From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh comes the first thrilling novella in the Rogue Justice series.When Detective Seth Harding responds to shots being fired, he faces a familiar sight: a double homicide. However, he is shocked to find a young boy chained in the basement. The terrified child refuses to speak, but Seth knows he is the key to something sinister.Reluctantly, Seth … sinister.
Reluctantly, Seth calls the only social worker he trusts with the traumatized boy—his wife. Carly is recovering from her own trauma suffered on the job, but she can’t turn away from this case, not from another child in trouble. With torrential rain bearing down, threatening to isolate their little town in a killer flood, Seth and Carly know the best way to keep the boy safe from danger is to take him back to their farm.
But danger is as relentless as the storm. And it’s following them all the way home.
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This story was very heartwarming and a bit heartbreaking. It was about the Solitude townspeople’s cohesiveness with getting to the truth of a kidnapping and murder case. A family full of law enforcement, a major, social worker and widow of the former Chief of Policy all band together to uncover the truth behind the captivity of a missing boy, the death of his kidnappers, uncles who want to barter him, a new psychiatrist who wants to help and an on-the-run father who would do anything to protect his son.
The story centers on Carly and Seth Harding who have pieced back together their marriage that was once on the edge of being dissolved. Rogue County is being overwhelmed with rain and almost everything is watered, especially the roads. Seth, a police detective gets called to a scene on his way home that discovers a young boy chained to a furnace in the basement and his kidnappers found murdered. Since the boy is still alive, he contacts his wife Carly, the town’s social worker to assist with helping the boy but it ends up that her brother Bruce Taylor, a rookie cop is the savior to this little boy.
Carly is having mixed feelings about continuing her work as a social worker due to the death of another child that has haunted her day after day. A child she could not save and she was determined to not let anything happen to this one. With the discovery of dead bodies and gunfire between bad guys, the story ends well with the child rejoining his uncle, the mother’s brother and being protected by the FBI.
The story did have its laughable moments when the pet goat named Prince Eric manages to take down one of the culprits and Carly’s mother trying to catch the eye of the psychiatrist by wearing making to cook in the kitchen.
Truly a great listen and narrator Kate Rudd did an excellent job.
It has been a little bit since I listened to this one but I enjoyed it. It started with gunshots and the discovery of two bodies. That wasn’t the worst, there was also a small boy chained to the furnace in the basement. Seth knows he has to call his wife, Carly, a social worker, who has not been sleeping well after being traumatized by her last case but that cannot be helped, there is another child in need. When she comes to the scene and then accompanies him to the hospital there is an attempted kidnapping. So many twists and turns all while the rain is coming down and the county is flooding. Great suspense and great audio!
THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH THE AUDIOBOOK AND EBOOK VERSIONS
Great work, narration was absolutely perfect and lively. Wonderful characters and intensity. Thrilling and intriguing, good action. I want to mention there is a situation that may be a trigger pertaining to abuse. Overall great book. I would recommend this story.
I love these novellas about the Taylor family. They’re in all forms of law enforcement and each has their own mysteries that they’re the main characters in. There’s action, mystery solving and most important a family that is close-knit and loving.
In this novella the author keeps us on the edge of our seat with a duel murder, a kidnaped child, the danger of attack and the mystery of how it all fits together. It is a fast paced, suspenseful read full of exciting action, danger and has great characters. Even though this is the first novella in the Rogue Justice series, it contains many of the characters we have grown to know and love in the other Rogue series’. Seth and Carly’s relationship continues to grow in strength, it is tender and heartwarming. They face problems and fears you can relate to and I loved the surprise at the end of the story. The humour of the sassy goat, mixed with the gripping tension makes for an excellent read. This is a quick, thrilling read and I look forward to reading more in the series.
PG-13
No Sex
Action Violence similar to prime time TV
Some strong language including entirely unnecessary F-bombs
Here we have an excellent plot incorporating a likable family of characters. Amid an increasingly dangerous storm shots are heard and reported to the police. A couple is found murdered in their home. Down in the cellar a 6-year-old boy is found chained up in and in deplorable conditions. Who is he? Why were the couple upstairs killed? Were they his parents, and if not who is? Why won’t he speak? These and many more questions must be answered by the police and social workers.
With a plot such as this there, is plenty of opportunity to “keep readers on the edge of their seats,” and yet it does not quite. Certainly there are tense situations, but personally, I never felt a sense of urgency. Additionally, perhaps in an attempt to be edgy, F-bombs are occasionally and jarringly inserted. Instead of adding reality to the story, the use of the word only attracted attention to itself since the rest of the storytelling was what I’d call family-appropriate.
Nevertheless, I must re-emphasize that the plot is excellent and the characters believable, so I can recommend it.
I LOVE Melinda!!!! If she writes it, I’ll read it and if her and Kendra collaborate…hell yes!!!!!
I will not go into detail because you can read the blurb for that, but I will say this book has just the right about of everything!!!!
Murder, kidnapping, love, family, awesome characters, beautiful animals…yes, you read that right! If you haven’t read any of Melinda’s books…shame on you!!!
If you like stand alone, yet part of a series, you need to read all of Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliott Rogue books…they are awesome.