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North Star #3

Mountainside Murder

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She’s hunting a hit man…
Now she and his next victim are targets…


North Star undercover operative Sabrina Killian is on a hit man's trail. She doesn't need help from Wyoming search and rescue ranger Connor Lindstrom. But the persistent ex-SEAL is the killer’s target—and soon they are both being hunted. Now they’ve joined forces to uncover a treasonous conspiracy. But will Sabrina's and Connor’s most dangerous secrets even the odds—or take them out for good?

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2021

102 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Nicole Helm

309 books504 followers
Nicole Helm is the national bestselling author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and down-to-earth contemporary romance. Her Intrigues routinely land on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list, and she’s received starred PW reviews for her contemporary romances. She’s written over 75 books, known for their emotional depth and happily ever afters.

Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.

In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.

You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n

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5 stars
143 (60%)
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66 (28%)
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19 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Tina Loves To Read.
3,679 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2022
This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the third book in the North Star Novel Series. This book is action pack with a lot of suspense with some instant love/romance. I really loved the characters in this book. I love the action in this book as well. I saw some of the twists coming in this book. This book pull me into this story from the beginning and kept me wanting to keep read. Great read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Intrigue) or author (Nicole Helm) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on November 30-2021.
Profile Image for Margie.
1,714 reviews26 followers
October 5, 2021
Sabrina Killian is a North Star agent. She is definitely qualified for the job. Sabrina was almost the first female Navy SEAL. She suffered a career ending injury so that was the end of that dream. North Star was a good substitute though. She got to do a lot of good. Plus North Star led her to Connor Lindstrom. Her assignment was to locate an assassin somewhere near Wilson, Wyoming, probably in the mountains. Sabrina starts hiking up the mountain and encounters a SAR (Search and Rescue) mission taking place. Connor Lindstrom and his partner are doing the mission. Sabrina is sure the guy being rescued is the assassin. She is pretending to be a police officer so she instructs the SAR team to turn over the rescued victim to her. Connor calls her out as fake. While Sabrina and Connor are arguing about turning the guy over the rescued man disappears. Obviously the guy was faking and he is indeed the assassin. Now to complete her mission and catch him.

Connor Lindstrom is an ex-Navy SEAL. He was dishonorably discharged but the charges were bogus. As it turns out Connor is pleased he was let go since he prefers being part of Search and Rescue. But his past is about to rear its ugly head as it appears he is the target of an assassin. Working with North Star agent Sabrina Killian turns out to be a life-changer. Connor is falling for Sabrina and he knows he will do anything to keep her safe.

Mountainside Murder by Nicole Helm is the third book in her North Star series. This is a thrill ride of a suspense story, It's nonstop action. Add in a hot romance and you have a page-turner story. I really liked the main characters and totally enjoyed the dialogue as they snarked at each other and fought their attraction. It was great getting to catch up with other North Star characters from the earlier books in the series. This is a great series.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for Susan.
4,840 reviews130 followers
April 20, 2022
Good book. The beginning of this story takes place concurrently with the previous book, Shot Through the Heart. Sabrina and Holden are assigned to track down a hitman, one in Nebraska and one in Wyoming. Sabrina doesn't want to go to Nebraska, so they flip a coin to see who goes where. Fate clearly has a hand in the decision, as their lives would turn out quite differently had the toss gone the other way.

Sabrina successfully tracks her quarry to a hiking trail in the Tetons and plans to use fake police credentials to apprehend him. Instead, she lands in the middle of a search and rescue operation with the hitman as the apparent victim. When she attempts to use her police ID to take custody of him, SAR ranger Connor calls her out on the deception and refuses to cooperate. While Connor and Sabrina argue, the uninjured hitman makes his escape. Neither will give up their position, and both set out after the missing man.

Sabrina is an excellent operative who is stubborn, fiery, smart-mouthed, and has a chip on her shoulder regarding her past. If it hadn't been for an injury, she could have been one of the first female Navy SEALs, and she is still bitter about it. So when she encounters Connor, an ex-SEAL, she doesn't react well. Connor left the SEALs under a cloud, accused of something he didn't do. He and his rescue dog live off the grid, where he can do his rescue thing without dealing with the rest of the world.

The action picks up here and continues to build throughout the book. Connor and Sabrina clash over who has the greater right to their quarry. Their antagonism turns to teamwork as they race to escape an avalanche, then prepare to continue their search. There is a lot of walking involved, which gives them plenty of time to talk about their pursuit, who the hitman's target is, and their backgrounds. Dodging gunfire sends their thoughts down a different path as they finally realize that Connor is the target. Twists and turns led to near-death injuries and a final confrontation that had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Connor and Sabrina. Their initial antagonism is strong, but underneath it is a simmering attraction that neither wants to acknowledge. It was fun to watch them push back at each other as they fought their attraction until it finally got too hard to resist. I loved Connor's protectiveness even though he was the one in the hitman's crosshairs. They clash over Sabrina's role as protector but eventually come to a tentative balance of power between them. I loved their shock as each realized that their feelings had grown and changed. The ending was terrific, with an unexpected twist involving Connor.

I liked catching up with some of the previous North Star characters as they stepped up to help Sabrina and Connor. I'm especially curious about Shay and if something is going on between her and Granger. Hopefully, she will get a story of her own.
Profile Image for Frankie.
451 reviews
October 10, 2021
This is part of a series but I have only read this one and I don’t feel as I missed out. I love snarky MCs and suspense and this one was well balanced between the relationship/romance developing and the mystery.

I also liked that heroine was not a useless twit who constantly needed saving. 😉

I was kindly provided a free copy by NetGalley, publishers and author for an honest review and I want to thank them very much.
Profile Image for Harlequin Books.
18.4k reviews2,810 followers
Read
November 2, 2021
Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A North Star Novel Series (Book #3)
Profile Image for Katie Mettner.
Author 116 books1,687 followers
October 14, 2021
I've never made it a secret that I love Nicole Helm's Intrigues, and Mountainside Murder has kept that streak alive. What I like about Nicole's series is the consistency of the writing coupled with the diverse personalities of the characters. While you have met all the characters in previous books in the series, you only get a tiny taste of who they are until their book comes due and then, Nicole opens that character's heart and soul to the reader; the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the case of Sabrina, she's got a smart mouth, a chip on her shoulder, and a fighter's mentality, but she's also a brilliant operative who isn't afraid to take chances to complete her mission. The ugly side of Sabrina is something she never suspected could be tamed until she came up against a guy living with the same ghosts she had.

Connor was an ex-Navy SEAL turned search and rescue who liked living off the grid in a cabin on the Tetons. He could be anonymous there and do his work without being bothered by the real world unless he wanted to be. What he didn't know was the real world wanted to bother him by way of reminding him of why he was discharged from the SEALS and who might be responsible for it. He just wasn't expecting a sassy ex-military woman to be the one to come to HIS rescue.

When North Star moves in on the hitmen, they go to desperate measures to obtain what they need from Connor. The problem is, Connor doesn't have it. What he does have is a woman willing to fight for him because that is her mission, but also because she is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Connor isn't faring any better when it comes to holding Sabrina at arm's length, so he stops trying.

When push comes to shove, Sabrina, Connor, and all of North Star must decide how far they will go to save one of their own and one who isn't theirs but is the love of one of their own. Tempers flare hot, jealousy is rampant, lies are abundant, and nothing is as it seems. When bullets fly with deadly accuracy, Connor has to decide if he's going to put it all on the line for love or play it safe with his heart.

Once again, Nicole has written two perfectly balanced characters who apart are all hard angles, but together, can both reach beyond themselves for the bigger picture. A well-written, fast, often laugh-out-loud Intrigue that will give you all the urgency of the mystery that needs to be solved and all the feels of a new love trying to take flight under desperate circumstances.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,556 reviews27 followers
December 13, 2021
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I rounded up for the star rating (goodreads really needs to give half star options)

May I just say that Sabrina is a breath of fresh air. It's always nice when level headed, capable women are featured in a romance novel instead of the useless twits or the smart-until-it-suits-the-storyline-for-her-to-be-stupid women. I feel like it's such a disservice to women to constantly have TSTL heroines who need a 'strong man' to save them. How about no. Sabrina is the answer. And I appreciate that.

Speaking of Sabrina, this ex-military girl is smart, capable, confident in herself, knows what she wants, and adorably sassy. She's got a bit of a mouth on her and a chip on her shoulder. She's out to prove to herself and the world that she is back and capable of everything she was before.

Connor made less of a positive impression on me. May have been a bit of the point though. Ex-SEAL, Connor was discharged after something somewhere went sideways. He decided to make his living doing search and rescue, living in the mountains and mostly ignoring the outside world. That is until the real world reality comes to crash his party by bringing up the past. Never mind the fact that a hot capable lady just appears and intends to save HIM from a hitman on the mountain.

So what did I think?

I think I had a bit of trouble getting through all the walking and talking they were doing before they figured out what the hitman was trying to do. It's about 46% of the book. They walk, they talk. Yes they get to know each other a little bit, and yes they get a mostly solid theory on what is going on and how many they might be up against, but honestly? It was a lot of walking. Sabrina's smart mouth was mostly the only thing that held it together for me. Once you actually get into the action though, it's a pretty good time.

This is apparently the third book in the series, so at some point I will have to go back and read the others. You can, however, read this as a standalone. The author does a pretty good job of giving you some of the threads you need from the previous books in order to fully understand what is happening in this one fully. I quite enjoyed this one and I hope the others have equally strong, capable and compelling women in them.







Profile Image for Viper Spaulding.
3,164 reviews27 followers
October 31, 2021
Thrilling romance, edge of your seat action!

Connor and Sabrina have to fight each other, the harsh elements, and a murderous conspiracy in about a week's time before they find their future together. I loved Sabrina's take-no-prisoners attitude and found her more than a challenging match for Connor, who was probably the only man strong enough to successfully stand up to her when she needed it.

