Grizzly Creek Standoff - Cindi Myers (HI #2064 - Apr 2022)

Series: Eagle Mountain: Search for Suspects (Book 4)

When her daughter's threatened…she fights back.
 
When police deputy Ronin Doyle happens upon stunning Courtney Baker, he can't shake the feeling that something's not right. And as the lawman's engulfed by an investigation that rocks their serene community, more and more he's convinced that Courtney's boyfriend has swept her -- and her beloved daughter -- into something sinister. If Ronin's hunch is right, he must help Courtney before it's too late for them all…
 
Terrific conclusion to the series. This is the story of Courtney Baker, Lauren Baker's sister-in-law, and the subject of a missing person search in the first book of the series (Disappearance at Dakota Ridge). She ran off with Trey Allerton, a man who claimed to be friends with her late husband, and talked about building a ranch to help disadvantaged kids. Over the first three books of the series, we saw increasingly suspicious activity from Trey and worrisome events involving Courtney.
 
As this book starts, Courtney realizes that Trey is not the man she thinks he is. She attempts an escape but is caught by Trey. He threatens to harm her daughter Ashlyn if she tries to leave him again. Right after he makes these threats, Deputy Ronin Doyle stops to check on her because the situation looks suspicious. With Trey's threats fresh in her mind, Courtney tells him everything is fine. Ronin doesn't buy it, but there's nothing he can do right now.
 
I ached for Courtney, who came so close to breaking free from Trey, only to find her life become even more difficult. But she now desires to try again, and when Trey slaps Ashlyn, she has the motivation to do so. Her desire to learn some of the things he's kept hidden from her leads her to discover some gold bars he's hidden away, and she takes a few for later use. When he finds the hidden bars and the papers she concealed, Trey drags them off and locks them in an abandoned mine. She's terrified they'll die there until help comes from an unexpected source.
 
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Courtney and Ronin. Ronin couldn't forget Courtney even though she was "taken." His instinct that something was off also kept her on his mind and caused him to stop by her trailer several times. Courtney was drawn by his kindness and the compassion she saw in his eyes. She kicked herself after each visit for not having the courage to ask for help, but her fear was too great. I loved when Ronin took her the photography book and its effect on her. Their feelings had a greater chance to grow after the rescue at the mine allowed them to spend more time together. I loved the realism at the end, where Courtney and Ronin make an intelligent decision about their relationship.
 
The suspense of the story was complex, with several layers. First was the situation with Courtney and the increasingly abusive Trey. I was invested in seeing how she was going to escape. The second was the ongoing question of the youth ranch and whether it was real or a scam. All indications during the series said "scam," but there were a few instances where it seemed legit. Then there was the addition of a detective from a nearby town who is looking for youth-related drug activity. The elusive Bart Smith remains a person of interest in that search. Detective Fletcher also seems inordinately interested in Trey. The storylines come together in an intense confrontation that had me glued to the pages until it was all over.

Missing at Full Moon Mine - Cindi Myers (HI #2058 - Mar 2022)

Series: Eagle Mountain: Search for Suspects (Book 3)

The mountains may hold the answers
But it's a dangerous climb.
 
Deputy Wes Landry knows he shouldn't get emotionally involved with his assignments. But a missing person case has drawn him strongly to Rebecca Whitlow. Desperate to find her nephew, she's worried the rock climber has gotten lost…or worse. Wes's investigation has him convinced Rebecca is right. Something dangerous is happening at Full Moon Mine -- and they're about to get caught in the thick of it.
 
Terrific book. The suspense starts immediately, as Rebecca arrives at the sheriff's office to report that her nephew is missing. Cash is a nineteen-year-old young man who decided to put his energies toward a career in climbing after dealing with addiction for several years. To do that, he moved from California to Eagle Mountain to live with his aunt. When he doesn't come home one night and doesn't answer texts or calls, she worries that something happened to him. Deputy Wes Landry takes her report.
 
I loved that Wes took Rebecca's fears seriously and didn't write off Cash as an irresponsible teen. He follows up on the information she gave him and what he learns leads him to believe she is correct. I also liked how he included Rebecca in his investigation, realizing that Cash's friends are more likely to talk to her than "the law." Wes's willingness to work with her makes it easier for her to trust him.
 
