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The Ranger Brigade: Family Secrets #1
Murder in Black Canyon
With a woman's life in jeopardy and a body found in the Colorado wilderness, an agent's homecoming is anything but smooth… When Kayla Larimer's investigation into a US senator's missing daughter leads her to a Colorado cult, a murdered FBI special agent and the Ranger Brigade's Dylan Holt, the fiercely independent private investigator is determined to ditch the sexy Black Canyon lieutenant and catch the criminals on her own. Dylan admires Kayla's stubborn dedication-even as his protective instincts kick into overdrive. But then a kidnapping attempt on Kayla coincides with the disappearance of the senator who hired her, and these two opposites must fight a faceless enemy-and their growing attraction-to bring a killer to justice. The Ranger Family Secrets
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2017
56 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Cindi Myers
458 books116 followersPseudonym: Cynthia Sterling
Cindi Myers worked as a newspaper reporter, travel agent and medical clinic manager before turning to writing full time. She's written both historical and contemporary romance, as well as dozens of short stories and nonfiction articles. Cindi thinks writers have the best job in the world.
Former president of San Antonio Romance Authors, Cindi is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
She and her husband and their two dogs live in the mountains Southwest of Denver. When she's not caught up in creating new characters and stories, Cindi enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, skiing and hiking. She's also in demand as a speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations to both local and national writing groups.
Cindi Myers worked as a newspaper reporter, travel agent and medical clinic manager before turning to writing full time. She's written both historical and contemporary romance, as well as dozens of short stories and nonfiction articles. Cindi thinks writers have the best job in the world.
Former president of San Antonio Romance Authors, Cindi is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
She and her husband and their two dogs live in the mountains Southwest of Denver. When she's not caught up in creating new characters and stories, Cindi enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, skiing and hiking. She's also in demand as a speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations to both local and national writing groups.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 25, 2018
Private investigator Kayla Larimer is asked to track down Andi Matheson, the daughter of a senator, who has absconded from her privileged life to join The Family, a peace-loving, back to nature commune/cult led by Daniel Metwater, who is possibly a cunning conman. The discovery of a dead body - an FBI agent no less - near the commune brings Kayla into contact with Lt. Dylan Holt, of the Ranger Brigade. When Andi's father, the senator, goes missing, and it's revealed the FBI agent is the father of Andi's baby, things get really messy!
Easy to read Intrigue title delivers the expected dollops of romance and suspense. I started it, then a bunch of other life stuff crept up, and I had to abandon it for over a week. But settling back into the plot was fairly painless, and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. Myers does a good job of creating a mysterious plot with a fixed set of characters, and no silly Scooby-Doo surprises. My biggest beef with the book was, unfortunately, Kayla Larimer. I believe Myers was trying to make her appear smart, brave and independent, but instead went too far in the other direction! Throughout the entire book, it's a constant barrage of "I can do it myself," or ''I don't need your help'' or something of that variety. Every. Single. Goddamn. Time. anybody offered to assist her. It was pathological. It went to the point where it was stupid and unsafe. She tested my last nerve!
Otherwise, it's a strong standalone tale that offers some hints of further stories, but satisfactorily wraps up all the plot lines for this particular book.
Easy to read Intrigue title delivers the expected dollops of romance and suspense. I started it, then a bunch of other life stuff crept up, and I had to abandon it for over a week. But settling back into the plot was fairly painless, and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. Myers does a good job of creating a mysterious plot with a fixed set of characters, and no silly Scooby-Doo surprises. My biggest beef with the book was, unfortunately, Kayla Larimer. I believe Myers was trying to make her appear smart, brave and independent, but instead went too far in the other direction! Throughout the entire book, it's a constant barrage of "I can do it myself," or ''I don't need your help'' or something of that variety. Every. Single. Goddamn. Time. anybody offered to assist her. It was pathological. It went to the point where it was stupid and unsafe. She tested my last nerve!
Otherwise, it's a strong standalone tale that offers some hints of further stories, but satisfactorily wraps up all the plot lines for this particular book.
June 12, 2017
Good book, with an excellent mix of suspense, action and romance. Kayla is a PI who has been hired by a US senator to find his missing daughter. She tracks the girl down to a Colorado cult, just in time to witness the discovery of a dead body. Dismayed by the cult leader's attitude, Kayla reports the body to the Ranger Brigade office. Dylan is one of the officers who accompanies her back to the camp to investigate. Though attracted to her, Dylan has no intention of letting her become involved in the investigation - until she is nearly kidnapped and his protective instincts kick in.
I liked both Kayla and Dylan. They are very different, yet they strike sparks from the beginning. Kayla is stubbornly independent, having learned early in life not to depend on anyone else. Her father had been a conman, and because of it she learned how to spot other conmen, frauds and manipulators. It also made her reluctant to trust anyone, so she avoids relationships and works alone. She's also smart, intuitive, and level-headed.
Dylan has recently returned to Black Canyon after ten years of working in Denver. After years of city life, he was ready to come back and help on his family's ranch as well as work on the task force. He's honest, honorable, and a genuinely nice guy. He doesn't have any deep, dark secrets in his past.
I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. Dylan makes no secret of his attraction to her, but he doesn't push. Though he initially tries to keep her out of the investigation, when he foils an attempted kidnapping he decides he'd rather keep her close to protect her. Kayla tries hard to resist his protectiveness, to maintain her independence, but finds herself just as attracted to him. I loved the way that Dylan quickly came to understand what made Kayla tick and showed her that he respected her abilities at the same time he wanted to take care of her. I liked seeing Kayla fall under Dylan's spell, allowing herself to trust him, and then to love him. I loved the ending, as Kayla discovers just what it means to have someone who is there for her.
The suspense of the story was very good too. It starts out easy as a simple missing person case, but that changes rapidly with the discovery of the dead body. When the connection is discovered between the missing girl, Andi, and the now dead FBI agent, things get a bit more complicated. The investigation brings Dylan and Kayla into further contact with the cult leader, and their suspicions of him are aroused. When a kidnapping attempt is made on Kayla and she and Dylan are later run off the road they wonder if he is behind it. The disappearance of Kayla's client, the senator, adds another layer of mystery to the investigation. The tension continues to build until a surprise twist brings the murder investigation to an unexpected confrontation. While the murder is solved, there are still a lot of questions about the cult leader left to answer.
I liked both Kayla and Dylan. They are very different, yet they strike sparks from the beginning. Kayla is stubbornly independent, having learned early in life not to depend on anyone else. Her father had been a conman, and because of it she learned how to spot other conmen, frauds and manipulators. It also made her reluctant to trust anyone, so she avoids relationships and works alone. She's also smart, intuitive, and level-headed.
Dylan has recently returned to Black Canyon after ten years of working in Denver. After years of city life, he was ready to come back and help on his family's ranch as well as work on the task force. He's honest, honorable, and a genuinely nice guy. He doesn't have any deep, dark secrets in his past.
I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. Dylan makes no secret of his attraction to her, but he doesn't push. Though he initially tries to keep her out of the investigation, when he foils an attempted kidnapping he decides he'd rather keep her close to protect her. Kayla tries hard to resist his protectiveness, to maintain her independence, but finds herself just as attracted to him. I loved the way that Dylan quickly came to understand what made Kayla tick and showed her that he respected her abilities at the same time he wanted to take care of her. I liked seeing Kayla fall under Dylan's spell, allowing herself to trust him, and then to love him. I loved the ending, as Kayla discovers just what it means to have someone who is there for her.
The suspense of the story was very good too. It starts out easy as a simple missing person case, but that changes rapidly with the discovery of the dead body. When the connection is discovered between the missing girl, Andi, and the now dead FBI agent, things get a bit more complicated. The investigation brings Dylan and Kayla into further contact with the cult leader, and their suspicions of him are aroused. When a kidnapping attempt is made on Kayla and she and Dylan are later run off the road they wonder if he is behind it. The disappearance of Kayla's client, the senator, adds another layer of mystery to the investigation. The tension continues to build until a surprise twist brings the murder investigation to an unexpected confrontation. While the murder is solved, there are still a lot of questions about the cult leader left to answer.
May 30, 2017
With every scene, the author paints an enticing picture with her words that made the story flow in my mind like watching a movie making it easy for me to step into those mental images and live through the danger, fear, and excitement with the characters.
Kayla Larimer has learned to depend only on herself. She is a lone wolf, a private investigator, who enjoys her work and prefers to her own company. Her parents taught her, the hard way, how to spot a fraud, a conman, to see when being manipulated, and read people's emotions and weaknesses, giving her the tools to excel in her career. They made her weary of relationships, and doubt she would ever want to have her own family, to make a commitment to a man. She is independent and fiercely guarding herself, yet she is smart and capable and doesn't act without thinking.
