Killer in the Storm - Rachel Lee (HI #2181 - Dec 2023)

Series: Conard County (Book 73)
 
She's usually the protector
Will she accept his protection?
 
A whiteout blizzard leaves Deputy Artie Jackson no choice but to take Boyd Connor into her home. Maybe getting this stoic combat veteran to talk about his demons will distract her from her own. Their halting trust in each other takes on a new urgency when Artie starts getting threats against her life. As they search for her stalkers, will they find their way to each other?
 
Good book that kept my interest more for the characters than the suspense. Artie is a sheriff's deputy who, as the book opens, has just handled a brutal domestic violence call that has left her questioning her actions. On the way home, she spots a man walking along the road. With a significant blizzard bearing down on the county, she knows she can't leave him to the elements.
 
Boyd is former military, walking across the country to deal with his demons. Not only does he have PTSD, he is having problems with his ex-wife's refusal to allow him to see his daughter. He's not exactly enthusiastic about going with Artie but gives in to avoid trouble. With the motel full, Boyd accepts her offer to sleep on her sofa.
 
Artie is highly independent. It is just her and her dad, who is suffering from the beginnings of Alzheimer's. I know she was trying to deal with the trauma of her DV call, but I thought she was rude to Boyd. That independence continues, even when she begins receiving threatening phone calls. First, she blows them off as pranks, but when they escalate, she doesn't report them to the sheriff, believing she can handle them on her own.
 
Boyd has his own issues, but that doesn't keep him from being polite to her dad or behaving as a model guest. He senses Artie's turmoil and will listen if she wants to talk. The phone calls aroused his protective instincts, and he became invested in her safety.
 
I liked seeing their relationship develop. Artie begins to relax a little in Boyd's company and loses a little of her hard edges. I liked seeing them get to know each other and become comfortable with sharing their problems. Artie helped Boyd focus on his issues with his ex-wife and find a way to solve his problem. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them and weren't sure what would come of them. I liked how it turned out and look forward to seeing more of them in future books.
 
The suspense was good but could have been more intense. Artie receives threatening phone calls, and the reader sees their source. The two men behind them are not the sharpest tools in the shed, and their thought processes are not very logical. They have a friend who unsuccessfully attempts to talk sense into them. I could feel Artie and Boyd's tension about the calls and their worry about how the threats could impact others. I liked Boyd's protectiveness and determination in providing backup for Artie. The resolution was well done and amusing.