LAST RITES, the latest romantic suspense by bestselling author Sharon Sala, tells the story of Shirley Pope and her sons who return to Jubilee after her husband and the father of her children is put away for killing two people. Shirley had been dealt a bad hand when she married him, but she was left with the gift of four fabulous sons. The oldest son, Aaron, left behind his career as a policeman when the family relocated to Jubilee, where Aaron hopes to jumpstart his life by joining the local police department.

In a small town like Jubilee, you would not expect a robust police force, but the town is a tourist magnet. And so crime is not as rare as they would like it.

LAST RITES concentrates on members of three close families well known throughout Jubilee. Their goal is to keep control of the land and maintain the families' core values. But something strange is going on, with violent crimes popping up in the area. First, a young boy named Charlie is shot while innocently running to the creek to cool off. Charlie is basically left for dead and the people of Jubilee are bristling over this fact. Then a young woman Dani relocates to Jubilee for a teaching position. But Dani is escaping possible vengeance from the twin of a man in jail. Dani was attached by one brother and is now being stalked by the twin. Jubilee was to be her safe harbor. Dani also innocently witnessed some events connected to Charlie’s shooting.

Dani instantly catches the attention of Aaron who realized there was some deep-rooted issue. Perhaps it was his cop instinct or maybe an ill-timed attraction. In either case, Aaron became Dani’s protector.

Throughout LAST RITES, we are part of an investigation that searches deep to connect the dots. No motive for the shooting. No clear identity of the shooter. Except we, the reader, know exactly who it is. It is up to Aaron and the various crime investigators to figure out this puzzle. But along the way, Sharon Sala brings the possibility of another crime that occurred generations past in the Pope family.

LAST RITES showcases the genius of Sharon Sala. It is a doozy of a book that provides many amazing moments, including glorious insight into the building of this town from its beginnings as a way west for travelers and the influence of Native American culture in the area. In short, LAST RITES is classic Sharon Sala and a wondrous addition to her already vast book list.