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The Coltons of Grave Gulch #2
Colton's Killer Pursuit
Someone framed Everleigh Emerson.
And now they’ll stop at nothing to kill her…
Everleigh Emerson just escaped wrongful conviction for murder. That doesn’t mean she’s safe. After Clarke Colton witnesses an attempt on her life, the PI convinces Everleigh to let him help her—even if it means pretending to be her boyfriend. Everleigh trusts that Clarke wants to catch the killer who’s after her. But can she trust the attraction that’s growing between her and her protector?
And now they’ll stop at nothing to kill her…
Everleigh Emerson just escaped wrongful conviction for murder. That doesn’t mean she’s safe. After Clarke Colton witnesses an attempt on her life, the PI convinces Everleigh to let him help her—even if it means pretending to be her boyfriend. Everleigh trusts that Clarke wants to catch the killer who’s after her. But can she trust the attraction that’s growing between her and her protector?
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2021
38 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Tara Taylor Quinn
378 books1,456 followersTara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 2, 2022
This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Coltons of Grave Gulch book series. I have to say I loved this book so much. Everleigh is one of the main characters in this book, and I loved her character so much. The one of the two cases that really did not get totally solved in the first book got solved in this book. The other case is only really talked about at the end of this book, and it will keep going into the other books. I loved the romance in this book. I think the romance was built up nicely through out this book. I felt the ending was so cute and fit the two characters so well.
March 21, 2021
High energy intrigue! With the second book in the Coltons of Grave Gulch series Tara Taylor Quinn brings us Everleigh and Clarke's story in COLTON'S KILLER PURSUIT. If you read the first book in the series Everleigh will be familiar with you as the woman who was wrongly accused of murdering her soon to be ex-husband when evidence was planted against her. The story is fresh and entertaining and the characters are easy to like and sympathize with. I'm looking forward to more in the series!
Everleigh came into this book with anyone's sympathy who read the first in the series because we knew she was set up for murder and that her grandmother had to go to extremes to get her case delved into further. I liked her and enjoyed watching Clarke become important to her.
Clarke is an all around nice guy and super easy to like. His family is mostly law enforcement, and there seems to always be more drama around the corner to keep their attention.
I recommend this book as well as the entire series so far to anyone who enjoys a fast paced mystery with a strong backbone of family and love.
Everleigh came into this book with anyone's sympathy who read the first in the series because we knew she was set up for murder and that her grandmother had to go to extremes to get her case delved into further. I liked her and enjoyed watching Clarke become important to her.
Clarke is an all around nice guy and super easy to like. His family is mostly law enforcement, and there seems to always be more drama around the corner to keep their attention.
I recommend this book as well as the entire series so far to anyone who enjoys a fast paced mystery with a strong backbone of family and love.
October 5, 2021
Read this one third - didn’t taken away from the whole story on either side. Love how our H, how he’s enamored with the h! And truly wanted to help her!
March 31, 2021
Fast-paced story with plenty of action and romance. This book picks up where the previous book,
Colton's Dangerous Liaison
, left off. In that story, Everleigh was on trial for a murder she didn't commit, thanks to falsified evidence by a GGPD forensics worker. Everleigh's grandmother went to extreme measures to get the case reopened, and once it was, the truth came out. At the start of this book, Everleigh has just been freed and finished some grocery shopping. On the way to her car, she is almost run down by a speeding car. Clarke Colton pushes her out of the way.
Clarke is a PI who frequently works with the Grave Gulch Police Department. He spotted the inconsistencies in the evidence that imprisoned Everleigh and suspects that this attack has something to do with her husband's murder. That feeling intensifies when he takes her home, and they discover that her house was ransacked. Feeling unexpectedly protective, Clarke insists that Everleigh stays with him until they unravel the mystery.
I liked both Clarke and Everleigh. Clarke is a good man who, thanks to the past he shares with his family, is a stickler for law and order. He's also very independent, which is why he is a PI rather than a cop like most of his family members. At forty years old, Clarke is also pretty set in his ways, believing that he isn't cut out for commitment. The one time he tried, it didn't end well. Everleigh wants to rebuild her life. She spent eighteen years married to a man who constantly cheated on her, though she had no idea until he decided to divorce her. He loudly accused her of cheating on him, which made her a prime suspect in his murder. Everleigh is pragmatic and practical and just wants to move on with her life.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Everleigh and Clarke. Sparks of attraction flew between them from the beginning, which made neither of them happy. Clarke won't get involved with someone he's protecting, plus he refuses to do something that will only hurt Everleigh in the long run. Everleigh feels the attraction but doesn't trust her judgment after the mess with her late husband. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to resist temptation.
I loved watching Everleigh wiggle her way past Clarke's walls. Unlike the clingy, whiny women he dated in the past, Everleigh's easy acceptance of his long hours and frequent distraction speak to the loneliness he hadn't realized he felt. He worked hard to resist the pull, but it was a losing battle. For her part, being around Clarke was an eye-opening experience for Everleigh. His support and belief in her help her see that she is stronger than she knew and can take charge of what she wants her life to be now. The biggest thing holding her back is her reluctance to trust herself. I wanted to shake Clarke when he got scared and ran and cheered at the lecture he got from his little sister (the police chief). I loved seeing the light go on in his head and his heart. I ached for Everleigh and her feelings of rejection and loved her conversation with her grandmother. I loved the ending, with the sweet and unexpected way Clarke showed Everleigh how he felt. I laughed out loud at her response and thought how perfect they were for each other.
