Bait the Devil

by Winter Austin

In bounty hunting, clean jobs are a myth. Dot knows—she’s seen the blood.

Dot Ybarra doesn’t bluff. Fresh into her bounty hunting career, she’s already earning a reputation for results. But when a “routine” rogue bounty—taken as a favor to her lawyer cousin—turns lethal, she’s staring down a case with international reach, bodies in its wake, and the stench of power.

Her business partner, T.J. Roman, is hiding a secret. If Dot finds out … well, she can’t find out. It would end the effective partnership they’ve built. But the trail won’t wait. What should have been a clean pickup of a fellow military veteran spirals into a hunt through the shadows, where one wrong move could see them both buried in an unmarked grave.

To stop the predators at the center of a violent trafficking ring, they’ll have to go straight into its core—and make themselves the bait. Every step makes them vulnerable to each other as well.

The devil’s coming for them.

Dot plans to be the one still standing after he bites.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2026

About the author

As a Note, I do not use AI in any way to write my books. Lots a sweat equity goes into my writing, not computer generated.

Winter Austin perpetually answers the question: “were you born in the winter?” with a flat “nope.” Having returned to her hometown, Winter has stepped into the chaotic world of a full-time wife, mom, author, and employee.

A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter rediscovered her love of her beloved Iowa with its hot summers and snowy winters. She grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability to verbally spin a vivid and detailed story, Winter translated that into writing deadly romantic thrillers. Combining her love of all things rural, agricultural, and military, she’s turned her small town life upside down.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bait the Devil is the second book in a series and I enjoyed the first book so much that I dove right into this one. The opening scene tells you everything you need to know about this book. Dot, now a bounty hunter, is chasing a man who refuses to give up. Dot won’t give up either and when she catches the guy and knocks him out, her partner is trailing behind.

Vivian is Dot’s cousin and asks for her help finding a client that failed to appear in court. This starts a fantastic book. I enjoyed the veteran storyline and bringing attention to how some soldiers struggle coming back to their normal lives. This is told with sensitivity and mixes in with the plot very well. Once I picked up this book I read it in one day because I couldn’t put it down. It has a few parallel stories going at once so you get to see a lot of the story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve clearly developed a problem. I read both the books of this series so far in a matter of two days. If you’re looking for a good read that keeps you hooked and on the edge of your seat this is definitely the series for that. This isn’t your average bounty hunter series, it’s loaded with action, strong military and family themes and is incredible. Absolutely adored this book and I’m going to have to go add this authors other books to my TBR shelf while I await the next book in this series.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bait the Devil is the second book in Winter Austin’s exciting series, A Bounty of Shadows. The book is set in Idaho and features Dot Ybarra and T.J. Roman. The two are business partners working as bounty hunters. After T.J.’s previous partner was badly injured, Dot took her position. Dot’s cousin, Vivian, is a lawyer and she gave them a job to bring in a guy for one of her partner’s cases. In looking for the guy, they realize things are off. When they arrive at the ranch where he works, they find dead bodies and a big mess. They learn he is a vet as they are, but he is messed up.

As Dot and TJ start looking into the owner of the ranch and the missing guy, they discover many hidden secrets and an international crime syndicate. The other attorneys have found themselves in trouble as well. The couple realize they have people after them as well as Vivian. They travel to Las Vegas and discover the syndicate is dealing with more than just drugs and are killing people to protect their interests. Dot’s mom has a ranch outside Euskadi and they would go there to lay low and see her family. There are many suspenseful moments in the story and there’s lots of tense situations.

The book is very well written. I am enjoying the series, having read both books. The characters are down to earth and very interesting. Dot is extremely loyal and genuine. Together with T.J., they make a great team. The area in Idaho sounds fascinating and the author provides very detailed descriptions of the area surrounding the Ybarra ranch. The plot is well laid out and all of the details make for a thrilling and entertaining read. This is a five star book I’m happy to recommend.

I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Tule Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

[SOS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bait the Devil is the second book in the A Bounty of Shadows series. It read fairly well as a standalone, but it did leave me wondering at some of the character connections. It was an enjoyable read that touched on serious and difficult situations, but did so with touches of humor to lighten the load.

Dot and TJ are ex-military members who have become a bounty hunting team. When a mission goes wrong, they drag in Dot’s cousin Vivian. Vivian is a lawyer with a high powered law firm, and she winds up in the middle of a very dangerous situation. There’s also a section of the story that follows an ex-Marine who was severely injured in Afghanistan. He’s working with one of the alphabet agencies to help bring down a child trafficker.

I liked the relationship between Dot and TJ, but I really wanted to see more of Vivian and Larabee. Vivian’s portion of this book came across as far more realistic and believable than Dot and TJ’s. I liked Dot’s mother and thought she added a nice touch to the story.

Be warned: there are lots of dead bodies at nearly every turn in this story. I found it unlikely that bounty hunters would be involved in such situations. Then, again, my experience with bounty hunters lies mostly with Stephanie Plum. This is no Stephanie Plum story.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, Tule. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

[Tripip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book 2 in a series of which I have not read the first. While it is possible to read this as a stand alone, I felt I would have benefited from reading the first book.

One big hinderance for me was there are no descriptions of the characters so I can visualize them. The information that is provided describes Dot as a tall, 210lb woman (with all her gear on) with long hair and strong family ties. Being a bounty hunter means she is extremely fit. TJ Roman is her mentor and business partner and sometimes lover. Apparently he is also big but maybe not as fit as Dot given he was wheezing during a chase. Not even enough of a description to give to for a police report!

I really enjoyed the story but the story telling felt frenetic and uneven. Maybe this is a writing style that I struggle with. However, I love books with strong FMCs so will definitely look for the next in this series.

I received a free copy from Booksprout. This is my unbiased review.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bait the Devil by Winter Austin is the second book in the tough woman series titled Bounty of Shadows. While this series has strong women in it like the first series, Benoit & Dayne I read by her, this one is different. Edgier, grittier and more thriller than police procedural. Military veteran, Dot Ybarra is a no nonsense, woman of few words and fearless when in action. With business partner, T.J. Roman by her side, they make un unstoppable team.

This story is straight out of the real-world news which deals with women and the plight in which many they find themselves through no fault of their own. I was surprised at the amount of bad language, so I was in total agreement with little Bethany pushing Dot and T.J. to pay up to the swear jar. Still the story is hard to put down which is why I was reading until early morning. For an action-packed where the good guys do not pull any punches you will want to read Bait the Devil. 4.5 Stars

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bait the Devil (A Bounty of Shadows #2) by Winter Austin:

Book Review: Bait the Devil by Winter Austin

Bait the Devil is a fantastic mystery packed with intrigue, suspense, and murder. Winter Austin delivers a well-crafted story with sharp writing, compelling twists, and a strong narrative that kept me fully engaged from beginning to end.

The characters are especially well-developed, and bounty hunters Dot and TJ shine at the centre of the chaos. Their dynamic, grit, and determination pull you straight into the danger they face as they find themselves once again in the thick of a gripping and high-stakes investigation.

Overall, Bait the Devil is a thrilling addition to the Bounty of Shadows series—fast-paced, atmospheric, and thoroughly enjoyable for fans of mystery and suspense.

[Michelle Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the 2nd in the Bounty of Shadows series and it's just a great as the first one. Dot Ybarra is having great success as a bounty hunter. Dot takes on a new case as a favor to her cousin and it goes south really quick. This case has international intentions with dead bodies everywhere. Dot has to work fast to stop a trafficking ring and find out what secrets her business partner is keeping also. Action packed to the very end.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in a Bounty of Shadows series-it can be read as a stand alone but I was confused by all the character's connections at times and wonder if I read book one I would have a better understanding of some of the aspects of the story. That being said I loved the strong female characters. Dot is the main one and although she is a strong minded tough former Army helicopter she is not infallible. TJ her partner in their bounty hunting business is the perfect complement. This is a multi layered suspense-who to trust? what exactly is going on? Secrets are uncovered but who will get out alive. The Idaho scenes and the Basque culture round out this gripping story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting, and I liked how the author introduced the main character, Dot. She was introduced during an action scene. This made it an exciting start to the story, and I was hooked to it. I think that this was a unique storyline.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow intense edge of your seat reading with this book that has so many twists it's hard to put down. Love the strong female lead character who is smart and knows what she's doing. But there is some secrets that can't be revealed. Trying to hide the secret makes for compelling reading. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One job for the bounty hunters and more then a dozen people are dead, there is so much action. Dot didn't want to take this job but she won't back down. I thought the characters were pretty exciting and dangerous.

[Melinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good characters. I was pulled right in from the start and couldn't stop reading. Gripping twists and turns. I recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.