⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? For sure. A thrilling police procedural that had me at the edge of my seat and guessing right until the end.

Detective Nicole Lawson is fed up with her job and nonexistent love life. Her first date in months gets cut short by an urgent call from the chief of police. A body has been discovered at Lighthouse Point, and the medical examiner finds an array of strange clues. When the death is ruled a homicide, the news quickly reverberates through Nicole’s beachside hometown.

The Lost Beach police department swings into high gear. Leading the investigation is Emmet Davis, a veteran detective who is Nicole’s fiercest rival at work and also the man she has secretly harbored feelings toward for years. With Emmet calling the shots, Nicole sets out to search for leads, starting with the enigmatic yoga instructor who first discovered the body. Nicole is certain the witness knows more than she’s revealing and may even hold the key to unlocking the case.

When another person turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Nicole sees a bizarre pattern, but no one believes her theory. Under the gun to solve the case, Nicole must put aside her tumultuous feelings and work closely with Emmet to figure out who is targeting her beloved hometown… before she becomes a target herself.

MY THOUGHTS

From the moment Cassandra discovered the body of her friend, we were skillfully kept in the dark with just enough crumbs to make us realize that Cassandra was involved, but not knowing how. The story unfolded at a fast pace, with the police scrambling to make sense of the scant evidence in their possession. The unsettling suspense drew me in and I sacrificed a lot of sleep to finish this, I just couldn’t put it down.

Nicole and Emmet were both very likable characters, but very reserved. And despite a decade long crush, neither were prepared to cross that line. The connection between them was pretty obvious and strong, and it pushed and pulled at them until they couldn’t keep it contained anymore. I loved how they resolved their workplace/relationship conflict at the end.

I can highly recommend this entire series if you like romantic suspense. This book stands well on its own, but don’t miss out on the others.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Romance, Suspense
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Texas Murder Files