Book Title: THREE STEPS BEHIND
Character Name: Deckard MacLeod
How would you describe your family or your childhood
It was a really rough childhood. My parents were con men under the guise of being illusionists in Vegas. To make things worse, they dragged us into helping them with the cons. At age five, I knew how to pick a pocket. By age seven, I was counting cards and playing roles in bigger cons. The saving grace for me was my siblings. The four of us were all used by our parents, but we had each other, and that tight bond has remained, and I am blessed by them.
What was your greatest talent?
Spotting a con from a mile away. I now own MacLeod Investigations and Security Inc. I get the joy of busting cons for a living and protecting those who cons prey upon. I use my talents and skills for good and it’s extremely rewarding.
Significant other?
Harper Grace. I am falling for the lady—hard—but I swore I’d never love anyone. Attachments are too hard. They make you vulnerable and that’s something I swore I’d never be again.
Where do you live?
I live on my ranch—Second Chances—outside of Jeopardy Falls, New Mexico. A small town with an even smaller population, but it’s perfect for me. My ranch is far enough outside of town for me to have the privacy I crave, but the townsfolk, my neighbors, are good folks, and when I need something I just head into the small but sturdy town.
Do you have any enemies?
Far too many to count. Everyone I’ve busted has a grudge against me, and my past is smeared red and some men have long memories.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
I have horses. They are the perfect companions because they spend all of their lives scared of everything but once a horse trusts you, he’ll do absolutely anything for you. His loyalty is beyond measure. And riding together brings me a peace nothing else can.
Greatest disappointment?
Seeing my oldest sister, Bristol, following in my parents’ footsteps. She left my kid sister, Riley, crying and begging her to stay without a look back. I wrestle between knowing I need to forgive her and actually doing so.
Greatest source of joy?
My family. My brother Christian and younger sister Riley, and I live on my ranch…our ranch. The land stretches so far and wide, we all have our own home on the property. Seeing my siblings every morning for breakfast at my house and at work at the investigation firm fills me with a joy beyond explanation.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I ride my horses, spend time with my family, occasionally ride a bull in the local rodeo circuit and sit on my front porch with a cup of steaming coffee, watching the sun rise and fall.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Not being able to protect Riley when our parents abandoned us. Only knowing how to live via crime, Christian and I ended up in juvie and Riley ended up in the foster care system. I loathed myself for letting her go, but knew, given the circumstances, that she was better off. But she’d be the best if I’d gotten my act together sooner and kept her with us. I remember my failing every single day.
What keeps you awake at night?
My personal failings, my concern for my family and trying to outrun a past that closes in closer each day.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I wish my sister, Bristol, would turn from her ways and return to her family a changed person. I wish Riley could find peace in all that has happened. She has a great life and future ahead of her, but she’s still scarred from our past and I can’t blame her because I am too.
Narrator: Jennifer O'Donnell
Jeopardy Falls #3
A Thriller Suspense Novel with Mystery, Action, Adventure, and Workplace Romance set in New Mexico
A suspicious death. A desperate search for truth. With danger hovering, can they uncover the killer's plan?
Private Investigator Deckard MacLeod is thrilled when Harper Grace returns from her humanitarian trip overseas. It's been three months since he's seen her, but when she shows up on his front porch haggard, with a desolate look in her eyes, he knows something has gone very wrong.
Harper, a forensic botanist, needs refuge, and that can only be found with Deckard, who is a protector at heart. But after what she's endured, how can she possibly move forward with a relationship? Deck deserves someone whole, someone present, and her mind is still imprisoned in that desolate land.
She's barely set foot on Deck's ranch when news comes that her dear friend died suddenly. A heart attack in her early thirties? Something feels very off. As clues surface and suspects become evident, Harper trusts her gut to lead her and Deckard forward, but the closer they come to the truth, the closer they get to death. And if they aren't careful, it'll be their own. . . .
Dani Pettrey keeps readers on the edge of their seats in this taut romantic thriller filled with high‑stakes action and suspense. For readers of Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, and Elizabeth Goddard.
Christian Romance | Christian Mystery [ Bethany House, On Sale: September 15, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780764238505 / eISBN: 9781493454235 ]
Publishers Weekly and #1 Amazon bestselling author, Dani Pettrey has sold nearly one million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.
Her Alaskan Courage, Chesapeake Valor, and Coastal Guardian series have received praise from readers and critics alike. She's been honored with multiple awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award, two HOLT Medallions, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, and Christian Retailing's Best Award.
She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband.
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