The Scorpion

by Gerri Hill

Poking a sleeping bear with a sharp stick is foolish. Marty Edwards is about to be very foolish.

Investigative reporter Marty Edwards has found her niche: cold cases. She loves pouring over old notes, hunting down long-forgotten witnesses, and digging down through the layers of an unsolved murder case. But this time, Marty is digging where someone obviously doesn't want her. And that someone might also include the Brownsville Police Department. Why else would they assign Detective Kristen Bailey to baby-sit her?

Barely surviving two attempts on her life, Marty abandons Brownsville and the case. Danger follows her as the case turns red hot. With Detective Bailey along for protection, they race along the Gulf Coast, neither knowing who, if anyone, they can trust. The hardest part is learning to trust each other before it's too late for their hearts--and their lives.

You'll hit the ground running with this exciting race of life-and-death from Golden Crown Literary Award winner Gerri Hill.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Lesbian Romance

289 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2009

About the author

Gerri began writing lesbian romance as a way to amuse herself while snowed in one winter in the mountains of Colorado, and hasn’t looked back. Her first published work came in 2000 with One Summer Night. Many more romances have followed, with the occasional murder mystery in the mix.
Gerri’s love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn’t writing, Gerri and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with an ever-changing cast of furry friends.
Her favorite pastimes include camping, hiking, birdwatching (though she insists she doesn’t wear funny hats yet!), photography, and cooking. She collects things nature offers, like an unusual pinecone, colorful rocks, or an abandoned bird feather. Dawn is her favorite time of day, the moment right before sunrise...
"I love the morning... the beginning of a brand new day. Because even things that we know are unattainable flutter within our grasp. In the early morning—at that cusp of a new day—everything is possible."

Reviews

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Investigative reporter Marty Edwards, a specialist in cold cases, goes to Brownsville, Texas to research an unsolved murder case. But Marty’s digging isn’t welcome in the Brownsville Police Department so they assign Detective Kristen Bailey to babysit her. After surviving two attempts on her life, Marty abandons Brownsville and the cold case but danger follows her. Along with Detective Bailey, they go underground to try to solve the murder risking their lives and their hearts in the process.

This is a good crime novel with romance on the side. Gerri Hill is one of those versatile authors who can write very well both mysteries and romances. I particularly like it when she combines them. ‘The Scorpion’ is an entertaining novel that keeps the reader on their toes with an ending hard to predict. It’s true that some circumstances around Marty and Bailey’s running away from danger feel a bit unrealistic at times, but the overall result is entertaining and an absolute page-turner.

I especially liked the romance between the main characters, even though there were trying to solve a crime and running away from danger, Ms. Hill managed to create fantastic chemistry between them and even delve deeper into sexuality issues. The intimate scenes were, as always, well written and consistent with the plot.

I’ve listened to the audiobook narrated by Abby Craden who, as usual, did a great job. This is a hard book to narrate as there are as many fast-paced thrilling scenes as emotional ones. Ms. Craden performed both with ease and her customary talent. I have one objection, though. This book has quite a few Spanish words as it deals with Mexican-American criminal gangs. As a native speaker, I have to say that Ms. Craden’s Spanish is far from ideal though the listener can tell that she’s trying her best. Anyway, the result is acceptable for an English speaking audience typical of this audiobook so no harm is done.

This audiobook is available for free with a Scribd subscription, duration: 7 hours.

Overall, a very good lesbian crime action audiobook with a sweet romance on the side. 4.5 stars.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

[Statum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the crime romances that Gerri Hill puts together. Teaming up with Abby Craden brings so much life to these books.

This book didn’t make a favorite list for me. However, it was entertaining and I did enjoy it.

I didn’t expect an asexual character to make an appearance. I enjoyed that aspect of it because I enjoy reading more about diverse characters. This book was written more than 10 years ago. Knowing that, impresses me because asexuality wasn’t represented as much as it is now.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book by Gerri Hill. This one is a murder mystery focusing on a cold case. Marty is a journalist who has started writing about cold cases. She has published a true crime book. Kristen is a police detective who has been assigned to follow around town as she interviews people for her article.

Kristen is from Houston and has moved to Brownsville to take care of her ill mother. Soon people begin taking shots at Marty and Kristen as they get too close to finding the truth. They go undercover to hide out.

