Justice at Cardwell Ranch

Cardwell Ranch #2

by B.J. Daniels

Six years ago, Dana Cardwell found her mother's will in a cookbook and became sole owner of the Cardwell Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. Now happily married, Dana is surprised when her siblings, Stacy and Jordan, show up on the ranch…and trouble isn't too far behind.As danger draws closer to the ranch, deputy marshal Liza Turner quickly realizes that Jordan Cardwell isn't the man the town made him out to be.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Westerns, Romantic Suspense, Harlequin, Contemporary

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

B.J. Daniels started her life in Houston, Texas, before her family moved to Montana at age five. She grew up in a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky and later on Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone. Because of her love for Montana, most of her books are set there.
Born into a storytelling family, all she'd ever wanted to do was write stories. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, ODD MAN OUT. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense.
She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, two Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she quilts, boats and. makes rope/fabric baskets. She always reads, loving to lose herself in a good book.

Reviews

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review:

Justice at Cardwell Ranch is a part of Cardwell Ranch series, but can easily read as standalone. It was my first book written by B.J. Daniels and I enjoyed it a lot. After finishing Justice at Cardwell Ranch, I actually decided to read the first book in the series, too.

Justice at Cardwell Ranch is well written, the writing is smooth and professional, it is filled with thrilling suspense and mystery and fascinating settings of Montana. It is easy to read and the novel captures you from the very beginning and keeps your attention until the last page is turned.

Plot:

Meet Jordan Cardwell, who is coming back to his home town to attend his high school get together and to find out if and why his best friend killed himself at high school. Besides that, he has not been seeing his family for several years and lot of things have changed in his life and also in his personality. Especially after his divorce. Jordan needs and wants to face his sister Dana, but before that happens, he is involved in a murder case.

He has agreed to meet Alex, another friend from his high school time. Alex is sure, that their common friend Tanner did not commit suicide, but was killed. When Jordan is appearing to their agreed meeting place, Alex is shot on the spot and since Jordan is on site while it happens, he becomes the suspect number one. At least for a while. Then the body count starts to increase and you quickly find out that what might seem obvious, is not.

During the investigation Jordan gets closer to his family and to Deputy Marshal Liza. At the same time, the other members of the Cardwells are added to the story and you will quickly start asking questions - why are they all suddenly appearing in the ranch? What are their motives?

The suspense part of the story was very intrigued and very well plotted. Besides that, there is romance woven to the story, romance between Jordan and Liza which is in my opinion staying little too much in the background.

Characters:

Let me start with telling you, that there are many characters in Justice at Cardwell Ranch. It was quite confusing for me in the beginning and hence the reason why I decided to read the prequel. As said, it is not necessary, but it will make it easier for you to understand the background of the characters.

The amount of characters does not damage the quality of them though. I think the author did an excellent job with creating characters who are catching your attention and who intrigue you. You will find out that you can easily love some characters as much as you can dislike few others. There is a nice balance between the likes and dislikes. Characters are definitely supporting the plot!

Generally:

Justice at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels is a solid and interesting suspense spiced up with some romance and seasoned with fascinating characters. I would definitely recommend it!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Jordan has come back to Big Sky to investigate the truth behind his best friend's suicide while they were in high school. The day he arrived one of his high school friends who might have known something was murdered. Liza Turner is tagged to investigate and soon finds that there are troublesome secrets coming to light. Even though he's a suspect, Liza is attracted to Jordan. Her instincts tell her that he is not the murderer but that he can be dangerous to her heart. I really liked both Liza and Jordan. Liza is doing a great job as deputy. She remembers Jordan from the whole will problem six years earlier and not in a good way. Though she doesn't trust him at first, she quickly realizes that he has changed for the better. When he explains why he is in Big Sky and how it might impact her murder investigation they start working together to investigate. Liza also discovers that she is very attracted to Jordan, but doesn't expect him to stay around. I liked Liza's intelligence and the way she was able to put things together. Jordan was great too. I loved the way that he had changed for the better. He had been devastated by his friend's suicide, and when he found out it may have been murder he had to come back and check into it. He was attracted to Liza right away and found himself finding any excuse to be with her. Investigating the how the suicide and then murder were connected gave them a lot of time together. I loved the way he accepted the fact that he was going to have to earn people's trust and how hard he worked to do so. I liked the way that he respected Liza's job as deputy but still wanted to protect her. The mystery of the suicide and murder was well done and had a pretty tense ending. I hope Stacy and Clay get stories of their own too.

[Brooke Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second book in the series. It was well-written and I thought the mystery/suspense aspect was engaging. I liked visiting with the characters again, though I think this book could be enjoyed as a stand-alone. I thought the romance was perfectly integrated with the story. Ms. Daniels is a talented author - this is my second book I've read of hers, and she is quickly becoming a favorite for me. I am looking forward to my next trip back to Cardwell Ranch!

I checked this book out of the library and I am voluntarily sharing my honest review. My review is not influenced in any way.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Cardwell Ranch series. I found this book to be good not great. I enjoyed the characters, and the mystery was ok.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I won the fourth book in this series in a giveaway, and now I'm reading the three before it in order to get prepared. I have mixed feelings about it. They're set in a wonderful place, but the characters leave much to be desired.

Jordan Cardwell is back in town because of a buddy and a mysterious phone call. So when Liza finds him standing over the dead body of his buddy, things do not get off to a good start. But Joran's charming, and there doesn't seem to be a feasible way that his friend was murdered by him which means there's a killer at large. And this is a killer who doesn't want Liza solving the crime.

In the first book Jordan took his sister by the shoulders and shook her. And I seem to be the only one who remembers this. At least out of a pool of myself and the book characters. So how does he end up the likable protagonist in this book? It kind of angers me as that was physical abuse and it never comes up again and everything is sunshine and rainbows. Liza at least is a good character and knows what she wants. I liked how she made decisions and followed through with them. It showed she has guts and is a realistic thinker. We have some of the characters from the first book as well, but they are toned down quite a bit. Which is probably because six years pass in between the last book and this one.

Again, I love that these books take place in an area of Montana I'm familiar with. I've even been to Ousel Falls and having that personal connection makes it sort of special. Although I do have to wonder why she kept saying "down" to Bozeman and "up" to West Yellowstone. Bozeman is North and West Yellowstone is South. The pace in this book was rather fast and jumbled and I thought the ending was a bit unbelievable. Again, what is going on with the water in that town? They have more than their fair share of crazy people. There's a little side plot in this book involving Dana's sister that I thought was actually more interesting than the main plot. It was all very mysterious but then it was resolved pretty quickly too.

I've got the third book in my hands so I'll read it. But I'd only give this one about 2.5 stars. Hopefully they improve by the time I get to the fourth one (or the next)!

Justice at Cardwell Ranch
Copyright 2012
216 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2013

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book even more than the first! Hudson(Hud) and Dana have been married for 6 years now and have a little girl and boy five and four and are expecting twins. Dana found her mother's new will leaving the ranch to her, in a cookbook, so she didn't have to sell the ranch, and there is no more squabbling with her siblings over money or selling the ranch.

This book involves Jordan coming back to try and find out if his best friend in High School really committed suicide ,or was he murdered? Jordan has never believed that Tanner would take his own life, because he was too excited about all his plans for after graduation. When Jordan receives an anonymous note, at the time for his 20th HS reunion he decides to go home and investigate his friend's death.

Lots of twists in this mystery, with lots of questions, that thankfully are all answered in the end.

The descriptions of fall in the mountains of western Montana made me long for the North West U.S. of my middle school days!

I love how each book is a complete story, and does not end on a cliff-hanger, which I hate!

Highly recommended for clean romantic suspense, mystery-thriller fans. Read this one in 1-sitting!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justice at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels is the fourth story in a Harlequin Intrigue series centering around the Cardwell family on a Montana Ranch. B.J. is a seasoned writer for Harlequin and my personal favorite. She knows how to write a keep-you-guessing murder mystery with this 20 year old crime. There are a lot of suspects, including the one you hoped did it, the one you think did it and the shocking one that actually did it. Just to keep you on your toes, everyone else is far from innocent in this small town drama.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Justice at Cardwell Ranch” opens six years after Dana Cardwell was deeded Cardwell Ranch in Big Sky, Montana over her sister and brothers’ objections. Happily married to Sheriff Hud Savage, with two children and on bed rest for her third pregnancy, Dana’s sister Stacy suddenly shows up at the ranch with a baby and her brother Jordon has come back for a high school reunion with suspicions about his former friend Tanner’s suicide years before.

As Dana struggles with her pregnancy and with qualms about her sister’s sudden return, the main thrust of the story revolves around Jordon who’s caught at the scene of a murder by Deputy Marshal Liz Turner. Although a suspect, Jordon attracted to the diligent and cute deputy marshal begins to help her uncover clues to a murder that seems linked to a suicide years before.

Fast-paced, intensity and suspense build with a high school reunion that draws all the suspects together and on the ranch as Hud has Stacy’s baby’s DNA tested. Twisting and turning the action picks up with the Deputy Marshall’s car being run off the road and Jordon facing death at the hands of a murderer. Short in length but intriguing, the plot quickly progresses to two dangerous confrontations near the end.

Among a host of compelling characters are the loyal, trustworthy and protective Hudson (Hud) Savage; his down-to-earth and kind-hearted wife Dana; the unpredictable Stacy Cardwell; the charming, and slightly arrogant Jordon Cardwell; as well as the strong, persistent, confident and easy-going Liz Turner. Yet it's Shelby Iverson and her groupies with their cutting remarks and meanness that add spice to the plot as their lies, cover ups and betrayals are exposed.

I rate “ Justice at Cardwell Ranch” 4.5 as I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading other novels in this compelling and absorbing series.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting, suspense-filled story rated 4.5. Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

Unlike his sister Dana, Jordan Cardwell did not understand why anyone remained on the ranch. But the family cemetery was filled with people who had fought the land, which had given them little for their labors, to stay there. Six years ago, their mother had passed away and Jordan and his siblings had fought their youngest sister Dana, wanting her to sell the ranch and share the profits. But at the last moment, she had found the revised will, leaving the ranch to her, stopping the fight. Jordan and the rest of his siblings had left town and have not been back. But Jordan is still working on a mystery that happened when he was in high school. His best friend, Tanner, had died and the death had been ruled a suicide. But Jordan was certain that his friend had been killed. However, he had never been able to prove it. With the twenty-year high school reunion about to take place, Jordan received a call from Alex, another high school friend, who seemed to have additional information about Tanner’s death. To get the information, Jordan would have to attend the reunion. But when he arrived at the secret meeting place, he found Alex close to death and his last word was Shelby, the name of Tanner’s high school girl friend.

Liza Turner, the deputy marshal in Big Sky, Montana, arrived near the scene in time to hear the shots being fired. But when she made it to the body, she only saw Jordan standing over him, making him her prime suspect, although her gut tells her he is innocent. Her good friend Dana is pregnant with twins and is experiencing difficulties with the pregnancy, so her husband Hud, the town marshal, has taken a leave of absence, leaving Liza in charge of the investigation. Well aware of Jordan’s actions six years earlier, she is suspicion that suddenly not only Jordan, but also his sister Stacy have both returned to Big Sky. In addition, Stacy has brought a baby home that no one knew about and she is acting suspiciously. Liza remembers the old Jordan and is wary of the changes in him, but she cannot deny her attraction to him. As they struggle to discover the identity of Alex’s killer and the connection to the death of Tanner, the body count begins to rise. As her feelings for Jordan deepen, Liza fears that he may be next. Can she find the killer before that happens?

JUSTICE AT CARDWELL RANCH, the second book in talented author B.J. Daniels CARDWELL RANCH series, is a suspense-filled contemporary romance that will enthrall you from the very beginning. Just as you begin to believe you have the mystery figured out, you are sure to be proven wrong. With vivid settings, family interactions, clever dialogue, surprising plot twists and turns, mystery, suspense, an interesting cast of characters, Montana, a high school reunion and love, this story is beautifully written and a pure delight. Interwoven throughout the story are the past lives of the eight people attending their high school reunion. I really enjoyed the love and protectiveness that secondary character Hud exhibited for his wife and children. The love and caring seemed to permeate the pages of the book, adding a great deal of appeal. However, this story is more of a mystery than a romance. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I recommend this story to anyone looking for a great story with plenty of action and mystery.

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

[Jess M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review on my blog! --> Justice at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels

From the moment I received Justice at Cardwell Ranch, I was totally intrigued. I mean, look at that cover! Hot cowboy? Sign me up!

The story is a murder mystery at its core, but it’s also about family and realizing where home really is. This is actually a sequel of sorts to Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch . It involves the same family and some of the same characters, but even though I hadn’t read the first one, it did not take away from Justice. It definitely stands very well on its own.

Jordan Cardwell tried very hard to leave his Montana roots behind, and for a while he succeeded, but he’s now a different man than he’d been the last time he was home and things are feeling more right than ever. Especially with Liza Turner around.

