Darker Than Midnight (Mordecai Young Series, Book 3)
28yo heroine is about to start her new job as police chief in a small VT town in 2 weeks when she stumbles upon mental-hospital escaped convict in her new house. Former NYPD cop Hero is desperate to find the truth about whether he killed his pregnant wife or not. He returns to their former house in a drug-induced state due to the mix of psychotropic drugs his psychiatrist friend has been giving him for a year but finds heroine living there. Heroine is convinced of his innocence after reviewing his extensive police files & the coincidental threats to his life & helps him. She makes no secret of her attraction to him but he's more cautious b/c he doesn't want to endanger her life. Ghostly apparitions of a woman in burnt clothing often appears to heroine's psychically-gifted friend & leads to clues re: the culprit. I liked this Shayne book, even though the suspense part wasn't fully explained at the end. It's romance-focused & I liked the honesty heroine & Hero approached their r/s. The suspense part was predictable but still intriguing to read. It wasn't gory at all. The murder was described generally & evoked sadness than disgust or terror. Sexual chemistry was ok. Heroine's practical & blunt approach to things including how she talks prevented much of the sexual build-up. She said it like it was & Hero either took what she was offering or not. Sex scenes were sexy but not very detailed & there were only a few scenes. I liked both main characters b/c of their strength, maturity, & goodness. I liked that Hero wasn't pining after his deceased wife yet showed grief & betrayal over what she did. Heroine's no-nonsense approach coupled with her hidden soft side was appealing.
Recommended.