I enjoyed the storyline of this book. Hill developed great characters and dialogue. I listed to the audio with Abby Craden. Recommend to all Fans of Geri Hill.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This! I enjoyed this from the beginning to the end!

This story deserves more than 5 stars because this book took me on a wild ride through Kristen and Marty's journey through their emotional upheavals as well as their professional challenges in the face of a dangerous and unknown entity who is bent on destroying them both. I love the angst and suspense in this story, I was afraid for Kristen and Marty and I was cheering for them to triumph and expose the people bent on destroying them.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's sort of like compulsive behavior. I need to read a new Gerri Hill novel. I no longer feel the need to preorder them and can wait a while to see if they find their way to me on their own, but I do need to read it. Go figure.

This actually was one of the better ones. The crime part of it was incredibly fast-paced and full of suspense. Very well done. The main characters are also well done in this aspect of the story and dance around the issue of 'how do you stay good while fighting evil' and it gives them a nice edge. I like when lines between good and bad blur.

I could have lived without the romance, the women would have been equally well off as friends. It started off differently than your average lesfic romance in that one of the women, how shall I put it, is 'sexually dysfunctional'? She just doesn't have a sex drive. So I would have loved to see this explored in a non-romance-novelly manner, but yeah, wrong place to look for that, I know.

One thing that confused me was that throughout the book one of the characters was referred to by either her first or her last name by the narrator and not consistently as one or the other. I couldn't figure out whether there was a pattern to when she was Bailey and when she was Kristen. Odd. I get how fellow cops call her Bailey while more personal acquaintances refer to her a s Kristen, but these switches by the narrator? Odd.

Hill once more does two things that drive me batty, but that's really personal peeves. She once more overuses her favorite phrase "Let's don't...". I've googled it and found that it's standard in some parts of the US, but I still can't help it, it feels totally off to me.

And also, and that's not a Hill or even a lesfic thing, referring to women as "females". Yikes... Bad shivers up and down my spine. I'm not sure whether that is because in German the equivalent to "females" is only used for animals and I'm just lacking a native sense for the language. But there recently was a question about this on "A Way with Words" (waywordradio.org), so I know I'm not the only one bothered by this. I'm okay with constructions like 'female officers' but females as a noun totally rubs me the wrong way. What's wrong with using 'women'?? I think Hill only used it once, but I think currently it is my favorite pet peeve, or at least the one that comes up most often.

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I'd listened to an audio version of one of Gerri's books before reading it so I had no idea what was coming. In general I enjoyed it and Abby Craden narrated - so that's always a treat. That said, this wasn't one of her better cop-related stories. I would likely refer people to others if they wanted to experience her work for the first time. Hill is a terrific writer and one of my favorites but I felt like this one had too many plot holes. Also - while there are nearly always lovely romances in her books as well - even the cop thrillers - this one made me a bit twitchy. 
**stop reading here if you don't want a spoiler about that**


Investigative reporter Marty Edwards gets thrown together with police detective Kristen Bailey when she looks into a cold case in Brownsville, Texas. In the course of the investigation, they discover there is much more than they bargained for when they learn that the police seemed to go out of their way not to investigate it - and may even be involved. They are forced to go on the run while Kristen tries to get to the bottom of it. Marty starts to experience sexual feelings for Kristen for the first time in her life. She is confused by that because she told Kristen she believed she was asexual. She's dated people in the past, primarily men - and even kissed a woman - but never had any sexual attraction to them whatsoever. But suddenly, as she becomes closer to Kristen, her libido is in overdrive. I was concerned about how Gerri was going to handle that in the story. Marty later says that now she feels "normal" after experiencing her sexual awakening. I cringed. I think perhaps Marty is demisexual on the asexual spectrum (meaning she can only experience sexual attraction when she has a strong emotional connection to someone) but Gerri doesn't go into that in the book. I have learned more about asexuality recently and am more sensitive to how that is portrayed. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was poorly handled, but it would have been better if Gerri hadn't gone the she-met-the-right-person-so-now-sex-is-great route. That's a myth that's not good to perpetuate. If she was going to include that as part of Marty's character, I wish she would have gone one step further and maybe clarified that Marty was indeed normal - this was just part of her sexuality. Okay - I'll step off my soapbox now. I'll always read all of Gerri's work - she's one of the greats. This just wasn't a favorite of mine.  3.5 stars  

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do prefer Gerri Hill's crime/thriller romances, and this one was no exception. I liked the book. I knocked off a couple stars because I think making one of the characters "asexual" was a poor choice. Asexual people have a hard enough time getting the world to take them seriously as it is. They deserve fair representation.

