Thursday, October 8, 2015

Second Chance Colton - Marie Ferrarella

Second Chance Colton
Marie Ferrarella
Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Oct 1 2015, $5.50
ISBN: 9780373279371

After a stint with the Marines, Ryan Colton returned home to become a homicide detective with the Tulsa Police Department.  He becomes very concerned when a vandal commits several acts at his family’s Lucky C Ranch that recently escalated to dangerous levels with a fire and a house invasion that led to the beating of his still in a coma mom. 

TPD Forensic Lab Chief Susie Howard informs Ryan that a stable break-in contained DNA evidence that points to his sister Greta as the culprit.  Angry and disbelieving of Susie’s assertion, Ryan challenges her contention, but retesting affirms her initial finding.  Recalling a decade ago to when he and Susie were in love, but Ryan abandoned her when he deployed.  Still believing he did the honorable thing by the woman he will always love, Ryan and Susie were stunned when she joined TPD four years ago.  Forensics at the bunkhouse murder scene of ranch hand Kurt Rodgers also names Greta as the only suspect.  As the former lovers investigate the homicide and vandalism that increasingly means arresting Greta; each realizes they remain in love with the other.

The fifth Coltons of Oklahoma (see The Temptation of Dr. Colton by Karen Whiddon and Protecting the Colton Bride by Elle James) is a gripping second chance at love police procedural.  Although Ryan’s failure to recuse himself from a case involving his sibling seems unlikely especially in a big city police department and readers will suspect early on what truly happened; Marie Ferrarella provides a tense romantic suspense.


Harriet Klausner

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