IN CLOSE – Brenda Novak
Bulletproof , Book 3
MIRA
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1266-6
October 2011
Romantic Suspense

Pineview, Montana – July 2011

On occasion, Claire O'Toole visits the old cabin in the mountains where her mother, Alana, used to paint.  She can hear the 4th of July celebrations going on as she visits her past. Her mother's things are stored in the attic, and as she looks through the boxes, she is surprised to find her husband David's things there also.  He was killed last year in a hunting accident, and apparently someone stored his boxes in the deserted cabin.  As she looks through some of the boxes, she comes across a file that David had compiled about her mother.  Alana had disappeared fifteen years ago, and Claire has always wondered what happened to her.  She can't believe that she had run off.  Had David been investigating Alana's disappearance?

Isaac Morgan, a wildlife filmmaker, owns a cabin nearby.  Isaac and Claire had a torrid love affair ten years ago, but she ended up marrying David, who seemed more dependable. She loved David, but she also had loved Isaac.  The attraction had never gone away.  Claire's sister, Leanne, broke her back in a sledding accident and is confined to a wheelchair, and her stepfather, Tug, remarried after the disappearance of Alana.  Many people think he could be guilty of murder, and some people believe Alana was having an affair with Joe Kenyon, a resident of Pineview.  There is a lot of tension between Claire and Leanne.  Leanne is angry that Claire continues to delve into the past, and she plays on her sister's sympathy.

While at the cabin, Claire hears footsteps and when she turns around, she sees someone standing in the shadows.  Jeremy Salter watches Claire and has been watching her for years.  He knows that he is “different”, but has always been attracted to Claire.  She falls after being pushed, and Isaac, hearing her screams, rushes through the trees to help.  After seeing the doctor with Claire, Isaac returns to the cabin to pick up the file that Claire dropped.  He is shocked to discover the hint of murder in its contents.  Claire has been evading Isaac, but when she visits him after her fall, he welcomes her with open arms.  She continues to investigate the loss of her mother and the “accidental” death of David.  Secrets, long hidden, begin to surface, and danger stalks Claire.

Claire is determined to find out what happened to her mother.  Why does her family want to forget and let it go?  They are usually angry with her, and it makes them all look guilty, but there are other persons who look equally guilty.  Claire is tormented by her mother's disappearance, her husband's death, and the conflict she feels toward her dead husband and Isaac.  Jeremy wants to protect Claire, but he is powerless against his father.  Claire tries to ignore the strong attraction she has toward Isaac, little realizing that he cares for her much more than he will admit.  Most of the characters of Pineview are not very likeable, and several seem very dangerous.  Is someone willing to kill again to protect their secrets?

The last book in the Bulletproof series, IN CLOSE will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  It is a good who-dun-it that will keep readers guessing.

Marilyn Heyman