Falcon's Run - Aimee Thurlo (HI #1442 - Aug 2013)

Series: Copper Canyon (Book 4)

Detective Preston Bowman had a Navajo gift for sensing danger. And the danger stalking Abby Langdon was undeniable. But nothing could force her off the Sitting Tall Ranch she'd built for disabled children -- not even her own near-death experience….

Alone on her isolated ranch, she had no one to trust -- no one but Preston. And as the risk intensified, so did her desire for the strong, silent lawman. But Preston was from a different world. Even if he could keep everyone on the ranch safe…she couldn't say the same for her heart.

Very good book.  One of Abby's employees has been murdered and Abby herself was attacked.  Preston is the detective who arrived in time to save her.  Abby was very worried about the effect the murder would have on the ranch which she built to help disabled and at risk children.  She immediately feels that she can trust Preston as he assures her that he won't give up until he's solved the murder.  At the same time there is something about Abby that stays on Preston's mind. 

I really liked both Abby and Preston.  Abby has a great passion for the work she does with the children.  She has made the ranch her whole life and the threat to it has her very worried.  She really appreciates Preston's quiet confidence that he will find who is behind the murder.  Abby trusts the people who work with her and can't believe one of them is behind the trouble.  She is also a pretty optimistic person who tends to bring out the best in the people around her.  I really enjoyed seeing the way that most people rallied around her to help keep the ranch going.  She was also attracted to Preston.  I really liked the way that she let him know how she felt but also that she didn't expect anything.  I liked the way that she  accepted Preston just the way he was and didn't try to change his attitude about her or anything they had together.  I loved her independence and the way that she stayed involved in the investigation.  I enjoyed her relationship with Bobby and the way that she understood Bobby's needs and fears.  

Preston was an excellent detective.  One of his abilities was to be able to focus on things that other people missed.  He loved his work and devoted most of his time to it.  He felt that because of the things he has seen and experienced that love is not in his future.  He fears that the darkness he experiences would bleed over into any relationship.  When he meets Abby he is struck by her beauty and also the lightness of her spirit.  Although he always gives his cases his best effort he finds himself wanting to do even more for Abby.  I loved his protectiveness and how he went the extra steps to help her, calling on his brothers' help in a way he usually doesn't with other cases.  I also loved his way with Bobby and how he showed respect for the boy's abilities and desire to help.  It was fun watching him fight his growing feelings for Abby, even as he tried to convince his brothers he was just doing his job.  I loved the way that he shared things with her that he didn't talk about with anyone outside his family.  I liked the way that he committed to both Abby and Bobby at the end, even though he never actually stated his love to her.

I liked the way that their love was a relatively slow development rather than an instant thing.  It gave them a chance to actually get to know each other.  It was also balanced well with the mystery of who was behind the murder.  While I guessed part of it early on there was also a surprise element involved.  As in the previous books I really liked the Native American information included.  It felt like a natural part of the story not something that I was forced to read.  I'm really looking forward to the stories for the last two brothers.

Secrets of the Lynx - Aimee Thurlo (HI #1394 - Dec 2012)

Series: Copper Canyon (Book 3)

SHE FULFILLED A PROPHECY...
For P.I. Paul Grayhorse, there were no secrets-thanks to his special Navajo gift. He knew why U.S. Deputy Marshal Kendra Armstrong found him in the canyons of New Mexico. Reopening the case that ended his marshal career and killed his partner did more than haunt Paul; it put him in the crosshairs.

NOW HE FACED A CHALLENGE...
Using Paul to flush out her fugitive was risky, but teaming with him was downright dangerous. In his arms, Kendra felt like a woman, with a woman's desires. But with his powers, could she hide her biggest secret-that she'd fallen for him? And that for the first time in her career, she was afraid...afraid to live without him if she couldn't get her man? 

Very good book.  Paul left the marshal's service after his injury and the attack that left his partner dead.  The unsolved murder haunts him and he would like nothing better than to catch the man who did it.  When Kendra comes to him for his help in catching the suspect he is only too glad to help.  It doesn't hurt that she is a beautiful woman that he is attracted to.  Kendra finds Paul very sexy but she is focused on her job.  She is willing to take Paul on as a partner but she doesn't want anything else distracting her.  But the more time she spends with him the more she wants to indulge the woman behind the badge.

I loved Paul.  He had a terrific ability to be able to tell when people are lying or evading the truth which came in handy as a marshal and as a PI.  He was very glad to have a chance to work with Kendra to find the person who killed his partner.  He worked very well with her and I really liked the way he had no trouble with her being the boss.  He was also very attracted to her and would have liked to pursue that attraction but both of them knew that the job had to come first.  He also knew that she was the type that was looking for a permanent relationship and he avoids that kind feeling that he is a bad bet.  But the more time he spent with her the more he discovered that she added a warmth to his life that he had never felt before and the more he thought about a future he had never considered possible. He just needed to be able to put the past behind him. I also enjoyed the closeness Paul had with his brothers and the way that they always had each other's backs.  

Kendra was a strong and independent woman.  She knew that Paul was the key to finding her quarry and was willing to work with him to make it happen.  Her attraction to him was an unwelcome distraction but she did her best to ignore it.  I loved the way that she made sure that he knew that she was in charge, but also that she saw the sense in having him take the lead when it was more practical.  She found the man himself fascinating and enjoyed learning about his heritage.  The more she learned about him and spent time with him the more she came to care about him.  She was prepared to say goodbye to him when the case was solved and knew that there would never be another for her.  

The mystery itself was very well done and kept things moving throughout the book.  It became obvious that there was a leak inside the marshal's office that enabled the bad guy to be one step ahead of Kendra and Paul at all times.  I loved the way that they worked together with Paul's brothers to finally bring the bad guys down.  The leak wasn't really a surprise but the lead up was very good and really kept the story moving.  The epilogue was fantastic and really put a nice cap on their story.