[M.E. Tudor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good Gerri Hill mystery/thriller with a little romance thrown in.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was just an ok read...

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite but mostly because I just dont like journalist MCs

[Controlled Abandon]

I was excited when one of the main characters said that she is asexual, and explained that she has never been interested in sex or sexually attracted to someone. She refuted the usual "maybe you haven't met the right person" and "what about your hormones?" and "were you abused as a child?" "maybe you're actually into women" questions. So far so good. However, she is not happy with her asexuality and feels broken (though I don't think she actually says that, it seems clear from her thoughts) and has "come to accept" it. And, it seems to be tied to her childhood of relatives who didn't want her and foster care homes, in which she never let herself trust anybody.

I was skeptical that this would play out well in a romance, so at that point, I flipped ahead to figure out how the romance/sex is handled. She discovers that she is (sexually) attracted to the other main character, they have sex, and she "feels normal."

So... not a particularly positive portrayal of asexuality - nor demisexuality, which could have worked. Mind, I didn't actually read the rest... maybe I'll go back to it to discover fully how it's handled, but right now it's too much of the "you must want sex and have a long term monogamous romantic/sexual relationship to be a normal, complete human being" and "this is the only way to love" ideas.

Sigh.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came running out of the gate. Couldn’t put it down. True crime about a journalist who is assigned to watch a cop investigate a cold case.

[Jam · Rating 4 out of 5]

love Gerri Hills how-done-it's.

[Aveline · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story had a lot of potential, but was really not Gerri Hill's normal quality despite enjoying her other works well. The romance went well and I enjoyed both characters and their interactions, but the absolute horrendous asexuality representation ruined the entire story for me and there were a few too many plot holes and other options that were never addressed or considered.

Biggest concern - Ace Rep:
Marty identifies as ace for the first half of the book and comes out to Christine in a situation that is about typical of a normal coming-out story. However, the story very quickly turns from her being ace to her having mental and trust issues that were causing her lack of libido with anyone else. Instead of looking into this, trying to figure herself out or identify what changed, all that happened was Marty claimed she had issues and that she wanted to be "normal", which is a horrible message to give to any Ace readers - being asexual is not an issue. The setup to what I read (just past the first sex scene) could have gone so much deeper into potential demisexuality, or general exploration of her feelings, but instead it focuses on Marty having issues and that pre-Christine, something was wrong with her.

Smaller concern - Plot Holes:
I don't normally read mystery or thrillers, so I'm not sure how common this is in others. There were a couple of minor things, but the one that I threw my hands up in frustration was when both characters were concerned about the other, but not having their phone number to call or check on them or the case. It seems that they both forgot that Christine had given Marty her card near the beginning of the book with her phone number to call her if needed to schedule an appointment - and Marty used this to call and check if Christine wanted coffee one day. Even if Marty lost the card, this number should have been available in either of their phone histories, plus Marty is a well known journalist, book artist and previous news reporter. Not only did Marty indicate someone in that town had found a way to call her (the sister of the victim in their main case) without her providing her number so it should be possible, Christine also didn't think to reach out to her for the number either. Overall, it seemed like a very weak reason to lead up to the situation that forced them together again.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started so well that I devoured it in an evening. Unfortunately, the ending was a little disappointing as our main protagonist happened to be Rambo. Who knew that police officers were trained in espionage and counter terrorism?

Great read none the less.

Gerri Hill doesn't disappoint when it comes to character development and well written prose.

[Afreen S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerri Hill is well-known for crafting engaging lesbian romances, often woven into suspenseful mystery plots. The Scorpion follows investigative reporter Marty Edwards and police detective Kristen Bailey as they get entangled in a cold case that turns deadly. While Hill delivers plenty of action, suspense, and her signature romantic development, this book stumbles in a few key areas—especially in how it handles Marty’s sexuality.

