"cold shot" by dani pettrey

When Dani Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series wrapped up last year, I began eagerly anticipating whatever she would write next. Cold Shot is that "next"— and what a great "next" it is!

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In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI, and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper.

When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

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Cold Shot is a wonderful beginning to Pettrey's new Chesapeake Valor series. Full of compelling characters and an intriguing mystery, Cold Shot is just the kind of novel I've come to expect from Pettrey.

My favorite part of the novel is the romance between Griffin and Finley: their chemistry is palpable, and I loved watching their relationship progress. There's also a secondary romance (though "romance" is probably a little strong of a description at this point) between Griffin's friend Parker and Parker's assistant Avery. I'm looking forward to reading more about those two!

The suspense in Cold Shot isn't too suspenseful—that is to say, I never feared for the lives of Griffin or Finley. However, the mystery is completely compelling, with twists I did not anticipate. This is exactly the type of suspense I enjoy—something that keeps me guessing but won't keep me from sleeping!

As was the case with the Alaskan Courage series, in Cold Shot, Pettrey introduces multiple characters who will be present throughout the series. When I read Submerged (Alaskan Courage #1), I had trouble keeping all of the McKennas straight, and that hampered my enjoyment of the novel. Not so here—Pettrey introduces the core characters at different times, and each character is so distinct that I never struggled to remember who was who.

Fans of Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason, and Irene Hannon (as well as those who loved Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series) will love Cold Shot. It really is wonderful romantic suspense! 5 stars.

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Read my reviews of Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series: Submerged (4-1/2 stars), Shattered (5 stars), Stranded (4-1/2 stars), Silenced (5 stars), Sabotaged (4-1/2 stars).

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Dani Pettrey is a wife, home-schooling mom, and the acclaimed author of the brand new romantic suspense Chesapeake Valor series, as well as the well-loved Alaskan Courage series which includes her bestselling novels Submerged, Shattered, Stranded, Silenced, and Sabotaged. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves–the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters’ faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their daughters, son-in-law, and super-adorable grandson. Keep up with Dani: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."