They were so sure the witness protection program would do
what it claimed -- protect them. Even with new identities
and addresses they were found, and once again their lives
were in jeopardy. So armed with the knowledge that WITSEC
was no match for the gang looking for revenge Virgil, his
sister Laurel and friend Rex were on the run again. This
time they were not using any government agency to help them
hide -- they were on their own. How do you manage to live a
somewhat normal life when constantly looking over your
shoulder?
In a small town in Montana, Vivian (aka Laurel) was
beginning to fit in and enjoy the feeling of safety for her
and her two children. She really missed her brother, his
family, and her mother but was willing to do just about
anything to keep her kids safe. But now a seemingly random
murder had taken place and the sheriff had no clues and no
motive. The serenity and peace of this little town had now
been breached by a brutal crime. Vivian tried to blend in
rather than call attention to herself. No one here had any
reason to know her background and that she was living under
a false name. She knew firsthand about violence. Her
entire family paid an enormous price when her stepfather
was killed. Virgil had become a member of a prison gang, The
Crew, just to survive and there was no shortage of brutality
from any of its members. But Vivian wasn't ready to assume
that The Crew was involved in this murder and she certainly
didn't want to consider that they had found her whereabouts
once again.
Myles, the sheriff, had been attracted to his
mysterious new neighbor and he felt it was mutual. She
was so leery of him but he chalked it off to his being
a policeman. Vivian was anxious to get any word about the
murder and realized Myles would be a good source but that
would mean changing her tactics. So far remaining closed
mouth about her own life was accepted by those she
befriended but Myles wasn't going to open up to her unless
she took the first step. Saying Vivian was reluctant to
start anything with Myles was an understatement -- she could
never forgive herself if she exposed him or his daughter to
harm. But she was really frightened by this random
senseless murder and now by the warnings she was receiving
from her brother Virgil. Something was brewing and it was
pretty sure that the gang was close to finding her. How
could anyone help her? Did she dare bring Myles into this
nightmare that her life had become?
Novak's done it once again. I didn't realize that Novak's
book Inside was ripe for a sequel when I devoured it.
This book also kept me on the edge of the seat perhaps
because I was already invested in these characters. If you
enjoyed Inside this is a must read.
Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She’s been on
the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the
gang members who blame her for the death of one of their
own. She’s finally found peace and stability in the small
town of Pineview, Montana. But just when Laurel thinks she
and her children are safe…the nightmare starts all over again.
The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel’s
brother, will never forget and they’ll never forgive. And
now that they’ve finally tracked her down, they’ll stop at
nothing.
Sheriff Myles King, who happens to live next door with his
thirteen-year-old daughter, appoints himself Laurel’s
personal guardian. His growing attraction to her could
change his life—Myles is beginning to picture marriage and
family. But it could also end his life. If he can’t save
her, everything he’s built, everything he wants, could be
destroyed. In seconds…
I agree with Sandra that In Seconds was a fast paced read. I was turning pages as quickly as I could.
With the end of In Seconds Novak gave us a great HEA for both Laurel and her brother Virgil. Now, I can't help but wonder if the third member of their makeshift family Rex, won't finally get his happy ever after in the final installment of this trilogy.
If you're as big a fan of romantic suspense as Sandra and I then I believe you'll need to be adding Brenda Novak to your author list, because she continues to wow readers with her perfect balance of romance and suspense. (Sandi Shilhanek 8:10pm October 31, 2011)