The Plot: A Cold Case Turns Red Hot
Marty Edwards specializes in digging up old, forgotten murder cases, and this time, she’s looking into one in Brownsville, Texas. But the deeper she digs, the more dangerous things become. When someone tries to silence her—twice—she realizes she’s in way over her head. Enter Detective Kristen Bailey, assigned to “babysit” her for her own safety.

As the case unravels, it becomes clear that the Brownsville Police Department itself may be involved in a cover-up. Suddenly, Marty and Kristen are on the run, dodging threats from unknown enemies and unsure who they can trust. But amid the chaos, their forced proximity sparks unexpected feelings, leading to a romance neither of them saw coming.

Thrills and Twists—But Some Plot Holes
Gerri Hill is a master of fast-paced, gripping storytelling, and The Scorpion is no exception. The suspense builds well, and the sense of paranoia—never knowing who to trust—adds tension. The action-packed plot moves at a good clip, with car chases, close calls, and just enough downtime for the characters to build their relationship.

That said, there are some noticeable plot holes. Certain elements feel underdeveloped, and at times, it seems like Kristen and Marty make it through dangerous situations too easily. Additionally, for a mystery thriller, the resolution of the case doesn’t feel as tightly woven as some of Hill’s other crime stories. If you're here mainly for the police procedural aspect, this one may not hold up as well as, say, Devil’s Rock or Under a Falling Star.

Romance and Representation: A Missed Opportunity
The chemistry between Marty and Kristen is solid, though a bit formulaic—a classic case of "tough cop meets stubborn reporter." But what makes their relationship different is Marty’s backstory: she has always identified as asexual, never experiencing sexual attraction to men or women. However, once she grows closer to Kristen, she suddenly finds herself overcome with sexual desire for the first time.

This is where the book falters. Marty’s journey could have been a great opportunity to explore demisexuality, asexuality, or fluid sexuality with nuance. Instead, it falls into a common but problematic trope: she-just-hadn't-met-the-right-person-yet. The idea that someone can be "fixed" once they find the right partner is a harmful myth in LGBTQ+ representation.

At one point, Marty even says she feels "normal" now that she has experienced sexual attraction, which is a huge misstep. It unintentionally invalidates asexuality as a legitimate identity. Hill doesn’t take the time to explore what this means for Marty beyond her attraction to Kristen, leaving readers with an incomplete and somewhat misleading take on sexuality.

Final Thoughts
The Scorpion is an engaging but flawed thriller. It has great action, fast pacing, and a compelling romance, but the mystery has some loose ends, and its handling of asexuality feels misguided. Longtime fans of Gerri Hill will likely still enjoy it, especially if they’re here for the romance. However, if you’re looking for a book with a well-developed police case or a nuanced exploration of sexuality, this one may not fully deliver.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am disappointed. I got really excited when I read that one of the main characters was asexual since it's not represented too much in romance books. I've only read a couple good asexual romance books, so I had high hopes. I also was looking forward to the end of the book when the mystery of The Scorpion was revealed and justice would prevail with the corrupt people going to jail ... I was sadly disappointed in both.

Marty didn't really accept her asexuality, thinking it wasn't "normal" and feeling like she was missing out. Also, there are always questions like "are you sure?", "have you actually had sex?", "maybe you haven't met the right person?" and so on. And she answered them when Kristen asked some of those questions. I was pretty happy with how Kristen handled it, and I got excited to get to them having a romance.

But no! All the sudden, Marty is having these "weird" feelings towards Kristen and is getting all hot and bothered. Demisexual wasn't even brought up, which it could have been ... except that didn't really get explored at all. It was that she just "got over" her asexuality and now is "normal" ... which no. That's not how it works. I felt let down that the book went down "that" road since if you wanted the book to go that way, why not bring in other sexualities? Why do this to asexuals? I am annoyed.

Then there is the end with the lack of justice. It felt like things just ended without any closure at all. And let's not forget to mention Kristen's descent into becoming like those who she was meant to bring justice to. I don't know the exact words, but there was a part where Kristen said or implied that she wasn't a cop anymore and that morals/ethics didn't count anymore. That's also not how that works. You don't lower yourself to their level in order to defeat them. Then, there was the lack of justice for the other corrupt people. That really annoyed be because what? That was it? You leave off with them at the water's edge? Why.

Anyway, I am hugely disappointed with all of this.

[Petra · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd after reading the first "asexual" related conversation, skipping ahead to the relevant romantic/sexual sections, and checking reviews here to make sure I wasn't missing something.

The "ace person who hasn't found the right person yet" is perhaps *the* shitty-ace-rep trope, and the single most common misunderstanding about being ace. That, alongside the childhood sexual trauma thing, which the other MC dutifully asks her about too (while also covering every cringe-inducing and invasive coming-out-as-ace questions just for fun).

Hill writes explicitly that Marty may not be asexual in the "traditional sense," but

a) ace lesbian rep is in a bad enough place that I really don't appreciate the usage of the label when it's not appropriate. Sexual dysfunction is real but it's not asexuality, and though I can easily imagine a conversation like this happening in real life, I don't think it's an appropriate move by an author with control over the characters and story.

b) despite the "asexual disclaimer," Marty, at least until meeting Kristen, essentially *is* asexual. It's not that she "couldn't get it up," or she was uncomfortable merely with sex acts, she explicitly has never experienced sexual attraction in her life, and she has never "missed" it, or felt incomplete.

I'm an ace lesbian, and I've seen too much and experienced too much of this in my life already to find it worth sticking around for the rest. I'm a little miffed about this because I was otherwise really enjoying the plot and the characters. *sigh* I don't think this was malicious, but it could have been handled a whole lot better.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book did not prepare me for the explicit lesbian hoo-ha that took place.

It was fine, but I’m not really digging girl on girl stuff, so the story had to stand on its action and mystery alone, and darling, let’s just say those genre pillars couldn’t handle the burden.

The mystery lacked purpose. Like, the main characters didn’t have to solve the cold case to get anywhere. It was a nonpersonal case that they could have laid to rest anytime they wanted to. So why should I be invested if they were not? Okay, they might have been forced to live different lives as they got hot on the Scorpion’s tail, but again, they didn’t have family or friends that would make this transition that painful. At least not in the long run.

And then there’s the action. Which was fine, but it’s just scenes and moments I bet most story-devourers have stumbled upon across media. For example: The warehouse shootout scene where someone gets taken hostage and another has to use the shadows to sneak around.

As for the main couple. They ate a lot of food and drank alcohol as they told each other about their main traumas, healing along the journey. There was no friction and they quickly fell in love. Sweet, but I prefer the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. You know. For the drama.

It was overall okay, but if I hadn’t listened to it in audiobook form I wouldn’t have finished the bulk.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just got bait-and-switched several times! The sample chapter read like a fairly standard detective romance, with better prose than most in the sapphic sub-set of that double-genre. No sooner had I purchased the rest of the book than I got the first bombshell - one of the protagonists was ace (or thought she was, or something - the term was never used). That came a little bit out of left field, and is the sort of thing that would normally be noted in the cover copy. Then there was another reveal and it turned out that she was actually demi-sexual (or something, again no terminology was specified). Again, you'd think that would be mentioned in the description, but whatever, I'm along for the ride now. And then the last big reveal - the protagonists turned into anti-weapons-dealer vigilantes who murdered the bad guys, two of them in actual cold blood, others in arguable self-defense. That is really not what I was expecting out of a procedural, and didn't really seem set up plausibly by the characters' earlier characterizations.

[Jessica Lubbers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scorpion was one of Gerri Hills better crime/romance novels, in my opinion. I’m usually not much of a fan of the combination of lesbian romance and thriller/crime genres mixed together, but this one, like I said, was one of the better ones. The ending felt a little bit unrealistic in the way that nobody seemed concerned about the true reach of the amount of gang members that were more than likely left behind, as though they would just stand for all that went down at the end, but I did enjoy the story. Another thing that felt unlikely was that neither main character had ANY body who would miss them if they went underground, no friend, acquaintance, relative of ANY kind, no peer or coworker, mailman, nothing. As a complete introvert in life who purposely minimizes my interactions with people, I still have people in my life who would notice if I disappeared. It felt very unlikely. But the story was great, 4 stars!

[Diginaut · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is entertaining, but the representation of an asexual character is a bit disturbing. Asexual people can’t be ‘turned’ by meeting the right person who ‘fix’ them. They are not ‘broken’ and while it may not be easy to find your way in life being ace, they are just fine the way they are.

