Good book with a nice blend of suspense and romance, leaning a little more on the romance side. Having recently solved one cattle rustling case, Casey is picked for another one. A local rancher and bigwig is missing some of his very valuable Angus cattle and wants it investigated immediately. He assigns one of his ranch hands to stick with Casey and provide any needed assistance. Casey isn't thrilled to involve a civilian, especially a female one.

There are sparks between Casey and Melody from the start, and neither one is happy about it. Casey was left at the altar by his fiancée and is not interested in pursuing any new relationships. Melody is recently divorced from a man who constantly put her down, causing her to doubt her judgment. She isn't interested in letting a man into her life, but she also won't be sidelined. Though Casey is initially reluctant to take Melody along on his investigation, she makes a good case that her knowledge of the ranch would be an asset. With it being just the two of them, they had plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. Neither planned to talk about their pasts, but their growing closeness made it happen anyway. It was interesting to see how they reacted to each other at times, their responses influenced by their pasts. Though the sparks flared hot enough at one point for them to give in, both still resist the thought of anything more. While I appreciated that there was no quick declaration of feelings, there were moments of frustration that Casey, especially, was going to let his fears come between them. I liked the realistic ending as both of them faced their fears and sought to move forward.

The suspense of the story was good. The value of the cattle was a good incentive for their theft, and for the desire of their owner to get them back. I found the electronic tagging of the animals interesting and how that enabled them to be tracked. I was a bit skeptical of the length of time it took Casey and Melody to catch up, as two people on horseback should have been able to move faster than people who also had to herd cows, but it worked for the story. Things got complicated when Casey and Melody found one of the cattle dead, and the body of a ranch hand nearby, making them realize that the danger is a bit greater than they had previously thought. One clue that they found gave Casey one suspect, but he wasn't sure about it. The final confrontation was intense, with both Casey and Melody in extreme danger. Both kept their heads as they faced the rustlers, though Casey's shock and anger were obvious. The resolution was terrific with help coming from an unexpected source. ( )