More Than a Lawman

Anna J. Stewart

Nov 2016 · Harlequin

About this eBook

A journalist and a sexy detective team up to catch a serial killer in this romantic suspense mystery from a USA Today–bestselling author.

Haunted by the death of her childhood friend, journalist Eden St. Claire has dedicated her life to catching serial killers—and she’s always done so alone. But when the lethal murderer she is tracking puts her in danger’s crosshairs, she agrees to accept protection from longtime friend Detective Cole Delaney.

Cole has secretly carried a torch for Eden for years. She might not want to let anybody in, but the thought of losing her is unbearable. Passions flare as the threats intensify. Can Cole convince Eden to break her own rule to never fall in love . . . before the killer snuffs out their happily-ever-after?

“Page-turning . . . a pitch-perfect blend of romance and suspense. With a smart, engaging heroine and a sexy cop hero, what’s not to love? Fun and suspenseful, More Than a Lawman rocks.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times–bestselling author

Ratings and reviews

Investigative reporter Eden St. Claire will capture the serial killer known as the Iceman who had seemed to go underground for the past three years, but is again terrorising Central Valley and its surrounding. Eden is yet on another quest, and she will catch the killer, if she dies trying, which nearly happens. Detective Cole Delaney has always known she was reckless, they have been friends since they were children, but Eden is going too far. However, Cole fears there is no stopping her, but he must try to keep her safe – or rather safer – one way or another. The Iceman is not the only killer Eden wants to capture; she has made her life’s mission to avenge the death of her friend Chloe, who was murdered when she was nine. Eden and Cole were Chloe’s friends, and so were Simone Armstrong and Allie Hollister, who are along for the ride in trying to avenge Chloe’s murder. MORE THAN A LAWMAN has one of the most terrifying, gripping opening sequences ever, and the action never stopped. MORE THAN A LAWMAN is a multilayered story, as there is both the hunt for the Iceman as well as Chloe’s murderer going on, and Ms. Stewart does an admirable job of meshing the two together, while allowing her characters to “live their lives”. Eden is a very difficult person, of which she is entirely conscious; she lives for her job, to catch killers; she is always on edge, and Cole – the poor soul! – who finds it simpler to go along with her than try to tame her, is an angel of patience. He has always loved her, but Eden is just too focused on her job to see anything else. Do not think for a moment that Cole is a wimp, not at all; he’s a dedicated officer of the law; he is kind, thoughtful and the epitome of calm, and he tells Eden as he sees it. They have words, they argue; he understands her even if he doesn’t approve of her way of doing things. I adored both Eden and Cole; Eden is one of the most amazing heroines I have ever read, and they complement each other admirably. Eden and Cole’s romance is quite an extraordinary one; Eden and Cole are so different in many ways, and the romance works beautifully because their connection is always believable; it’s a matter of them being able to make it work. In spite of their bickering and diverging ways of doing things, you feel the deep love that is there, and that the only thing missing is for Eden to stop and let herself feel. Ms. Stewart’s writing is crisp and elegant, and very dynamic, as she is able to convey the frenzy of Eden’s mind seamlessly and painlessly. The descriptions are unbelievably vivid – “the freezer” at the very beginning is enough to give you nightmares – and every character is sharply portrayed, as the three women will all have their stories. I had read the second book first – Reunited with the P.I. – and they can be read out of order, but believe me, you will not be able to do this with the third instalment when the story concludes with Gone in the Night, because it is going to be massively explosive. MORE THAN A LAWMAN is a fantastic romantic suspense that had me turning the pages frenetically, and kept me riveted until the very last word. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I love suspense books and this one exceeded my expectations! I've always been fascinated by killers that taunt those law enforcement officers who are trying to catch them, so this book drew me in from the first page! The killer in this book is very creepy but not enough to NOT read the book - just the opposite - I couldn't put it down! Forget getting anything else done, I had to finish the book! Although the heroine in the book is a reporter, not a law enforcement person, the hero (Cole) is and Eden is the one that trouble seems to find so Cole is constantly bailing her out of said trouble! Both Eden and Cole had a childhood friend that was murdered and it was never solved. In this book, that murder comes into play.....it's also going along with the murders of the Iceman that Cole is trying to solve so both of them are trying to figure out if they are the work of the same person or if they are different. I found it totally fascinating! Cole was such a steady guy - very much a realistic law enforcement type. Eden drove me totally crazy! Her personality was very hard for me to take sometimes and I found myself actually talking to her, telling her to "behave" !You'll know what I mean when you read the book. The author writes Eden's personality perfectly though and the ending was great. I can't wait for the next two books and find out what happens with Eden's two friends and who the killer of the childhood friend is!

Eden St. Claire is a reporter. She's also reckless and seems to have a death wish. At least that's what Detective Cole Delaney accuses her of being. And, as she looks around the freezer with 8 other bodies, she wonders if he's correct about her. But, Cole's always there to protect her, right? At least she hopes so as she desperately tries to get herself down from the meat hook her hands are attached to. But, she's convinced that she's on the verge of catching the elusive Iceman serial killer. Cole Delaney is worried, angry, and desperate to protect Eden. And, it's not just because he promised her brother that he would. He wants Eden in his life. He just needs to figure out how to convince her of that fact before she gets herself killed. But, in the meantime, they've got to catch a killer before he strikes again. This is a fast paced and often intense murder mystery / suspense with some great characters who grow and learn from their past mistakes. Also, the romance is tender and well developed. There is one sex scene, but it's not graphic, which I appreciate. I also appreciated how the characters were honest and open with each other. I also took note of the many references the author used toward cold, ice, freezing, etc. It helped tie the various elements of the story together. Finally, I liked the ending. It was a good wrap up of the mystery as well as a lead in for the next book that will feature one of the secondary characters. Romance - PG13 - Kissing and one brief, open door, non-graphic romance scene. Language - PG / Clean My rating - 5 stars.

About the author

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart can't remember a time she didn't have a book in her hands or a story in her head. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating sweet to sexy pulse-pounding romances for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural addiction and two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock.