Her first big case…
Could be her last.
When former big-city cop Ava Callan stumbles upon a bomb,
she seizes the chance to prove herself. Not only to the small-town police
department where she's transitioning to become a K-9 handler…but especially to
charming lead investigator Eli Thorne. The only thing more explosive than her
chemistry with the out-of-town captain? The danger menacing them at every turn…
Terrific book that kept me hooked from beginning to end.
After a personal tragedy back in Chicago, Ava came to Jasper for a new start,
but she still feels like an outsider after six months. As the only K-9 handler,
she's having trouble connecting with her fellow officers, and the small town
also feels closed off. That begins to change when she and her dog Lacey stumble
upon a bomb while doing a wellness check.
Jasper doesn't have its own explosives expert, so they
request help from a nearby town. Eli Thorne comes to Jasper to take the lead on
the investigation. He's wary when Ava is assigned to the team investigating because
of her aloofness. He's used to being able to charm anyone he meets into working
with him, but Ava seems impervious. As they work together on the investigation,
Eli breaks through some of Ava's reserve, and they discover that they work well
together.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ava
and Eli. Though initially cool to each other, their excellent work rapport
quickly thaws the ice between them and exposes a simmering attraction. As much
as they like the heated kisses they share, they also realize pursuing their
attraction could be a dangerous distraction from their investigation. Ava is
cautious because of being burned in a previous relationship with a coworker. I
loved how Eli made it clear that he wasn't rejecting what was happening, simply
postponing his pursuit until the case was over. I loved seeing them grow closer
and Ava becoming comfortable enough to share her past with Eli. I liked how he worked
to show her that she belongs in Jasper after an unexpected call from Chicago
has her thinking about returning. I especially enjoyed seeing Ava's pleasure
when Eli's prediction came true, and she finally started to feel part of the
community. I loved the ending and seeing them take a chance on the future.
The suspense of the story was excellent. Eli, Ava, and
the rest of the team know that their time is limited if they are going to find
the bomber before it's too late. I could feel their frustration at their lack
of progress, especially once they identified a person of interest. Matters
became complicated as they questioned some of their conclusions following a
bombing. An unexpected twist exposed the truth and left Eli and Ava scrambling
to stop a potential disaster. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as he
raced to defuse a bomb while Ava faced the bomber. I can't wait to read the
rest of the series.
Could be her last.
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