"A captivating read right from its shocking start to its explosive ending!"
Reviewed by Audrey Lawrence
Posted December 16, 2017
Mystery Woman Sleuth | Thriller Police Procedural
Fresh from saying "I do" in response to the pledge to
protect the people in the small town of Hotchkiss,
ex-rancher Kate Fox is now the new Sheriff of Grand County,
Nebraska. There are many in the small town who support her,
especially her many brothers and sisters; but some don't,
and the worst of those is her ex-husband and former Sheriff,
Ted Conner. Despite Kate's unease in handling Ted's gun and dealing
with Ted's lingering Irish Spring scent in the old police
cruiser, Kate hopes to do the right thing in the job. Just
as she is leaving, the Sheriff's phone rings. As Kate
answers, she quickly realizes she now faces an even bigger
challenge then Ted's nasty tricks and her sister's
surprise party. There has been a train accident on the BNSF
train line about seven miles out of town, and it is bad. Is
her father the conductor on the train that night? The night is freezing cold and dark as only a prairie winter
can be. The huge train engines throb, blue and red lights
flash and Kate is sickened by the carnage she sees. It may
be her first night on the job, but Kate vows to be a
professional. She definitely is not going to be left out in
the cold now that she realizes what is involved. Why would
anyone want to kill the conductor? How did they know he was
working? How can Kate ensure a proper investigation is done?
Why is the state trooper trying to keep her away? The dramatic DARK SIGNAL is written by Shannon Baker and is
the second book in her Kate
Fox series. DARK SIGNAL follows up on events started
in STRIPPED BARE, and Baker's many fans will be thrilled
with this latest addition in the series. DARK SIGNAL can
also be easily read as a stand-alone mystery as Baker
alludes to pertinent events in Kate's life that highlight
how and why the character relate to Kate or align with
others. Either way, at the end of the story, you will be
eagerly waiting for the next in the series. I know that am! Kate is a great character with guts and determination, and
you will soon find yourself rooting for her. She knows she
is inexperienced and is vulnerable to the gossip in town,
but is determined to do her job, even if it means not being
popular with some of the meddlings from her meddling clan
and friends, be they well-meaning or not. She knows people
talk in small towns and don't always care who listens. Will
that help her or not? Baker certainly knows her characters and their environment
well, and her descriptions are sure to bring a smile to your
face; yet, they ring true and authentic to who they are as
they come vividly to life in your mind. People from small
western towns and northern environments will nod knowingly
to Baker's apt descriptions of weather, the darkness of an
early evening, and the way people interact with each other.
I am particularly impressed with how this award-winning
author is able to so seamlessly integrate in her research on
railways and related crimes in her discussions in DARK
SIGNAL on the workings of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
(BNSF). DARK SIGNAL is a fast-paced page turning railway mystery, so
be warned! Despite the freezing cold, Baker keeps the reader
fascinated with her fast-moving plot and story lines as they
shift from dangerous situations to tender moments of
compassion. I found DARK SIGNAL to be a totally captivating
read right from its shocking start to its explosive ending!
So, check it out and see how this new female Sheriff works
out the secret of the DARK SIGNAL! Enjoy!
SUMMARY
Dark Signal is the second installment in
the Kate Fox mystery series, called "A must read" by New
York Times bestselling author Alex Kava, starring a
female Longmire in the atmospheric Nebraska Sandhills. Reeling from her recent divorce, Kate Fox has just been
sworn in as Grand County, Nebraska Sheriff when tragedy
strikes. A railroad accident has left engineer Chad Mills
dead, his conductor Bobby Jenkins in shock. Kate soon
realizes that the accident was likely murder. Who would want to kill Chad Mills? Kate finds that he
made a few enemies as president of the railroad workers
union. Meanwhile his widow is behaving oddly. And why was
his neighbor Josh Stevens at the Mills house on the night
of the accident? While her loud and meddling family conspires to help Kate
past her divorce, State Patrol Officer Trey closes in on
Josh Stevens as the suspect. Kate doesn’t believe it. She
may not have the experience, but she’s lived in the
Sandhills her whole life, and knows the land and the
people. Something doesn’t add up—and Kate must find the
real killer before he can strike again. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold
without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy