Arouse Suspicion

by Maureen McKade

When police officer Paddy Hawkins is found dead in his bedroom with a revolver in his hand and a note on the nightstand, all the evidence points to suicide. Case closed – except to one man, Ex-Army Ranger Nick Sirocco was the last person to hear from Paddy. And the message that Paddy left him didn’t sound like a man about to take his own life. To find out what happened to his friend, Nick will turn to the one woman he knows he can trust …

Ex-cop Danni Hawkins didn’t buy that her father was murdered – until she heard his final message. Now, with Nick’s help, she must uncover the tracks left behind by an elusive killer. She can’t afford to let herself get distracted by the steamy attraction between her and Nick. But as their trail takes them deeper into the heart of corruption, Danni realizes the killer may be closer than she ever thought possible …

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Contemporary

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2004

About the author

Maureen McKade has been making up stories since the moment she learned to read, write and string sentences together. Her first book, "Winter Hearts", published in 1997 was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America's (RWA) Golden Heart contest, then a finalist in RWA's RITA for best first book. Since then, she's written thirteen more books and a short story for an anthology.

She taught middle school science for three years then held a variety of jobs--bookstore clerk, administrative assistant, customer service manager, department manager, and pharmacy technician--until she settling on writing. (Or, more aptly, until writing settled on her.)

Maureen and her husband, a retired Air Force officer, now live on 40 nature-filled acres in southwestern North Dakota with their two French Brittany Spaniels and three cats. Her eclectic list of leisure pursuits include long walks with hubby and their two dogs, reading, wildlife watching, golfing, bird hunting, and puttering around in the kitchen.

Reviews

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this first book that I have read by Maureen McKade. It had an interesting storyline, and characters that were easy to like. The hero, Nick Sirocco, was appealing and good natured. The only problem I had with Nick was that he seemed rather helpless for a former Army Ranger. The heroine, Danni Hawkins, an ex-cop and private investigator, constantly protected him in the book. While it was rather refreshing to see the heroine shielding the hero from danger, it would have made more sense to me without giving him the background of a Ranger. This book was interesting and pleasurable to read, and I will try more by this author.

Nick Sirocco is stunned when his mentor and friend, Paddy Hawkins, is found dead and the cause is ruled as suicide. Nick knows that this policeman would never have ended his own life, and a message Paddy left on his answering machine the night of his death leaves Nick with the conviction that Paddy was murdered. Nick turns to Paddy's daughter, Danni Hawkins, and asks her to use her skills as a former cop and present private investigator to solve her father's murder. Danni, who both loved and resented her father, is soon convinced that Nick is accurate in his assessment of her father's death. When incidents occur that appear too much to be coincidental, Danni decides that Nick is in danger from her father's killer. Danni and Nick decide that they will be safer if they stay together while they investigate her father's murder. As the two connect the murder to a youth center where her father volunteered for many years, it becomes apparent that police corruption is involved. As Danni and Nick realize that they can trust no one but each other, they give in to the attraction between them and begin an intimate physical relationship. Danni has to overcome the resentment she feels toward Nick over his close relationship with her father. As a teenager, she felt neglected by her father who spent his free time volunteering with troubled boys, and she never felt that she had his approval. Nick helps her to come to terms with her feelings for her dad, as they try to stop the killer who has now targeted them. Relying constantly on each other, Nick and Danni begin to develop deep feelings for one another.

This was an enjoyable book with plenty of romance and suspense. I liked the interaction between the hero and heroine and the way they grew to quickly enjoy spending all of their time together. Nick seemed awfully vulnerable for a man who had been an Army Ranger, but when it was necessary, he stepped up and took action. It seemed to take the hero and heroine too long to figure out the identity of one of the culprits with all of the clues that were thrown in, but overall, this was a good book that was well worth the time spent reading.

[Cynthia Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite an interesting story line and considerable action, this is a boring book. The prose is flat; the characters are flat; the diaglogue is flat and the sex is fair to middling. The plot develops at a smail's pace and the book's conclusion is obvious and rushed.

The hero, described as an ex Army Ranger and child of the streets, does nothing but follow. He shows no iniative and is very passive. The heroine has major daddy issues which gets old really fast. The author tries to create a spark between the main characters, but usually fails. The snappiest dialogue in over 300 pages involves a locked and loaded rifle and the possibility of the hero earning a sharpshooter's badge.

This book does not work as a thriller or a romance.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspense

[Lou Wooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THE BOOK...I'D READ IT AGAIN..I'LL READ MORE BOOKS BY MAUREEN MCKADE IN THE FUTURE