Cold Case Affair

Wild Country #2

by Loreth Anne White

The scandal of Safe Harbor

Coming home was anything but safe to Muirinn O'Donnell. The successful journalist, single, pregnant and proud, was back in her Alaskan hometown, investigating her grandfather's death - and finding evidence of a conspiracy. Muirinn turned to the one person who could protect her - her first love, rugged bush pilot Jett Rutledge. Though years had passed since they'd seen each other, Muirinn trusted him.

She felt strong with Jett on her side, but wondered how long his kindness would last. Because Muirinn had kept a painful secret from Jett for eleven long years. If he found out, she feared he might never forgive her.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Harlequin

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts, Washington Post and Bild bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense.

With over 4 million books sold around the world in more than 20 languages, she is a Canadian Crime Writer winner, ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple other industry awards.

A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Vancouver Island, a ski resort in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo.

When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears.

For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com

Or connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorethBeswet...

Or via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorethannew...

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars – Romantic Suspense

Muirinn O’Donnell is back in her Alaskan hometown of Safe Harbor after eleven years away to fulfill the will of her grandfather. She’s single, pregnant, and determined to make a life for herself in the place she once couldn’t escape from fast enough, if only she could make peace with the painful events of her past. When she realizes her journalist grandfather had discovered secrets and a possible conspiracy regarding the local mine explosion from twenty years ago that killed her father (and mother soon after from grief) and that his own death might not have been an accident, she sets out to uncover and expose the truth.

When her discovery of long-buried, powerful evidence puts her in danger, she has no choice but to turn to the one man she’d hoped to avoid, her first and only love, bush pilot Jett Rutledge. Although Muirinn left Jett eleven years ago after he gave her an ultimatum, she never stopped loving him, but a devastating secret has kept her away for eleven years. Jett has been angry with Muirinn ever since she left him and never once looked back, but he can’t deny that his feelings for her are still just as strong as ever, especially now that she’s home...and pregnant! Can Jett and Muirinn open their hearts to each other once again, find forgiveness, and heal the hurtful wounds of the past, or will the painful secrets they each harbor and the truth of what really happened twenty years ago tear them apart, forever this time?

I thought this was a good romantic suspense story with lots of emotion and surprising twists, but I didn’t like it nearly as much as Manhunter. Muirinn and Jett had so many lies and hurtful secrets between them that were quite exasperating, and I had a little trouble believing in the HEA since it felt like there was a lot left unresolved and further healing needed that only time and trust could really provide. Pregnant Muirinn also had a few TSTL moments that I found a bit irritating. Overall it’s a satisfying romantic suspense read that brought a few tears to my eyes, and I’ll definitely read more by this author. 4 stars.

[Mojca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty years ago, the small town of Safe Harbor had been torn in half by an explosion in the gold mine, that killed twelve miners, including Muirinn O'Donell's father. Her mother followed him quickly, completely devastating Muirinn that fled her hometown eleven years ago, carrying her lover's child, never turning back. She couldn't, the father of her son, the son she'd given up for a private adoption, had sworn he would hate her forever.

Now, Muirinn is finally back, seven months pregnant, determined to begin anew with her grandfather's inheritance. The grandfather that recently died, fallen to his death in one of the old mine shafts. Muirinn knows there's something hinky about her grandfather's death, something that might lead to uncovering what truly happened twenty years ago.

But by snooping around, digging up old secrets, she's put her and her baby's life at stake. And the only person she trusts and can keep her safe is Jett, her first and only love, the lover that had sworn to hate her forever, the man who, despite refusing to follow her to LA eleven years ago, traveled to Las Vegas a few months after her departure, got married and had a son...A family that should've been hers.

The prologue was chilling and promising a helluva book. But after the first chapter I hated it. Irrational, I know, especially because it had nothing to do with the overall plot, but because of the fact the hero was married (not to the heroine) and had a son with that wife. Wait! How the heck can they get together if he's married? Will the wife be the villain? Will she die horribly in a car crash? Will she end up in a mental institution? And how the heck could he have a son with another woman, when the heroine never stopped loving him, searching for him in every guy she's met and dated?! Unforgivable!

