Series: Eagle Mountain Murder Mystery: Winter Storm Wedding (Book 1)
A killer is on the loose…
and he leaves a calling card at every murder scene
Though a blizzard has isolated Eagle Mountain, Trooper Ryder Stewart is attempting to track a murderer who’s claimed two victims. Then he’s tasked with ensuring veterinarian Darcy Marsh is not the third. The gorgeous lawman must earn Darcy’s trust despite her traumatic past…and resist his romantic feelings for her. But can he find the elusive killer before the killer finds Darcy?
Fantastic start to the new series. The tension started quickly as Ryder discovered a murdered woman inside an avalanche-buried car. This murder was rapidly followed by another one as Eagle Mountain law enforcement struggled to identify the killer. A winter storm and an avalanche have blocked access to or from Eagle Mountain, trapping the killer as well as his potential victims.
I was sucked into the story from the start. Between the intensity of the suspense and romance between Ryder and Darcy, I had a hard time putting the book down when I had to sleep. The first meeting between Ryder and Darcy was emotional as he was the one to tell her about Kelly's murder. I liked his kindness and gentleness as he broke the news. There was a connection between them from the moment they met. Ryder was intrigued by Darcy and sensed that there was more to her than showed on the surface. Darcy was drawn to Ryder's quiet strength, but also a little wary of him at first. That wariness disappeared quickly when he responded to her call for help at her house; she felt unexpectedly safe around him. I loved seeing them spend time together, with Ryder's sensitivity and protectiveness boosting Darcy's returning belief and confidence in herself. There were some pretty adorable scenes between them, as well as some very intense ones. The feelings that grew between them were intensified by the danger they experienced and made them determined to explore every one of them.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. There was so much going on that I was glued to the pages, anxious to see what would happen next. The tension was high in the law enforcement community as they worked to find clues behind the murders. There was definitely a feeling that the killer was taunting them, especially with the most recent attack. Eagle Mountain is a small town, so there weren't too many choices for suspects from the locals, but there were also some visitors who were trapped by the storm. I could feel the frustration of Ryder and the others as suspicions were raised, but proof was hard to come by. There was also a rash of other criminal activity, including several attacks on Darcy. Those attacks escalated with an intensity that brought out the protectiveness in Ryder, especially after the snowmobile incident. Those attacks took a terrifying turn when Darcy was kidnapped. In spite of her fear, Darcy kept an amazingly cool head and played a big part in her own rescue. I wasn't overly surprised by who it was, but his reasons were twisted indeed. Some questions remain unanswered, leaving me eager to read the next book.
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