My review - Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley

5 out of 5 stars

If COUNTER ATTACK by Patricia Bradley is an example of what’s to come in the Pearl River series, we are in for a wild ride! Strong characters, continual action, romantic chemistry, COUNTER ATTACK has it all!

Alexis Stone had no intention of returning to her hometown of Pearl Springs. With her sights set on being the first female police chief of Chattanooga, being chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee was not even on her radar. Even so, she finds herself in Pearl Springs with the possibility that a serial killer is watching her every move. 

Nathan Landry, Pearl Springs chief of police, is surprised Alexis is back in town and tapped to take the job he’s always wanted. If that wasn’t complicated enough, the fact that he never stopped loving her makes it even more difficult to separate work responsibilities and personal feelings. One thing he is prepared to do though, is protect her at all costs.

As Alexis and Nathan team up to track down the Queen’s Gambit Killer, they realize Alexis is not just a pawn in the killer’s bizarre game, but possibly the motivation for the killer’s crimes. Deciphering clues and relying on intuition, Alexis and Nathan worker closer than might be healthy as they not only try to solve the crimes in front of them but figure out where they stand with each other.

COUNTER ATTACK was such an easy read. The suspenseful pacing kept the story moving, while the romantic chemistry between Alexis and Nathan kept me turning page after page. Alexis was strong and capable, but Ms. Bradley wrote her with a soft side that allowed her to be vulnerable as well. Not in a weak way, but in a way that allowed her to process her feelings for Nathan. Also, the relationship between her and her grandparents – very pivotal secondary characters – gave Alexis a soft edge that is sometimes missing when an author creates a formidable female character. Even with all of Alexis’ strength, Nathan’s male leading character role didn’t take a back seat to hers. He was secure enough in himself that he wasn’t threatened by Alexis’ very capable albitites. The way these two characters meshed really made the story flow. I will definitely keep my eye out for the next installment.

Though I was provided with a copy of this novel by the publisher, I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are strictly my own.