“You’re wrong, Everly. You can’t trust me.” But will he choose duty–or desire? After leaving the FBI, the last thing Wyatt Thornton wants is to get involved in a murder investigation. Yet Everly Baker is desperate for his help in solving her brother’s mysterious death. The connections between cases tantalize Wyatt, as does the victim’s sister. And when a criminal puts Everly in his crosshairs, … in his crosshairs, Wyatt must trust his crime-solving instincts to protect her–and catch a killer!
more
Good mix of suspense and romance. The book opens with Wyatt discovering a dead body on his property. Wyatt is a former FBI agent who left the bureau when his last case went wrong. Now, all he wants is to live in peace in his mountain hideaway. But as he looks at the crime scene, something doesn’t add up. Though he reports the body to the sheriff and tells him of his suspicions, Wyatt has no intention of getting involved. He’s done with that life.
Everly is the victim’s sister. She comes to town to identify and claim Axl’s body. When she hears the circumstances of his death, she insists that someone murdered her brother. The sheriff is skeptical and uninterested in pursuing her claims, so Everly goes to Wyatt for help. He still says no, but when someone attacks Everly, his protective instincts kick in, and he decides to help after all.
I liked the development of the relationship between Wyatt and Everly. It gets a somewhat rocky start because Everly pushes Wyatt so hard to help her. But there are sparks of attraction under the antagonism, and they draw Wyatt and Everly closer together. Because of his past, Wyatt feels that Everly should not trust him and is determined to resist the attraction. I ached for Wyatt as the story of why he left the FBI comes out and explains why he’s so down on himself. I liked Everly’s determination and strength. Though independent, she isn’t stupid and accepts his invitation to stay with him for protection. The feelings between them continue to build, but they must overcome obstacles if they want a future together. A life-threatening situation reminds them of what is important.
The suspense of the story was gripping from the start. The attacks on Everly made it clear that someone wanted her out of the way. As soon as she and Wyatt began digging into Axl’s death, Wyatt noticed disturbing similarities to his last case in Las Vegas. Add in some creepy scenes from the killer’s point of view, and I was glued to the pages. The unraveling of the clues was fascinating and full of tension, especially given Wyatt’s suspicions. I did not see that twist coming, and the danger to Everly was terrifying. The confrontation at the end was a nail-biter. The epilogue was a lead-in to the next book with one vital matter to be resolved.
4 1/2 STARS!
UNDER THE AGENT’S PROTECTION is the first book in Jennifer D. Bokal’s Wyoming Nights series, a spin off of her intriguing Rocky Mountain Justice series. It centers around a former FBI agent and a PR rep who comes to town looking for answers.
The scene is set quickly when Wyatt stumbles into the middle of a murder investigation. The former FBI agent has distanced himself from life since leaving the bureau and the last thing he wants is to be drug back into the life he walked away from … but when a woman in distress asks for his help, he’s generally going to give it.
Everly is quick to grab a reader’s heart as she makes her way to the Wyoming town where her beloved brother has been found dead. Not happy with the answers the distracted sheriff is giving her, she reaches out to Wyatt to help her figure out what happened to her brother … because she’s not buying that it was accidental!
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced action filled story with some twists you weren’t really expecting. The characters were easy to connect with and the story line held my attention well. Looking forward to more in the series.
Are you ready for a sexy, never-give-up woman, a sexy, semi-broken former FBI agent and a serial killer? All this and more is in this book.
Everly Baker was running late for work. She almost didn’t answer her cell phone. The call was bad, very bad. A sheriff in Pleasant Pines, Wyoming was calling to tell her that her brother Axl was dead, probably due to exposure to the cold. What? This can’t be. Her brother is an outdoor photographer who has traveled the world and been exposed to all kinds of weather and he knew how to deal with those types of situations. This just couldn’t be. Everly dropped everything and was on the first plane out of Chicago to Wyoming. As she was about to enter the sheriff’s office to get details about her brother’s death she literally ran into ex-FBI analyst Wyatt Thornton. Little did Everly know at the time of this personal collision that she would be seeing lots more of the good-looking Wyatt Thornton.
Under the Agent’s Protection by Jennifer D. Bokal is the first book in this author’s Wyoming Nights series. This is a spin-off series from Ms. Bokal’s Rocky Mountain Justice series. Readers are in for a session of entertaining reading with lots of action and thought-provoking unravelling of clues as to who the serial killer in this book happens to be. The pace is just right so the storyline flows well. The author has defined her characters well with all their flaws and good aspects delineated. I liked how Ms. Bokal developed the relationship between Everly and Wyatt. I am looking forward to the next books in this series.
Under the Agent’s Protection was a great romantic suspense. It was a creepy thriller with some sexy moments as well.
I liked Everly. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind. She didn’t hesitate to tell the sheriff that he was wrong about her brother dying of exposure. Since he had been an experienced outdoorsman she was sure he had to have been murdered. Expecting an investigation, she couldn’t believe it when the sheriff ignored her. Not getting any anywhere with him, she talked Wyatt into helping her investigate. Wyatt had been with the FBI and was an experienced investigator, but he was finished with that life. Now he would love nothing better than to be left alone in his remote home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. But the similarities of the man’s death to the ones he investigated in Las Vegas had him wondering if it could the same serial killer. He had to find out so he agreed to help. But he told Everly he worked better alone. Her response was, “That’s too bad then because now you have a partner.” I loved it.