Review by Booklist Review
With a bullet in his back, Bannon is on leave from his job as a police detective in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. When called to headquarters by his adversarial captain, he runs into a friend who is updating files and closing cold cases. A 25-year-old case grabs Bannon's attention because the reward is about to run out for solving the abduction of three-year-old Ann Montgomery, the daughter of a prominent member of the community. Bannon wonders why everyone has given up looking for the culprits. Restless, he gives in to his friend's prodding to unofficially investigate the case. His connection with the Montgomery family deepens when he becomes intrigued by artist Erin Randall. He purchases two horse paintings from her, and they slowly begin a relationship. She is commissioned by the powerful father of the long-missing girl to paint his prize horse. As her and Bannon's involvement grows, so does the danger stemming from Bannon's investigations. In this trilogy-opener, Dailey gives readers a tale combining action and gentle romance.--Engelmann, Patty Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Dailey (Santa in a Stetson) launches a new series with this well-paced but unremarkable love story between an injured cop and the intriguing artist who inspires him. Roped into unofficially reopening a cold missing persons case by a friend who knew the victims, RJ Bannon is delighted when artist Erin, who refuses to reveal her last name, offers to help him investigate. When the case turns dangerous just as a sweet romance blossoms, Bannon has to decide whether solving the mystery is worth putting the woman of his dreams at risk. Populated with stock stereotypes as secondary characters, only Erin, Bannon, and Bannon's brothers (who will star in the sequels) really emerge as individuals. Dailey's prose is lovely, with imagery that clearly evokes the setting, but the contrived plot never overcomes its formulaic pattern, and readers will figure out the solution long before Bannon does. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Still on leave after stopping a drug dealer's bullet, veteran police officer RJ Bannon is intrigued with a 25-year-old cold case: the abduction of three-year-old Ann Montgomery, which has attached to it a hefty award that is about to expire. Bannon's interest unexpectedly rattles a few cages, and when he meets lovely Erin Randall, an artist who has been hired by Ann's father to paint his prize stallion and who seems to be targeted by a stalker, the pieces of this twisted puzzle begin to drift into place. Old tragedies, money, and blackmail are at the heart of this multi-faceted story that takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride from the chilling violence of a deranged killer to a heart-tugging conclusion. -VERDICT Dailey launches her "Bannon Brothers" trilogy with this fast-paced, compelling romantic mystery peopled with an abundance of well-developed characters, including a resourceful, take-charge hero. Dailey (Santa in Montana) lives in Branson, MO. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