The story immediately sucked me in. The more that Wes and Rebecca learned, the more worried they became about Cash and his safety. None of his climbing friends have seen or heard from him. Who is the angry, threatening man looking for him, and why was he in disguise? Who is the mysterious rancher named Bart Smith, and why is he so secretive? Why is Trey Allerton so interested in Cash's disappearance? And has Mr. Kramer, the paranoid miner at Full Moon Mine, seen Cash? The tension ramps up when Wes and Rebecca, continuing their boots-on-the-ground search for Cash, come under fire. An unexpected encounter answers some of their questions but opens up more. I was on the edge of my seat during this confrontation, wondering who was behind it and how they would get out of it. I wasn't too surprised by the shooter's identity, but there were still some unanswered questions.
 
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Wes and Rebecca. The sparks between them were evident from the start, but Wes hesitated to get involved with someone linked to his investigation. He'd done that once before, and it didn't turn out well. I liked seeing them get to know each other while their attraction grew stronger. The amount of time they spent together, combined with its intensity, accelerated the pace of their involvement. I loved the ending and seeing their plans for the future.
 
The series arc of Trey Allerton and his proposed youth ranch continued to develop. His apparent use of Courtney's daughter Ashlyn to control Courtney is disturbing, as is the way he takes her along on his "business" trips. His lack of visible progress on the project is suspicious, and many people wonder what kind of con he is running. Trey's interest in Cash's disappearance and his unpleasant insinuations about Cash and his whereabouts seems especially suspicious. I can't wait for the next book to see what will happen.

Conspiracy in the Rockies - Cindi Myers (HI #2050 - Feb 2022)

Series: Eagle Mountain: Search for Suspects (Book 2)

Her father's death has rocked their small Colorado town
And she's convinced it's connected to a larger conspiracy…
 
The grisly death of a prominent rancher stuns a Colorado community and plunges Deputy Chris Delray into a murder investigation. Willow Russell, the victim's fiery daughter, is determined to help him catch the killer. To keep her close -- and safe -- Chris agrees to work together to discover her father's enemies. But when Willow becomes a target, Chris suspects her conspiracy theory might be right -- and larger than they ever imagined...
 
Terrific book. The suspense started quickly with discovering Sam Russell's body in an irrigation ditch. Deputy Chris Delray is in charge of water rights enforcement, including the ditches, and is called in on the case. As he checks out the crime scene, Sam's daughter Willow arrives, looking for her dad. Her shock at his death is evident, as is her determination to bring whoever is responsible to justice.
 
Though initially considered a possible suspect, it soon becomes apparent to Chris that Willow is innocent. I loved seeing them team up to find the killer. Though Sam was well-liked and respected, he did have a few contentious run-ins with people. The question is, did any of those encounters lead to murder? Then there was the question of who would benefit from Sam's death? As far as Willow knows, she is Sam's only heir, and she didn't kill him. She gets an unpleasant surprise when Sam's ex-wife and her son show up, claiming to have a newer will leaving Emmett half the ranch. Complicating things even more, Trey Allerton claims that with Sam's death, the land he's leasing drops to a fee of one dollar per year. Finishing off the list is ranch hand Von King, a surly ex-con who gives Willow the creeps. These people have the means and motivation to kill Sam, and it's up to Chris and Willow to figure it out.
 
The developing relationship between Willow and Chris blended well with the story's suspense. The more time they spent together searching for clues, the closer they grew. I liked how Chris appreciated Willow's intelligence and strength as she dealt with the complications caused by Sam's death. Willow prides herself on that independence and also appreciates Chris's protectiveness as strange things happen on the ranch. They also didn't shy away from their growing attraction, which only emphasized their deepening feelings for each other.
 
The intensity increased as Chris and Willow closed in on the killer's identity. I was glued to the pages during the final confrontation as they faced the killer. I ached for Willow as she learned why her father lost his life. It looked like the killer had the upper hand for a while, and I wasn't sure how they'd get out of it. I loved how it worked out.
 
The epilogue was terrific as all of the loose ends got tied up. I liked Willow's decision about the ranch and how it made her feel. I could feel Chris's worry as he wondered about her plans and what it would mean for them. I loved how she answered his question, and his reaction was fantastic. I look forward to seeing more of them in later books.
 
I always enjoy seeing characters from previous books show up as secondaries. It's an easy way to catch up on what's happening with them after being invested in their stories. There is some mention of the ongoing story arc of Trey Allerton, Courtney Baker, and the youth ranch Trey is supposedly building. He's still too slick to be trusted, and his hold on Courtney is disturbing. I look forward to seeing how that storyline works out.