It’s Josie & Noah’s wedding day and the entire Denton Police Department is in attendance to witness the nuptials at Harper’s Peak, a lavish resort, complete with a hilltop church. As the women fuss over Josie and pre-wedding photos, Josie learns that the body of a young girl has just been found outside of the church.
Torn between attending her wedding, or assisting in the investigation, Josie’s mind is made up when she learns that the young girl has a distinguishing feature – similar to that of a family she met a few months ago. She and Noah rush to the scene where they find the young girl, Holly Mitchell, laid out tenderly, surrounded by wildflowers. As colleagues secure the scene, Josie & fellow Detective Gretchen head to the child’s home to check on the other family members, fearful of what they will find.
A search of the premises brings Josie’s worst fears to light. A bloodied pick-up truck with its hunting rifle missing, signs of a struggle & the girls’ mother Lorilee, dead from gunshot wounds in the kitchen. The youngest daughter, Emily, is initially nowhere to be found, but a search of the house reveals a very secure hiding place where the child has been hiding. When Josie asks her why she has to hide, she simply replies, “because of the bad things”.
As Josie and Noah put their wedding plans on hold, the team digs onto Lorilee’s background, wondering who and why anyone would want her family dead, and why Lorilee went to such great lengths to create a secure hiding place for her children. To their surprise, they learn that Harper’s Peak owner Celeste Harper, is Lorilee’s half-sister, although they had no relationship. With no other relatives around, they entrust Celeste with Emily’s care, only to have Emily disappear a few hours later.
Now the race against time is on, with a little girl missing and a killer or killers on the loose in the vicinity. In a race against time, with clues leading to more dead ends, the unthinkable happens…leaving Josie & her team devastated, but more determined than ever to solve the killings. But will Josie and Noah find Emily and the killer before the killer finds them?
This is the newest of the eleven (so far) novels featuring Detective Josie Quinn, and they just keep getting better!! If you love a fast-paced mystery, a strong protagonist, a series with no end in sight and a bit of a love story, Josie & Noah are the perfect couple for you! Love these books!!
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Bookouture in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit Netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!
Tropical Delusions...... 