Jordan’s childhood best friend committed suicide their senior year, and it has always seemed like such an unbelievable act to Jordan. Considering his best friend was independent, hard working, and very much looking forward to seeing the world after graduation. So when he gets a phone call dredging it all up, he is determined to find out what really happened to him. Except then someone killed his source. So Liza decides to help Jordan while at the same time solving the murder of the source. Right off the bat, Jordan and Liza have great chemistry together. They worked well together too.

As the mystery unravels piece by piece, we get to meet all kinds of interesting characters. We also get to see a lot of Jordan’s family.

I really enjoyed this book, and as hard as I tried to guess who the guilty party was, I never did get it quite right. I’m also going to look up the first book in this duology and learn more about the Cardwell family. :)

[Jinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! Right from the prologue I was hooked and the read thereafter just flowed. I quickly got engulfed in the storyline because there was richness in all the characters. Not only do we see the growth and what transpired to the Cardwell siblings six years after the split but we also see the range of maturation of the side characters from high school years to twenty years later. Add a mysterious secret that results in a death to the mix and you've got yourself a recipe for a suspenseful, back stabbing who-dun-it. Didn't hurt too that there was romance in the air. The kind of romance that soothes the heart instead of the loins. But above all, I like the principles that this story shouted to me ...believe in family, have loyalty, honor your marriage, work hard, love gently, integrity matters, care for people, friends are great, and so on. Beautiful! Well done Ms. Daniels. Thanks for the wonderful reading experience.

I was transported to the Cardwells' Montana and I liked it! I'm going back again because I will read more of Ms Daniel's books. And if the rest is like this book, then I've found myself a go to author for comfort reads. Yay!

Jinky is Reading

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dana Cardwell Savage has ranching in her blood, unlike her siblings, Stacy, Jordan, and Clay. After a bitter fight and the discovery of a new will, Dana is the owner of the Justice-Cardwell family ranch and her siblings receive dividend checks which they happily cash. This is about the extent of their interaction with each other...until now. Dana's pregnant with twins and has been ordered to bed rest and to relax. Of course, this happens at the same time her sister and one of her brothers show up in town. There's a new baby, a new murder, and the specter of past dirty deeds coming to light...which may change all of their lives in an instant.

B.J. Daniels has written a wonderful western mystery novel in which a sweet romance blooms as a killer sets out to eliminate the past. I enjoyed the characters and the growth they exhibited as the novel progressed. "Justice at Cardwell Ranch" brings to light the lengths people will go to maintain a devastating secret. It showcases the good bonds between family and friends as well. A quick read, yet very entertaining, "Justice at Cardwell Ranch" is a wonderful book with which to sit back, relax, and be swept away in the story.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justice is the “highly anticipated” sequel to Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch and I can definitely understand why. What’s not to love? Montana ranches, cowboys, a Marshall, family, and love will drag me to porch swing any day.

There were many twists and turns in this “who-dun-it” romance mystery. There were a couple of times in the book that I thought I had it all figured out, only to be surprised. The author captured the essence of Montana with her vivid descriptions and took the reader into the beautiful countryside with her words.

There is a wonderful cast of characters in the book, and it is evident that family is important to all of them. I love a man who loves his kids – and his wife.

Review first published on http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

I enjoyed the fast pace of the book. I liked the story-line and found it easy to follow. I liked that there was romance and intrigue all tied up with suspense. It was fun read and one I enjoyed immensely.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

B.J. Daniels is the Queen of Harlequin Intrigue. She is simply one of the best authors I have read doing short books. The romance was hot, although not explicit, and the mystery was so good you just don't see the villain until the very end. In addition, you get characters who are real and a family with it's problems, but who pull together when they need to. This is a sequel to Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch and I really enjoyed how Dana and Hud are brought into the story in more than just in a peripheral way.

Jordan Cardwell is back in Big Sky, MT because Alex, a friend from high school, has uncovered information that may resolve the suicide of Jordan's best friend, Tanner. Jordan agrees to meet Alex and Alex is shot dead at his feet. With his bad boy rep as the sibling who wanted to sell the ranch, Jordan is immediately a suspect. Deputy Marshall Liza is in charge because Hud needs to tend to his family because Dana is about to have twins. Liza is attracted, but wary of Jordan. Together they solve the crime.

[Sunny☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniels tells another spell binding mystery and romance that interlaces highschool dramas with present day problems.

Deputy sherriff Liza Turner and returning home badboy Jordan Cardwell, unravel past pains and murders one by one. His knowledge of events of long ago and her determination and interviewing abilities work well together.

