Review: Killer Heat by Brenda Novak Out Today!

Killer Heat

By Brenda Novak








All I've got to say about the Department 6 Trilogy by Brenda Novak is that it certainly would be great to work with the guys who are there! This latest one sounds like a real nice guy!

In the latest and last book of the Trilogy, we meet Jonah Young. For those who maybe have not read the other two books, Department 6 is a consulting firm that provides support to small organizations and police agencies who need professional expertise not available, especially when a serial killer is in town!

Francesca Moretti was on a private investigation for a missing woman and she had learned that the woman had been seen entering the truck of a man who was driving a salvage yard vehicle the night before April Bonner had disappeared. Now Moretti was there at the yard, looking around and had seen a large tarp with brown hair showing out from under. Several problems faced her--if she got any closer, she might destroy some type of evidence, and the yard dog was making so much noise that she was bound to be found.



It wasn't as if she was trying to hide; she had come out looking for Butch Vaughn, who had been identified as the driver. When she saw him, now coming out to find out who was making the dog bark, she realized that he was the same man who had been on the dating web site, although under a different name!

And one thing else she knew...he scared her! His manner was not only menacing, but before long she felt like she was fighting for her life, as she dropped her purse and ran for her car, with Butch coming after her with a wooden bat!

Now the unfortunate thing was that when the police went to check, it was found that a mannequin had been under the tarp. Worse, the officer who had searched was a friend of Butch, who then kept him totally advised of the entire investigation!

Francesca was not willing to give up thinking he was guilty, especially when he filed charges against her!

It was at the police station where Francesca and Jonah connected...again...

Jonah and Fran had once been intimately involved, but being afraid of his growing feelings, he had got drunk and had one night with Francesca's best friend! With the worst possible ending--a child was born from that night.

But personal feelings between them had to be ignored because Jonah was indeed there because a series of bodies had been found and identities for each were underway. In the meantime, April's body was also found!
Everybody was willing to work on the basis that there was only one killer in town. Since the missing person had been found, Francesca shared the bad news with April's family and could have gone home. Jonah had then been "fired" because the police were going to create a task force from neighboring police.

But there had been indications that Butch was not satisfied with letting her go. Her phone line had been cut one night, and she was positive that it was Butch who sat under her window in her yard, just trying to make her afraid. He had stated he didn't know where her purse was, but now she was also without her cell phone. Francesca was unwilling to be frightened into leaving, especially since she was so afraid of him, and later learned that his brother-in-law had her purse and was contacting her female friends and neighbors...acting like he wanted to be friends! One of those men from the salvage yard had to be guilty and she was going to help find out which one!
 
Besides, if she was going to succeed as a PI, she'd have to learn to deal with this type of case...and there was Jonah to think about...

Jonah cared enough that he would stay to help her, even though the mother of his child was still Francesca's friend and they were back in a tension-packed threesome again...

Killer Heat turns out to be a rare whodunit that will keep readers guessing to the very end. Really great potential villains, hidden bodies from the past, even in freezers...and the possibility of love reignited. What could be better? Second book still my favorite; this one a close runner-up!

Book received via
Net Galley

G. A. Bixler