The Legend of Smuggler's Cave - Paula Graves (HI #1486 - Apr 2014)

Series: Bitterwood P.D. (Book 6)

One man will go to any lengths when a vulnerable woman and her little boy are threatened

County prosecutor Dalton Hale is convinced widowed Briar Blackwood has information that can help him take down a local crime organization. Getting it is no easy task, though, considering the distrust in the Bitterwood police officer's beautiful gray eyes. But since he started his investigation, Briar and her tiny son have been attacked twice. The only solution is to move her and Logan into his home, where he can ensure their safety. However, neither Dalton nor Briar is prepared for the deepening feelings between them. Playing house is one thing, but when Briar's son is kidnapped Dalton recognizes he wants the real deal -- and will put his own life on the line to get it.

Loved this conclusion to the Bitterwood series. There's a lot going on in this book.  First is the mystery of who is attacking Briar and just what it is they want. Second is the romance that develops between Dalton and Briar.  Third is the whether Dalton will ever be able to accept his relationship to the brother and sister he never knew he had.

The book starts with Briar discovering that her aunt has been attacked and her home searched for an unknown reason.  While at the hospital she is questioned by Dalton, who is convinced that her late husband was involved in some shady dealings and that she may know something.  When she and her son are attacked again, he feels an unfamiliar need to protect them, so he moves them into his house.  He's drawn to her in a way he'd never felt before.  

It's been seven months since Briar's husband was murdered.  She doesn't understand why there have been attacks on her after all this time, but she's determined to get to the bottom of it.  She's irritated by Dalton's questions at the beginning, but his concern for her and her son's safety is evident.  When he offers his home to keep them safe, she feels that she can trust him to do it.  She's not so sure she can trust herself around him.

Once they realize that the attacks started after Dalton intensified his investigation of the Cortland organization, they had a place to start looking.  Once they began working together things started happening fast.  When Logan was kidnapped in order to force Briar to turn over information, they had to work quickly to find it and save the little boy.

I loved both Briar and Dalton.  Briar is an independent, confident and kickass mountain woman.  She has always been self-sufficient, even after marrying her husband.  Her recent promotion to police officer has only increased those abilities and she will do anything to protect her son.  Dalton rubs her the wrong way at first but she does cut him a little slack because she knows of the personal issues that are affecting him.  I liked the way that she trusted her instincts and moved in with him in order to protect Logan.  The two of them struck some real sparks off each other, but tried to resist because of everything that was going on. Briar's growing feelings for Dalton were enhanced when she saw how wonderful he was with her son.  I also enjoyed some of the interactions between them as they got to know each other. She does have some feelings of not being good enough for him because of the differences in their lives. She also sees enough of his conflict over his personal issues that she can't resist trying to help him through them.

Dalton has had a rough few months.  In a previous book he learned that he had been kidnapped as an infant, and that his grandfather and father were responsible for the death of his birth mother.  He had a good life growing up, but now he feels like he doesn't really know who he is.  He's feeling all kinds of anger over it also.  He's taken a lot of that stress and channeled it into his work, especially the Cortland investigation, and Briar's husband is an important part of that investigation.  The first time he sees her he feels a tug of attraction, unwelcome though it is.  When he questions her about her husband, he's impressed by her straightforward attitude, but he also sees some vulnerability.  That vulnerability has him wanting to protect her when she is attacked again.  I loved seeing how easily they became part of his life when they moved into his house. I loved seeing him enjoy being with Logan and take to all the daddy like activities.  He realizes just how much he cares for her when she's put into danger.  It was great to see him give her the support she asked for, even though he just wanted to protect her.  I really liked the way that he wasn't threatened by her abilities.  I also enjoyed their interactions about their differences.

One of the best parts of the book was seeing the relationship between Dalton and his brother and sister develop.  It had started out so confrontational on his part that it was hard to see that he would ever be able to get past the anger.  Thanks to the problems Briar is having, he ends up spending more time in Doyle and Dana's company and slowly gets to know them.  There are some great interchanges between them that sound more like siblings than adversaries.  Having been an only child he had no experience with the kind of support that siblings can give until he gets a taste of it here.  I loved seeing the way Briar pushes him to let go of his anger.  

The solving of the mystery was very well done.  I loved seeing the way that Briar's experiences held an important key to finding the missing information.  The kidnapping and search for Logan were definitely edge of the seat for me as I waited for them to rescue him.  There was a very interesting twist to the events that led up to the kidnapping and happened after the rescue.

The Secret of Cherokee Cove - Paula Graves (HI #1479 - Mar 2014)

Series: Bitterwood P.D. (Book 5)

A near-fatal accident unearths old family secrets

Detective Walker Nix knew there was more to the Bitterwood police chief's "accident" and that someone wanted his boss dead. But when the victim's sister, U.S. marshal Dana Massey, insisted on becoming involved, Nix had a hunch his case -- and his heart -- was in for a heap of trouble.

With decades-old secrets -- including a missing secret baby -- being uncovered, it soon became apparent that Dana's family was at the center of the mystery. As Nix helped Dana solve this cold case, he found himself opening up more than he'd ever dared. Yet when it was over, she'd be leaving. Unless Detective Tall, Dark and Handsome took the scariest step of all…

Excellent book.  Dana has come to Bitterwood for a couple weeks to see her brother and meet his fiancee.  When Doyle is involved in an accident that turns out to have been deliberate she is determined to help find the culprit.  To do that she's going to have to work with Walker Nix, a man she finds incredibly attractive.  Nix is just as taken with her, but getting involved with his boss's sister isn't a good idea, especially since she'll be leaving soon anyway.  

