Rapid Fire: Bear Claw Creek Crime Lab

Rapid Fire by Jessica Andersen Harlequin Intrigue # 928 - July 2006 Bear Claw Creek Crime Lab trilogy - Book 3 Psych criminologist, Thorne Coleridge is called in to Bear Claw Creek to help the task force find the Mastermind, the madman behind the murders and kidnappings that have plagued the city for months. Only when he arrives at the precinct, Thorne's thrown for a loop when he learns he'll be taking Maya Cooper's place in the Forensic Dept. Five years ago, he and Maya had a very brief encounter when he'd been her Academy instructor; he'd been a changed man ever since. Maya's badge and her credibility are on the line and being suspended from the force is making her nuts when she knows who the Mastermind is. It was trying to prove it that got her the suspension, and because of a memory blackout she can't defend her apparent out of control actions. The Chief has ordered Thorne to practically babysit Maya, something that's intolerable for both of them until the Mastermind decides it's time to up the tension and makes an attempt on Maya's life. What a great ending to this riveting trilogy! I love all the twists and turns this trilogy has taken. Great unraveling of the identity of the Mastermind. I had my suspicions but was still amazed at that turn. Maya tortures herself with guilt over her rebellious past and doubts her present state of mind when she blacks out. The attraction to Thorne is different now, before it had been the lure of a good party, now he's a man that sees deep inside and knows the dark secrets. And the chemistry is stronger. Thorne can't keep Maya at arms length; she's his salvation from himself. I love how both Thorne and Maya are flawed, and find the strength to face their demons. Awesome trilogy! :D Bear Claw Creek Crime Lab trilogy ... Ricochet - Harlequin Intrigue # 893 - January 2006 At Close Range - Harlequin Intrigue # 911 - April 2006 Rapid Fire - Harlequin Intrigue # 928 - July 2006

I get impatient towards the end and am already waiting to start a new thriller. Models on the cover live up to the characters. excellent cover. Hey, all three of these women had problems. So what else is new. I wanted to know what happened to Thorne up on the mountain top. It takes a lot to break most guys. I figure that by the time the women get around to meeting their guys they aught to have a bit of gumption and not just plain trouble making interference. I had a passing thought of who the Mastermind was but put it aside to enjoy the story. Thorne seemed to want to get lost whenever Maya needed him. But then she just walked into danger. Wexton Henkes wasn't as threatening as he could have been. Nevada Barnes got it good. What a shot. Drew Wilson shouldn't have been so cocky. Get's a guy every time. Reasoning behind the Mastermind was a bit muddled for his crime sprees. How did he justify all of the murders? And who ended up top dog in the Police department? Should have put the detectives, Piedmont and Montoya's noses out of joint. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable set of books. Well worth reading. Definitely Recommended --M - Would like to see or hear more guilt about the bed hopping. The women should be above it. Ah, well.

Maya Cooper, the psych specialist w/ the Bear Claw Creek Crime Lab, has been suspended from duty pending the outcome of an investigation of an incident where she threatened a prominent local businessman, Wexton Henkes, whom she suspects abused his son. Maya also believes that Henkes had a connection to a series of recent crimes in the Colorado town. A couple of suspects had already been identified, but the police think the mastermind is still at large. Maya is worried that Henkes might be the mastermind and is using his money, influence, and connections to cover his activities and stymie the investigation. In addition to her professional problems, Maya is also confronting personal problems--some of which she thought had been put to rest years earlier. An event from Maya's marriage and her previous wild lifestyle have made her especially vulnerable to the perceived threat to Henkes's son. She also experienced a prolonged blackout and has no recollection of her fateful confrontation w/ Henkes. Maya's situation becomes more dire when Thorne Coleridge is hired by Chief Parry to fill in for Maya, perhaps on a permanent basis. To add insult to injury, Maya has a history w/ Thorne and hadn't seen him since she spent the night w/ him several years ago--another event which she has little memory of. While Maya and Thorne try to sort out their relationship, they also work with Maya's friends and colleagues Alissa Wyatt, Cassie Dumont, and Tucker McDermott on finding the mastermind and solving the crimes plaguing the city. I had mixed feelings about this book. The first two books in the series were exceptionally strong, and I was really looking forward to this conclusion. Although I enjoyed Rapid Fire, it was not up to the same standard as its predecessors and some aspects were rushed or glossed over. For example, a lot of attention was devoted to Maya's and Thorne's troubled pasts. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it seemed to come at the expense of other characters and the wrap-up of the central mystery. While I was hoping for more from this book, it is still a good conclusion to a fine series. BCCCL #1: Ricochet BCCCL #2: At Close Range BCCCL #3: Rapid Fire

This is the 3rd installment of Jessica Andersen's Bear Claw Crime Lab Series. It wasnt as good as the others and I am sad to report, the bad guy was who I thought is was - and it depressed me greatly! This book does keep you on the edge of your seat. The first two couples appear briefly to keep us up to date on their progress. Thorne and Maya were very interesting. Both were severely flawed from prior experiences, especially Maya. Good character development for such a small book. I found myself getting impatient with Thorne a few times, but this is typical of this genre. I do, I dont, I will, I wont, maybe, ok, yes I will! It was a quick read by the pool and the ending was sweet altho it seemed a little like a Snow White movie ending. Enjoyable anyway,especially if you read it for shear diversional entertainment. Back to Harlan Coben!!!! :D