Series:
Big Sky Justice (Book 1)
To catch a killer
…will she risk a life?
When a childhood friend and her family are killed on
their Montana ranch, Detective Luna Griffin finds it especially gut-wrenching.
To solve the case, she must work with the victim's brother, Benjamin, who'll do
anything to get justice for his sister. But the by-the-book cop must bend the
rules while not falling for the ex-Marine. Until one bullet -- and long-buried
secrets -- threatens everything…
Terrific book that sucked me in from the first pages and
kept me hooked to the end. It all started when police detective Luna did a
wellness check at her childhood friend Charlotte's house, only to discover that
Charlotte and her entire family had been brutally murdered. She is grief-stricken
at the loss of her friend, feels guilty that they had drifted apart, and is
determined to find the person guilty of the heinous crime. The last thing she
needs is for Charlotte's brother, Ben, to interfere in her investigation.
Ben and Charlotte's childhoods were miserable, and he
left town as soon as possible, rarely returning. He feels even more guilty now
that there is nothing he can do to repair his relationship with his sister. All
he wants is for the killer to be brought to justice, and he has no confidence
that the local police are up to the job.
The first meeting between Ben and Luna was rough. Both
are attempting to deal with their grief over Charlotte's death, and Ben's
accusations of incompetence don't go over well. Luna realizes it is better to
have Ben working with her than going off on his own. Neither expected or wanted
the sparks of attraction that flared between them. I enjoyed how they connected
over their shared grief and determination to catch the killer. They try to
resist their growing feelings for each other. Luna feels guilty about being
happy with her dead friend's brother. Additionally, Ben has no desire to live
in Cottonwood again, and Luna's roots run deep there. There is a lot to
overcome if they are going to find a way to be together.
The suspense of the story was great. I was glued to the
pages from the discovery of the bodies to the end of the book. I felt Luna and
Ben's frustration at the lack of clues. Those they did find were rife with contradictions
that made it difficult to discern the truth. A twist at the end and an
unexpected connection finally set Luna and Ben on the right track. A tragic
confrontation and its aftermath answered some questions but left others hanging,
likely to be addressed in subsequent books.
There is a secondary mystery happening that involves Luna
and her sisters. Their biological parents died in an explosion that is now
raising questions in the girls' minds. The book ended with them having no
answers. I expect that this will continue to be a theme in this series.
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