Dear Killer by Linda Lovely

Marley Clark, retired from the army and a widow, works security on Dear Island, an island in South Carolina. One evening, Marley finds a body floating in a hot tub. She recognizes him as Stew Hartwell, a man who used to play golf with her now deceased husband, Jeff. Upon further examination of the scene, she sees vegetables, like carrots and onions, bobbing around the surface of the water with a word scratched in the nearby sand, 'Stewed'.

Deputy Braden Mann, a homicide cop in Atlanta, is sent over from the mainland to help solve the crime. He is about twenty years younger than Marley, but he's still a good cop. He's been given the lead on the investigation and Marley is his new liaison. He wasn't looking for romance, but he can't keep his eyes off of the beautiful Marley. He only calls her 'ma'am' once before he promises not to do it again.

The two of them are great partners, working the clues that they have and asking questions of those near to Stew and others on the island. But they get close to the truth and someone else is killed, and soon after, an attempt is made on Marley's life. Braden is very protective of his new lady, but Marley can take care of herself. Even though the romance between them is deepening, Marley won't let it affect her job. She will do what it takes to solve the case and put a killer behind bars.

DEAR KILLER is a clever romantic suspense with a capable and distinctive main character, a romance between an older woman and a younger man, which is uncommon in today's contemporary writing as well as terrific and compelling dialogue. The reader doesn't know who did it until author Linda Lovely leads us where she wants us to go. Mystery fans won't want to miss this one!