Very good book that captured my attention and kept me hooked. It opened with a prologue detailing a war crimes trial for a Marine who went too far in carrying out his duties. It's hard to face when one of your brothers-in-arms does something so heinous, and it's even harder when the person in question doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

Jax returned to his hometown for his best friend Adam's wedding (Mistaken Identity). The night of the wedding, the motel he's staying in catches fire and burns to the ground. The person in the room next to him doesn't survive. After interviewing Jax, Sheriff Dalton requests that Jax remain in town and sets him up in Lynn's boarding house. Jax knows that the "request" is merely a formality - leaving town is not an option until the investigation is complete.

Lynn has been a widow since the death of her soldier husband two years earlier. She has buried her grief in renovating the house he left her, turning it into a boarding house. She has three college student boarders she calls "her boys." She's happy to take in Jax, who she remembers from their school days. Neither of them expects the sparks of attraction that flare between them, and both try to ignore them. Jax will be taking up a new post in a short time, and Lynn isn't interested in a relationship, especially with another military man.

Things start to go a little south when Jax receives a phone call from the prosecutor at the war crimes trial. Two of the five jurors have died mysteriously, and he warns Jax to be alert. Complicating matters, Lynn's brother-in-law is making a pest of himself after losing his lawsuit to claim half of Lynn's house. Luke's attitude arouses Jax's protective instincts. He also must fight off the advances of Madge, a woman he has no interest in.

Life in Lynn's boarding house becomes even more interesting when her mother, Nancy, shows up for a visit. She and Lynn are like oil and water and frequently butt heads. Nancy frustrates Lynn with her heavy-handed attempts at matchmaking between Lynn and Jax, though Jax finds her endlessly amusing.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Lynn and Jax. He is used to being busy, so he volunteers to help Lynn with the renovations. An easy friendship develops as they work together, but those sparks are never far from the surface. Lynn experiences some guilt over those sparks, feeling as though she is being unfaithful to Matt. Jax's experience with his parents' marriage has left him wary of relationships. When the fire investigation clears him, he's free to go, but he can't bring himself to leave with everything going on. There are some sweet scenes of them together, from working on the house to sharing their pasts. But when danger comes to Jax, Lynn panics and pushes him away. It takes some honest self-reflection to see that she's ready to love again.

The suspense of the story kept me turning the pages. We have the possible threat to Jax's life, Luke's determination to get Lynn's house for himself, and Madge's determination to get Jax for herself. Neither Madge nor Luke are the brightest, and when they team up, the results are less than spectacular. One of Lynn's boys plays a big part in stopping one attempt (I loved seeing him with Miss Emma!). Meanwhile, Luke becomes the unwitting dupe of Jax's stalker.

The threat against Jax is very real. We get frequent looks from the stalker's point of view, keeping the reader on edge as we see the dangers that Jax doesn't. The tension ramps up as they become increasingly desperate to complete their "mission." There was one point where I was sure Jax would figure it out, but the clue was just out of his reach (it's the walk, Jax, the walk!). The final confrontation was terrific, as the stalker was no match for Jax's strength and reflexes.

The secondary characters were plentiful and well done. Lynn's mother, Nancy, was a trip. Many of her actions and comments were cringeworthy, but she has a good heart. I liked her joy of cooking for others and could see that was one of her ways of showing she cared. I loved the three college guys, who were good kids and thoughtful of Lynn. It was fun to see the dynamics change throughout the book. Maude of Maude's diner was her usual grumpy self but still shows as one of the hearts of Conard. Characters from other books make appearances, and I am always happy to see where they are in their lives. ( )