Stats
for my copy:
Trade paperback, Revell, 2019.
How
acquired:
Revell Reads Blogger Program
(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)
First
line:
In the face of small-town news, all creativity left Vivian DeMarco.
My
thoughts: I
loved the first book in this series so much, I was very excited to
get this second book, and I think I may love it even more. Though if
I went back and read the first book again, I might love it more.
Maybe. I love both of them! And such beautiful covers!
We
met Vivian, a hard hitting investigative journalist, in the first
book. I don't remember her being the most likable person in that
book, but at the end she showed she was a decent person by killing a
story that could have hurt Lane, the heroine. Now we learn that that
decision cost Vivian her job, and she is back in Walton, working for
the local paper. She's not thrilled to be there, but it's just a
stepping stone to a job at a larger paper down the road. We also met
Deputy Ryan Frost in the first book. A computer hacker genius, he's
being headhunted by practically every agency out there – FBI, CIA,
along with private security firms. But he's finding it hard to make a
decision when it means leaving Walton – and his mother and sister,
who he's taken care of ever since his father abandoned their family.
The
mystery was very interesting and quite different than I've come
across before, involving cyber crimes, blackmail, and murder.
Vivian's boss, Harold, who had become a friend and mentor, dies in
the first chapter, seemingly from an allergic reaction but later
determined to be murder. With his last words he tells Vivian to find
Lauren, and that becomes her mission. She doesn't know who Lauren is
or what Harold's interest in Lauren is, but she is determined to
track her down, and to figure out who killed Harold, as are Ryan and
the rest of the police force, and of course they bump heads.
Vivian
and Ryan are both wonderfully written characters, both of whom come
with a lot of baggage. There's a lot of internalizing, which I love.
Ryan is being pulled in different directions, and feels that if he
takes a job somewhere else he will be abandoning his mom and sister,
just like his dad did. Vivian has her own father/abandonment issues,
and feels unworthy of, well, anything that can bring happiness. She's
resisted putting down roots, resisted the friendships offered her in
Walton, and resists the idea of falling in love with Ryan. It was
quite heart warming to watch them each grow as their values change
(or at least Vivian's do), and even though the story takes place over
a relatively short period of time there was nothing rushed about
their relationship and the way it progressed.
I
love Ms. Walter's writing, and as with the first book I was
completely drawn in from the first few pages and very invested in the
outcome. This book can be read as a standalone but I would urge
readers to not skip the first book. And I will be eagerly awaiting
the next book!
Goodreads synopsis: Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason -- to do her job and get out. When her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian's only hope for finding the truth -- and the next big story -- is small-town law enforcement's lanky poster boy, Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to fight for answers -- and her life.
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