Detective Jake Young moved to the Everglades to test the
waters before making a career move to become a private
investigator. A native Floridian, Jake is not familiar
with the area where he is searching for Calvin
Gillett, who vanished a few days before. As he finally
spots Calvin's empty car, he is shot at by a most
beautiful woman. It turns out that the crack shot, Faye
Star, knows Calvin, and after a very shaky start, Faye and
Jake agree to look for Calvin together. Faye can navigate
the treacherous area better than the "city boy," but he
has the experience of police work. What Jake had not
planned on being so attracted to the ninja in pink.
The Florida Everglades is an ideal backdrop for a missing
person case, and Lena Diaz's vivid descriptions make it
so real, one almost recoils at the mere mention of
alligators and various critters. Faye is a fabulous
heroine: a New Ager, who is better at handling firearms
than Jake, and skilled in self-defence, she is
resourceful; in fact, she does almost everything better
than Jake, but remains very matter-of-fact about the
whole thing. Jake is a great cop and a fun character. He
accepts Faye's suggestions and directions without batting
an eyelash and goes along with her because he knows when
she's right. I loved the dynamics of their relationship:
while needling each other, they remain playful; they
can't deny the immediate attraction they felt for each
other, but they both have secrets, and must concentrate
on the job to do, and stay alive.
MISSING IN THE GLADES is a tightly-plotted suspense with
an explosive start, perfectly paced with the tension
building up as things get quite complicated, leading to a
most satisfying conclusion. Ms. Diaz knows how to balance
a serious suspenseful plot with a nice dose of humour,
along with sensual moments. MISSING IN THE GLADES is yet
more proof that Lena Diaz is a master at romantic
suspense. This is an excellent first instalment in the brand new
Marshland Justice series!
He was looking for a missing person. What he found was a
beautiful stranger.
Looking for a fresh start, detective Jake Young headed south
on a case that could help launch his PI business. He knew no
amount of work would make him forget his tortured past, but
maybe Faye Star could help. Caught up in Jake's missing
persons case, the distracting Faye was hiding a secret he
was begging to find out. Expertly guiding him through the
swamps, Jake's job grew more complicated when someone
started taking shots at the free-spirited beauty. As much as
she protested she could take care of herself, Jake stepped
in, refusing to admit how desperately he needed someone to
save. Especially since he'd never be able to save himself…