Suspicious Circumstances

Badge of Honor #4

by Rita Herron

The fire that killed his father

Also devastated her life.

Searching for anyone who might have information about the hospital fire that killed his father, special agent Liam Maverick asks nurse Peyton Weiss for help in his hunt for answers. But someone doesn’t want Peyton to share what she knows. As the threats against her escalate to attempted murder, Peyton realizes she has no choice but to work with Liam to catch the arsonist. With both of them risking everything for the truth, it becomes a daily struggle to stay alive—and to ignore the sparks flying between them that are hot enough to ignite.

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Harlequin

249 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 16, 2020

About the author

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good combination of suspense and romance. The book opened with a flashback to the night of the fire at Whistler's hospital from Peyton's perspective. We see that she knew something was wrong in a case earlier that week, and that she received a threatening phone call about it. It is also clear that keeping quiet eats at her conscience, but fear for her mother gives her no choice.

Five years later, special agent Liam Maverick gets a break in the case of the hospital fire that killed his father. The man that he talks to points a finger at Peyton. When Liam questions her, he is immediately suspicious because he senses that she is hiding something. Peyton is determined to keep her secret, but she knows she needs help when she receives a new threat against her mother.

I liked the development of the relationship between Liam and Peyton. Though he was suspicious of her at first, Liam also sensed that she was scared. His protective instinct kicked in quickly, and he was determined to keep her safe. Peyton was wary of Liam at the beginning because she could tell that he didn't believe her. But when she needed help, she knew that she could trust him. Neither expected sparks of attraction, especially in the middle of such a perilous situation. I loved seeing them grow closer. Liam discovered that Peyton filled an empty space in his life, and Peyton found herself dreaming of a life she'd given up on after the fire. However, there are still some obstacles between them. Peyton kept one other secret from Liam because she was burned by others who knew it. When Liam found out, he was hurt and a bit angry that she didn't trust him. It took a push from his three brothers to make him see the truth. The ending was sweet, and I loved seeing them come together. There was a fun twist to the end of it.

The suspense of the story was intense all the way through. The threats against Peyton picked up right after Liam questioned her. Those threats escalated quickly from verbal to attempts on her life and that of her mother. Once Peyton decided to help Liam, it sometimes seemed there were more questions than answers. Several suspects had means and motive, and there were a few twists before the final confrontation. I was on the edge of my seat as it played out, especially as I did not see part of it coming.

[Storied Conversation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book is part of a series I had no problem beginning with this one. On top of that I love me a good Rita Herron book. She never disappoints.

Years earlier Peyton was present at a fire that killed Liam's father. Now Peyton is working as a nurse in a home taking care of her mother. Liam is a federal agent and determined to solve his father's murder. Peyton was present at the fire but doesn't want to discuss it much less think about it.

Liam knows she is hiding something but the question is what? While Liam is of course suspicious of Peyton at first he is a good guy who has great instincts. Those instincts tell him that while she knows something she is not involved in the fire, other than being present.

They grow closer and there is a point where Liam needs some pushing from his three brothers to see what's in front of him. All in all this was a great read. I enjoyed it so much! The suspense was awesome and I will say I didn't see what happened coming.


I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This review was originally posted on Wickedly Romance

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the in the Badge of Honor series in the Harlequin Intrigue line by Rita Herron.

Liam Maverick is looking into a fire that caused the death of his father five years earlier. Peyton has been holding back information after being threatened by a powerful man in town. Things escalate when the powerful man believes Peyton is about to spill her secrets.

There was a lot of back and forth here. Not sure why more tests weren’t run on the deceased five years earlier. Seems like that info could have nipped all this trauma the characters experienced in the bud.

Even though Peyton quit her nursing job shortly after the fire that caused Liam’s father’s death, the threat still followed her there and brought torment to not only her but her friends and family.

This was definitely a nail-biter and I couldn’t figure out who the bad guy was. And I was floored when the culprit was uncovered.

If you like romantic suspense, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

[Myra Wardhana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has a while for me to find a very good Rita Herron book with Harlequin Intrigue and this was did not disappoint!

Love the story set in Whistler and the Peyton’s love to her mom and her occupation as a nurse and then suddenly FBI agent Liam Maverick showed up to find out who killed his father in a hospital fire.

I would never thought who did the fire at the end just to set up Peyton to take the failure...

This could be a good Netflix romance suspense thriller.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam is working on a case that happened 5 years ago that his father and many others died. Peyton might know more then she is saying. Now the person behind the fire that took lives is after Peyton incase she tells what she know and now she isn't safe. Liam will be there to protect and make sure she's okay while trying to solve this case.

I enjoyed following along with book seeing the possible connections. There was so much going on with the case with a few close calls and wondering who it can be. I enjoyed seeing the bit of romance that was going on but appreciate that it wasn't overpowering the book it is a mystery book after all. I kept wondering if it was something that kept reappearing in Peyton's life but then was on and off with that and thought it was interesting seeing what was going on over the course of the book. Overall I really enjoyed it.

[Kate Vale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the Badge of Honor Mystery series, in which FBI agent Liam Maverick is determined to work with his brothers to find who started the fire that killed his father. He knows that someone among the hospital staff must have answers, but when he talks with nurse Peyton Weiss, he suspects she's holding back.

