"A treasure hunt holds danger in this romantic adventure"
The Last Mile
By: Kat Martin
Genres: Thriller | Romance Suspense
Posted: October 5, 2022
Just about everyone loves a treasure hunt, and this romantic suspense story will keep readers engaged. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona are the first hunting location, but before we reach them, we meet Abigail Holland in Denver. She is mourning her elderly relative King Farrell, who has been presumed dead on an ill-fated expedition. He knew Abby shared his love of adventure, and he left her a treasure map in his will. Can she follow the clues for THE LAST MILE and get the gold King never could recover? She believes she owes it to his memory.
The Lost Dutchman’s Gold has lured many people over the years, some of whom never returned. Abby, a photographer, needs reputable help, so she contacts explorer and treasure hunter Gage Logan, who works with museums. This book is the second in the Blood Ties series and I had not read the earlier ones, but Gage’s friends and relatives seemed well established, so I imagine some were previously introduced. Don’t let that worry you. Just follow Abby.
While this is a romance, I don’t need to be reminded of the fact on every page, so quite often I skipped a paragraph of one of the characters thinking about the other and got on with the story. Gage has a no-dates with clients rule which he "never breaks”, and that seems sensible, but as the romance progresses from their proximity, he starts to become highly possessive of Abby, which I didn’t like. Maybe this is a side-effect of needing to protect her a lot of the time.
The location detail is interesting to read, from the arid rock hills to a dry jungle in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where the quest suggests a ruined hacienda might hold a clue. We also meet some red tape complications and corrupt officials, lawless gangs, and poor but helpful farmers. Contrasts are great, and we see that roughing doesn’t mean room service is late.
Kat Martin writes action well, with everything from inclement weather to snakes, and implacable people hard on the heels of the intrepid treasure seekers. Is there even any treasure to find, and is the prospect of gold too much for the greedy? You’ll have to hang on to the end to uncover the truth. THE LAST MILE kept me entertained and will suit anyone looking for a fast-paced contemporary romance adventure.
Book Summary
Channeling Indiana Jones, New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin pairs a woman in search of her family's truth with a hard-hitting professional treasure hunter for the second Blood Ties romantic thriller. As an unknown assailant stalks them across the treacherous Superstition Mountains in Arizona, they race to follow their treasure map’s directions to a hidden trove of gold.
“The plot’s heart-stopping twists will keep readers breathless until the final page.” – Publishers Weekly
When Abigail Holland awakes to the sound of a nighttime intruder in her rambling Denver Victorian, she knows exactly what the black shrouded figure is after—the map she recently inherited from her grandfather. Whoever he is, the man who grapples with her, then escapes, is willing to kill for the location of a treasure King Farrell hunted for more than ten years. The Devil’s Gold has claimed hundreds of lives, and it was her grandfather’s obsession.
With a killer pursuing her and her own family not to be trusted, Abby decides to take up the search herself. But she’ll need help to do it, and there’s no one better than renowned explorer and treasure hunter Gage Logan. Despite the instant chemistry between them, Gage is reluctant. Innocent people have been hurt on his watch before. But when Abby shows him a genuine gold ingot she found with the map, his curiosity is piqued. Before long they’re heading into the flash floods and brutal winds of the Superstition Mountains, straight into a passionate entanglement—and the dark heart of danger.
Read an Excerpt
by: Kat Martin
Kensington
June 1, 2022
On Sale: May 31, 2022
Featuring: Abigail Holland; Gage Logan
400 pages
ISBN: 149673680X
EAN: 9781496736802
Kindle: B09BKBTZT6
Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook