Three girls go missing while hiking up on Copperhead Ridge, in the Bitterwood mountains. One of them is heroine-investigator Laney Hanvey’s sister, Janelle. Laney meets Bitterwood’s new chief of police (hero) Doyle Massey. They eventually go up the mountain to look for the girls. They find Janelle shot, but alive, one girl is shot dead, and one is still missing. Will they find the missing girl in time? Who is behind the murder/shootings?

I enjoyed this book. Hero Doyle was a very likable guy, with a laid-back, pleasing personality. He was new around town and was trying to do his best. Laney was a good heroine who really cared about her sister. I enjoyed the suspense, the setting, the trips up the mountain to look for the missing girl. This is the first book I’ve read by Paula Graves. It is in a Harlequin Intrigue series called “Bitterwood P.D.”. My only complaint is that, sometimes in the book there were references to things that happened in previous books in this series, which I found confusing since I didn’t read the previous books. It is probably best to read this series in order or you may be a bit lost. The ending wrap-up was a bit abrupt and some storylines were still left hanging.

Overall, though, it was an interesting read. It just wasn't a good one to read as a stand-alone book. ( )

Another terrific story from the Bitterwood P.D. Doyle is the new police chief and is trying to get settled into his new job. That isn't being helped by Laney, who is there to investigate the department because of the corruption uncovered in the previous book Smoky Ridge Curse. Her intensity and his laid back attitude strike definite sparks off each other. When three girls go missing their priorities change quickly to working together.

I loved Doyle and Laney. Laney is intense and very focused on her family also. She is intensely protective of her sister as is shown several times in the book. Her job is to investigate the police department and unearth any more corruption that might be there, with the possibility that the department would be dissolved and absorbed by the county sheriff's department. Obviously, Doyle isn't happy about that idea. Laney doesn't know much about him, just that he's a transplant from Alabama and seems rather devil may care. She gets to see a bit of what he's capable of when a call about a body leads to one of the girls who was with her sister. The two of them then find Laney's sister, who was shot and left for dead, and find themselves working together to find the missing girl. In spite of the slightly antagonistic attitude of their initial meeting, Laney finds herself very attracted to Doyle.

Doyle had only been on the job a few days when he met Laney. He appreciates her intensity and apparent honesty, but he's not going to let his department go under. He may give the impression that's he's laid back but he's just as determined as she is. With the discovery of the murdered girl and the wounded Janelle, all efforts are being put into finding the missing girl. With many of the locals unsure about him, Doyle finds himself paired with Laney during the search. He's very attracted to her but tries not to let it be a distraction. I really liked the way that he was determined to protect both Janelle and Laney. I also liked his sense of humor and how he told Laney how important laughter is to staying sane when dealing with so much bad stuff.

I loved the chemistry between Doyle and Laney. The attraction is strong but they don't let it distract them from the job at hand. I loved the various get-to-know-you things that went on, with Laney being surprised by the "flatlander's" abilities and Doyle accepting that Laney isn't just a desk jockey lawyer. There are some pretty amusing conversations between the two of them. They also learn how to work together and lean on each other in times of stress.

The mystery itself is really good. Though the crime boss from the earlier books is gone, it seems that there is another trying to take his place. That man has certain things he needs from Bitterwood and the girls are the way he is going to get it. The help he gets to carry out those plans is both surprising and not, and leads to quite a showdown at the end. Part of the mystery is solved, but part is ongoing. I think that there is also another mystery going on that, by a couple mentions of Doyle's parents, may involve his family. Can't wait to read the next one. ( )