Dylan Holt is a solid, trustworthy man. He appreciates family values, he respects the people around him. He is kind and considerate, he does not seem to have any of bad baggage from his past, and he has a calming effect on Kayla. He has no intentions to hide his attraction towards her, yet he is willing to wait for her feelings to catch on. He is easy to like and admire, his straightforward and honest character winning me over.
The murder mystery and suspense around the cult was intriguing and distressing. The questionable actions and strange attacks against the law enforcement officers gave a dire atmosphere to the whole camp. The doubts of the cult members honesty were palpable, the tension is high, the uncertainty of the crimes and the destiny of those involved gave the story an intense and fearful, pressured feeling.
With the fascinating and puzzling cult as the focus of the criminal investigation, and the charming and captivating cast of characters searching for clues and evidence, the series is proving to be an entertaining and appealing chain of stories filled with menace and pursuit of criminals as well as happily ever afters.
~ Four Spoons
Kayla Larimer has learned to depend only on herself. She is a lone wolf, a private investigator, who enjoys her work and prefers to her own company. Her parents taught her, the hard way, how to spot a fraud, a conman, to see when being manipulated, and read people's emotions and weaknesses, giving her the tools to excel in her career. They made her weary of relationships, and doubt she would ever want to have her own family, to make a commitment to a man. She is independent and fiercely guarding herself, yet she is smart and capable and doesn't act without thinking.
Dylan Holt is a solid, trustworthy man. He appreciates family values, he respects the people around him. He is kind and considerate, he does not seem to have any of bad baggage from his past, and he has a calming effect on Kayla. He has no intentions to hide his attraction towards her, yet he is willing to wait for her feelings to catch on. He is easy to like and admire, his straightforward and honest character winning me over.
The murder mystery and suspense around the cult was intriguing and distressing. The questionable actions and strange attacks against the law enforcement officers gave a dire atmosphere to the whole camp. The doubts of the cult members honesty were palpable, the tension is high, the uncertainty of the crimes and the destiny of those involved gave the story an intense and fearful, pressured feeling.
With the fascinating and puzzling cult as the focus of the criminal investigation, and the charming and captivating cast of characters searching for clues and evidence, the series is proving to be an entertaining and appealing chain of stories filled with menace and pursuit of criminals as well as happily ever afters.
~ Four Spoons
January 21, 2019
This was a very good book. It had an excellent mixture of action, suspense, and a touch of romance. I liked the cast of characters. Kayla is very independent. She enjoys working alone as a Private investigator. She was hired by a US senator to find his missing daughter Andi. Kayla finds Andi in the middle of no-where with a group of people that was living off the land, and looked up to one guy. The followers all called him a prophet. The word cult came to mind as I was reading along. Once Kayla found Andi, some of the followers dragged in a dead man. Kayla left and filled a report with the rangers. Dylan worked as a ranger and he brought her to the camp so she could show him where it was. The two was working on the same case, but Dylan was hesitant at first to work with Kayla and share information. That changed when Kayla was almost kidnapped and he saved her. The two grew close after that. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the case. I thought the leader was a bit shady. The end I never saw coming. Really good book!
May 20, 2017
Kayla is a PI searching out a senators daughter at a known cult area. Its there that a dead body is found and Kayla makes the report about it. After a kidnapping attempt Kayla needs to stick close to the Lieutenant and find the killer.
I love a good mystery / thriller / Romance type of book and this book did it for me. I loved watching everything unfold. I loved that there was enough mystery for me to keep entertained and guessing. I thought it was interesting dealing with the cult situation and if they had any part in the murder / kidnapping. I loved the connection between the two main characters. Overall this was a pretty good book I really enjoyed it.
I love a good mystery / thriller / Romance type of book and this book did it for me. I loved watching everything unfold. I loved that there was enough mystery for me to keep entertained and guessing. I thought it was interesting dealing with the cult situation and if they had any part in the murder / kidnapping. I loved the connection between the two main characters. Overall this was a pretty good book I really enjoyed it.
June 1, 2017
It is so refreshing to read about a Hero who doesn't have any baggage or past loves before. That alone to me deserves 5 stars as it makes a great change lately! That said, I absolutely enjoyed this story. The writing was superb and the action & romance hit all my buttons. This is a must read people!
September 17, 2017
Cindi Myers never disappoints. Love the Colorado setting - so vivid.
October 15, 2017
A fun read, though the romance felt more robust to me than the mystery.
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June 2, 2017Miniseries: The Ranger Brigade: Family Secrets
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June 2, 2017Miniseries: The Ranger Brigade: Family Secrets
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews