In Harm's Way
From Booklist: it?s clear from the beginning that Idaho sheriff Walt Fleming loves Fiona Kenshaw, caretaker of a local estate and part-time sheriff?s photographer. It?s also clear that Kenshaw loves him back, but she has a secret she won?t share. Her heroic rescue of a small child pushes her face on the front pages of the Sun Valley paper, and her past finds her. But before she comes clean, she?s knocked on the head by an unknown assailant, whom Fleming thinks may be linked to a local murder and possibly to the death of young Seattle woman. As his investigation spreads out, however, he discovers Fiona isn?t the only one who has secrets, several of which are linked to the crimes. Pearson shows his talent for thrills early on in Fiona?s dynamite rescue sequence, but excitement takes a backseat to a muddied plot with some distracting, oddly stunted dialogue. Pearson has written a number of edge-of-seat thrillers, but although this novel is sufficiently entertaining, it lacks both the taut plotting and intricate excitement of his best work. –Stephanie Zvirin