Into the Fire

Melinda Leigh's Drown Her Sorrows is Book 3 in the Bree Taggert Series. 

Sheriff Bree Taggert is on her way home when she gets a phone call from a deputy about an abandoned car by a bridge. Regretfully, she must forego home and race to the scene where eventually a body is discovered at the bottom of the bridge where it appears a woman presumed to be Holly Thorpe has drowned and is lodged between two large boulders in the river below. 

Holly Thorpe worked for Beckett Construction, maintaining the books/accounting. When Bree and Matt Flynn (former law enforcement and now her Special Investigator as well as her concealed boyfriend) interview Holly's boss, he's not helpful, and he's a jerk. The other office employees have little to offer regarding Holly except for one of them who helps with accounting. She says Beckett and Holly must've been sleeping together because she followed Holly to his house one night to spy on her. 

When Bree and Matt talk to Holly's sister Shannon, she's distraught because now she doesn't know how she's going to pay for all of their dying mother's medical bills instead of putting her under hospice care without Holly's help . 

Holly's husband Owen was a drunken mess the night of Holly's death after sustaining a big fight with his wife – which wasn't abnormal for them. His alibi checks out after spending the night at the bartender's house of the dive bar where he got blasted. 

When another murder occurs and Bree is wounded, Matt and Bree struggle to find what they're missing. Add Beckett's wife Angela and their two college-attending sons to the mix, and the case seems almost impossible to figure out. Until Matt's sister Cady calls to check on one of the rescue dogs who lives with Holly's sister Shannon and everything gets crazy. 

This mystery progresses as a good police procedural with Melinda's usual strong writing and character development. The relationship between both likeable characters Matt and Bree moves along with a touching sensitivity and realism due to Bree's traumatic past. It's also heartwarming to see Bree's brother Adam and her murdered sister's two children along with Bree's retired cop best friend, who lives and has become an integral part of Bree's family, enhance their relationships and draw nearer to each other. It's life-giving and life-changing for Bree and allows her the ability to get closer to Matt who is patient with and concerned about her needs to go slow. 

The twist at the end provides action and a well done portrait of a psychopathic narcissist in action. 

Profanity present.

Father, only you inspire. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. May we all be aware of who provides the goodness in our lives. Please continue to bless Melinda's life and prolific writing career. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.