Even though this book is part of a series I had no problem beginning with this one. On top of that I love me a good Rita Herron book. She never disappoints.

Years earlier Peyton was present at a fire that killed Liam's father. Now Peyton is working as a nurse in a home taking care of her mother. Liam is a federal agent and determined to solve his father's murder. Peyton was present at the fire but doesn't want to discuss it much less think about it.

Liam knows she is hiding something but the question is what? While Liam is of course suspicious of Peyton at first he is a good guy who has great instincts. Those instincts tell him that while she knows something she is not involved in the fire, other than being present.

They grow closer and there is a point where Liam needs some pushing from his three brothers to see what's in front of him. All in all this was a great read. I enjoyed it so much! The suspense was awesome and I will say I didn't see what happened coming.

Who are Peyton and Liam? What does she ask of him? Who are Mr. & Mrs. Inman? What do we learn about them? Where are they all from? Who are Jacob, Fletch, and Griff? Where does Peyton work? What happens at her job? Death, murder, murderers, fires, family, secrets, frame jobs, and more happen in this story! WOW! What is going on in this book had me unable to put it down, well into the wee hours of the morning. You won't believe what is going on, who is behind it, and why.

Liam is working on a case that happened 5 years ago that his father and many others died. Peyton might know more then she is saying. Now the person behind the fire that took lives is after Peyton incase she tells what she know and now she isn't safe. Liam will be there to protect and make sure she's okay while trying to solve this case.

I enjoyed following along with book seeing the possible connections. There was so much going on with the case with a few close calls and wondering who it can be. I enjoyed seeing the bit of romance that was going on but appreciate that it wasn't overpowering the book it is a mystery book after all. I kept wondering if it was something that kept reappearing in Peyton's life but then was on and off with that and thought it was interesting seeing what was going on over the course of the book. Overall I really enjoyed it.

I do not often catch novels from this author but am so delighted when I can. Being this is a intrigue it was like eating my favorite which is dark chocolate. Liam is looking for answers in a investigation and he comes asking Peyton. This puts her in the radar of a killer or the like and so things will escalate. As it does so does the interaction between the two. We see a relationship unfold as the danger comes closer so we will get to see if it survives.

Good combination of suspense and romance. The book opened with a flashback to the night of the fire at Whistler's hospital from Peyton's perspective. We see that she knew something was wrong in a case earlier that week, and that she received a threatening phone call about it. It is also clear that keeping quiet eats at her conscience, but fear for her mother gives her no choice.

Five years later, special agent Liam Maverick gets a break in the case of the hospital fire that killed his father. The man that he talks to points a finger at Peyton. When Liam questions her, he is immediately suspicious because he senses that she is hiding something. Peyton is determined to keep her secret, but she knows she needs help when she receives a new threat against her mother.

I liked the development of the relationship between Liam and Peyton. Though he was suspicious of her at first, Liam also sensed that she was scared. His protective instinct kicked in quickly, and he was determined to keep her safe. Peyton was wary of Liam at the beginning because she could tell that he didn't believe her. But when she needed help, she knew that she could trust him. Neither expected sparks of attraction, especially in the middle of such a perilous situation. I loved seeing them grow closer. Liam discovered that Peyton filled an empty space in his life, and Peyton found herself dreaming of a life she'd given up on after the fire. However, there are still some obstacles between them. Peyton kept one other secret from Liam because she was burned by others who knew it. When Liam found out, he was hurt and a bit angry that she didn't trust him. It took a push from his three brothers to make him see the truth. The ending was sweet, and I loved seeing them come together. There was a fun twist to the end of it.

The suspense of the story was intense all the way through. The threats against Peyton picked up right after Liam questioned her. Those threats escalated quickly from verbal to attempts on her life and that of her mother. Once Peyton decided to help Liam, it sometimes seemed there were more questions than answers. Several suspects had means and motive, and there were a few twists before the final confrontation. I was on the edge of my seat as it played out, especially as I did not see part of it coming.

Suspicious Circumstances is the third book about the Maverick brothers. They are still looking for the person responsible for the hospital fire that killed their father, the Sheriff of Whistler, five years ago.

FBI agent Liam Maverick finally gets a break in the case and the arrest of a scorned and angry widower. When his wife died at the hospital five years ago by accident, he vowed to make them pay. His allegations led Liam to one woman, Peyton Weiss.

Peyton was a nurse at Whistler hospital the night a patient died. She knew a mistake had been made, but she didn't know who made it. Threatened by a mysterious voice on the line after the fire to keep quiet, she flees with her mother and takes a new job at an assisted living facility outside of Whistler. Her only desire is to be a nurse and take care of her mother who is failing mentally. If she has to keep quiet about the events of that night in order to do that, she will.

Until Agent Liam walks into her life. He is strong, handsome, and take charge and he knows she's hiding something.

Family is important to both Peyton and Liam, and they'll do anything to protect their own. When push comes to shove Liam has to protect Peyton from friend and foe.

I enjoyed how they tied up the whole situation with the fire and why it happened. While I had the "bad guys" figured out, it was fun to learn the why and the how. The ending was a bit rushed and reminiscent of Jacob's book but they got their HEA, and that's what mattered. I recommend this series if you love fast-paced intrigue that is tied up nicely every time.

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the in the Badge of Honor series in the Harlequin Intrigue line by Rita Herron.

Liam Maverick is looking into a fire that caused the death of his father five years earlier. Peyton has been holding back information after being threatened by a powerful man in town. Things escalate when the powerful man believes Peyton is about to spill her secrets.

There was a lot of back and forth here. Not sure why more tests weren’t run on the deceased five years earlier. Seems like that info could have nipped all this trauma the characters experienced in the bud.

Even though Peyton quit her nursing job shortly after the fire that caused Liam’s father’s death, the threat still followed her there and brought torment to not only her but her friends and family.

This was definitely a nail-biter and I couldn’t figure out who the bad guy was. And I was floored when the culprit was uncovered.

If you like romantic suspense, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I didn't realize that this is book 3, but I didn't have any trouble catching up on whose who. I do recommend that you read them in order if you want the history on all the brothers.

This was a quick action packed read with a few twists/turns, great characters, and of course, an HEA.

I've always been a fan of Rita Herron and I'd recommend all of her books.

#Liam #Peyton #Murder #Fire #Brothers #Conclusion

This is the third book in the Maverick series and I have enjoyed the whole series. I like how all the stories were tied up and did not leave you hanging.