Dark Whispers - Debra Webb (HI #1660 - Sept 2016)

Series: Faces of Evil (Book 12)

Former homicide detective Clint Hayes has his first client as a private investigator: a fragile beauty he isn't sure he can trust. An injury has left Natalie Drummond with gaps in her memory, and she sees and hears things that aren't there. But she's sure she shot an intruder in her Birmingham mansion. So where's the body, the gun, the evidence? When it's clear someone is trying to kill his vulnerable client, Clint appoints himself her protector, working overtime not to fall for her. But someone is dead set that Natalie never regains her memories -- or makes new ones with Clint.

Good book. I haven't read any of the previous Faces of Evil books, but there was enough background information that I wasn't lost. Clint is part of a new PI firm, and his first case involves a woman who appears to have some mental issues. Two years earlier, Natalie had suffered a fall in her home, leaving her with a traumatic brain injury. She has mostly recovered, but she has some large gaps in her memory and may also be hallucinating. She is certain that she shot an intruder in her home, but there's no body, no gun, and the police don't believe her. So she has come to Clint for help.

Though a little skeptical at first, Clint is soon convinced that, not only did she shoot someone, there is something deeper going on. When someone tries to kill her by tampering with her car, Clint's protective instincts are roused and he is determined to keep her safe. The only problem he has is in not falling for her while he does it.

I liked the relationship that grew between them. Clint is protective, but also very admiring of how far she has come in her recovery from her injury. Unlike her family members and coworkers, he believes that she is far more capable than she thinks she is. The admiration turns deeper as his attraction to her also grows, but he believes that he is no good for her. Natalie believes that any relationship is out of the question for her because of her memory issues and other effects of her fall. But Clint's unwavering belief in her story and in her recovery have her dreaming of what could be. She's been fighting hard for her independence, but she finds it easy to lean on Clint for support. Though he tries to tell her that her feelings are a result of what is happening, she knows it's much more. I loved the ending as she goes after what she wants. 

The suspense was really good. Natalie's fears about the voices she was hearing were very real, as was her confusion over the events of the shooting. I loved the fact that Clint believed her. Trying to find out the truth was made more difficult by Natalie's memory loss. As they uncovered little bits of information, the puzzle became a little clearer, but there were still gaps. There were a couple people who looked like they were the most likely suspects. Natalie was determined to go to any lengths to unlock her memories, and once she did the race was on to get the evidence she needed. The final confrontation was intense with a player I didn't expect showing up.