Saving Scott

Pine Hills Police #3

by Terry Odell

Can a dead body in a chocolate shop revive a battle-fatigued cop? Or will it take the owner of the shop to save him?

Homicide detective Scott Whelan lived for the job–until the day he was caught in the middle of a robbery gone bad. Although some call him a hero, he thinks of himself as a coward and a failure. He exists now in what he calls his “Dark Place”. He accepts a new job as a civilian with the Pine Hills Police Department, thinking being close to the job will be better than leaving it completely. But when he finds himself in the middle of the investigation. Scott has to choose where his loyalties lie—with his brotherhood in blue, or his attractive new neighbor, who needs someone on her side. And figure out how to get out of the dark.

Against her parents’ wishes, Ashley Eagan has split from her unsupportive fiancé and moved to Pine Hills to start her dream business: Confections by Ashley. Faced with countless construction setbacks, she fears her plans for the perfect grand opening will be ruined. When a dead body turns up in her shop, a delayed opening is the least of her worries. Now, she’s afraid she’s facing murder charges. Her new neighbor has connections with the police department, but he’s sending mixed messages. One minute he’s the friendly, handsome neighbor, the next, he’s playing cop. Not to mention he’s carrying enough baggage for a world-wide cruise. If Ashley’s learned anything since leaving home, it’s that she’s the only one she can count on.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense

335 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Terry Odell was born in Los Angeles and after living several decades in Florida now makes her home in Colorado. An avid reader (her parents tell everyone they had to move from their first home because she finished the local library), she always wanted to "fix" stories so the characters did what she wanted, in books, television, and the movies. Once she began writing, she found this wasn't always possible, as evidenced when the mystery she intended to write rapidly became a romance.

However, her entry into the world of writing can be attributed to a "mistake" when her son mentioned the Highlander television series on a visit home. Being the "good mother" she began watching the show and soon connected with the world of fanfiction, first as a reader, then as a critique giver, and then, one brave weekend, she wrote her first short story.

Things snowballed (if one can use that analogy in central Florida!) and soon she was writing her first original novel. Much later, she mentioned something about a recent Highlander episode to her son, and he said, "Oh, I've never actually watched the show, I just thought the concept was cool." Little did he know what he'd started.

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Reviews

[VLynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, a murder mystery with a side of romance. The characters were charming and complex enough to keep me interested. The best part was the murder mystery, I was actually surprised in the end which is always a sign of a great mystery.

[Lhenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a cross between a mystery and a RS. I have not read the other two in the series but it worked fine as a stand alone. I particularly like the way we gradually see what had happened to Scott - poor guy!

[Jemi Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Terry's stories! She does a great job of creating characters I love who have real issues to solve and are so easy to root for! Love the twists this story takes - looking forward to trying the recipes too!

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the narrator and found it very entertaining. A new start in a new town isn't exactly what Scott wants, but that's what he has. Injuries have made him give up police work and his job to move to a small town and work at the police station as civilian support. As he becomes involved with the citizens of Pine Hill, he finds himself helping with the town's latest murder. More than Scott's body is broken so is his spirit, but soon his neighbor starts to help him heal. The new characters enhance this series. This novel have something for everyone making it a nicely rounded and is filled with likable characters. I'm looking forward to listen to other in the series.

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Scott (Pine Hills Police #3) was another good read by Terry Odell. Homicide detective Scott Whelan has always lived for the job, until he was caught in a robbery gone bad. He feels as though he's a failure and is living in a dark place. He accepts a civilian job with the Pine Hills Police Department. He finds himself in the middle of an investigation when a dead body is found in his neighbor's chocolate shop. Ashley Eagen just wants to open her shop, Confections by Ashley; but she has experienced numerous setbacks. I really enjoyed reading Scott and Ashley's story and can't wait to read more in this series. I enjoyed Kelley Hazen's narration and how she brought life to the characters.

[Jan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the atmosphere and characters in this book. Murder in small town Pine Hills is unusual and the unfolding story kept me interested to the end! There's action, a little romance, and real life trauma as Scott tries to adjust to being a civilian after being a homicide detective in a large city. You may know early who to suspect but it's a great story solving the case.

[Ann Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with imaginative plots.

Love characters and plots. Need to read first book to get to know characters and background.
Looking forward to next book

[Brenda Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book Glad that Scott Whelan made it out of his dark place.

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK for me..

Unlike most, if I never had another piece of anything chocolate I’d be okay with that. So, for chocolate to be mentioned 94 times in this book was a little much, for me anyway. There was a little too much chocolate and cookies.

