A serial killer. A deadly vendetta. And Christmas is just
beginning…
Sheriff Mac McKnight has his reasons for hating
Christmas. But when a serial killer targets Mac's sleepy Kansas town, the
holidays quickly go from dreaded to deadly. Now he's relying on the insight of
newly deputized Callie Stevens to track down the killer. Only, Mac's in danger
of falling for his cheery blonde coworker -- who just happens to match the
profile of the killer's Christmas victims…
Good combination of suspense and romance. After a family
tragedy, Callie moved back to her hometown and now works as a dispatcher for
the sheriff's department. She has a degree in criminal justice and wants to
become a deputy. Mac has been sheriff for seven years. He's well-liked and
respected by the townspeople and by his deputies.
The story gets off to a quick start when Callie takes a
call from someone claiming to have left a dead body in front of the post office.
Having just finished her shift, Callie asks Mac to let her come along on the
call "for experience," and Mac agrees. He's not sure he's done the
right thing, but Callie's insights prove invaluable. The murder is gruesome in
its apparent rage and disturbingly weird by the presence of a bird in the
victim's mouth. Though Mac fervently hopes that this is a one-off, he has a bad
feeling that it isn't.
The suspense is intense and Mac and Callie, along with
the other deputies, look for clues that will lead to the capture of a serial
killer. They have three top suspects: Roger, a man who has dated at least two
of the victims; Nathan, a local handyman seen near where each victim was found;
and Ben, a man with deep paranoia about evil spirits. Then there is the puzzle
of why each victim also had birds of some kind with them. Mac and Callie
believe that they'll have their best chance to identify the killer if they can
figure that out. I must admit, I was surprised it took them that long to figure
it out. I suspected the link with the first murder and was sure of it on the
second. The "who and why" remained a mystery. The tension ramped up
with each murder, and I could feel Mac's frustration. I was glued to the pages
when the killer snatched his next victim, wondering how Callie would get out of
it. Her fear leaped off the page as she believed death was inevitable yet still
tried to talk the killer out of his plans for her. I ached for Mac when he
realized that Callie was missing and likely taken by the killer. The final
confrontation was a nail-biter as Mac and the others raced to find her in time.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mac
and Callie. In the two years she'd worked for him, Callie had a significant
crush that turned into love. She is an observant, empathetic, and warm-hearted
woman, and she senses a deep sadness in him. This is especially noticeable
around the holidays, and she is determined to bring the holiday spirit back
into his life. Mac has been aware of Callie since the beginning but buries
those feelings. His past has made him believe that he is unlovable, and he
refuses to risk giving his heart again. However, he hasn't counted on Callie's
loving nature and belief in him. I enjoyed seeing her chip away at his walls,
but he is a hard nut to crack. I ached for both as his fears came between them.
Luckily, at least some of the things Callie told him got past his walls, and in
an emotional Christmas Eve visit, Mac gave up his fear, and Callie got her
Christmas wish.
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