I enjoyed Cardwell Ranch Trespasser, a lively suspense story, and CHRISTMAS AT CARDWELL RANCH is next in line. Tag Cardwell has been living in Texas but he's come back up to Montana for Christmas, to the surprise of his father Harlan. Tag intends to call on his cousin Dana on the Cardwell Ranch, but for now he'll just soak up the atmosphere in town. He notices a tipsy girl staggering out jacketless and being helped into a car by some cowboy. Not entirely happy about this, he mentions it to the bar staff.

CHRISTMAS AT CARDWELL RANCH has a worrying start, for Tag's instinct is correct. Mia the tipsy girl was helping out in the bar and only had one drink, yet she left her coat and took off early. A co-worker drives by her place to check on her, but the door is standing open and the place has been savaged. Lily McCabe sensibly calls the police instead of entering alone. Mia is missing, and later that night, another young woman is attacked.

Cardwell Ranch is no stranger to tragedy, but deep snow and isolation combine and a malevolent person can go unseen. The tension mounts and Tag, calling on Dana, starts to wonder what his father knows about the situation. How well does he know the man after spending twenty years in Texas, after all?

Lily turns out to be not your usual bartender; she teaches math at the state university. She latches on to a coded message on a flashdrive and tries to work out if it was left by Mia, or if it's a kid's jumble of letters. I liked her intelligence and persistence, but it leads her straight into danger. Since author BJ Daniels has built up a community in previous books, there are several interesting characters and settings, with continuations of stories about everyone from the police chief to the bar owner.

There is a good deal of action and police investigation in this tale, so mystery readers can get their teeth into the crime aspect while romance lovers can't wait to see how the several relationships pan out. Be warned that CHRISTMAS AT CARDWELL RANCH isn't all snowflakes and good cheer, but it is a well-drawn and at times a gripping tale with a family finale that's worth waiting for.