Veena’s review of Targeted (Callahan and McLane, Book 4) by Kendra Elliott
Romantic Suspense published by Montlake Romance 7 Jun 16
When Mason’s son went missing, Ava McLane was the FBI agent assigned as the family liaison. Since that initial meeting, they’ve worked many cases together, some of them more personal than others. Now they’re engaged and once again in the thick of a case that’s extremely personal. I enjoy the spine-tingling rush of suspense and romance from this author, and yet…
Mason is enjoying a rare weekend with the guys from his local precinct. After a nice dinner together, the guys wake up to find their boss murdered outside their weekend cabin. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of a series of murders targeting law enforcement officers in the Oregon area. The killer leaves a signature Halloween mask and stages the scene to match the mask but no other evidence, making the job of the joint FBI police task force pretty difficult.
Ava comes back from medical leave to work the case, while at the same time trying to deal with planning their wedding and manage the stress of her twin’s shenanigans at the rehabilitation center which she and Mason are paying for. As if that wasn’t enough, it seems there’s a possible stalker who’s following Ava around town to complicate matters further.
Intellectually I know that solving murders is a slow and painstaking job, exploring clues, looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack that breaks the case wide open. We’re spoiled because books and movies short circuit this process and drive a fast-paced adrenaline rush which is missing in this book. I actually felt the pain and frustration as the team sifts through the evidence and attempts to profile the killer. The finish, though, is all that I could have wished for as the various threads come together and the final scenes play out.
While this is still a well-told story with a strong finish, I did not find it as compelling or exciting as the earlier stories in the series.
Grade: C
Summary:
All Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween.
Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask. Mason was the last person to see him alive and will stop at nothing to find his friend’s murderer.
When the FBI learns of the mask left at the scene, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands—one who is targeting cops. They assign the case to Special Agent Ava McLane, despite her engagement to Mason. Barely recovered from her own nearly fatal injury and her sister’s attempted suicide, Ava hopes she is ready to chase another killer.
But as she delves into the increasingly disturbing case, the killer may be closer than expected—dangerously close.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
