Lethal Target by Janice Cantore is the second book in her Line of Duty series and was so good, I immediately purchased the first book in the series to catch up! Tess O’Rourke is the police chief in Rogue’s Hollow. Marijuana has been legalized by the state and now the town is deciding whether to allow stores. That’s causing enough dissension but then a popular teen by is found dead in his bedroom, and the death seems drug-related on the surface. One clue leads to another and another and Tess finds herself in an unwieldly web of pot and politics, mafia and mayhem.
Enhancing her uncomfortable state of mind is her angst over the death of her father, a heroic police officer, who was shot and killed in the line of duty. She’s never forgiven God for not stopping the murder. Blend in Oliver Macpherson, the local pastor, who is finding out he has feelings for Tess but primarily wants to bring her back to her faith.
Add to the mix a character who has come up from Long Beach specifically to harass Tess, a Mexican mafioso who also wants her dead, a dirty cop, an ex-boyfriend, and a murder charge—well, Tess has had better years.
I loved Lethal Target, and I love the character of Tess. She’s real, she’s tough, and she’s tender—all at the same time. Oliver Macpherson is a wonderful character—I’d love to have him as a friend. Cantore creates great characters and weaves them together in a fantastic story. I am anticipating book three! Five stars!
Janice Cantore has the experience to write about these situations. She’s a retired Long Beach police officer with twenty-two years of experience on the force. Line of Duty is her third series, following the Cold Case Justice series and the Pacific Coast Justice series.
Tyndale House Publishers provided me with an Advance Reader Copy of Lethal TargetLethal Target, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.