Janice Cantore’s Line of Duty Series intrigued me from the first book. In Police Chief Tess O’Rourke, she created a likeable, fallible character you’d love to have as a best friend. And the love interest in the series, Pastor Oliver Macpherson, is equally charming and affable.
Cold Aim, the third book in the series, brings conflict to the growing relationship as they both struggle with job responsibilities vs. personal desires. The reader can easily see both sides of the disagreements. But, they’ll still root for both characters while understanding the emotions involved.
Tess, while recovering from a devastating fire in the area that has disrupted the Rogue’s Hollow, faces a tough decision. The FBI asks her to shelter a high-profile human trafficking victim. However, Tess doesn’t want to put “her” town at risk after the fire. When she sees how Oliver genuinely cares for the woman, she reluctantly agrees. The couple running the local shelter for abused women agrees to take care of Chevy.
At the same time, the FBI endeavors to solve a decades-old cold case. They think this involves the work of the same man who trafficked Chevy. As they look for links, danger lurks. When strangers come into town to work on the fire cleanup crew, Tess wonders if all are legit or if they are looking for Chevy. The action gets fierce, the convolutions fascinating, and the growing love between Tess and Oliver complicated. Four stars—you’ll enjoy reading Cold Aim.
To quote her bio, “Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.” All of her books, nine in all, encompassing three series—Cold Case Justice, Pacific Coast Justice, and Line of Duty—all feature Tess O’Rourke.
Tyndale House Publishers gave me an Advance Reader Copy of Cold Aim, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.