Mixed into the drama unfolding, Jordan's younger sister is about to give birth to twins and his other sister has returned home with a baby no one believes is hers. Dana is confined to bedrest until the twins are born and husband Hud the Sherriff has turned the murder case over to his trusted deputy Liza.

The romance between Liza and Jordan is instantanious. Although the romance is as pure as snow and only a very hot kiss is discribed, the passion between the two is definately hot. He cares, alot. She resists, for a minute then what the heck.

A great read and great story.

[Donna Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dana now has the family ranch and is married to Hud. They have two children a boy and a girl age 4 and 5 and she is pregnant with twins. One day six years later her sister Stacy returns with a baby named Emma. She tells Dana a story that is a lie and says Emma is her neice. She is only six months old. Of course, Hud being a policeman, is thinking her story doesn't sound okay. Join this family on the ranch as the saga continues. It is a good read

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this Jordan better than the one in the previous book. It was still just ok and ssssooooo G rated that I might have let my 10 year read it. NOT!

[Tracy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

What a troubled web we weave when we practice to deceive. This story had more twists and turns than Lombard St. in San Fansisco.

[Cathie McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twenty year old suicide is what this is about. More questions and deaths. It takes awhile but the truth is finally known.

Happiness and joy follow

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been six years since obnoxiously bad boy Jordan Caldwell or his manipulative sister Stacy have been to the family ranch or even in Big Sky. Marshal Hud Savage doesn’t care why either of them came, he wants them gone without them troubling their sister, Dana, she’s on bedrest while she and Hud prepare to add twins to their family of four.

Neither Dana nor Hud believe the infant Stacy arrived with is hers but they disagree if Stacy should stay at the ranch with them and the kids. Meanwhile, less than 24 hours after deputy Marshal Liza Turner spies Jordan sneaking into his family’s cemetery, she finds him at the scene of a murder, making Jordan the number one suspect.

While Hud doesn’t find anything when he digs into Stacey’s past, Liza fruitlessly tries to gird herself against the legendary Cardwell charm and prepares to attend a social function with Jordan to get an up close look at all the suspects, not only for the recent murder but from a decades old suicide as well.
Rating: 4.25stars

[Bree T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six years ago Dana Cardwell found the copy of her mother’s will that left the ranch specifically to her, rather than to her and her 3 other siblings. Apart from Dana, no one wanted to hang onto the ranch and they all pressured her to sell it and split the profits four ways. But Dana held firm and with the help of the revised will got to keep the ranch and pay her siblings a portion of the earnings for it. She hasn’t seen any of them in the time that has passed but now quite unexpectedly, two of them have arrived back into town by coincidence.

Jordan Cardwell is back for his 20 year school reunion. Not because he particularly wants to be there but because in their last year of school, his best friend committed suicide and Jordan was never able to believe that it was suicide. When a former classmate calls him up saying he has some info about it that he’ll share at the 20 year reunion, Jordan decides to come. He arranges to meet with his former classmate but before the classmate can say anything more than a single word, he is shot dead with a high range rifle right in front of Jordan.

Deputy marshal Liza Turner is left in charge of the murder investigation due to marshal Hudson Savage being on leave due to his wife being on strict bedrest whilst pregnant with twins. At first Jordan is a suspect but as Liza gets deeper into this mystery she realises that it goes back twenty years and revolves around a single incident that apparently led to the very suicide that Jordan wants to disprove.

Justice At Cardwell Ranch is the follow up to Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch featuring the same family but focusing less on Dana and Hudson and more on her siblings Jordan and Stacy, both of whom didn’t want anything to do with the ranch when their mother died but have now found their way back to Montana for different reasons. Jordan is in town for his 20 year high school reunion, somewhat reluctantly but still spurred on by a desire to know what truly happened to his best friend. Stacy has arrived out of the blue, visiting Dana and introducing Dana to her 6 month old daughter Ella. Hudson is extremely suspicious of both of them and their arrivals, remembering how they treated Dana during the battle over the ranch 6 years ago but Dana is more accepting, wanting desperately to repair her relationships with her siblings and hopefully set things to right with them all again.

Jordan escaped from Montana a long time ago and ended up on Wall Street. He never had any real desire to return but he finds that as he’s grown older, his priorities have changed. He has one disastrous marriage behind him and when he spots Liza Turner he thinks that maybe there might be something there – she’s smart, she’s not intimidated by him and she’s very pretty. Liza attempts to hold him at arms length while she is investigating the murder of Jordan’s former classmate but it doesn’t take long for Jordan to convince her that he can help her, give her some inside info on all the players, get her into the reunion as his date and maybe even a few other events that are planned. Liza sees the benefits of this from an investigative point of view of course, but she also cannot deny that Jordan is a very attractive man and he seems quite different to the way she’s been led to believe that he is. Liza is very close to Hud and Dana and she knows the history there as well – but people change.

