Mortal Dilemma (Matt Royal Mystery #10)

Detective J.D. Duncan is finally catching a break on a cold case murder from years earlier in her home of Longboat Key, Florida. Little does she know, however, that its evil tentacles go far deeper than meets the eye.  As her lover, Matt Royal, works to help long-time friend and undercover operative Jock Algren recover from a depression that threatens to ruin him, the connections start to add up and the terrorist ties are more than deadly - they could be catastrophic!  With time running out and everything on the line, both must risk their lives and their love before all is lost.

For anyone who loves a good, solid murder mystery, this is one to pick up!  The writing flows beautifully, allowing the reader to follow a surprisingly believable murder investigation from the POV of both a police detective and a retired lawyer.  This is done in such a way that it immerses the reader to the point where one feels they could be walking right beside the characters as they inhabit the islands along the Florida coast.  The descriptions are lovely and the intrigue provocative.  The storyline never does get particularly exciting, and the reader is told early on who the bad guys are so the interest is contingent on discovering how everything ties together. Still the twists and turns are enough to keep turning those pages for a very satisfying ending!

Ruth Lynn Ritter