Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book as another Cavanaugh disrupts the life of an unsuspecting fellow officer. This one is a little different because Cassandra Cavanaugh is the outsider here. The story opens as the senior Cavanaughs learn that the remains of a long-lost cousin have been found in New York City, possibly the victim of a serial killer. There is no question that the remains should be returned to California and laid to rest in the family plot, but that can't happen until the killer is caught. The Aurora PD offers two of its detectives to the NYPD to help with the investigation, and Cass and her cousin Travis are selected to go.
Detective Danny Doyle of the NYPD is unhappy to have a couple of California cops thrust into his investigation. He doesn't have time to babysit a pair of detectives from the land of surfers and celebrities, who likely don't have the same drive he does. He's stunned to find Cass and Travis at the station when he arrives in the morning (though Travis is off having breakfast with another officer). Cass's beauty throws him for a loop, and her positive attitude confuses him.
The working relationship between Danny and Cass gets off to a rocky start. Danny is just shy of rude in his interactions with Cass because of her effect on him. He sets her and Travis to reading the files "to get caught up" and then leaves them to it. When he returns hours later, he expects them to have quit for the day and is stunned to find both still hard at work. Not only that, Cass may have spotted a connection among the victims.
Danny doesn't take long to realize that Cass is very good at what she does. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, from sharing dinners to sightseeing. I liked their teamwork and how their differing styles mesh to form a successful partnership. Complicating that partnership is the chemistry that sparks between them. Those sparks don't take long to burst into flame, heating their nights. But what will happen when the case is over and it's time for Cass to go back to California?
The suspense of the story was good. The discovery of the first set of remains provided more questions than answers. I liked that it was Cass, looking at the pictures of the victims who had been identified, who suspected the connection between the victims. I wasn't surprised that Cass leaned on her cousin Valri, back in California, to dig up the information on their cousin that helped put them on the right track, but it had to frost the NYPD folks a little that she didn't go through them. But, Cavanaughs tend to depend on each other. As connections became more apparent, the team began to close the gap between them and the killer. It took them a while to realize that the killer was closer than expected. The final confrontation was short but intense.
I loved the ending and seeing that neither Danny nor Cass was ready to end their relationship. Danny's decision didn't come as much of a surprise. I wish there had been an epilogue because I would have loved to see Danny's introduction to the entire clan at one of Andrew's parties.
Detective Danny Doyle of the NYPD is unhappy to have a couple of California cops thrust into his investigation. He doesn't have time to babysit a pair of detectives from the land of surfers and celebrities, who likely don't have the same drive he does. He's stunned to find Cass and Travis at the station when he arrives in the morning (though Travis is off having breakfast with another officer). Cass's beauty throws him for a loop, and her positive attitude confuses him.
The working relationship between Danny and Cass gets off to a rocky start. Danny is just shy of rude in his interactions with Cass because of her effect on him. He sets her and Travis to reading the files "to get caught up" and then leaves them to it. When he returns hours later, he expects them to have quit for the day and is stunned to find both still hard at work. Not only that, Cass may have spotted a connection among the victims.
Danny doesn't take long to realize that Cass is very good at what she does. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, from sharing dinners to sightseeing. I liked their teamwork and how their differing styles mesh to form a successful partnership. Complicating that partnership is the chemistry that sparks between them. Those sparks don't take long to burst into flame, heating their nights. But what will happen when the case is over and it's time for Cass to go back to California?
The suspense of the story was good. The discovery of the first set of remains provided more questions than answers. I liked that it was Cass, looking at the pictures of the victims who had been identified, who suspected the connection between the victims. I wasn't surprised that Cass leaned on her cousin Valri, back in California, to dig up the information on their cousin that helped put them on the right track, but it had to frost the NYPD folks a little that she didn't go through them. But, Cavanaughs tend to depend on each other. As connections became more apparent, the team began to close the gap between them and the killer. It took them a while to realize that the killer was closer than expected. The final confrontation was short but intense.
I loved the ending and seeing that neither Danny nor Cass was ready to end their relationship. Danny's decision didn't come as much of a surprise. I wish there had been an epilogue because I would have loved to see Danny's introduction to the entire clan at one of Andrew's parties.
