Fatal Recall, book 1 in Carol J Post's new series set in Murphy, NC starts off with a bang. Or should I say a bang and a bump on the head.
Paige Tatem loves nature but learns hiking the Appalachian Trail can be deadly. Tanner Brody finds himself in the right place at the right time as he kayaks the Natahala and hears gunshots. As a police officer, it's a sound that's impossible for him to ignore.
A short trek up the bank of the river has him stumbling onto Paige laying at the bottom of an incline. With a concussion and amnesia, all Tanner knows is she needs help and he's her only hope.
From a harrowing escape out of the forest amid more gunfire, and a few days in the hospital with Paige's memory still a blank, Tanner isn't willing to abandon her. Learning her name and some unflattering details about her past when the police run her prints, memory or not, she still isn't comfortable being at the mercy of anyone. But everyone is stranger and according to Tanner, a potential threat.
Tanner is the only steady fixture in her upended world and he isn't willing to leave her unprotected with a target on her back. His tenacity and logic win her reluctant acceptance of his help until she regains her memory. He doesn't hold her past against her because he came from a similar background.
But danger is a heavy cloud following them wherever they go. Tanner isn't a praying man but some tether of comfort and peace tugs Paige to a church, letting her know God is a presence in her life. As she struggles to regain her memory, Tanner worries that he's enough to keep her safe.
He admires her resilience and grudgingly, her faith. What he wouldn't give to trust enough to believe they're not alone against this hidden enemy. Paige can't remember her own name, but time with Tanner as her diligent bodyguard tells her there's something rare and special about Tanner Brody. She just prays they can live long enough to discover what that future could be for them, maybe even together.
This story was intense and fast paced, yet fun and uplifting. Ms. Post kept me turning the pages late into the night, wondering if every stranger Paige and Tanner encountered could be the bad guy.
Fabulous story, great characters, who even though their lives were in constant turmoil, were able to find something extra special --each other.
A wonderful start to what will be a terrific series.
*I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review. I would have bought it anyway, because Carol J. Post has a gift for creating nail-biting tension with just the right amount of humor to keep you reading non-stop until the end.