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Deadly Force
It was his most personal cold case...and it was about to be reopened.
It was the one case Detective Sam Vernelli couldn't the murder of his fiancée more than a decade ago. So he's not about to let her determined younger sister, Claire Fontaine, go it alone against whomever is threatening her in ways frightening and all-too-familiar. But protecting her means challenging Claire's angry doubts about him, understanding her deepest fears...and letting her get much too close as every dead-end lead pushes their fragile trust to the breaking point.
Sam slowly begins to realize that the truth lies closer to home than either of them ever imagined - and the price of revealing it could be more than they bargained for.
It was the one case Detective Sam Vernelli couldn't the murder of his fiancée more than a decade ago. So he's not about to let her determined younger sister, Claire Fontaine, go it alone against whomever is threatening her in ways frightening and all-too-familiar. But protecting her means challenging Claire's angry doubts about him, understanding her deepest fears...and letting her get much too close as every dead-end lead pushes their fragile trust to the breaking point.
Sam slowly begins to realize that the truth lies closer to home than either of them ever imagined - and the price of revealing it could be more than they bargained for.
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First published May 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 22, 2023
While it's a Copaganda harlequin romance, and it fell into some tropes, I did thoroughly enjoy the book.
Eleven years after his fiancée was murdered, Sam Vernelli, a Chicago detective, is confronted by his late fiancée's little sister and from there a lot happens. Sam quickly takes responsibility of her and tries to protect her after he arrives onto the scene of a shooting in her apartment. He has her stay with him and over the course of the investigation they start to warm up to each other and even realize that they want each other. Though it's unorthodox, their relationship morphs from something almost hostile to something romantic.
The storyline was kind of predictable, but in a pleasant way. I enjoyed it.
Eleven years after his fiancée was murdered, Sam Vernelli, a Chicago detective, is confronted by his late fiancée's little sister and from there a lot happens. Sam quickly takes responsibility of her and tries to protect her after he arrives onto the scene of a shooting in her apartment. He has her stay with him and over the course of the investigation they start to warm up to each other and even realize that they want each other. Though it's unorthodox, their relationship morphs from something almost hostile to something romantic.
The storyline was kind of predictable, but in a pleasant way. I enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2018
Interesting storyline - will read more from this author.
March 14, 2013
Very enjoyable. Claire is sure that Sam, her deceased sister, Tessa’s fiancé, is responsible for Tessa’s death 11 years ago, though the police decided otherwise. Claire is now 24 and has made it to Chicago for a job in advertising. That is where Sam also resides. She makes it one of her biggest goals to confront him and let him know that she knows the truth. The first meeting doesn’t go as she thought it would.
Soon after that first visit, Claire is attacked in the apartment she and her best friend share. Sam arrives at the scene and from this incident he believes it’s his duty to protect her, since she’s Tessa’s little sister, but also as they both realize early on, they are both very attracted to each other. Sam can’t see her getting hurt. I found it very amusing how strongly and frequently Sam denied his attraction to Claire that he ended up making it so obvious he wanted her. He is constantly bombarded by his strong feelings for her and finds it so hard to stay away from her.
One thing I would have liked done differently is that Claire makes a big show of how she thinks Sam is responsible for her sister’s death but all of a sudden forgets to hate him or to blame him. He did explain to her his side of the story but it still seemed that her feelings changed too quickly. And they do act a little silly in the name of love and caring but the romance is good.
Other than that, great story and I can’t wait to read more from Beverly Long.
Soon after that first visit, Claire is attacked in the apartment she and her best friend share. Sam arrives at the scene and from this incident he believes it’s his duty to protect her, since she’s Tessa’s little sister, but also as they both realize early on, they are both very attracted to each other. Sam can’t see her getting hurt. I found it very amusing how strongly and frequently Sam denied his attraction to Claire that he ended up making it so obvious he wanted her. He is constantly bombarded by his strong feelings for her and finds it so hard to stay away from her.
One thing I would have liked done differently is that Claire makes a big show of how she thinks Sam is responsible for her sister’s death but all of a sudden forgets to hate him or to blame him. He did explain to her his side of the story but it still seemed that her feelings changed too quickly. And they do act a little silly in the name of love and caring but the romance is good.
Other than that, great story and I can’t wait to read more from Beverly Long.
April 3, 2013
In Long’s romantic suspense novel, Detective Sam Vernelli was stumped over the one cold case that refused to be solved: the murder of his fiancé more than ten years ago. But when her feisty younger sister shows up on his doorstep, the cop in him won’t let him walk away from the threats Claire Fontaine was receiving. Protecting her put him in close proximity to her and the tirade of angry doubts she had about him and his abilities. As danger creeps closer, Sam finds himself pushing past the hurts and looking toward the future for the first time in more than a decade. Determined to protect her at all costs, Sam soon realizes that the truth is much closer than he could have ever imagined.
Hard to put down with an ending that surprised me! A great addition to The Detectives Series.
Hard to put down with an ending that surprised me! A great addition to The Detectives Series.
Read
December 29, 2014Miniseries: The Detectives
Category: Suspense
Category: Suspense
Read
December 29, 2014Miniseries: The Detectives
Category: Suspense
Category: Suspense
May 7, 2013
Enjoyable read. Sometimes these type of stories can be predictable but this was not like that. Kept me interested all through the book.
Book was also personalized and autograghed which I loved!
Book was also personalized and autograghed which I loved!
April 14, 2013
it was a good read, sort of predictable but then again maybe its just that I read so much...lol still a well written book.
July 12, 2013
Ms. Long writes with a nice turn of phrase.
September 12, 2016
Really well written. On the edge of your seat the entire time & didn't want to put it down.
September 27, 2014
Book Nook buy. HI--3/2012
1412. Underwhelming. Set in Chicago.
I got the bad "guy" right away.
1412. Underwhelming. Set in Chicago.
I got the bad "guy" right away.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews