Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book that kept me hooked from start to finish. This story brings a small-town deputy from New Mexico to Aurora, looking for the twin sister he hasn't heard from in weeks. He and Carrie had been close until she moved to Aurora, and he's worried about her. One of the first people Cody met after his arrival was Detective Skylar Cavanaugh when he went to the police department to report Carrie missing. Skylar had the tough job of taking Cody to identify Carrie's body at the morgue. Cody is understandably devastated by the loss of his sister and channels that grief into determination to find her killer. I liked Skylar's empathy and willingness to include him in her investigation, with the approval of her boss.
The suspense of this story kept me turning the pages to see how it would turn out. From Cody's insistence that Carrie's death was murder, not suicide, to the discovery of more bodies, it quickly became evident that he was correct. I could feel their frustration as they ran into multiple dead ends searching for the killer. Hope kicked in when they discovered a link between the murders, and the intensity ramped up as they closed in on the murderer. The final confrontation showed exactly what kind of scum the killer was, but I did not expect the twist that closed the case.
I loved the interactions between Cody and Sky. She is an interesting mix of optimism and pessimism, leaning mainly on the side of optimism. Cody doesn't know what to make of her insistence that they WILL find the killer. Coming from a very small (4-person) sheriff's department, Cody is a little overwhelmed by the size and attitudes of the Aurora PD, and the number of Cavanaughs makes it even more astonishing. I laughed a little at his bewilderment while at Malone's at the number of people who already knew who he was and why he was there and reiterated that "we" will get the killer. There was also the usual use of family connections to hurry along a lead.
I enjoyed seeing Sky watch out for Cody, with her empathy and understanding helping him deal with his sister's death. There were some sweet scenes of her taking care of him, from sharing breakfasts she made to convincing him to eat and rest. It was fun to see Cody's reactions and his realization that arguing with her never changed anything. It wasn't long before sparks of attraction began to grow between them, leaving Cody with a decision to make when the case was over. Should he go back to New Mexico or stay in Aurora and see where his relationship with Sky goes? I loved that conversation between Cody and Sky.
As always, I love seeing the closeness among the assorted Cavanaughs, from teasing to support. Unlike in other books in the series, Cody gets a gentler introduction to the family instead of being dropped into the middle of one of Andrew's parties. Meeting a few at a time was easier, but he still had trouble believing what he was seeing. I liked his introduction to Andrew, coming at the hands of Sky taking him there for dinner. I loved their interactions and seeing Cody relax a bit.
The suspense of this story kept me turning the pages to see how it would turn out. From Cody's insistence that Carrie's death was murder, not suicide, to the discovery of more bodies, it quickly became evident that he was correct. I could feel their frustration as they ran into multiple dead ends searching for the killer. Hope kicked in when they discovered a link between the murders, and the intensity ramped up as they closed in on the murderer. The final confrontation showed exactly what kind of scum the killer was, but I did not expect the twist that closed the case.
I loved the interactions between Cody and Sky. She is an interesting mix of optimism and pessimism, leaning mainly on the side of optimism. Cody doesn't know what to make of her insistence that they WILL find the killer. Coming from a very small (4-person) sheriff's department, Cody is a little overwhelmed by the size and attitudes of the Aurora PD, and the number of Cavanaughs makes it even more astonishing. I laughed a little at his bewilderment while at Malone's at the number of people who already knew who he was and why he was there and reiterated that "we" will get the killer. There was also the usual use of family connections to hurry along a lead.
I enjoyed seeing Sky watch out for Cody, with her empathy and understanding helping him deal with his sister's death. There were some sweet scenes of her taking care of him, from sharing breakfasts she made to convincing him to eat and rest. It was fun to see Cody's reactions and his realization that arguing with her never changed anything. It wasn't long before sparks of attraction began to grow between them, leaving Cody with a decision to make when the case was over. Should he go back to New Mexico or stay in Aurora and see where his relationship with Sky goes? I loved that conversation between Cody and Sky.
As always, I love seeing the closeness among the assorted Cavanaughs, from teasing to support. Unlike in other books in the series, Cody gets a gentler introduction to the family instead of being dropped into the middle of one of Andrew's parties. Meeting a few at a time was easier, but he still had trouble believing what he was seeing. I liked his introduction to Andrew, coming at the hands of Sky taking him there for dinner. I loved their interactions and seeing Cody relax a bit.