I really liked both Dana and Nix.  Dana is a US marshal and very good at what she does.  She is also a workaholic, using her job as a way to fill her life.  As the oldest in her family, after her parents were killed in an accident she took responsibility for her two younger brothers.  She blames herself for the death of her youngest brother and has never been able to open herself up to emotional commitment to another person.  Dana's first day in Bitterwood has her accompanying Nix as they look for her brother.  She is attracted to him, but resists because she won't be there for long.  Investigating the accident with Nix shows them both that there is something going on that involves her family.  The deeper they delve into her mother's past the more it becomes obvious that someone is hiding something big and they'll stop at nothing to keep it that way.  Dana is determined to get at the truth and working with Nix is the best way to do it.  I loved seeing Dana start to open up to Nix and share her feelings with him.  Her guilt has been overwhelming until Nix shows her that she couldn't have changed what happened.  Her feelings for Nix are growing too, but she is afraid of loving and losing.  

Nix has spent his whole life in Bitterwood except for a short time spent in the Marines.  He loves his hometown and the mountains.  Working as a detective gives him a bit of excitement in his life while keeping him close to home.  He hasn't been happy about the problems in the police department and is fully on board with weeding out the corruption.  I like the fact that he has respect and liking for his boss.  He's the one who takes the initiative to go look for Doyle when he doesn't show up where he should be.  I also enjoyed his reaction to Dana and how he realized early on that she was going to be very important to him.  I loved his protectiveness toward her, even though he knew she was capable of taking care of herself.  Working with Dana gave him the chance to get to know her even better and realize that he wanted her in his life permanently.  And that meant he was actually going to have to talk about his feelings too.  I loved the ending and what he offered to do and how it all worked out.

I loved the mystery of Dana and Doyle's mother.  Doyle had first gotten an idea that there was something going on during the last book and his investigation is what got him hurt at the beginning of this one.  As Dana and Nix discovered more about what had happened the danger she was in increased.  I loved the whole investigation and seeing Tallie come to life for Dana.  The person behind the attacks wasn't a total surprise but there were some surprises leading up to it.  I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how it all comes together.

There wasn't much about the missing crime boss in this book, as it concentrated mostly on the mystery of Dana's mother.  There were a few mentions of the ongoing search and investigation.  I expect the next one will wrap it all up.

Blood on Copperhead Trail - Paula Graves (HI #1473 - Feb 2014)

Series: Bitterwood P.D. (Book 4)

A raging storm and a ticking clock could mean the difference between life and death.

Bitterwood's new department chief, Doyle Massey, had a lot to prove to investigator Laney Harvey. Her take-no-prisoners attitude and his devil-may-care personality were destined to clash. Yet when three girls go missing in the Smokies, including Laney's sister, their priorities have to change. With lives in the balance, the two suddenly find themselves on the same side against a ticking clock.

Their biggest obstacles? The weather and one snow-covered mountain. Not to mention an attraction that's proving difficult to ignore. It isn't the time for creating any kind of lasting relationship. But with danger lurking around every jagged turn, taking such a chance might be a case of now or never.

Another terrific story from the Bitterwood P.D.  Doyle is the new police chief and is trying to get settled into his new job.  That isn't being helped by Laney, who is there to investigate the department because of the corruption uncovered in the previous book Smoky Ridge Curse.  Her intensity and his laid back attitude strike definite sparks off each other.  When three girls go missing their priorities change quickly to working together.

I loved Doyle and Laney.  Laney is intense and very focused on her family also. She is intensely protective of her sister as is shown several times in the book. Her job is to investigate the police department and unearth any more corruption that might be there, with the possibility that the department would be dissolved and absorbed by the county sheriff's department.  Obviously, Doyle isn't happy about that idea.  Laney doesn't know much about him, just that he's a transplant from Alabama and seems rather devil may care.  She gets to see a bit of what he's capable of when a call about a body leads to one of the girls who was with her sister.  The two of them then find Laney's sister, who was shot and left for dead, and find themselves working together to find the missing girl.  In spite of the slightly antagonistic attitude of their initial meeting, Laney finds herself very attracted to Doyle.  

Doyle had only been on the job a few days when he met Laney.  He appreciates her intensity and apparent honesty, but he's not going to let his department go under.  He may give the impression that's he's laid back but he's just as determined as she is.  With the discovery of the murdered girl and the wounded Janelle, all efforts are being put into finding the missing girl.  With many of the locals unsure about him, Doyle finds himself paired with Laney during the search.  He's very attracted to her but tries not to let it be a distraction.  I really liked the way that he was determined to protect both Janelle and Laney.  I also liked his sense of humor and how he told Laney how important laughter is to staying sane when dealing with so much bad stuff.

I loved the chemistry between Doyle and Laney.  The attraction is strong but they don't let it distract them from the job at hand.  I loved the various get-to-know-you things that went on, with Laney being surprised by the "flatlander's" abilities and Doyle accepting that Laney isn't just a desk jockey lawyer.  There are some pretty amusing conversations between the two of them.  They also learn how to work together and lean on each other in times of stress.

The mystery itself is really good.  Though the crime boss from the earlier books is gone, it seems that there is another trying to take his place.  That man has certain things he needs from Bitterwood and the girls are the way he is going to get it.  The help he gets to carry out those plans is both surprising and not, and leads to quite a showdown at the end.  Part of the mystery is solved, but part is ongoing.  I think that there is also another mystery going on that, by a couple mentions of Doyle's parents, may involve his family.  Can't wait to read the next one.