Now that everyone knows of Jake Westin’s past as a detective, the overworked sheriff of Yancey asks Jake to handle the case. At first Jake is reluctant, but he then realizes that it would be good to get back into the job. And the fact that Kayden will be part of the investigation is even more of a motivating factor.
As Jake and Kayden race to find out what really happened to the climber, they discover a threat that hits even closer to home – a threat that puts their own lives in danger.
Silenced is book number four in the Alaskan Courage series.
The story in this book starts off very well. I was interested in the story right from the beginning, and it didn’t take me as long this time to get reacquainted with the characters. This novel is fast-paced and has a sense of adventure to it right from the start.
Jake and Kayden are good main characters, their relationship is interesting, and the time the two spend together is appropriate for the development of the romance. I thought it was cute that they wanted to spend time together conducting the investigation but that they didn’t want to admit their growing feelings for each other. I liked Jake as a character, and even though I thought Kayden was sometimes impulsive, she wasn’t the fainting female in constant need of rescuing who couldn’t do anything for herself. Her character was just the opposite – she never wanted to admit when she needed help. This aspect of her character made her more relatable but also unique.
The time Jake and Kayden spent together trying to find out who killed the rock climber was interesting and developed their relationship, but I thought it was odd that the police would let a non-police person (Kayden) question suspects and collect evidence during an investigation. Maybe I’ve just watched too much Law & Order in my life, but I thought it was pretty unrealistic.
The mystery in this book, however, was a little confusing to me. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD) There were technically two mysteries in this novel, and I kept waiting for them to be connected in some way. The “bad guy” in the Jake part of the mystery was clichéd, and I didn’t understand the motivation at all. I could see the conclusion coming a mile away. It also seemed as if we never got back to the original investigation with the rock climber and that it was never completely concluded. (SPOILERS OVER)
Even though the mystery wasn’t what I was expecting, I actually liked this book more than some of the previous ones in the series. I also thought there was a nice balance with the spiritual parts of this story. It blended in well in the plot without going overboard, and this part of Reef’s story was set up nicely to be continued in the next book.
I definitely think that you need to read the other books in the series prior to this one. Jake and Kayden’s relationship weaves through the first three novels as well, and if you haven’t read them, their relationship in this book will be confusing and not fleshed out very well.
Silenced is a fast-paced story that kept me interested in spite of the lack of an intriguing mystery plot. The secondary storylines made me interested to read the next installment in the series as well.
I will give Silenced ... 3.5 BookWorms.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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