live until he finishes repairing his old home. Astrid is a single mom with a little boy. She has matchmaking tendencies and enjoys throwing Hannah and Jed together whenever possible. There is a heart-stopping scene where young Olly disappears, and the circumstances are suspicious. The next book in the series is Tate's story, and I can't wait to read it.

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Terrific book. Billy "Cool Breeze" Crouch has been a secondary character in the previous series, Kyra and Jake Investigation, and this series, Lost Girls, as Jake McAllister's partner. Billy comes across as a playboy, is known as a sharp dresser, and can be amusing to be around. He is an excellent detective with the LAPD, and for five years, he has also searched for his missing sister, Sabrina. Then he gets a hint that his sister is alive, and it's off to the races! Billy will take any show more chance to find his sister. Is there a connection to the beautiful woman he keeps running into?

Mia Romano is a US Marshal looking for the witness who walked away from protective custody. Mia has a good idea where she's headed and needs to catch up with her before the criminals pursuing her do. She figures her best bet is to keep an eye on her witness's brother. But when he falls for a red herring, Mia breaks cover to keep him out of trouble.

I loved seeing Billy and Mia together. Their partnership was rough until Billy realized that Mia had a better handle on what was happening and a clearer vision. Though he is an experienced detective, his personal involvement interferes with his usual ability to think objectively. When he stopped thinking like a brother, he and Mia meshed well. The nonstop action and suspense kept me glued to the pages as they dealt with the danger they faced, and the need to find Sabrina intensified. The ending was a nail-biter with a surprising resolution.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Mia and Billy develop. Their chemistry was immediate and intense - not just the attraction but also the connection that drew them together. I loved that Mia understood Billy's feelings about Sabrina and her situation and didn't try to cut him out of the investigation. Billy's respect for Mia's abilities and willingness to listen to her was also a plus for their relationship. Seeing "Cool Breeze" flustered by his attraction to her was fun.

I loved the epilogue. There is the sense that everything is working out for Billy and Mia, and we get a glimpse of Mia with Billy's sons. There is a fun interchange with Jake, who is back from his honeymoon with Kyra, and whose wedding opened the book. I laughed out loud at seeing Sabrina with her nephews and then at Billy's reaction to her upcoming date with one of his coworkers. show less