This story started off with Scott being injured, from a bank robbery, and having nightmares and needing counseling, to ending up with Scott being injured, from a bank robbery, and having nightmares and needing counseling. He never got any better, not for a second. I don’t even know where the title of the book came from: Saving Scott. No one saved Scott. It was more like Saving Ashley’s chocolate shop. After all, the word bakery was used 132 times. It was really all about Ashley and everything that went wrong while she was in the process of opening her new confection store. It was an okay mystery but I can’t see myself reading anymore from this author. And definitely not listening to any of them since they’re all narrated by Kelley Hazen.

There wasn’t any sexual tension to speak of and one sex scene. There was some swearing and the F-bomb was used 6 times.

As to the narrator: Kelley Hazen is one of the most boring readers I’ve ever listened to. She read soooo slow and without much emotion at all. And her male voices are barely tolerable, Kovak’s voice was just horrible and Brody sounded just like a girl. And her female voices sounded like silly teenagers that are 13 or 14 years old. I would give this narrator the same 2 stars that the other two who just rated the book did BUT I can’t! I can’t do more than 1 star, and that’s being generous. Scott’s voice was so boring and whispery I could hardly stand it when he spoke. And when either Scott or Ashley's "thought" and the words in italics were read it was totally ridiculous, they both sounded like idiots.

[Patricia (Pat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pine Hills, Oregon. A small, quiet, safe town. A nice spot to raise a family. A great place to start a new business, fulfill a dream or start over again. Homicides? Hardly ever........

Scott Whelan is working a desk at the Pine Hills Police Department., as a civilian. Formally he worked as a detective for County. Off Duty Detective Whelan was involved in a bank robbery/hostage situation. Scott was brutally beaten but now on the comeback trail, but just barely. Perhaps he should have chosen another job in another field but once a policeman, always a policeman. But is desk duty his thing? It would just be busywork to supplement his pension something to fill his days. Nothing to take seriously. Just do administrative paper work, answer the phones so the real cops could do what cops do. He was hurting physically, in pain most of the time but he needed to move on from the horrific experience, and the continuing nightmares.

Ashley Eagen, from Pittsburgh, wanted to open her own business in a small town. She wanted to open her own bakery called Confections by Ashley. This was her dream and she needed to show her parents she could do this. As for her cheating ex-fiancee, he could just forget she ever existed. Anxious to have her Grand Opening, the construction crew were continuing to delay the opening and the last hold-up was a murder committed in her store.
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Felicity Markham, owner of Felicitea, a local tea shop, was the victim, and poison in a cup of hot chocolate, was the method of death. The police began their investigation and a relationship budding between neighbors Scott and Ashley, becomes stronger as they try and help find the murderer. Another murder occurs...same method but this time a male.

Ms. Odell tells a story in a warm and realistic way. I enjoyed the characters and had to get a chocolate "fix" as I figured out who the killer was and WHY. A page turner, quick read and has me searching for more Pine Hills Police Romantic Suspense. The recipes were an added addition.

[Bette Stanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other books in the Pine Hills Police series, this one has plenty of adventure, mystery, and a murder (or two, or three, or...) to solve. As in the other books, the characters are believable. The dialogue is sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes heartwarming.

Ashley is trying to open her bakery shop on time amid multiple setbacks. Her contractor has assured her that all the mishaps are normal. But are they? Everything rests on getting her business off to a great start. She's left her home, against her family's wishes. She left her fiance, against her family's wishes. She has to make a success of her business. There is no other option.

Scott is hiding from a traumatic event that ended his career as a detective with the county and has landed him as a civilian consultant for the Pine Hills PD. He is dealing with it all by not dealing with it. Typical guy. He isn't looking to get involved with the PD, just answer phones and leave at the end of his shift. He isn't looking to get involved with anyone, too much effort and too much baggage. Then Ashley runs into him, literally. Ashley, who just happens to be his neighbor. Can things get any worse?

The relationship between Ashley and Scott is pretty much what you'd expect. The murderer is not what you'd expect. I can usually figure out the whodunnit relatively easily. This one I totally didn't see coming, not until the very end. Once again, Terry Odell weaves mystery and romantic suspense into one good read.

Oh, and one of the best surprises? The recipes for all the goodies were at the end! WooHoo!!!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former detective Scott Whelan takes a civilian job in a small town police force after injuries force him to retire from service in the city. More than his body is busted, though he’s loathe to admit it.

His new neighbor, Ashley Eagen, is an entrepreneur with a gourmet cookie shop to launch. But before they get acquainted good, a body turns up in her still-under-construction shop.