The suspense of the story kept me engrossed from beginning to end. It started with a bang thanks to the attempted hit and run and never really let up. Everleigh and Clarke's determination to get to the truth grew with each attack on her. I liked how they theorized that it had something to do with her husband's murder and their suspicion that it might be one of the women he slept with. The final confrontation was intense, with the killer determined to succeed. I loved Everleigh's calmness and attempt to talk her attacker down while Clarke looked for a way to end it. I loved how it ended.
There were a few mentions of the AWOL forensics guy and the GGPD's investigation and search. Questioning the man's wife provided a little insight into what drove him, but nothing else helpful. The book ended with a lead-in to the next book.
Clarke is a PI who frequently works with the Grave Gulch Police Department. He spotted the inconsistencies in the evidence that imprisoned Everleigh and suspects that this attack has something to do with her husband's murder. That feeling intensifies when he takes her home, and they discover that her house was ransacked. Feeling unexpectedly protective, Clarke insists that Everleigh stays with him until they unravel the mystery.
I liked both Clarke and Everleigh. Clarke is a good man who, thanks to the past he shares with his family, is a stickler for law and order. He's also very independent, which is why he is a PI rather than a cop like most of his family members. At forty years old, Clarke is also pretty set in his ways, believing that he isn't cut out for commitment. The one time he tried, it didn't end well. Everleigh wants to rebuild her life. She spent eighteen years married to a man who constantly cheated on her, though she had no idea until he decided to divorce her. He loudly accused her of cheating on him, which made her a prime suspect in his murder. Everleigh is pragmatic and practical and just wants to move on with her life.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Everleigh and Clarke. Sparks of attraction flew between them from the beginning, which made neither of them happy. Clarke won't get involved with someone he's protecting, plus he refuses to do something that will only hurt Everleigh in the long run. Everleigh feels the attraction but doesn't trust her judgment after the mess with her late husband. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to resist temptation.
I loved watching Everleigh wiggle her way past Clarke's walls. Unlike the clingy, whiny women he dated in the past, Everleigh's easy acceptance of his long hours and frequent distraction speak to the loneliness he hadn't realized he felt. He worked hard to resist the pull, but it was a losing battle. For her part, being around Clarke was an eye-opening experience for Everleigh. His support and belief in her help her see that she is stronger than she knew and can take charge of what she wants her life to be now. The biggest thing holding her back is her reluctance to trust herself. I wanted to shake Clarke when he got scared and ran and cheered at the lecture he got from his little sister (the police chief). I loved seeing the light go on in his head and his heart. I ached for Everleigh and her feelings of rejection and loved her conversation with her grandmother. I loved the ending, with the sweet and unexpected way Clarke showed Everleigh how he felt. I laughed out loud at her response and thought how perfect they were for each other.
The suspense of the story kept me engrossed from beginning to end. It started with a bang thanks to the attempted hit and run and never really let up. Everleigh and Clarke's determination to get to the truth grew with each attack on her. I liked how they theorized that it had something to do with her husband's murder and their suspicion that it might be one of the women he slept with. The final confrontation was intense, with the killer determined to succeed. I loved Everleigh's calmness and attempt to talk her attacker down while Clarke looked for a way to end it. I loved how it ended.
There were a few mentions of the AWOL forensics guy and the GGPD's investigation and search. Questioning the man's wife provided a little insight into what drove him, but nothing else helpful. The book ended with a lead-in to the next book.
September 24, 2021
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
Colton’s Killer Pursuit is the second title in the Coltons of Grave Gulch series. Everleigh’s life has been turned upside down on so many levels. Her husband cheated on her, she was accused of his murder in their home, she was sent to prison for a crime she did not do expecting to spend years behind bars. Suddenly, she’s released when it was discovered that someone within the police department tampered with evidence, her grandmother kidnapped a Colton toddler trying to bring attention to the fact that her granddaughter was innocent and is now in prison on kidnapping charges awaiting trial. Now Everleigh is trying to take back her life, get her grandmother out of jail when she’s nearly run over by a driver determined to harm if not kill her. Her rescuer turns out to be a member of the Colton family, and while grateful for Clarke’s help Everleigh’s not sure who is the greater danger right now.
These two lives are about to be intertwined as a relentless killer searches for something important to them… while killing Everleigh seems to be their main focus.
Colton’s Killer Pursuit is a story full of danger, intrigue, and emotions for two people who will not only ultimately discover who is behind the attacks on Everleigh but open themselves up to emotions they didn’t expect to have for each other. Although the search for Everleigh’s attacker kept my attention through this story it was the growth of both Everleigh and Clarke, in different ways, that drew me into their world. Everleigh has been through so much, yet she’s also stronger than she’d ever given herself credit for. She’ll come into her own while trying to escape with her life as she truly sees what her life once was compared to what she wants it to be… with Clarke.
