Header PromotionThe Sheriff of Heartbreak County by Kathleen Creighton (SIM 1400)
Sheriff Roan Harley has been through a lot in life – a few years back his wife was killed and his daughter and father in law scarred for life when someone set fire to their house while Roan was out of town. Now the son of a US Senator (who Roan has always believed to also be his father) has been shot dead and his only suspect is Mary Owen, a newcomer to the town who was seen being harassed by Jason the night before. Mary admits that Jason tried to rape her but was too drunk to do so and willingly turns over her gun and blood samples when questioned, but refuses to give her real name when Roan confronts her about the real “Mary Owen” having been dead for many many years. Mary is in the witness protection program after turning state's witness on her ish-fiance, a drug smuggling mob character, in a previous book. Despite the fact that he doesn't believe she's guilty and her gun not being the one used for the murder, Roan arrests Mary for Jason's murder on the Senator's urging, but she gets out on bail. She and Roan start getting a little closer as he drives her to work each day (her car is impounded as part of the investigation)...and then her cover is blown. Can Roan solve the murders and keep Mary safe at the same time?
This book had an intersting first half – very unconventional, there is almost no attraction/connection between Roan and Mary for that part of the book and instead we see a gradually involving investigation and relationship. Unfortunately that also made the romance part of the romance seem a bit unexplained/rushed for me when they go to tie up the loose ends. I'm a bit confused about police procedure though – Mary is the last known person to see Jason alive and her account could be crucial to the investigation, isn't there some way Roan could order her to talk, as a material witness, rather than having to place her under arrest for the murder itself? Anyway, I also would've liked to see more about Mary's past as a model before the witness protection thing, sounds like she had an interesting life. One thing that drove me crazy, however, was the way the author peppered the story with Mary's flashbacks to when she was involved with the mob/being put in the protection program – these flashbacks were written in first person and would last several paragraphs – a very jarring style change I didn't enjoy. All in all this book was well done however.
Add new comment
