Detective Michael Carven has retired following the murder of his fiancée and operates a farm, Windward Stables, training and breeding horses in Montana. Following the rape and strangulation of three young women by a serial killer, Mike hires Jess Stanson, the best trainer around, to take over the farm duties to allow him to participate in the investigation. Upon finding out that Jess is a woman, his attempt to fire her on the spot is futile. Jess is determined not to be set aside due to her sex.

Fighting his attraction to Jess becomes a struggle as Mike fights to hold true to his memories of his deceased fiancée. When a picture of the last victim is released and Jess comes forward as a witness to seeing her with a man before the crime, her own life is at risk and Mike is catapulted into assuring her safety. Jess's fun loving character begins to work under Mike's hard veneer and their relationship soon turns sexual. Phone calls are made to Mike by the clever and extremely smart predator vowing to kill Jess if Mike refuses to cease his involvement in the case. Leaving anonymous clues as to his location, the killer draws Mike and his crew away from the farm to give him clearance to stalk his prey, Jess.

This is the first work created by Aris Whittier that I have had the pleasure of reading. She tells a most exciting thriller that will make your heart stop and make your blood run cold. She has a clever way of keeping the romance in her creation and still fill it with mystery that keeps you turning the page one after the after. I was unable to put this one down and will definitely look for further novels by this gifted writer.