This book was first published in 2009 and thankfully lot has changed since in the way we look at people who identify as something other than ‘simply’ straight or gay. That might explain a bit and I’m sure the author meant well, but really, it’s no excuse and frankly pretty offensive, *especially* coming from a lesbian writer. It’s like a story written in the fifties about a lesbian character who turns straight when she finally meets the right man. We don’t accept that anymore, rightfully so. Not without an annotation placing the story in the context of its time anyway. And we shouldn’t accept this.

[Mazzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the character development of both main characters except for one part. That one part is a huge turn off for me. The asexuality representation in this book is terrible. The ace character thought she was broken and had major trust issues, so that's why she considered herself asexual. Then she fell in love and her sexuality became awakened. To me, that's just a poor representation and terrible excuse behind the falling in love process. She can become a lesbian or bi and still be asexual. She can fall in love without having to become sexual active. That's why I can only give this novel three stars. If the author respect the asexual character in appropriate manner, then it definitely will deserve a four or even five stars.

It's such a shame because I am big fan of Gerri Hill's writings and this is not cool.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marty Edwards is a journalist and is researching cold cases for a second book. While investigating what was judged an unsolved gang killing in Brownsville, TX, she is warned off by local police. Detective Bailey is assigned to her for her protection and to be an informant. But when attempts are made on both their lives they join together to find the Scorpion.

I have been focused on Hill's romances but she also writes crime mystery thrillers. Better than average writing and characters. The action felt realistic for the most part. It always helps to have someone who can magically hack into computer systems or get you a new identity and car. Bailey has good skills and planning but goes a bit Rambo near the end. A fun adventure. This is a crime drama with a side of romance. The romance has an issue that other reviewers have commented about.

[Brooklyn Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerri Hill was one of the first lesbian authors that I explored, along with Radclyffe and a few others. This book was good, but not up to her usual level of writing. I don't think I have ever rated any of her books below a 5 star before.
I'm not sure if it was the constant barrage of events that soured me, but the whole story seemed a bit too fantastic. It was exciting, to a fault, and the relationship between Kristen and Marty was evocative and well developed so I guess that is why I did give it 4 stars.
I can recommend this book to any Gerri Hill fan, but might not put it on my list of ones that I might re-read at a future time.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

A solid romantic suspense novel but also unfortunately more than a little problematic. I liked both of the main characters, especially Bailey. And the plot was ridiculous but fun. But I hated the depiction of Marty as an asexual person who is converted into loving sex. It’s just gross. And way too many Mexican characters in this book wound up being criminals, even sympathetic ones. So this would have been 4 stars without those issues. But I do still recommend it, just know what you’re getting.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a magnificent story of murder, mayhem, and so many profound spy like moments.

This story has brutal content that follows our main characters. Marty has an awakening that she never expected sharing with Kristen her life experiences. Kristen has the cop side to carry them through what will be an underbelly of evil. As I say all that a love story unfolds with them learning to trust each other. A great book you will not want to put down. I have been working my way through Gerri Hill's book and just love the completely magnificent way she lets a story unfold.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Gerri Hill writes great characters and this story was no different. The romance side of the storyline was classic Hill, and I really liked the connection between Kristen and Marty. I also liked the cops & robbers thriller aspects, but the parts of it were just a little far fetched for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the ride, it was just a little more out there than hill’s books tend to be. Overall good book. Recommend. 3.5 stars.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Journalist And The Scorpion

Journalist Marty Edwards writes about cold cases. Now she’s in Brownsville, TX with Detective Kristen Bailey as her baby sitter. After two attempts on her life she runs to hide in Gulfport, MS. When Bailey shows up they go on the run after another attempt. Now they have no one to trust but themselves as the tensions rise. Great story and depiction of first love for Marty who has never surrendered to anyone. Recommend.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have listened to several Gerri Hill books, this was the first which included a criminal element. I was surprised I had enjoyed it as much as I did.
I have already started listening to yet another Gerri Hill romance novel!
Honestly, these books have helped me have some hope after my ex ripped out my heart, tore it to pieces, threw it on the ground, stomped on it, and then set it on fire. I desperately needed the hope.