Well, the saga of the Montana Hamilton's continues. B.J. Daniels once again forges ahead with a family mystery that will keep you page turning as you try to ferret out the truth. In LUCKY SHOT, which is once again a terrific title that has a double entendre, this third entry has morphed into quite a drama. Daniels has let her imagination fly and create a vision of a time not long passed. Social unrest is an animal that seems to have a life of its own. People keep it alive, and at times it becomes so dramatically tragic and dangerous that it goes underground. I don't know about you but the thought of these fanatics running around causing chaos is enough to give me bad dreams. LUCKY SHOT brings to light activities that mimic events that actually happened and therefore hedges the bet between real or imagined.

The lucky shot was Max Malone's. Max is a photographer, often grouped together and considered no better than the paparazzo that buzz around anyone in the public eye. But the more we learn about Max we realize he is levels above those considered scavengers. Max is an award-winning photojournalist and luck has nothing to do with it. If you ask Max he will tell you he makes his own luck. Sure, you have to be fortunate to have the opportunity to get an important shot, but he isn't using those shots for sensationalism. He has a bigger picture in mind -- no pun intended.

The opportunity to take a photo of Senator Buck Hamilton and his recently returned from the dead wife Sarah was quite the feat. But with that one shot Max begins to realize this is a much bigger story than what appears on the surface. And believe me, on the surface this story is quite crazy.

Sarah returns after more than twenty years -- actually parachutes -- to Beartooth Montana with no knowledge of where she has spent all those years. She also has no idea why she drove her car into a ravine seemingly to commit suicide. In short, very scant, almost random memories.

Sarah's return is met with angst by her daughters and the husband she left behind, along with Buck's new wife. Life had continued on after losing Sarah. Perhaps it wasn't picture perfect but they managed. Sarah's return definitely ruffles some feathers, but more importantly it seems no coincidence that Buck is now starting a campaign for the presidency. One he appears to be a likely contender.

Trouble is following Sarah's return. People are missing, some are turning up dead. The town sheriff just can't file these events away even though he is sorely lacking evidence to support his suspicions.

Buck and Sarah's daughter, Kat, winds up spending quite a bit of time with Max who she can't seem to shake. At first Kat is sure he is an opportunist, using their shared interest of photography to worm his way closer to her family. But the tables turn very quickly. Max is deftly uncovering facts and photos that disturb Kat, but at the same time seem to answer some of her own questions.

Talk about family skeletons -- the Hamilton family has no equal. LUCKY SHOT is a mesmerizing family drama with too many twists and turns to mention. Suffice it to say with each page LUCKY SHOT imagery starts out fuzzy, but BJ Daniels masterfully sharpens the focus and zooms into her target. I am hoping this series will be around for quite a while. Although several quandaries are answered during this third of the series, LUCKY SHOT doesn't come close to closing the book on this family drama.

Book Summary

He's determined to uncover the truth behind a decades-old disappearance—even if it kills him

When hotshot reporter Max Malone gets a rare shot of Buckmaster Hamilton with a blonde woman near Beartooth, Montana, he chases down one of the senator's daughters to verify that the woman is his supposedly long-dead first wife. But Kat Hamilton won't give him the time of day, let alone any information about her mother.

With his tousled blond hair, sexy stubble and an old straw cowboy hat topping off his long, lean frame, Kat can just tell Max isn't used to female sources denying him anything. But when her own life is put in jeopardy, it's Max who comes to her rescue. Seems someone is prepared to kill to keep the past in the past.

Kat can't deny she needs Max to find out what happened to her mother, but will getting closer and closer to each other lead them to the truth…or to danger?

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