Boy was I wrong! And I loved this book even more because I was so wrong with my first impression in that first chapter.

Anyway, this little gem is an almost picture perfect romantic suspense story. It has a great, solid plot, good pacing, wonderful characters (flawed just perfectly to make it real), great setting (I fell in love with Alaska), a huge secret spanning twenty years, and so many layers of secrets, half-truths, and blatant lies it was riveting.

It were those secrets that really made the story alive. The town has kept a secret of mass murder for twenty years, the heroine kept a secret (their child) from the hero, the hero kept not one but two secrets from the heroine with the help of her now-deceased grandfather.
Trust was put to the test in this book, beliefs deeply rocked, families torn apart, all in the name of the truth and closure.

The romance blended perfectly with the suspense, the angst between the characters palpable, adding that extra touch of realism to the drama between the hero and heroine, twining nicely with little tidbits about the conspiracy sprinkled here and there throughout the story.
Ms. White took all these elements, mixed them up, blended them together wonderfully into an amazing, deep, and layered story. A 5-star keeper!

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've become somewhat addicted to the Loreth Anne White novels lately, and this one was okay. I think what turned me off was the lack of editing in sentence structure, misspelled words, & even new chapters that started without pause from the previous. The story was ok, but seemed also at times disjointed-or laid out in the wrong order. It was just odd and unusual compared to other books I've thoroughly enjoyed by this author.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mixed with romance is the perfect recipe for my type of guilty pleasure read. Loathe the cheesy covers. Read this over a year ago so don’t remember much.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Loreth Anne White’s romantic suspense books!

[Colleen M. Pede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery.

I liked the whole book. The plot is ever changing so it keeps hour interest. It was hard to lay it down.

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

I'm not sure why this is part of the Wild Country series, as the two books have absolutely nothing in common save genre. The first book took place in Canada, this one in Alaska, and the characters are completely new.

The mystery part of this book was good, much better than the romance. There was a mining explosion 20 years prior that remains unsolved. Muirinn comes back to her home town after a decade to find out what really happened to her grandfather as he was investigating the mining incident. Muirinn's father died in the mining incident when she was a child, so her grandfather raised her.

The romance kept me from enjoying the book more, as it involves two of my least favorite tropes. 1) Secret baby. Muirinn leaves town when she graduates from high school, wanting more than small town Alaska life (completely understandable, who wants to get married when they're a teenager). Her boyfriend Jett refuses to go with her, telling her she's essentially dead to him if she leaves. So when she winds up pregnant she gives the baby up for adoption, never tells Jett. 2) More secret baby. Jett finds out about the baby, adopts the baby himself, never tells Muirinn. So. Much. Eye. Rolling. Both of them made horrible choices and were completely in the wrong.

Jett and Muirinn go back and forth between hatred and lust, secrets and lies. It was tiring, I just wanted to get back to finding the mining bomber. I really like this author, fortunately she's written much better books than this one.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Successful journalist, Muirinn O'Donnel left her small down home after losing her father in a mine bomb and her mother just 3 months later. When she left she carried a secret with her. Now, back after the death of her grandfather those secrets are about to come out. When she runs into the man she left behind, Jett Rutledge, the sparks start flying again. But it's too late for them to reconnect, right? Too much has happened. She's kept a secret from him, he's married, and has a son now. Oh, and she's 7 months pregnant, but don't let that fool you. This baby is by a sperm donor. As the death of her grandfather starts looking more and more like murder, Jett and Muirinn face both their secrets.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book. I wish they would have gotten married before she had the baby.

[Viktoriya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe in miracles.

[Myra Jean Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

You tell big story s

I love the story what it's about good idea I have read three of them so far so I will read all of them if I can