With the force shorthanded, Scott is drawn into the homicide investigation. Ashley and her cookies are big hits with him, helping him forget the nightmares that plague him instead of sleep.

Ashley left behind everything to start fresh in Pine Hills. This shop is her chance to prove to her parents and the world that she can be somebody. The attraction to Scott is a surprise, but soon they are each working to solve the case. She desperately wants to open her shop on time or the money she’s already spent on advertising will have been wasted.

The wily killer doesn’t want to be caught, and the reader is left to untangle many delightful tangled story threads and red herrings in addition to being treated to lots of mentions of chocolate and cookies. Another strong entry in the mystery with a romance genre. Enjoyed the read.

I received this story as a free download from Story Cartel in exchange for a fair and honest review

[Leslie Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible version of this book. Though it is a third book in a series, I had not read the previous books prior to starting this one. Though I think I would rather have read the previous books first so that I could have more character background, it did not hamper my enjoyment of this book. I never suspected the culprit until the end of the book, and I like mysteries that keep me guessing. I thought the main character, Scott Whelan, was an interesting one. Though the book does talk about what happened to him in the past, I think I would like even more detail, but that may have been covered in previous books. The narrator did a good job voicing multiple characters, but somehow, I think I might have preferred a male narrator. Though there are probably more female characters than male, I like to have the voice match the main character. The main character slot is filled pretty equally by Ashely and Scott, but since the book and series are about Scott, that's who I would prefer the voice to match. Overall, a good book. I would be interested in reading other books from this series and other books by the author. I recommend it for anyone who likes mysteries of a detective or police nature.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ambitious pastry chef and a wounded ex-detective team up to catch a killer in this delicious story by Terry Odell. Ashley Eagan is readying her shop for a grand opening when her plans go awry. She stumbles upon a dead body inside her front door. It’s Felicity, a rival shopkeeper who had made her enmity of Ashley known. Had Felicity killed herself in Ashley’s shop out of spite, or had someone else done the deed and deposited the body there for a reason?

When Scott Whelan is pulled onto the job, the quiet position he’d anticipated on a small town police force balloons into something uglier. He’d hoped to put his troubled past behind him and move on, but his skills come into play again when he falls for Ashley. Can saving her quell his demons, or is she the one who needs to save him? Well-drawn characters, quick pacing, and an ever present sense of menace will keep you eagerly reading to the surprise ending.

[Mirel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I downloaded this book free of charge from storycartel.com in return for an honest and fair review.

Well done romance-mystery, with a bonus of mouth-watering recipes to try...


The story switches between Scott Whelan- a former detective with baggage, and Ashley Eagan, who has left a bad relationship to move across the country and open a bakery shop. When Ashley bumps into new neighbor Scott, and a dead body is discovered in Ashley's bakery several days before opening, we have the start of a sizzling romance and an interesting mystery.

Although I wasn't clear on why Ashley moved so far to start her new life: with money tight, a move hundreds rather than thousands of miles away should have sufficed... The characters seemed well-developed, the dialog worked and the story moved along in a quick read.

The book is third in a series which I haven't read, but worked as a stand-alone.

[Kelley Hazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite of the 4 Pine Hills Police stories. Our old friends are still with us but we meet new folks who come to Pine Hills - Scott and Ashley. Both are running from fears and trying to make a new start, trying to stand tall and strong - a consistent theme for Author Odell. Ashley is opening a business of chocolate and sweets - and I loved the descriptions of her creations and her excitement as she plans her grand opening. Lots of new characters make the crime difficult for the listener to solve. And old friends like 'Kovak' play a prominent role. Kovak is one of my favorite characters to create to date. He's the 'buddy' in the earlier stories and with a dry sense of humor. I grew to really enjoy speaking for him.

[Highland-dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. My first book by this author, I was impressed with the story and how the characters were woven together. There is no epilogue, though, and the story could probably use one. Scott had way too many issues to not have more of a resolution there, but that being said, I did like the ending. Nice touch including many of the delicious recipes that Ashley was creating, including the bake-off "winners"! I would definitely recommend it. *I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book in the Pine Hills Police series. I really liked the main characters, but I felt they rushed into their relationship. Otherwise, I think I enjoyed this more than the first two in the series.

[Darlis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful mind mush!

[Loukie Adlem · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfect cozy mystery, and some great recipes too

[Bev Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review

Great book. Didn't figure out who the killer was until right before the end. Now onto the next book in the series.

[Nila · Rating 4 out of 5]

More mystery then romance, a great story.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice story. I enjoyed it.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars