Terrific continuation of the Coltons of Grave Gulch series. In this book, Detective Brett Shea and his K-9 recently joined the Grave Gulch PD. He left his big-city department, looking for something to feel more connected to the people he serves. Brett didn't realize at the time that there were quite so many of the same family working for the department, from the chief down to the newest rookie. He's a little uncomfortable with all that family closeness, something he never experienced with his family. I ached a bit for Brett, who felt like an outsider among them, despite having Troy Colton as his partner. Brett's connection with the Coltons goes up significantly when he comes to Annalise Colton's rescue during an attack.

Annalise works as a dog trainer, including training some of the GGPD's dogs. Having watched several of her family members find true love over the past few months, she wants the same thing for herself. At the advice of a friend, she joined a local dating app and connected with an ER doctor who checks all her boxes. But when he cancels on the night of their first date (because of an emergency), she's attacked by a deliveryman he sent - only it's more than that. Annalise becomes the victim of a catfisher, a man who lures women and attacks them for various reasons. Fortunately for Annalise, Brett and his dog, Ember, were in the neighborhood and witnessed her fight against her attacker.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Brett and Annalise. Because Annalise works with Ember, she and Brett know each other already. Though neither has acknowledged it, sparks of attraction are already present between them. When Brett witnesses the attack on Annalise, his protective instincts kick in stronger than for any other woman he's helped. I loved how he stayed close that first night and invited her to stay with him in case the guy came back to finish the job. Shaken badly, Annalise accepts his offer. Over the next few days, they work together to try to catch her attacker. At the same time, all that togetherness ramps up the attraction between them, though both try to fight it. Brett isn't looking for a relationship. He doesn't believe in forever love because of what he witnessed with his parents, and he knows that's what Annalise is looking for. Annalise knows Brett's views and tries to convince herself it's just the situation that draws her to him.

There were some sweet moments between Brett and Annalise. I loved how he looked after her, built up her confidence when she felt down because of falling for the catfisher's tricks and involved her in the search. I liked seeing Annalise show Brett what family should be. When they give in to the attraction, both freak out a bit at the intensity of the connection and try to put some space between them. When something goes wrong with the attempt to catch the bad guy, both Brett and Annalise finally realize the depth of their feelings for each other. I loved Brett's big moment at the end.

I liked the suspense of the book. The main story involves catching the man who attacked Annalise. The underlying tension of worrying if the man would attack again pushed Brett and Annalise together. Each bit of evidence uncovered about other attacks gave Brett more ammunition for the sting operation he planned. The tension ramped up with the second attack and kept me glued to the pages waiting for the intense final confrontation.

The other suspense involved the ongoing story arc for the series. A corrupt CSI official, Randall Bowe, tampered with evidence in ways that suited his agenda, allowing a serial killer to go free. At the same time, he went into hiding to escape prosecution. The entire GGPD is under attack by protestors who hold them responsible. The intensity increases as the released serial killer, Len Davison, strikes several more times. Both fugitives make appearances in this book. Bowe contacts the chief of police with demands. Davison strikes again while Brett and others attempt to set up a trap to catch him. The frustration of the entire GGPD leaps off the page as the two continue to elude capture.

The author was an excellent choice for this particular book in the series. She has a wonderful touch with dogs in her books (see the Cutter's Code series). Brett's K-9 partner, Ember, and Analise's two dogs, Jack and Apple, come alive in this story with unique personalities, lending an extra layer of realism to the story. ( )