If you received a stack of books as Christmas presents you
may have been saving your favourite author for last.
Shirlee McCoy never disappoints with her romantic suspense
novels and her latest addition is DEADLY CHRISTMAS SECRETS
in a series called Mission: Rescue. The setting is
inland
Northwest America.
Harper Shelby is living hermit-like in a woodland cabin
with a large dog and a can of bear spray. She's changed her
life since her sister's murder four years ago, and is now a
ceramic artist. When some guy from a private detective
agency shows up, asking if she needs protection, her
instinct is to say no. Logan Fitzgerald isn't a problem for
her, but the gunman who follows him is.
From the tense beginning we progress to a difficult family
situation. Harper's sister was found dead in the river and
a drug addict convicted; Harper's niece Amelia was never
found, presumed dead. But Harper knew about the difficult
marriage involved, the controlling husband. Now she is
told that her brother-in-law was the one who sent the
security team after her. This doesn't make much sense, but
what opens a window of hope is the possibility that young
Amelia is still alive.
Logan has been a military sniper, then he settled to
farming and raising his younger brothers. A co-worker,
Stella, shows up to help protect Harper, because there's
more than one man hunting them. The police are on the ball,
but they don't provide bodyguards in the middle of nowhere.
Harper heads to D.C. with the security team in a hunt for
Amelia. At this stage, I found many conversations and
thoughts about the prior events, and we hear a lot about
the brother-in-law before meeting him. Harper's bitterness
against the man has poisoned her thoughts and she tries to
clear her mind, give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he
wasn't involved in her sister's death; maybe the problems
were exaggerated. How can she be sure?
Several times in DEADLY CHRISTMAS SECRETS we are told
God has a plan, but this complex plot twists to a greater
extent than most romances, so the outcome is only reached
by determination and heroism. Wintry weather is the theme
rather than Christmas, resonating with the winter of
Harper's heart, equally in need of spring. This latest
understated romance by Shirlee McCoy is exciting, suitable
for all ages and will appeal to her fans, new and old.
THE CHRISTMAS TARGET
When new evidence surfaces that Harper Shelby's niece is
possibly alive, Harper doesn't expect it to endanger her
life. For her protection, she has to put her much-guarded
trust in Logan Fitzgerald, the man who unknowingly led a
killer to her doorstep. Hired to track Harper down,
security
and rescue expert Logan doesn't like that he's been used to
find a woman who someone apparently wants dead. Now he
won't
leave Harper's side until he can guarantee her safety and
untangle the truth from the lies regarding her sister's and
niece's murders. The closer they get to finding answers,
the
more intent the killer becomes on making sure that there
won't be a family reunion—or happily-ever-after—for Harper
this Christmas.
Mission: Rescue—No job is too dangerous for these fearless
heroes
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