He's right; she doesn't reveal that her missing sister is a drug addict, and that someone is threatening Peyton. Who, she isn't sure, but she suspects it's because of what happened right before the fire and may be related to the other deaths that occurred in the hospital.

Liam and Peyton begin to work together, but the person determined to keep her from talking places her in additional danger. Can Liam keep her safe and convince her to share the secrets she keeps to herself, or will it be too late after her mother is attacked, too?

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who are Peyton and Liam? What does she ask of him? Who are Mr. & Mrs. Inman? What do we learn about them? Where are they all from? Who are Jacob, Fletch, and Griff? Where does Peyton work? What happens at her job? Death, murder, murderers, fires, family, secrets, frame jobs, and more happen in this story! WOW! What is going on in this book had me unable to put it down, well into the wee hours of the morning. You won't believe what is going on, who is behind it, and why.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT from Netgalley FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Honor Mystery (Book #4)

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Honor Mystery (Book #4)

[Heather Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good who-did-it read with a bleh ending.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peyton Weiss is a nurse at Golden Garden, a nursing home where Peyton's mother lives. Five years ago Peyton was working as an ER nurse at Whistler Hospital. She worked the night Gloria Inman was brought into the ER with chest pains and died. Gloria was her patient. Peyton was also working the night of the fire at the hospital. She has put all this behind her and has mostly forgotten the threat she received after those incidents. All was going well until Gloria Inman's husband was finally tracked down and brought in for questioning. He had tried to sue the hospital for negligence over his wife's case. He was bitter and threatened the hospital. Shortly after his case was dismissed the arson at the hospital occurred so he was definitely a person of interest in the case. Maybe his capture is what triggered the threats starting up again. Or maybe the trigger was FBI Agent Liam Maverick taking her in for questioning. She didn't make a mistake the night Gloria Inman died but someone is framing her and altered the records to show she gave Gloria a shot of morphine. She is very careful. She knows she didn't make a mistake that night. Liam Maverick seems sympathetic but has she answered his questions well enough or does he suspect she is not telling him everything?

FBI Agent Liam Maverick, along with his three brothers, is determined to discover who set the fire at Whistler Hospital five years ago. His sheriff father died that night when he rushed into the burning building in an attempts to save lives. Finding Inman is the first step into getting answers. Nurse Peyton Weiss may be the next step. He feels strongly that Peyton is holding something back during questioning. Yet his protective instincts roar into the forefront where Peyton is concerned because she seems scared about something. When Peyton calls him for help he doesn't hesitate. She is being threatened and then someone tries to murder her mother. He is determined to find out what is going on because he suspects whatever is going on is related to the hospital fire five years ago. He is seeking answers and falling for Peyton.

Suspicious Circumstances by Rita Herron is the fourth book in her badge of Honor series which features the four Maverick brothers. This is an action-packed suspense story. Peyton and Liam are both well-developed characters who have come together and realize they have found something in each other that is special. Liam is the last Maverick brother standing. Now all four Maverick brothers have their HEAs and the answers they sought in solving the tragic fire that took so many lives including their father's.

[Katie Mettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspicious Circumstances is the third book about the Maverick brothers. They are still looking for the person responsible for the hospital fire that killed their father, the Sheriff of Whistler, five years ago.

FBI agent Liam Maverick finally gets a break in the case and the arrest of a scorned and angry widower. When his wife died at the hospital five years ago by accident, he vowed to make them pay. His allegations led Liam to one woman, Payton Weiss.

Peyton was a nurse at Whistler hospital the night a patient died. She knew a mistake had been made, but she didn't know who made it. Threatened by a mysterious voice on the line after the fire to keep quiet, she flees with her mother and takes a new job at an assisted living facility outside of Whistler. Her only desire is to be a nurse and take care of her mother who is failing mentally. If she has to keep quiet about the events of that night in order to do that, she will. 

Until Agent Liam walks into her life. He is strong, handsome, and take charge and he knows she's hiding something.

Family is important to both Payton and Liam, and they'll do anything to protect their own. When push comes to shove Liam has to protect Payton from friend and foe. 

I enjoyed how they tied up the whole situation with the fire and why it happened. While I had the "bad guys" figured out, it was fun to learn the why and the how. The ending was a bit rushed and reminiscent of Jacob's book but they got their HEA, and that's what mattered. I recommend this series if you love fast-paced intrigue that is tied up nicely every time. 

[ci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this is book 3, but I didn't have any trouble catching up on whose who. I do recommend that you read them in order if you want the history on all the brothers.

This was a quick action packed read with a few twists/turns, great characters, and of course, an HEA.

I've always been a fan of Rita Herron and I'd recommend all of her books.

#Liam #Peyton #Murder #Fire #Brothers #Conclusion

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not often catch novels from this author but am so delighted when I can. Being this is a intrigue it was like eating my favorite which is dark chocolate. Liam is looking for answers in a investigation and he comes asking Peyton. This puts her in the radar of a killer or the like and so things will escalate. As it does so does the interaction between the two. We see a relationship unfold as the danger comes closer so we will get to see if it survives.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good finale to this series

The final Maverick brother solves his father's death, meets the love of his life, and finally closes the case of the hospital fire. Liam Maverick and Peyton are a sweet pair. Excellent wrap up.

[Dsbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Maverick series and I have enjoyed the whole series. I like how all the stories were tied up and did not leave you hanging.