HIDDEN FIRE - Terry Odell
Cerridwen Press
ISBN: 978-1-41991-685-4
May 2008
Romantic Suspense

Pine Hills, Oregon, Present Day

In this sequel to FINDING SARAH, Detective Randy Detweiler has just returned home from a six-week conference on solving violent crimes. His very first night home, he takes his sweetheart, Sarah Tucker, out for a nice romantic dinner. The lovebirds' plans to follow up their romantic meal at home are interrupted when the chief of police calls Detweiler in to work.

Some teenagers have found a dead body on twenty-five acres of woods within the city limits. The police suspect the death might be connected to a serial killer, and Detweiler is under pressure to close the case before anyone else gets hurt. But small town politics complicate the police work and have sheriff deputies and police officers jumping through hoops.

Meanwhile, Sarah is trying to understand her relationship with a cop. Dating Detweiler isn’t anything like her life with her late husband who died a few years ago. She and David had run their small art business together before he died. Can she handle a serious relationship with a cop and dateus interruptus?

Small town politics and police procedures become dangerous when a break-in at Sarah’s art business collides with the murder investigation. Sarah is accused of serious crimes, but could the break-in be tied to her past?

HIDDEN FIRE is a fantastic story full of suspense and the delightful ups and downs of relationship negotiations. Readers will find Terry Odell’s book a wonderful escape from the daily grind of life. I found the characters’ insecurities and strengths to be loveably human. I give this book thumbs up for bathtub or beach reading.

Mel Mason