Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Intense story that kept me hooked from start to finish. The book opens with a scene from Lily and Anthony's past - the abduction of Anthony's sister, Ida. Both teens witnessed the abduction but could not stop it, and each carries the guilt from it to this day.
Fourteen years later, Lily has returned to Kelby Creek as a detective, hired to work on the town's cold cases. Ida's kidnapping is one of those cases, and when she discovers a new lead, the first person she calls is Ant. Though they haven't seen each other during that time, they have stayed in touch. As soon as he hears the news, Ant quits his job in North Carolina and heads back to Kelby Creek, determined to find the truth. Lily was not happy to have Ant show up on her doorstep. She had expected him to wait until she followed up on the new information, while Ant made it clear that wasn't happening. There were some harsh words exchanged before she sent him off.
Meanwhile, Lily gets a call about a puzzling scene she and the sheriff had seen earlier that day. Ant follows her as she rushes off to follow up on the call. A terrifying time follows as she and Ant hear a woman's voice screaming from beneath the ground. As they attempt to dig her out, Lily is attacked by a shovel-wielding man who seems determined to stop them. It's a tense few minutes until Ant subdues the man, and they can get back to the digging. The situation turns odd when the woman turns out to be a recording.
This begins a convoluted and interconnected investigation that links two missing-person cold cases with one current case. Attempting to locate a person of interest gets Ant and Lily almost blown up. Every time a new piece of information is uncovered, it creates a new twist in the investigation. A carnival clown, a missing roommate, and a married lover led to a confrontation at the local fair. I was on the edge of my seat as Lily found herself in the crosshairs of a desperate man while racing to rescue a woman buried alive. The final confrontation was intense, with a full-circle moment for Lily and Ant. I loved the unpacking of the timeline when it was all over, with the last pieces of the puzzle coming from a surprising source.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lily and Ant. They hadn't seen each other since they were teens, so their first face-to-face meeting was a bit of a shock. The boy Lily had crushed on had grown into a big, sexy man, and the girl who was his friend was now a beautiful woman. Their first meeting was somewhat contentious, partly because of Lily's reaction to him. Under the antagonism that flared between them was an attraction they each tried to deny. But Ant can't deny the protectiveness he feels when Lily is hurt and is determined to keep her safe. Lily's independence makes it difficult to accept his help, but she can't help admitting she feels safer with him around.
Ant and Lily still feel immense guilt over their inability to stop Ida's kidnapping. I liked that they finally had an honest conversation about those feelings and realized that neither was at fault. With that out of the way, their attraction and bond continue to grow. But it took nearly losing each other for them to realize the depth of their feelings. The epilogue was great, and I loved seeing couples from the other books and catching up on their lives. Ant was sweet with the surprise he had for Lily.
Fourteen years later, Lily has returned to Kelby Creek as a detective, hired to work on the town's cold cases. Ida's kidnapping is one of those cases, and when she discovers a new lead, the first person she calls is Ant. Though they haven't seen each other during that time, they have stayed in touch. As soon as he hears the news, Ant quits his job in North Carolina and heads back to Kelby Creek, determined to find the truth. Lily was not happy to have Ant show up on her doorstep. She had expected him to wait until she followed up on the new information, while Ant made it clear that wasn't happening. There were some harsh words exchanged before she sent him off.
Meanwhile, Lily gets a call about a puzzling scene she and the sheriff had seen earlier that day. Ant follows her as she rushes off to follow up on the call. A terrifying time follows as she and Ant hear a woman's voice screaming from beneath the ground. As they attempt to dig her out, Lily is attacked by a shovel-wielding man who seems determined to stop them. It's a tense few minutes until Ant subdues the man, and they can get back to the digging. The situation turns odd when the woman turns out to be a recording.
This begins a convoluted and interconnected investigation that links two missing-person cold cases with one current case. Attempting to locate a person of interest gets Ant and Lily almost blown up. Every time a new piece of information is uncovered, it creates a new twist in the investigation. A carnival clown, a missing roommate, and a married lover led to a confrontation at the local fair. I was on the edge of my seat as Lily found herself in the crosshairs of a desperate man while racing to rescue a woman buried alive. The final confrontation was intense, with a full-circle moment for Lily and Ant. I loved the unpacking of the timeline when it was all over, with the last pieces of the puzzle coming from a surprising source.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lily and Ant. They hadn't seen each other since they were teens, so their first face-to-face meeting was a bit of a shock. The boy Lily had crushed on had grown into a big, sexy man, and the girl who was his friend was now a beautiful woman. Their first meeting was somewhat contentious, partly because of Lily's reaction to him. Under the antagonism that flared between them was an attraction they each tried to deny. But Ant can't deny the protectiveness he feels when Lily is hurt and is determined to keep her safe. Lily's independence makes it difficult to accept his help, but she can't help admitting she feels safer with him around.
Ant and Lily still feel immense guilt over their inability to stop Ida's kidnapping. I liked that they finally had an honest conversation about those feelings and realized that neither was at fault. With that out of the way, their attraction and bond continue to grow. But it took nearly losing each other for them to realize the depth of their feelings. The epilogue was great, and I loved seeing couples from the other books and catching up on their lives. Ant was sweet with the surprise he had for Lily.
