Grace Carver has by all accounts beaten the odds by the mere action of surviving. The fact that she has grown to become a caring and affectionate woman is a testament to her inner strength. The town of Jacobsville Texas has kept a collective eye on Grace since she was twelve years old and her life was turned upside down by what she refers to as a horrific accident. At twelve she was left orphaned to be raise by a callous and cruel grandmother who was practically all the family Grace had with the exception of her Jacobsville family. She was resolved to live life as the town spinster since there were too many obstacles to overcome to have any meaningful relationship with a man. Her grandmother did a pretty good job of demeaning her and was quick to remind her that she wasn't pretty or smart. Besides that she had a myriad of physical problems and secrets that would prevent her from pursuing a normal life. FBI agent Garon Grier moves to town hoping to mend fences with Cash his estranged brother. He comes with his own baggage and secrets and definitely not looking for any relationships. He knows his resolve to remain uninvolved with the locals is going to be tested when he realizes that his next door neighbor, Grace is in desperate trouble with an aging and gravely ill grandmother, a decrepit malfunctioning automobile and no money to speak of. The amazing part of it all is that although he is sure that he wants no relationship he is curiously attracted to this bedraggled mess of a woman. Garon is part of an investigative unit delving into the search for a serial killer preying on young girls. The more they learn the more they are convinced that this monster has been around for several years and investigators are just now putting various cases together to find the missing links. And the more he searches the closer to home the case gets.

Diana Palmer has once again written a well thought out, riveting story surrounding the townspeople of Jacobsville. The reader gets reacquainted with several favorite characters from previous books. Palmer blends small town life with serious crimes befitting ever larger cities and makes you realize there's no escaping from life's trials. The main characters of LAWMAN have their share of life's scars and the story evolves around how each of them handled these scars. Some hide behind a self imposed wall, others search out alternative receptacles for love and still others strike out using a veil of revenge. It all comes down to managing pain and loss. Diana Palmer does an excellent job reminding us that how we manage is what separates humans from animals.