This first book leaves me with high hopes for the stories to follow in this multi-author series. If you like to blend excitement with romance, then this book is for you. Ms. Ryan is very successful in giving us a good balance of the two without one overshadowing the other.

Welcome to Dark Falls, where law enforcement is trying to solve multiple jewelry store robberies that appear to be done by the same people. Detective John Sevier is a part of this investigation and is concerned about Ava McNair, a former college girlfriend who owns a jewelry store in town. Worry about her safety prompts him to visit the shop. Old sparks reignite as he spends time there in an effort to maintain the shop’s safety. I’ll save the rest so as not to spoil the story for you.

Featured characters in the story are well developed. I enjoyed the friendships between the officers, family relationships, and the blossoming romance. The investigation follows a believable timeline and does not feel rushed. As a person who reads few thrillers, I found this one exciting without being gruesome - a combination that kept me turning the pages. ( )

John Sevier is a police detective in Dark Falls, CO, and the Major Crimes unit he's a part of of is investigating a string of jewelry store holdups. They started out targeting smaller, lower-end shops that couldn't afford good security, grabbing what they could at closing time, and getting out. Then they start ramping up, their leader in particular becoming violent.

John starts worrying about a woman he hasn't seen since college, when she left early to take care of her father and her sister. Ava McNair joined her father in running their jewelry shop. His heart condition won't let him keep the hours he used to. Her sister Janna's autism keeps her from working with the customers, although she's a far better jeweler than Ava. So Ava is the shop manager, and the one who'll be at most risk if the increasingly violent gang starts striking shops in the business district she's in.

Meanwhile, John is also being reminded of his failure at relationships, with his ex-wife about to remarry.

There's a very good plot here, but also very good characters, and relationships among the characters. I can take all of these characters seriously, and no one is portrayed negatively because it's easier. John's ex-wife Lucia is an excellent example of this, and I won't say any more on that because it wouldn't be fair to the reader. You'll enjoy it more reading that for yourself.

This is the first book in a series each entry of which will be written by a different author. I have no idea how that's going to work out, but I'm looking forward to reading the next couple of volumes to find out.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book, and am reviewing it voluntarily. ( )

Dark Falls by Lori Ryan is the first story in a series written by different authors. This excellent start has me intrigued about the rest of the series. From the introduction to John Sevier to the end, this book grabbed my attention. John & Eric seemed to be the perfect pairing for partners in the force. Ava and John dated in college & broke up but he hasn’t been able to forget her. Now, a string of burglaries gives him an excuse to contact her. The chemistry is still there.

The suspense in this story grabs your attention from the first. The interactions between John & Eric perfectly describe the sense of family & friendship that develop between partners. I loved the way John was able to connect to Janna, Ava’s autistic sister, when others couldn’t. This was a great romantic suspense! ( )