4 stars for the mystery and the writing of the story. Less stars for the "romancey" stuff (it's just not my preferred genre).

Kade Logan owns a ranch in Colorado. His wife, Heather, was murdered years ago. He hires Ellie Bowman, a private investigator, to find out who killed his wife. Ellie moves into the ranch as an assistant in the kitchen in an attempt to get to know the other employees and conduct her investigation.

When strange things start happening at the ranch - two steer are shot, water holes poisoned, etc - Kade and Ellie start wondering if these attacks are tied to the recent discovery of Heather's car. During the investigation, Ellie discovers that there were a couple of other murders with similar circumstances and wondering the murders were all committed by the same person.

I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story but at times it also felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie or a Harlequin book. ( )

This was my first encounter with Kat Martin and I wasn't disappointed. Filled with romance and intrigue, it's an enjoyable read about Kade Logan's quest to unearth his ex-wife's murderer. The chemistry between Kade and private eye, Ellie, is instant and, as they soon learn, completely unavoidable. But it's fun reading along as they discover that themselves. The mystery will definitely keep you flipping pages until you reach the conclusion. This looks like it's part of a series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone or in any order in my opinion. ( )

Practically listened to this audiobook in one long sitting. It was a whodunit romance. Not too bad!

Didn't know Kat Martin, but I see she is a mega seller, with over 65 books. This is the first book in her latest series, Blood Ties Trilogy, and is Kade Logan's story. Next are his two brothers, xxx, and then Edge.

The book is narrated by James McAdams - I don't think I've heard him before - but he does a fantastic job with this.

Kade hires a private detective, Eleanor Bowman, to find his wife's killer. The murder happened 8 years before. ( )

Kade Logan's wife Heather disappeared eight years ago. Her body was found in a shallow grave two years later and her car was just found in a nearby lake. He hires Ellie Bowman to give one more try to find out who murdered his wife.

It doesn't take Ellie long to discover that Heather and Kade's marriage wasn't in great shape. His determination to work the ranch he inherited from his parents didn't give him enough time with the emotionally needy Heather. She started looking elsewhere and, when Kade became aware of her second affair, he asked for a divorce. She disappeared shortly after leaving Kade feeling guilty and not very trusting of women.

Ellie also has trust issues and a fierce sense of independence. It doesn't matter how much she's attracted to Kade or to life on his ranch, she needs to protect herself from possible hurt. Their attraction is powerful, and they begin an affair but neither expects it to last. But as the bodies mount up Kade and Ellie need to trust each other and find a killer with a major grudge.

I liked the characters and the setting of this story. The suspense was well done, and the plot moved right along with a constant building of the dangers. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this story. ( )

This is a "romantic thriller" about a female private investigator set to investigate the murder of a ranch owner's wife 8 years earlier. Kade's wife's car was recently found, so the murder is fresh on the mind of Kade. He hires Ellie to find his wife's killer.
I think it would have been much better if the author didn't have Kade and Ellie lusting for each other every single time they saw the other one. No one is that hot for another person that they can't think of anything else while in the presence of the other person. It was just ridiculous. I would like to read a book where the man is attracted to the woman for her personality, her intelligence, her career--- instead of her perky breasts and sexy rear. And, to top it off, Kade was possessive and aggressive in his feelings for her. If the book had been written as a thriller with a lot less of the lust, it would have been a far better story. ( )