Part of Buchanan-Renard, book 3
First published 2005
Avery Delaney survived a childhood shooting that killed her grandmother and sent the perpetrator to prison. Now she works as an FBI crime analyst, using her sharp analytical skills to solve cases. Her aunt Carolyn receives a spa reservation she believes came from her estranged husband. She convinces Avery to join her for two weeks at the luxurious Utopia Spa in Colorado. But Carolyn never arrives at the spa. A charming stranger named Monk intercepts her under false pretenses and takes her to an isolated location. Monk is a professional assassin working as part of a larger scheme of revenge. Avery must use her investigative expertise to track down her missing aunt with limited clues and resources. She races against time to save Carolyn while trying to outsmart a calculating killer. The case forces Avery to confront her traumatic past while navigating a deadly plot that targets her family.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Colorado, Utopia Spa
Period: contemporary
448 pages · Paperback · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: violence