I have to admit that a hero who is completely convinced that he’s not a long-term relationship kind of guy will always make me chuckle ironically. Clarke wasn’t into serious relationships after his one attempt went so wrong, but he also never really understood that he had to find that right woman before considering a lifelong commitment would be his only option. And Everleigh is that woman for him, it just takes him a bit to grasp that concept. His sweet, touching gesture at the very end completely stole my heart and maybe I envied Everleigh just a tad.
I own a Kindle edition of this story.
Colton’s Killer Pursuit is the second title in the Coltons of Grave Gulch series. Everleigh’s life has been turned upside down on so many levels. Her husband cheated on her, she was accused of his murder in their home, she was sent to prison for a crime she did not do expecting to spend years behind bars. Suddenly, she’s released when it was discovered that someone within the police department tampered with evidence, her grandmother kidnapped a Colton toddler trying to bring attention to the fact that her granddaughter was innocent and is now in prison on kidnapping charges awaiting trial. Now Everleigh is trying to take back her life, get her grandmother out of jail when she’s nearly run over by a driver determined to harm if not kill her. Her rescuer turns out to be a member of the Colton family, and while grateful for Clarke’s help Everleigh’s not sure who is the greater danger right now.
These two lives are about to be intertwined as a relentless killer searches for something important to them… while killing Everleigh seems to be their main focus.
Colton’s Killer Pursuit is a story full of danger, intrigue, and emotions for two people who will not only ultimately discover who is behind the attacks on Everleigh but open themselves up to emotions they didn’t expect to have for each other. Although the search for Everleigh’s attacker kept my attention through this story it was the growth of both Everleigh and Clarke, in different ways, that drew me into their world. Everleigh has been through so much, yet she’s also stronger than she’d ever given herself credit for. She’ll come into her own while trying to escape with her life as she truly sees what her life once was compared to what she wants it to be… with Clarke.
I have to admit that a hero who is completely convinced that he’s not a long-term relationship kind of guy will always make me chuckle ironically. Clarke wasn’t into serious relationships after his one attempt went so wrong, but he also never really understood that he had to find that right woman before considering a lifelong commitment would be his only option. And Everleigh is that woman for him, it just takes him a bit to grasp that concept. His sweet, touching gesture at the very end completely stole my heart and maybe I envied Everleigh just a tad.
I own a Kindle edition of this story.
February 6, 2021
Great story. Everleigh and Clarke were both strong characters. They supported each other. Everleigh followed Clarke's lead, but was strong enough to say how she felt. Clarke was a good protector. I was glad things were resolved regarding her grandmother.
March 31, 2021
What an amazing suspense. After Everleigh was released from prison, where she was sent for killing her ex-husband - which she didn't do - someone tried to kill her. She couldn't imagine who would want her dead, or why, so just wanted to brush it off. But PI Clarke Colton didn't agree with her. He convinced Everleigh to accept his protection and live in his condo with him. Living together brought on another problem. Keeping their hands off each other.
This was book 2 in the series but you don't have to have read the first book to follow this story. Everleigh rarely let anything get to her. She always thought the best of everyone and didn't hold grudges. She did worry about her Gram who was in prison because of what she did to get Everleigh's case looked at again. Clarke was a great PI and very good at his job. His skills came in handy in keeping Everleigh safe.
This was an intense suspense! I had no idea who the killer was. What a surprise when it was revealed.
I must admit, I haven't loved all the Colton series but if this is a sample of what to expect from the Grave Gulch series, I'm going to be reading more of it.
This was book 2 in the series but you don't have to have read the first book to follow this story. Everleigh rarely let anything get to her. She always thought the best of everyone and didn't hold grudges. She did worry about her Gram who was in prison because of what she did to get Everleigh's case looked at again. Clarke was a great PI and very good at his job. His skills came in handy in keeping Everleigh safe.
This was an intense suspense! I had no idea who the killer was. What a surprise when it was revealed.
I must admit, I haven't loved all the Colton series but if this is a sample of what to expect from the Grave Gulch series, I'm going to be reading more of it.
July 14, 2022
This was a fast-paced story with action, suspense and romance. I loved the story itself. Everleigh had been thrown in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. I don’t want to give too much of the book away, but her grandmother did something she shouldn’t have done to get the attention of the police department so they reopen her granddaughter’s case. Turns out Everleigh was innocent, but what she did got her thrown into jail. The whole town was rooting for the grandmother, and pleading with the Police to let her out of jail. Clarke who is a PI quickly became Everleigh’s body guard. Someone was after her, and wanted her dead. This was a really good book. Loved watching how the relationship between Clarke and Everleigh progressed into love. I know this book was park of a series, but I read it as a standalone.
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January 2, 2021Categories
Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Sagas, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
The Coltons of Grave Gulch (Book #2)
Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Sagas, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
The Coltons of Grave Gulch (Book #2)
April 16, 2022
Review of Colton's Killer Pursuit
I absolutely loved this book and I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves romance novels. She is a very good writer.
I absolutely loved this book and I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves romance novels. She is a very good writer.
December 21, 2025
Excellent book
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews