And one wants her dead…
Terrific book. I've been looking forward to Chelsea's
story since her appearance in the previous book (K-9 Patrol). She is the quiet
computer geek who works her magic in the background, providing critical
information that helps solve crimes. For the past few months, Chelsea has been
helping retired cop Buck Buckner search for his missing son during her free
time. She gets suspicious when her investigations suddenly show Bobby's DNA
appearing at multiple crime scenes, and that's when her life becomes very complicated.
Buck's son disappeared four years earlier, shortly after
he turned eighteen. Buck blames himself and hasn't given up searching for him. He
appreciates Chelsea's help and cherishes their friendship. He is also very
protective of her and steps in when she starts receiving threats.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between
Chelsea and Buck. Chelsea is an introvert who, thanks to a sexual assault when
she was a teen, avoids most men. A problem with her previous employer added to
that issue. Since beginning to help Buck eleven months earlier, he is the only
man she feels safe around. Their friendship is important to her, so she has
done nothing about her growing feelings for him. Buck has always found Chelsea sweet,
and her quirks are endearing. So why is he suddenly seeing her as a sexy woman?
Between the difference in their ages and his refusal to believe that he
deserves anyone's love, Buck is determined to ignore those changing feelings.
I loved the opening scene. Chelsea's rambling call to Buck
when she finds information about Bobby is amusing, and Buck's reaction to where
she is speaks to his growing feelings for her. As they worked together to unravel
the mystery surrounding Bobby's disappearance and the threats against her, I enjoyed
seeing them take care of each other. Chelsea watches over Buck like no other
ever has, and Buck not only protects Chelsea from danger but also shows her
that he likes her just as she is. Because Chelsea was aware of her feelings
long before Buck, she frequently felt frustrated by how he treated her, but she
also didn't want to risk their friendship by pushing for more. It took patience
for her to finally break through Buck's resistance.
It took a while for Buck to accept that Chelsea's
feelings were not gratitude for his protection. He doesn't have much confidence
in his ability to give her the love she needs. I loved his gentleness with her
and his understanding of her past and how it influences her actions now. He
fights hard against his feelings but ultimately has to admit they belong
together.
The suspense of the story was great. It started with Chelsea's
ongoing search for Buck's son and how his DNA began appearing at crime scenes.
Right after that discovery, she received a message to stop what she was doing,
and someone shot at her. If Buck hadn't been with her, she would have been
killed. Chelsea becomes suspicious about the sudden spate of DNA matches and
becomes the target of an online stalker. I could feel her frustration at the
stalker's constant harassment and her suspicion that he was involved with the
DNA manipulation. I loved watching her work to stop him and identify him. The tension
ramped up as she got closer to doing so. The final confrontation was intense
and well done, with a believable climax.
The other part of the story is the search for Buck's son.
I loved watching Chelsea's efforts to cut through the layers of concealment to
find the truth. Buck's determination to make things right with Bobby was
heartwarming, and I loved how he refused to give up. There were some
interesting twists in the search. The ending was great. I especially enjoyed
seeing Chelsea have to break through Buck's protectiveness to see the truth
staring him in the face.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 
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