Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book full of twists and turns. Five years earlier, Alanna and several other children were rescued from the "parents" who kidnapped them and raised them in a small Alaska town (K-9 Defense). Though happy to be reunited with her real family, Alanna continues to have conflicted feelings about the woman who raised her. When she hears that Darcy escaped prison and kidnapped two more children, she believes that Darcy will head to Alaska to hide. Alanna thinks that if she can find her, she can talk Darcy into releasing the children. She heads for Alaska to offer her services to the police there.
Alanna has mixed feelings about being back in Desparre, a place of both good and bad memories. Along with her dog, Chance, Alanna visits the small police department to find that they regard her offer of help with deep suspicion. They believe that she's more likely to help Darcy than them. So she decides to investigate on her own.
Rookie cop Peter Robak is especially skeptical. A former war correspondent, Peter has first-hand knowledge of the effects captivity can have on a victim. His journalistic career ended when a kidnapping victim blew herself up under the guise of being rescued. Now he plans to keep Alanna under surveillance, hoping she'll lead him to Darcy.
The suspense of the story was terrific. Peter and Alanna start out mistrusting each other. But when Alanna uncovers a clue that could reveal Darcy's hiding place, her search lands her in the middle of an avalanche. Peter's tailing of her puts him in a position to rescue her, and they form an uneasy alliance. When Alanna's instincts prove correct, Peter finds himself willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. That doesn't sit well with the police chief, and suddenly Peter has to make some difficult choices. There were multiple twists to the story as they close in on Darcy and have to walk a fine line between the cops and the kidnapper.
Just when it looks like they've succeeded in their mission, another kidnapping strikes especially close to Alanna. An unsuspected player is out for revenge, and Alanna is the only one who can end it. Peter, who is already on thin ice with his boss, takes extreme steps to protect Alanna. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over. It also left me hurting for Peter, whose life is upended once again. I liked the epilogue and seeing how everything turned out.
The romance between Peter and Alanna was a slow one that mostly took a backseat to the suspense. Despite his mistrust, Peter soon discovered that he liked Alanna and wanted to believe her. Attraction blossomed between them. Peter worried about Alanna's safety and risked his job to keep her safe. Alanna worried about Peter and the consequences helping her would have on his career. Neither one expected the feelings that grew between them. I liked the ending and the new direction Peter found for his life. The future for both of them looks good.
My favorite secondary character in the story was Alanna's dog, Chance. As a therapy dog, he is very good at helping calm those around him. There were times he almost seemed human in his interactions with both Alanna and Peter. I also loved when his St. Bernard instincts kicked in, sending him into rescue mode during both avalanche incidents.
Alanna has mixed feelings about being back in Desparre, a place of both good and bad memories. Along with her dog, Chance, Alanna visits the small police department to find that they regard her offer of help with deep suspicion. They believe that she's more likely to help Darcy than them. So she decides to investigate on her own.
Rookie cop Peter Robak is especially skeptical. A former war correspondent, Peter has first-hand knowledge of the effects captivity can have on a victim. His journalistic career ended when a kidnapping victim blew herself up under the guise of being rescued. Now he plans to keep Alanna under surveillance, hoping she'll lead him to Darcy.
The suspense of the story was terrific. Peter and Alanna start out mistrusting each other. But when Alanna uncovers a clue that could reveal Darcy's hiding place, her search lands her in the middle of an avalanche. Peter's tailing of her puts him in a position to rescue her, and they form an uneasy alliance. When Alanna's instincts prove correct, Peter finds himself willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. That doesn't sit well with the police chief, and suddenly Peter has to make some difficult choices. There were multiple twists to the story as they close in on Darcy and have to walk a fine line between the cops and the kidnapper.
Just when it looks like they've succeeded in their mission, another kidnapping strikes especially close to Alanna. An unsuspected player is out for revenge, and Alanna is the only one who can end it. Peter, who is already on thin ice with his boss, takes extreme steps to protect Alanna. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over. It also left me hurting for Peter, whose life is upended once again. I liked the epilogue and seeing how everything turned out.
The romance between Peter and Alanna was a slow one that mostly took a backseat to the suspense. Despite his mistrust, Peter soon discovered that he liked Alanna and wanted to believe her. Attraction blossomed between them. Peter worried about Alanna's safety and risked his job to keep her safe. Alanna worried about Peter and the consequences helping her would have on his career. Neither one expected the feelings that grew between them. I liked the ending and the new direction Peter found for his life. The future for both of them looks good.
My favorite secondary character in the story was Alanna's dog, Chance. As a therapy dog, he is very good at helping calm those around him. There were times he almost seemed human in his interactions with both Alanna and Peter. I also loved when his St. Bernard instincts kicked in, sending him into rescue mode during both avalanche incidents.