That’s exactly what Dana believes too as she embraces her sister Stacy’s return. Stacy has been a great help around the house with Dana’s other two children and with the cooking and cleaning whilst Dana is laid up on bedrest and hugely pregnant. Hudson is suspicious of Stacy’s reappearance, especially as he’s noticed that Stacy seems quite uncertain with her six month old daughter, almost hesitant as if she doesn’t quite know how to look after her. Is the baby even hers? Is she in some sort of trouble? Hudson doesn’t want any stress coming Dana’s way so he does some discreet investigating.

Justice At Cardwell Ranch is a really quick, engrossing read that addresses the dynamics of high school friendships and the ties that can bind, even twenty years later. It deals with bullying, the sort that of toxic friendship that is still in play even after all of these years as there are people with desperate secrets to hide who will stop at nothing to get people to keep those secrets for them. The book is set in a small town and it seems that many people never left, marrying and settling there and carrying on the way in which they had in high school, the same dependent friendships, the same secrets.

The novel also looks at family and how members can find their way back to it at times of difficulty in their lives. Dana and her siblings have had a bit of a bumpy road but she’s a forgiving person, she wants her family back and she’s so welcoming of them. Stacy needs a place to stay, she’s clearly on the run from something and she obviously feels safe in her family home even though it’s been of little interest to her previously.

The romance is very low key in this one, it’s more so about the mystery and solving it. I was quite invested in the mystery so I really enjoyed that. I ended up liking Jordan even when I didn’t expect to and Liza was a strong, independent type of character who was good at her job and got to the bottom of the investigation with minimal fuss. I look forward to perhaps seeing some more books set in this world about Stacy and the fourth Cardwell sibling, Clay.

I’d recommend this one to readers who love a good mystery with a gentle side of romance that’s more implied than explicit.

[Sandy Frediani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this entry in the Cardwell Ranch series although I found some "oops." Jordan and Liza's relationship begins when he's a suspect in a murder that she's investigating. That relationship moves a long quickly, although it has a few bumps along the way. A 'speedy' relationship is normal for a category romance, so that's okay. I came across a few formatting errors in my paperback edition. And there was at least once incidence where I lost track of who was speaking to whom. I had to go back and name each character as I read their dialog. This was a big drag on my enjoyment and why it's not a five star.
Still well done, though.

[Moira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense, intrigue, and murder!

Another great book in the series full of mystery, suspense and intrigue.

Jordan Cardwell returns home for his 20th HS reunion at the request of an old friend. When he meets his friend Alex on a remote mountain shots ring out and the tension builds from there. Non-stop action provided the reader with more questions than answers. Now on to the next book!

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first book in the series I had very high expectations for this one and at first I was disappointed 😞. A couple of chapters in I started to like it more and by the end I was like "HOLY COW 🐄! " A lot of twists and turns that make me go glad that high school is over and really happy ☺I don't get invited to my reunions.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is the second in the Cardwell Ranch series, and it is almost as good as the first. The plot had lots of twists and turns in it as the sheriffs try to find a murderer. I would have liked for their to have been more involvement between the head male and female leads than there was. I did enjoy catching up with Dana and her family though.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series warranted a re-read. I enjoy the way the family and previous books are woven into the current story. All are action packed and all have some really bad, bad people. I am still in awe of the character development and how the location and the weather are integral to the story line. Sometimes you can just feel the wind blow and shiver from the cold.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hud who was the interm police chief of a little town in Montana, and ended up trying to solve a murder that happened 17 years ago. One of his best friends was found hanging from a tree after there was a beer party with a lot of friends. He was also checking up on all the girls that were there at that time.
He did figure it out , but it was a twisted story!

[F · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed book 1 of Cardwell Ranch series, but this book 2 had SO MANY characters in play! I struggled trying to keep up with who dated who, whose father was who, etc. However, I still have the Gallatin River Canyon area in Montana on my bucket list!

[Bette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch were the family is brought back together. Their differences are featured and change is sought. Once again, a mystery tined with a romance.

[Doris Losey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed meeting new characters interacting with characters from first book in series. Mystery was plausible and well-plotted and the romance was also well done.