ABDUCTION – Cynthia Eden
Killer Instinct , Book 1
Harlequin Intrigue #1697
ISBN: 978-0-335-72085-6
March 2017
Romantic Suspense Series

Hope, Florida – Present Day

FBI agent Jillian West's unit handles child abduction cases, and she chose this area of expertise because of her own experience being kidnapped when she was thirteen. At that time, she escaped with the help of fellow teenager Hayden Black, and the incident led to them becoming close…and later lovers. But they split up and she hasn't seen Hayden since . . . until she runs into him in Hope, where she's returned for some R&R. Hayden is now the town's sheriff, and neither can forget what happened the night she was abducted, or the fact that another child was kidnapped and then murdered right afterwards, both crimes still unsolved. Jill and Hayden decide to embark on an investigation to see if they can solve the cold case, but there are people in town who don't want them sniffing around. After several “incidents” and another child abduction, it's clear the main target is in fact . . . Jill.

It's a bittersweet reunion for Jill and Hayden in ABDUCTION by Cynthia Eden, the first tale in her Killer Instinct series. At age thirteen, Jill had recently lost her parents and moved to Hope to live with her grandmother when she ran into Hayden on the docks. Her grandmother told her that the boy was “trouble” and to stay away from him, but for a child looking for a friend, she couldn't resist talking to him. After Hayden chased Jill off with his abrasive attitude, she ran straight into the arms of a kidnapper. Hayden followed the van to a remote cabin and ultimately rescued her, but the kidnapper was never identified. Less than twenty-four hours later, another child was found dead on the beach near the docks. This left lasting memories on Jill, Hayden, and the dead child's family.

Fast forward to present day, and after a harrowing assignment ends with the abducted child dead, Jill takes vacation time to recover. However, she decides she wants to look at the old case in Hope to see if she can figure out who did it. Hayden is her old love, but their relationship ended badly when he told her to leave and follow her dreams. He is an ex Navy SEAL and returned after ten years to become sheriff in Hope. Like Jill, the murder lays heavy on his mind. The dead child's family blames Jill for the death because she came out alive, which is an unfair burden to place on someone traumatized by a kidnapping. Jill and Hayden never forgot each other and soon are rekindling their romance, but they can't get any peace, because it appears the killer is still out there, and Jill is his target.

The tense action and drama will have readers scratching their head as to who the bad guy is in ABDUCTION. Add in a sizzling romantic reunion between Jill and Hayden, and you'll be rooting for them to get their happily-ever-after and nail the perpetrator.

Patti Fischer