Dr. Katherine Gilroy teams up with US Marshal Dominic O’Ryan as they work a case in Timber Creek, North Carolina. They are searching for a MOUNTAIN FUGITIVE in this romantic suspense story. The action is frequent and gritty, but at least there’s a doctor along to provide first aid and stitches.   Katherine is out riding with a ranching friend when they hear gunshots, and they split up to find help and see if anyone needs immediate aid. On seeing two men lying flat, in uniform, Katherine realises someone with a gun is still nearby. She does her best and leads injured Marshal Dominic O’Ryan into the tree line while his partner lies dead. Now, the law officers are not just looking for an escaped minor criminal and federal witness; they are hunting a killer. Unexpectedly, a few chapters later, that fugitive turns out to be Katherine’s younger half-brother, Noah Bennett.   This immediately becomes an entangled mystery, with both sides emotionally compromised. Katherine is certain Noah wouldn’t be such a horrible person – but she hasn’t seen him in three years, he’s twenty and from a troubled background. What does she really know? Dominic just knows the fugitive, or an accomplice, killed his partner, Carl Manning.   This romantic suspense includes some great characters. Our good doctor was formerly a tactical medic, which I gather means a SWAT team medic, in Atlanta. She saw every kind of situation, so nothing fazes her. While nobody has a K9 they put to work, Katherine cares for Buddy, a retired search and rescue German Shepherd Dog. She lives in an apartment above the general medical clinic where she works, the only one in town. As well as scrambling around in the snowy tree line, she delivers babies and provides health care.   The story does fall into the trap of intervening chapters full of conversation about people’s backstories. I heard enough about these and felt inclined to skip on to the next mention of organized crime or winter sports. Motivation is important, but it’s not programming, and two people can react differently to situations. Ultimately, Noah, if he is found alive, will have to be responsible for his choices.   Lynette Eason represents strong, educated women in her stories, and in this case, the marshal is definitely on the back foot. MOUNTAIN FUGITIVE deserves a read and could lead young women to consider career choices.