Pinkerton Agent Abigail MacKay’s willful sister, Madeleine, is going to be the death of her yet. That is, if Madeleine doesn’t get herself killed first! After running off to marry a widower whose wives mysteriously die—leaving behind a great deal of money each time—spoiled, beautiful Madeleine is unaware of the danger she’s in. Though no doctor has been able to establish a cause of death for any … any of the women, Abigail is sure they were murdered—and that her younger sister is going to be next. The only person who can help her save Maddie is the charismatic criminal, Nat Quinn—and Abi left him cooling his heels in jail at their last meeting.
As Fate would have it, Nat and his partner, Jake Conroy, were the last to see Madeleine before she disappeared. She happened to be on a train The Innocents held up—but she was alive and well when they parted ways. And Madeleine is the least of Nat’s worries, now that he’s discovered that Abigail has lied to him about one very important thing—she’s married!
When Abi risks all to ride into the outlaws’ deadly hideout and ask for help, there’s no doubt she’ll get it—but nothing’s free in Ghost Canyon; here, everything has a price. With a new understanding in their relationship, Nat agrees to help her prove David Bartholemew is a cold-blooded killer before he can murder Maddie.
With Jake in charge of Madeleine’s welfare, all hell breaks loose when two competing reporters get involved in the case, along with an old nemesis of Nat’s coming into the mix. One thing is certain: David Bartholemew is a murderer. But how is he doing it? In a race against time, will Nat and Abi be able to figure it out before Jake runs out of ways to protect Maddie from her evil husband? Or will each of them become an INNOCENT BYSTANDER?
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Abigail MacKay is on the quest to prevent a murder, and this one is close to her heart. Her beauty of a sister, Madeleine, is on the run, determined to marry her latest love–a man whose previous wives have all met with an untimely end as he changes identities and spends their inheritances. Maddie’s runaway train trip is interrupted by a robbery, putting her in the path of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy, leaders of The Innocents gang. Nat can’t believe his eyes, at first he thinks Abi is on board–and he has a bone to pick with her from their last encounter. He soon finds out the mysterious beauty is not his revered Pinkerton agent–but memories of Abi now swirl in his mind.
The heat is on as Abi once again turns to her criminal colleagues Nat and Jake, to help keep her sister out of harms way so that she can catch this diabolical spouse. At their hideout, romance is in the air for Abi and Nat as they discuss their pasts, and possible futures, but will their differences be set aside, or separate them for good? The group heads to San Francisco with plans in place to catch the cad, now known as David Bartholemew, and divert Madeleine away from him. Jake is tasked with minding an unsuspecting Maddie and keep her from being her husband’s next victim, but will her tantrums and womanly wiles get the better of him and make him lose his guard?
Author Asbrey does an excellent job once again introducing emerging technologies and forensic science as they would have been used in the 1800s, giving Abi and Nat clues and a leg up in finding out how David is killing his brides. The clock is ticking–will they be able to save Maddie from a lethal end? As Abi and Nat race against time to catch the killer, they need to determine if their future together will blossom or wither away. A page turner to the very end–I can’t wait for the next book!
CA Asbrey is on a roll! Continuing in the tradition of the first two books, Innocent Bystander, the third installment in her The Innocents Mysteries series, hooks you from page one and doesn’t let up for a minute. This series has quickly cemented its place permanently on my favorite shelf and the characters own a piece of my heart!
Picking up shortly after Innocent as Sin left off, we’re immediately caught up into family drama and secrets, which orchestrates Abi entering into Nat and Jake’s world. This time though, the rules have changed, and no one is left unaffected. As before, I loved how the dynamics between the three play off the other and watching their relationships grow and bloom. We see a new side to Abi that’s endearing and are reminded that behind the charming smiles lies a formidable outlaw duo. They each play up the strengths of the others and together make an unbelievable team.
Many times I found myself giggling at the antics of the trio. Then I would turn the page and start feeling anxious, or excited, or cautious, or growly, or just flat out freaking out! There might even have been a moment where I sided with Jake on what was (or wouldn’t be…) for supper that night.
I have no idea how it happened, but while there was so much going on, each thread of the story weaved together beautifully and it never felt overwhelming or disorienting. Each piece built upon another, creating an intricate pattern. You can’t help but be amazed at how each thread was necessary to take the story to its fullest potential.
I have been absolutely delighted to find myself lost in this series and adore not only the engrossing story line, but the entertaining mystery and fascinating science (and I’m tickled I managed to retain something from high school science classes and could understand and piece together some of the science as it was being taught). If a historical western based mystery thriller with just the sweetest touch of a love story sounds even the slightest bit interesting to you, you want to invest in The Innocents books.
Having read the first book in this series – THE INNOCENTS – I got so excited when I saw a post on Twitter for this installment. I downloaded it and read about 20% before I discovered this is the third book in the series, not the second. As I told the author in a tweet, there was no turning back at that point – I was completely hooked, and nothing was going to tear me away from such a grab-you-by-the-throat compelling book! The author assured me that even though the books were out of order, it was okay; she included enough backstory so that I wasn’t missing out on anything integral to the series.
The fact that I raced through book three – INNOCENT BYSTANDER – and dove immediately into book two – INNOCENT AS SIN – is a pretty clear indication of how hooked I am on this author and this incredible, mesmerizing series. I know I’m not alone when it comes to appreciating well-researched literature. Just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean that I’ll swallow half-baked, nonsensical and implausible storylines. Not only does this author know what she writes about inside-out and backwards, she’s a Scotswoman writing about the Pinkerton operations in America in the mid-1800s – and she nails it. But it’s her style and the banter between her characters – the lady Pinkerton agent and the charismatic outlaws – that really give these works their sizzle. The plots are crazy, full of twists and nonstop action. But there are also many tender, soul-searching moments that only add to the gravitas of this body of work.
I’m about halfway through the second book and I still haven’t found out if there is a fourth in the works. If I wasn’t already a book junkie, I would blame the very talented C.A. Asbrey for getting me hooked!