Series: Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch (Book 9)
After returning home to investigate a brutal murder,
Detective Landon Ryland is shocked to learn the body was discovered in the home
of Tessa Sinclair, a woman he once knew intimately. Seeing Tessa again is like
a jolt to his heart. Too bad the beautiful brunette has no idea who she is --
or why she's cradling a newborn. With evidence pointing toward Tessa and the
baby being next on the killer's hit list, Landon refuses to leave their safety
in anyone else's hands. Or admit that losing them would permanently destroy the
future he secretly envisioned.
An exciting return to Silver Creek. Landon has given up
his job in the city police department to return home to Silver Creek and become
part of the sheriff's department there. He wants to help find out who murdered
one of his cousins, leaving a note on the body that "this one's for you,
Landon". A prime suspect is Tessa Sinclair, in whose house the body was
found, and who is currently missing. Not something he wants to hear about a
woman he had gotten very close to.
Leaving Emmet's funeral, Landon discovers an abandoned
barn on fire, and Tessa's unconscious body inside. He barely gets her out in
time, only to find that she is also holding a newborn baby. Stunned to see her
and a baby, Landon has questions for her that Tessa is unable to answer.
When Tessa regains consciousness she has no idea who she
is, where she is, or what has happened to her. After a trip to the hospital, a
blow to the head and a body full of drugs explains how, but not why. Her memory
begins to return, but there are holes in it.
From here begins a wild ride of a story. Someone shoots at Landon and Tessa before they
even leave the hospital, and again at the sheriff's office. As Tessa remembers
more, she tells Landon that she had been looking for proof that her boss was
involved in something crooked. There's a federal agent she's been working with
who she isn't sure is on the up-and-up. She is also caring for the infant daughter of
a friend, who is running from an abusive ex. For his part, Landon has the
murder of his cousin, which appears to be tied to him. And the belief that one
of his former arrests, now out on parole, is responsible for it. The question
becomes, are the two cases linked somehow?
It seems that Landon and Tessa can barely catch a break.
Attacks on them come fast and furious as they try to find out who is trying to
kill her. And what does baby Samantha have to do with any of it? There are
multiple persons of interest, leading to great confusion over just what is
going on. There is Joel, Tessa's former boss, who may be guilty of anything
from drug trafficking to murder. There is Quincy, the felon that Landon locked
up, who is now free on parole. He was injured in a prison fight and is confined
to a wheelchair, but that hasn't improved his attitude any. Then Ward, who is
supposed to be one of the good guys, but seems awfully intent on putting the
blame on Tessa. And who is Courtney, and who is really little Samantha's
father? The final confrontation was intense, with enough twists and turns to
make me dizzy. I wasn't sure from one minute to the next who was really
responsible, though I did have my suspicions.
Throughout it all, the attraction they felt before
continues to grow. Landon isn't happy about it because he's not so sure she can
be trusted, at least at first. He's also too intent on his investigation to
want a relationship. Tessa knows she can trust him (at least after the drugs
have worn off) but believes that she is putting him in danger. I loved seeing them try to protect each other
as things blew up around them, and their feelings grow in spite of the danger. Tessa
admits to her feelings first, but it's Landon's realization, and his cousins'
reactions and comments that I liked most. I loved the ending.
I loved seeing all the Rylands together as they worked to
solve the case. It seemed like old times, right down to Mason's grumpiness and
Grayson's leadership.
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