Detective Olivia Southerland is doing her best to get back to investigating, but her last case left her with panic attacks whenever she gets near a dead body. Her personal life is suffering as well, avoiding friends, keeping to herself, all while nursing a broken and battered heart. Olivia's latest crime scene involves a double homicide and the local fire department. She is dreading the possibility that David Hunter is one of the brave men risking their lives to secure evidence. Their short history together left a lasting impression on her heart, and when he put in for a transfer from Chicago to her city, she thinks maybe he has come for her. David and Olivia can no longer avoid one another as the case evolves, endangering those around them and forcing them to face the past.

David Hunter carries a wealth of guilt because of one tragic night 18 years ago. It is engrained deep and dictates his life as a fireman and his ability to help those who are in need. After consuming too much alcohol at a wedding, he meets the one woman capable of helping him survive, only to make a huge mistake. He wakes up alone, desperate to ease his mind that he didn't hurt her, so he moves to her city to make things right and wait for her to contact him. Seven months later, he has not said a word and neither has she, but their jobs and mutual friends force contact between them. Fate takes it out of their hands when Olivia arrives on the same arson case. Together David and Olivia do what they can to protect the innocent and work to put the past behind them.

Karen Rose weaves an alluring tale of intrigue and forgiveness with strong characters and an action-packed plot. A total page-turner until the end; I could not put it down. Awesome read!

Book Summary

"A high-octane thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat and up far too late at night!"
--Lisa Jackson

When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken.

David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close--and is moving in for the kill.