Detective Jake Young moved to the Everglades to test the waters before making a career move to become a private investigator. A native Floridian, Jake is not familiar with the area where he is searching for Calvin Gillett, who vanished a few days before. As he finally spots Calvin's empty car, he is shot at by a most beautiful woman. It turns out that the crack shot, Faye Star, knows Calvin, and after a very shaky start, Faye and Jake agree to look for Calvin together. Faye can navigate the treacherous area better than the "city boy," but he has the experience of police work. What Jake had not planned on being so attracted to the ninja in pink.

The Florida Everglades is an ideal backdrop for a missing person case, and Lena Diaz's vivid descriptions make it so real, one almost recoils at the mere mention of alligators and various critters. Faye is a fabulous heroine: a New Ager, who is better at handling firearms than Jake, and skilled in self-defence, she is resourceful; in fact, she does almost everything better than Jake, but remains very matter-of-fact about the whole thing. Jake is a great cop and a fun character. He accepts Faye's suggestions and directions without batting an eyelash and goes along with her because he knows when she's right. I loved the dynamics of their relationship: while needling each other, they remain playful; they can't deny the immediate attraction they felt for each other, but they both have secrets, and must concentrate on the job to do, and stay alive.

MISSING IN THE GLADES is a tightly-plotted suspense with an explosive start, perfectly paced with the tension building up as things get quite complicated, leading to a most satisfying conclusion. Ms. Diaz knows how to balance a serious suspenseful plot with a nice dose of humour, along with sensual moments. MISSING IN THE GLADES is yet more proof that Lena Diaz is a master at romantic suspense. This is an excellent first instalment in the brand new Marshland Justice series!

Book Summary

He was looking for a missing person. What he found was a beautiful stranger.

Looking for a fresh start, detective Jake Young headed south on a case that could help launch his PI business. He knew no amount of work would make him forget his tortured past, but maybe Faye Star could help. Caught up in Jake's missing persons case, the distracting Faye was hiding a secret he was begging to find out. Expertly guiding him through the swamps, Jake's job grew more complicated when someone started taking shots at the free-spirited beauty. As much as she protested she could take care of herself, Jake stepped in, refusing to admit how desperately he needed someone to save. Especially since he'd never be able to save himself…