The action starts strong and never lets up, and the connect-the-dots flow of the investigation was beautifully paced throughout the book. I loved getting to know the North Star operatives, and couldn't be more pleased with the way the HEA came about.

A small content note: even though there are too many murder attempts to count, no one dies in this story. If you're afraid of a high body count, don't worry here. If you still want to see lots of intense action with plenty of life-threatening attacks, you won't be disappointed.

I was enthralled with this story from start to finish, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves sensual and suspenseful romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Jo-Anne.
1,768 reviews39 followers
January 7, 2022
Before North Star operative, Sabrina Killian tracked down the hitman she was after, she found his target, Search and Rescue Ranger Connor Lindstrom. It wasn't long before they were running for their lives. I really enjoyed this action-packed romantic suspense.

Keeping ahead of the killer was tough for Sabrina and Connor. It took a while for them to realize Connor was the target and even longer for him to figure out why someone wanted him dead. They were both ex-SEALs, very confident and skilled. I liked Connor's desire to protect Sabrina. But Sabrina wasn't having any of that. It was her job to protect him. I like strong women but Sabrina took it too far. She was capable of handling just about any situation but I thought she worked too hard to prove (to herself) that she didn't need anybody's help. I really did not like her.

I have read other books in this series and it was nice to hear about the other characters. But don't worry if you haven't read the previous books. This can be read as a stand-alone.
Profile Image for Holly Stone.
953 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2022
Conner Lindstrom former Navy SEAL now SAR and Sabrina Killian her dreams of being the first female Navy SEAL shattered along with her hip, now working for a top secret group known only to themselves as North Star....Sabrina goes after a hitman tracking Conner to keep him safe and bring in the bad guy....Conner is no stranger to danger and with his 4 footed partner Froggy by his side fully able to look after himself....In Avalanche country things heat up quickly between the two as Conner finds himself falling hard for the snarky, brash, beauty even after he learns she was once his friend Nate's ex. Sabrina doesn't want or need anyone, but she can't seem to stop the feelings she is developing for Conner....with a team behind her and time not really on their side can they figure out what is going on and stop the bad guys before it's too late for either of them?? You'll have to read it and see LOL I liked it...Ms. Helm writes a good fast paced story and I love the inclusion of the dog.
Profile Image for Jessica.
2,222 reviews51 followers
December 7, 2021
Sabrina is undercover and on the trail of a hitman and manages to run into Connor Lindstrom who is also after the target when they soon realize they might be getting hunted themselves.

To be honest there was alot of confusion going around the place for me. Sometimes I was on and off again of what was going on but what I did like was the presence of being hunted and when the person might strike. There was so much at stake and it was hard to figure out who they can trust after all thats happen but I will say there was never really a dull moment. This book kept me hooked even if at times I found it hard to follow but it was overall an enjoyable read.
1,274 reviews12 followers
March 24, 2023
I enjoyed this story with all of the characters. The two main characters were Sabrina Killian and Connor Lindstrom.

Sabrina Killian is an operative for North Star. She is undercover on a mission in Wyoming. She is looking for someone special. But what she finds is a rescue ranger and his dog.

Connor Lindstrom is an ex- seal and now works as a rescue ranger. On a mission to help someone that has hurt he meet a woman.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, adventure, and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within. It was also fun trying to solve the mystery within.

I decided to read this story from my local library. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
183 reviews1 follower
June 17, 2022
North Star Book 3

I enjoyed this book so much. Sabrina is a kick-ass heroine and the hero in the story- there’s so many heroes I can’t pick just one! Great plot great writing. So worth reading
Profile Image for Pam Jackson-gorsline.
988 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2022
Brina

This is a great story with many twists and turns that keeps you reading. This a new author to my library and I'm glad I chose this one. The story just kept getting better. The author did an excellent job of weaving together the highs and lows of the military.
Profile Image for Moira.
1,273 reviews12 followers
July 16, 2022
Suspenseful mountain tracking

I would have to say this is my favorite of the series so far. I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed Connor and Sabrina's repartee and the link to her former boyfriend. The suspense and intrigue was too notch! The North Star group is growing on me.
383 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2022
Mountain murder

Great story with lots of action. Always good when the bad guys get what they deserve. The good guys get the happy ever after.
23 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2022
very good book

This book will keep you guessing and wanting to keep reading. A few words of bad language, etc but you can skim over that. Book is good
Profile Image for Dorel.
4,389 reviews39 followers
September 16, 2022
This is the 1st book I read by Nicole Helm. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story 📖 at chapter 2 because it didn't grab my interest.
Profile Image for Karen Pawelko.
179 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2022
I was having a hard time getting in to this book, almost to the end before I found it interesting enough to get done with it.
Profile Image for Marlene.
423 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2025
If at any point you forget both characters were once involved with the navy SEALS, don't worry because there are a total of 58 mentions of it in this book to remind you. (3.75)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews