Desperate Act (Pike, Wisconsin #4)
Alexandra Ivy
Blurb:
The stranger who
arrives at Lia’s store shares her suspicions. Hollywood stunt driver Kaden
Vaughn has come home to Wisconsin to learn the truth about what happened to his
brother’s fiancée years ago. The leather jacket, the timing—he believes the
dead woman is Vanna, and that Lia may be the only person who can help. Together
they retrace Vanna’s steps, but the more they dig, the darker the secrets
become.
The killer is
still out there, stalking the streets of Pike again, willing to do whatever is
necessary to keep the truth locked in mystery. One by one, all those who know
something about that night must be silenced, until there is no one left to tell
. . .
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
One
just can’t go wrong with a spine-tingling murder mystery, especially one that
has been lingering for over fifteen years and has haunted two families and a
small town that continues to have problems with corruption, serial killers, and
dangerous residents. I have found myself more and more intrigued by Alexandra
Ivy’s romantic suspense, though I remain partial to her paranormal series, but
my favorite is definitely this series. This latest story begins with a young
Lia sneaking young after a party she should never have been attending, but she
can’t find any proof that she truly saw a woman murdered until fifteen years
later when a body is found in the same area and she recognizes the clothes on
the body. Hollywood bad boy Kaden Vaughn also recognizes the leaked photos of
the clothes on the body and he comes to town to aid in the investigation,
insisting that he can be of help. He
knows that the body is his late brother’s fiancé and is determined to find out
the truth of what happened to her as a last favor in honor of his brother. But as Lia and Kaden team up to find out the
truth of what happened all those years ago secrets begin to unravel and they
soon find themselves at the center of a dangerous conspiracy, one that could
cost one or both of them their lives.
There is someone out there determined to silence them and make sure
their secret never comes to light, but if they trust in one another and the
connection they’ve found in the most unlikely of circumstances, there is the
smallest chance they will survive to find the happiness they’ve both always
wanted. Kaden was a great character, badass and determined to honor his
brother’s memory by solving his finance’s murder, but he was also determined to
make sure that Lia stayed safe. He was strong, smart, sweet, kind, and loving
even when there were moments, he was just that little bit lost as he was
confronted with Lia’s small-town mentality.
I enjoyed seeing him slow down and accept that he doesn’t always have to
be going 90-to-nothing in order to be contributing, but can instead just be
standing still and ultimately still be happy.
Lia was an enigma on the surface, but her motivations were pure and once
we got to know her, she was a great character too. She’s stayed in her small town, giving up
some of her own dreams in order to support her community and make sure that
they have what they need, but she has made a real difference. She is intelligent, witty, dogged, and
resourceful as she looks into the past with Kaden. The heat between these two was one that
sneaks up on them but I enjoyed watching them succumb to their passion as they
fell in love. I am looking forward to
more in this series, because really who know that there was such a seedy
underbelly or killers, corruption, and darkness in the middle of nowhere
Wisconsin. Keep it up, Alexandra!
*eARC provided by publisher (via
NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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