Series: Mystery Christmas (Book 4)
A cold-case Christmas in Mystery, Montana
Yearning to be known as something other than Mystery's ultimate bad boy, rancher Rainier Fitzgerald isn't pleased when he stumbles upon the remains of a dead body. Especially when Officer Laura Blade catches him with a gun in his hand.
Spending Christmas chasing down a cold case with a man she's not supposed to fraternize with isn't granting any of Laura's holiday wishes, either. But could her favorite time of the year be working its magic on Laura's feelings? Or is Rainier truly transforming from a charismatic rogue to a hero worthy of her heart?
Good conclusion to the series. In this book, we finally get to meet Ranier, the brother who has been "away." As it happens, he has been in prison for assaulting his biological father. The story opens as he is released, expecting that one of his brothers will pick him up. Instead, he is met by Laura, his parole officer, who is picking him up as a favor to his brother Wyatt. There are sparks between the two from the beginning, but a relationship between an ex-con and his parole officer?
Laura seems pretty uptight at the beginning. She hammers at him about all the rules he has to follow without appearing to care much about his feelings about going home. Meanwhile, Rainier is unsure about what his reception will be when he arrives back at Dunrovin. I ached for him because he had missed his family so badly. I was so happy to see his mom's and Colter's joy at his return, and his father's matter-of-fact, put Rainier to work attitude. But Rainier hadn't been home an hour when trouble found him, as he unearthed a gun and a human bone while helping his dad. What I didn't understand was how Laura immediately found that to be cause to send him back to prison. It wasn't like he had pulled a gun and shot someone. I was glad to see her back off since I thought she had overreacted. However, the incident did bring Rainier's lawman brother to the ranch and showcased the tension between the two men. I lost a little respect for Wyatt here because of his negative attitude.
While all this was going on, there was also a surprise visit from neighbor and nemesis William Poe. He shows up just to deliver a "misdelivered" tax bill from the county, showing that the Fitzgeralds owe thousands in back taxes on their ranch, with only a few days to come up with the money. The family is devastated at the thought of losing their home and livelihood. Laura is a bit suspicious and offers to ask her father, a high-priced attorney, to look into the matter. Laura has a stressful relationship with her father, who doesn't approve of her work, but she believes that he will do the right thing.
Meanwhile, the sparks and connection between Rainier and Laura continue to grow. Neither of them could deny what was between them. For people who seemed to be so different on the outside, there was quite a bit that they had in common. Both of them are protective, looking out/standing up for people who need help. Each finds the other incredibly attractive and want to believe the best of each other. I loved seeing them work together to discover the truth behind the taxes and the dead body. The more time they spent together, the closer they got. I especially enjoyed the way that the whole family made Laura feel welcome, even teasing her about her Christmas addiction. I liked how they came together at the end, realizing that their love and being true to themselves was more important than anything else.
The suspense of the story was very good, wrapping up the story arc that had carried through the series. From the beginning, we know that William Poe has it in for the Fitzgeralds, though we don't know why until the end of this book. There is definitely the sense that he has used underhanded methods to cause problems for the family, an idea borne out by the investigation conducted by Laura's father. The identity of the body on the ranch property comes as a huge shock, as does why it is there. The final confrontation with Poe is intense and answers a lot of questions that have come up during the books. The resolution was a relief to everyone.
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