I first heard of this series when a friend (MJ) posted it on GoodReads. I have to admit I started this book thinking it would be kind of a ho-hum story. The story surprised me and earned a 4 star rating.

The title comes from a challenge issued by the mayor of Bangor to the mayor of Portland for city workers to compete in a contest over Labor Day weekend with 2 events in Bangor and 2 events in Portland. The Priority Unit received an additional challenge that weekend when a fellow police officer, who was helping to set up the challenge that the police departments would compete in, ends up murdered in the section of the building where the Priority Unit was supposed to compete in their event.

Additional challenges come after the Labor Day weekend when the homicide investigation also turns up allegations of sexual harassment within the police department and when Leanne and Eddie have relationship problems.

I am glad that Harvey's and Jennifer's faith seems to encourage so many others to seek the same. I'm glad that both are available to give advice to others (Harvey to Eddie and to Travis, Jennifer to Sarah, etc.) Harvey seems to have been a good mentor to Eddie because Eddie also gives advice to others in this book.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW. READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION

I was disappointed in Leanne and Eddie both though--in how they handled the bump in their relationship. Was Leanne wrong to want the conference in Hawaii? I'm not sure--but she was wrong in how she handled the issue of it overlapping with her wedding date. She flat out refused to move the wedding date to another weekend either before or after the conference--meaning going back on her word to Eddie that nothing would keep her from becoming Mrs. Thibodeau on that date. She also could have agreed to go to part of the conference but cut her stay short by a few days to keep her original wedding date.

And while I understand Eddie's disappointment, he said some things in anger/frustration that were not the wisest things to say.

Sexual Harassment: It's sad that the women never seemed to confide in each other. If they had, and if they'd united to go to management, perhaps something would have been done sooner. It might have been harder for the higher ups to dismiss a number of women filing the same complaint (as they did with the one person who did) or for the perpetrator to pull the wool over the situation by creating a convincing story that made it seem like there was a reasonable explanation for what had happened.

I was a little bothered by how the liaison officer was dealt with after a resignation. Yes, it might be more comfortable for women who are being harassed to talk to another woman (as the liaison officer) but the way the story made it out, they were more concerned about women possibly being harassed than men possibly also needing a liaison officer. Perhaps the liaison officer should be checking in with every officer (not just the female ones) on a regular basis. Or perhaps they need a team of liaison officers where the officer in question could go to whichever one he/she felt most comfortable with. Don't get me wrong. I am glad the department is taking it seriously and trying to prevent it from happening again in the future. I just don't think all the focus of the liaison officer should be on that one subject.

I did not suspect the killer.

It seems the police department keeps losing officers--I wonder how they are going to replace them? They lost one to murder and two more to being arrested. That means they're down at least 3 officers. We don't hear if the female officer who quit accepted the offer to return to the department. ( )