A journalist and who adopted a troubled teen, Madison Wade has tackled many challenges—but never one like this. Leaving Philadelphia for a small town to give her son a better life, she’s now in a tightly knit community that won’t accept her big-city ways and Ethan’s less-than-perfect past. When finally, he’s invited on a camping trip, it turns into a nightmare – and Ethan is suspected of a violent crime.
Sheriff Gabe Wyatt doesn’t want to believe this kid is guilty. He’s falling in love with Ethan’s beautiful, sophisticated, and generous mother, the first woman who has ever awakened the tender side of this tough lawman. But he can’t ignore evidence, even if it keeps him from getting close to the woman he longs to protect, even if it drives this fierce mother to find the criminal herself. Then one terrible night, the villain will find her… and Maddie Wade will come face-to-face with her darkest fears.
I’ve generally enjoyed Susan Crandall’s books. Though they are light on the romance for my taste, they’re still very well written. That’s why I decided to try Pitch Black. Because, for me, light on the romance is okay (in some cases) when reading a romantic suspense. Of course, then the suspense aspect of the book needs to be that much better.
Madison Wade moved to Buckeye with the teen she adopted hoping to give him a fresh start. Madison has done her best with Ethan, navigating the minefield that is the teenage years has been anything but easy. She finally feels that they have made it to a place in their lives where they are both secure, if not happy. That all changes the weekend that Ethan and three other boys go on a camping trip, accompanied the stepfather of one of the boys.
Sheriff Gabe Wyatt has been trying to get to know Maddie better for months. She hasn’t made that easy, but Gabe was determined not to give up. Everything changes when Steve McPherson ends up dead, seemingly from a fall. The lack of physical evidence doesn’t convince Gabe that it was accidental and unfortunately all suspicion turns to Ethan Wade. In the past, Gabe would have zeroed in on Ethan himself, but he has a hard time believing that Ethan is capable of a seemingly motiveless murder.
I read this in a day. It’s a quick read w/ a pretty obvious villain. The author tries to keep the reader guessing, but the noticeable lack of other suspects makes it easy to figure out. That doesn’t mean this book wasn’t enjoyable, because it was. The suspense kept me turning the pages b/c what is so obvious to the read is not so obvious to the people of Buckeye. There was sexual tension between Maddie and Gabe, but it didn’t overshadow the suspense.
4 out of 5
This book is available from Forever. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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