Cole Taylor is the middle sibling of three adult children of a former street cop who has since died of a heart attack. The Taylor clan loved their father very much and followed his lead into justice-related careers: a deputy marshal (Jake), a Family & Children's services caseworker (Alison), and a St. Louis detective (Cole). The two previous books in the series focus on Jake and Alison and their significant others (Liz and Mitch, respectively). Mitch is also a fellow detective with Cole.

The books can be read as stand-alone novels, but read the series to develop a real kinship with these characters and their interactions with each other. Cole, a former devout Christian, has turned his back on God due to a senseless killing (detailed in the book). He tries to fill the void in his life with making the rounds of Friday night happy hours. His sister Alison, in particular, is determined to get him back on the straight and narrow...by getting him to church and by finding the perfect woman for him to settle down with. Cole, who tends to be blunt and outspoken, bristles at her interference in his affairs.

Enter Kelly Warren - a young woman whose father committed suicide (at least that is what the detective who investigated the case says. Kelly feels her father was murdered). Cole is skeptical, at first, but encourages Kelly to search her father's home for clues. An old wallet leads to a witness protection program, a dirty cop with a gambling addiction, and a third-generation Mafia don with a long memory and a grudge.

As Cole works to solve the case, he falls in love with Kelly along the way and finally spills the awful secret that has haunted him for over four years. Kelly's supportive response causes Cole to rethink his attitude about God's love and caring in our lives. An especially amusing scene involves Kelly and Cole's accidental meeting in a restaurant....where Alison is present and determined to discover as many details about their soon-to-be-relationship as possible.

But the Mafia knows how to cover its tracks and dispense their own brand of retaliation to those who fail them. Dirty cop Alan Carlson never meant to get involved with the Mafia, but his gambling debts were so huge that he grasps for a lifeline of easy money - a lifeline that turns into a noose. His only alternative is to kidnap and kill the person who has brought on his downfall and put his life in the crosshairs of professional assassins....one Kelly Warren...

Irene Hannon is my favorite author because she brings about the perfect blend of suspense, humor, and romance. A perfect choice for fans of Terri Blackstock, Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason, or the television series "NCIS" or "Blue Bloods".