Three high school students murdered in two weeks has Texas Ranger Ethan Stone and Chief of Police Cord Thompson very busy. Ethan has just moved back to Summerton where he grew up with Cord. Their joint investigations lead Ethan to the high school where Cord's sister Sadie is now teaching. She too just returned to Summerton a year ago. Along with the murders, Cord's niece is drugged and almost dies. Together, the three of them are determined to find the murderer and who is behind the prescription drug ring and pill parties that are responsible for claiming these young lives. This case has the high school and the town in a panic. There is also a spark of romance between Ethan and Sadie that neither of them expected to find. When Sadie is threatened and then hurt, Ethan has something well up inside him that makes him want more than just a casual relationship. Can he find this killer before more people die?

SEVERED TRUST is a masterfully written inspirational thriller. There are numerous characters, and Margaret Daley does an outstanding job of introducing each of them and explaining the dynamics of their relationships. She has several story lines going all at the same time and ties them all together with the real-life issue of prescription drug abuse. Her characters are strong and realistic, yet have a sensitive side to them also. They express their faith and trust in God when people let them down. The story moves at a rapid pace as Ethan and Cord track down every lead they get. It is very convincing and intense and has several surprises. It's not easy to figure out this plot as you just keep turning pages to see where it goes next. This is the fourth book in Ms. Daley's Men of the Texas Rangers Series. I've read them all, and I think this one's the best. You will not be disappointed!

Book Summary

The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can't wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone—a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school.

Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference—until the 16-year-old's best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn't think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn’t know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.