A Justice Seeker known for getting answers is about to face the ultimate test… With his black Stetson and nose for the truth, former cop Dalton Lynch is the perfect addition to the Justice Seekers organization. Then a case lands in his lap that puts him right in the line of fire–and has Hayley Nash leaning on him for answers in the death of her friend. They might share a tense past, but … past, but Dalton pushes that aside to do what he does best: get the facts. Only problem is, with their history, Dalton finds working with the spirited web expert to be an exercise in restraint–especially when it comes to keeping his hands to himself.
From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.
The Justice Seekers
Book 1: Cowboy Under Fire
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This exciting new series from Lena Diaz is sure to please as COWBOY UNDER FIRE grabs a reader’s attention from the first page and holds it throughout! Great characters, an interesting set up and a totally unexpected conclusion made this a very enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to more from The Justice Seekers!
Hayley Nash is loyal and tenacious as she searches for answers regarding her friend’s murder. She’s putting herself out there against the man she suspects the most and isn’t afraid to go head to head.
Dalton is an easy to like character with an interesting history. Getting to know his team is going to be fun.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with an unexpected love connection mixed in.
Good book. The Justice Seekers is a private investigative company made up of former law enforcement personnel. Each of them was pushed out of their job because they were framed, accused of wrongdoing, or pushed back against the wrong person. The only thing they were guilty of was being honest cops. Now they help others who have been let down by law enforcement.
The Seekers recently lost one of their own in a gruesome murder that may be linked to the murder of a local woman. Dalton, a former Montana cop, has been working hard on the case but is hampered by a local blogger, Hayley. She believes that Dalton murdered her friend Bethany himself. She stalks and hounds Dalton, using Bethany’s notes and diaries to try to prove his guilt, but no one believes her. Then Hayley takes it a step too far by breaking into his home, searching for evidence, and ends up in jail for breaking and entering.
Strangely enough, Dalton isn’t angry with her. He even offers to help her if she helps him. Hayley hesitates to trust Dalton, as she believes he may be playing her, but it’s the only way she can get out of jail. I wasn’t thrilled with Dalton’s methods, though they were effective. It helped that he felt guilty about it. I liked watching him try to make amends. Dalton likes Hayley’s loyalty to her friend, her determination to get answers and can’t deny that he’s attracted to her.
I enjoyed the development of Dalton and Hayley’s relationship. Once they get past the mutually suspicious stage, they connect over their determination to get at the truth. Dalton is a little handicapped by his boss’s cynical nature and over-the-top methods of trying to get answers. I ached for Hayley, who was jerked around by Mason’s heavy-handed methods, and for Dalton, who was forced to participate. I was glad when Dalton finally put his foot down and stopped the harassment. I thought that Hayley was pretty forgiving once she knew that Dalton had confidence in her innocence. She and Dalton grow closer as they pursue the truth. When Hayley ends up in danger, both she and Dalton realize the depth of their feelings. They just have to stay alive long enough to do something about it.
The suspense was outstanding. Hayley’s belief in Dalton’s guilt wasn’t easily overcome, and Mason’s threats didn’t help. Things started to change when Hayley showed them Bethany’s pictures with the link to the one Seeker’s death. The tension ramped up when Hayley’s websites contained photos of the murder scenes, and she went from investigator to suspect. It quickly became evident that someone wanted Hayley to take the fall for the murders. As more and more evidence points to Hayley, can they convince the other Seekers that she is innocent? The twists and turns kept me glued to the pages until the end. The final confrontation was a nail-biter that I didn’t see coming. I loved seeing Hayley use her computer skills to help save the day, and Dalton risk everything to save her life.
I liked getting to know some of the other Justice Seekers. Each of them appears to have a specialty, and I look forward to seeing more of them. I liked Brielle and her support of Hayley, as well as the way she teased Dalton. Mason was my least favorite because of his cynicism and the way he treated Hayley. He did appear to change some by the end of the book, so I will keep an open mind about him.
There are stories that have me deep in their grip from the very first page – Cowboy Under Fire, the beginning of The Justice Seekers series was such a book. Dalton is a former cop who now works for a private company, a group of former police/military personnel who, for one reason or another, have been let go from those jobs because they were framed, accused, or pushed the wrong person at the wrong time. Not one of them is guilty of anything beyond being a good cop who was done wrong. They’ve found a home in the Justice Seekers organization, and can actually work to right wrongs and put the right bad guys behind bars.
For the past several months, Dalton has been hounded, followed, stalked, and annoyed by Hayley who believes with all her heart that he killed her friend, Bethany. She even has the “proof”, her friend’s notes guiding her to bring Dalton to justice. Yet, no one believes her, the police dismiss her concerns, and now she’s doing all she can to destroy the man who she thinks murdered her friend.
Then she takes one step too far and finds herself facing the man she suspects is guilty face to face, no longer through the distance of the website she’s created to show the world just how horrid this man is. The ironic thing is though – Dalton’s not mad that she broke into his home, he’s annoyed that his dog was injured but he’s actually going to help Hayley find out what really happened to Bethany – over his boss’s and fellow members of Justice Seekers concerns.
Still, she won’t let up, getting little digs in whenever she can – even when it begins to look like Dalton might be right and Hayley horribly wrong. She couldn’t possibly be falling for this handsome man in his black Stetson, right? She couldn’t have been wrong all this time and actually damaged a man’s reputation for nothing, right? Questions fly as Hayley has to take a step back and a fresh look at what’s happening around her, especially when she’s the one now being accused of murder.
I am so excited for the rest of this series. Cowboy Under Fire drew me in, kept me focused and on edge throughout. I fell in love with Dalton, and while Hayley did annoy me at times I still enjoyed her for the devotion she has to a friend. The secondary characters blew me away as we are slowly introduced to most through the natural progression of this story – and I cannot wait to discover each member of The Justice Seekers with their own story. The writing is smooth, the action fast, and the red herrings, the twists and turns, and discoveries along the way kept me glued to the pages needing to know more. This series is going on the re-read list already, it’s that good.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.