An Absence of Motive

Maggie Wells

Jul 2021 · A Raising the Bar Brief Book 1 · Sold by Harlequin

About this eBook

He was an outsider

And the only man she could trust.

Attorney Marlee Masters’s brother was murdered. Proving it means working with Sheriff Ben Kinsella and facing down the nasty whispers in their rural Georgia town. Although the gossips accuse Marlee of being the real threat, there's a stalker vowing retribution if the two don’t end the investigation. Ben won’t abandon Marlee in her hour of need, but will she have to place herself in even more peril to catch the killer?

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the Raising the Bar Brief series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: An Absence of Motive
Book 2: For the Defense
Book 3: Trial in the Backwoods

Ratings and reviews

Good small town romantic suspense. Fast paced, well written and entertaining. Marlee is home because her father is pretty much forcing her to take over the company after her brothers death left her as the only child to take over. Ben is the new sheriff in town. He took the job seeking a little peace after being a DEA agent. Unfortunately, peace is not what he gets, Marlee's brothers’ friend is found dead and his death seems to be similar to her brothers. To top it off Marlee's is receiving creepy text messages and the sheriff is finding her on his mind and a strong attraction to her which doesn't bode well for his job or peace. Can Ben get to the bottom of what's going on and keep Marlee safe? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily reviewing it. I am having a hard time figuring out the star rating for this one. It isn't a 4 but a little better than a 3 but not by much. This is the first book of a series. I normally enjoy this author's work. But this one is falling short for me. I felt the ending was a little rushed. The thread to tie everything up was a little ambiguous than I am used too. I tried to connect to the characters but I just couldn't seem to relate to them. I did enjoy the dual POV format that the book was written in. The chapters were decent sized so the perspectives were changed during the chapters. That was a good thing for me. Getting that glimpse into the characters' thoughts normally helps me to get a better understand of them. This was a clean romance with just a little kissing here and there.

This clean, suspense romance brings us two characters seemingly difference and from different backgrounds. Sheriff Ben Kinsella is new in town. Ben is a former DEA agent whose undercover life and discovery has him starting over in a small town in Georgia. Marlee Masters is a young , recently graduating lawyer, whose father basically owns not only the local mill, but also the town. A man that has dictated what was expected of his children . After the apparent death of his son, Marlee is only in town for a while with plans of leaving home and living in Atlanta. But Henry Masters has different plans. When Ben and Marlee meet the attraction is evident , though his past and her leaving are a big hinderance. But when more suicides are occurring, and the danger to Marlee seems to grow, will these two find a way to be together? Will they survive the danger? This was an entertaining mystery with interesting characters and town. I was entrusted a copy of this book . The opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

By day, Margaret Ethridge is buried in spreadsheets. At night, Maggie Wells pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, you only have to scratch the surface of this mild-mannered married lady to find a naughty streak a mile wide. Maggie has a passion for college football, processed cheese foods, and happy endings. Not necessarily in that order.